Motorola Moto G Play (2024) specifications and in-depth review

Motorola Moto G Play (2024)

Manufacturer: Motorola

The Motorola Moto G Play (2024) is a budget-oriented smartphone built around everyday usability. It runs Android 13 and is equipped with a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel running at a 90Hz refresh rate, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The device has a single-lens 50 MP rear camera and ships with a charger included, reflecting a practical approach to the entry-level segment. Its 5000 mAh battery supports 15W fast charging, offering a reasonable balance between capacity and refill speed.

Under the hood, the Moto G Play (2024) relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G chipset built on a 6 nm process, paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded via a dedicated memory slot. The Adreno 610 GPU handles graphics duties, and Geekbench 6 results sit at 416 single-core and 1466 multi-core. Connectivity covers Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.1, USB Type-C (USB 2.0), and GPS with Galileo support, though 5G and NFC are absent. The phone also includes a 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo speakers, a fingerprint scanner, and a barometer among its sensor suite.

Pros
  • The 5000 mAh battery offers substantial capacity for extended use, backed by 15W fast charging and a charger included in the box
  • A 50 MP main camera with phase-detection autofocus, continuous autofocus during recording, HDR, slow-motion video, and a range of manual controls provides meaningful shooting flexibility for a single-lens setup
  • The 90Hz display refresh rate delivers noticeably smoother scrolling and on-screen motion compared to standard 60Hz panels
  • Gorilla Glass 3 protection adds a practical layer of durability against everyday scratches and minor impacts
  • The presence of a 3.5 mm headphone jack and stereo speakers covers wired audio use without requiring adapters
  • An external memory slot allows storage to be expanded beyond the built-in 64 GB
Cons
  • The 720 x 1600 px resolution results in a pixel density of only 270 ppi on a 6.5-inch panel, which limits sharpness for detailed content
  • NFC is absent, ruling out contactless payments and NFC-based data transfers
  • 5G is not supported, limiting the device to 4G LTE connectivity
  • Optical image stabilization is not available on the main camera, which can affect video smoothness and low-light photo sharpness
  • Wireless charging is not supported, and the battery is non-removable
  • The front camera lacks a flash, which limits selfie quality in low-light conditions
Who is this for?

This device is well-suited to everyday users who prioritize battery endurance above most other factors, as the 5000 mAh capacity paired with 15W fast charging and an included charger makes it a reliable companion for full-day use without frequent top-ups. The 90Hz IPS display, stereo speakers, and 3.5 mm headphone jack make it a reasonable choice for casual media consumption, while the expandable storage addresses the limitations of the 64 GB base capacity for users who store a lot of local content. Those who value camera versatility over outright image quality will appreciate the range of manual controls, slow-motion video, HDR mode, and phase-detection autofocus available in a single-lens setup, making it practical for hobbyist photography in well-lit conditions.

Who is this NOT for?

Users who rely on contactless payments or NFC-based workflows will find this device unsuitable, as NFC is entirely absent. Similarly, those looking to future-proof their connectivity will be limited by the lack of 5G support, which restricts cellular speeds to 4G LTE. The 720 x 1600 px resolution at 270 ppi on a 6.5-inch screen makes it a poor fit for users who regularly consume detailed visual content or HDR media, since neither HDR10 nor Dolby Vision is supported. With only 4 GB of RAM and a mid-range chipset, the device is also not well-matched to users who run demanding applications, heavy multitasking, or graphically intensive games, where resource constraints would become noticeable.

Design:

water resistance Water resistant
weight 185 g
thickness 8.3 mm
width 75 mm
height 163.8 mm
volume 101.9655 cm³
has a rugged build
can be folded

The Motorola Moto G Play (2024) has a conventional, non-folding form factor with a height of 163.8 mm and a width of 75 mm, giving it a tall rectangular profile typical of modern budget smartphones. At 8.3 mm thick and weighing 185 g, the device sits within a fairly standard range for its class. It carries a water-resistant rating, offering a basic level of protection against moisture, though it does not feature a rugged build. The overall volume comes in at approximately 101.97 cm³.

Display:

Display type LCD, IPS
screen size 6.5"
pixel density 270 ppi
resolution 720 x 1600 px
refresh rate 90Hz
has branded damage-resistant glass
Gorilla Glass version Gorilla Glass 3
supports HDR10
supports HDR10+
Always-On Display
supports Dolby Vision
Has a secondary screen
has a touch screen

The Moto G Play (2024) uses an IPS LCD touchscreen measuring 6.5 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1600 px and a pixel density of 270 ppi. The panel supports a 90Hz refresh rate, which contributes to smoother on-screen motion during everyday use. It is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, providing a degree of scratch and impact resistance. The display does not support HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, or an Always-On mode, and there is no secondary screen present.

Performance:

internal storage 64GB
RAM 4GB
Chipset (SoC) name Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
GPU name Adreno 610
CPU speed 4 x 2.4 & 4 x 1.9 GHz
Geekbench 6 result (multi) 1466
Geekbench 6 result (single) 416
PCMark Work 3.0 performance benchmark 7918
Geekbench 5 result (multi) 1550
Geekbench 5 result (single) 385
GPU clock speed 845 MHz
Has integrated LTE
RAM speed 2133 MHz
semiconductor size 6 nm
Supports 64-bit
DirectX version DirectX 12
Has integrated graphics
OpenGL ES version 3.2
Uses big.LITTLE technology
CPU threads 8 threads
Has NX bit
Has TrustZone
maximum memory bandwidth 14.9 GB/s
OpenCL version 2
memory channels 2
VFP version 4
eMMC version 5.1
maximum memory amount 8GB
GPU turbo 800 MHz
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 6W
DDR memory version 4

The Moto G Play (2024) is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G chipset, built on a 6 nm process with an octa-core CPU configuration running at 4 x 2.4 GHz and 4 x 1.9 GHz across 8 threads using big.LITTLE technology, and a thermal design power of 6W. It comes with 4 GB of DDR4 RAM running at 2133 MHz across 2 memory channels, with a maximum supported memory amount of 8 GB and a peak bandwidth of 14.9 GB/s, alongside 64 GB of eMMC 5.1 internal storage. Graphics are handled by the integrated Adreno 610 GPU, clocked at 845 MHz with a turbo frequency of 800 MHz, supporting DirectX 12, OpenGL ES 3.2, and OpenCL 2. The chipset includes integrated LTE, NX bit, and TrustZone support, and is fully 64-bit compatible. In benchmarks, the device scores 416 single-core and 1466 multi-core on Geekbench 6, 385 single-core and 1550 multi-core on Geekbench 5, and achieves a PCMark Work 3.0 score of 7918.

Cameras:

megapixels (main camera) 50 MP
wide aperture (main camera) 1.8f
Has a dual-lens (or multi-lens) main camera
megapixels (front camera) 8MP
has built-in optical image stabilization
video recording (main camera) 1080 x 30 fps
Has a dual-tone LED flash
number of flash LEDs 1
has a BSI sensor
has a CMOS sensor
has continuous autofocus when recording movies
Has phase-detection autofocus for photos
supports slow-motion video recording
has a built-in HDR mode
has manual exposure
has a flash
optical zoom 0x
has manual ISO
has a serial shot mode
has manual focus
has a front camera
Has laser autofocus
Shoots 360° panorama
has manual white balance
shoots raw
has touch autofocus
has manual shutter speed
can create panoramas in-camera
wide aperture (front camera) 2f
Has timelapse function
Has a front-facing LED flash
has a dual-lens (or multi-lens) front camera
has a front-facing camera under the display
Has a RGB LED flash
has 3D photo/video recording capabilities

The Moto G Play (2024) features a single-lens rear camera with a 50 MP CMOS sensor and an aperture of f/1.8, capable of recording video at 1080p and 30 fps. It supports phase-detection autofocus for stills, continuous autofocus during video recording, and touch autofocus, though optical image stabilization, laser autofocus, and optical zoom are not available. Manual controls include exposure, ISO, focus, and white balance, while burst mode, HDR, panorama, slow-motion video, and timelapse round out the feature set. A single LED flash is present at the rear, with no dual-tone or RGB flash option. On the front, an 8 MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture is available for selfies, positioned in a conventional location rather than under the display, and it does not include a front-facing flash or a dual-lens arrangement. Raw shooting and manual shutter speed control are not supported on either camera.

Operating system:

Android version Android 13
has clipboard warnings
has location privacy options
has camera/microphone privacy options
has Mail Privacy Protection
has theme customization
can block app tracking
blocks cross-site tracking
has on-device machine learning
has notification permissions
has media picker
Can play games while they download
has dark mode
has Wi-Fi password sharing
has battery health check
has an extra dim mode
has focus modes
has dynamic theming
can offload apps
Has customizable notifications
has Live Text
has full-page screenshots
supports split screen
gets direct OS updates
has PiP
Can be used as a PC
Has sharing intents
has a child lock
Supports widgets
Is free and open source
Has offline voice recognition
has voice commands
Tracks the current position of a mobile device
is a multi-user system
has Quick Start

The Moto G Play (2024) runs Android 13, an open-source platform that supports multiple user accounts, on-device machine learning, offline voice recognition, and voice commands. Privacy tools include clipboard warnings, location privacy options, and camera and microphone access controls, though Mail Privacy Protection and cross-site tracking blocking are not available. The interface supports dark mode, dynamic and manual theme customization, an extra dim mode, customizable notifications, a media picker, sharing intents, widgets, and split-screen multitasking. Additional usability features include Picture-in-Picture, full-page screenshots, Live Text, a child lock, phone tracking, and the ability to play games while they are still downloading. On the other hand, focus modes, Wi-Fi password sharing, battery health check, app offloading, Quick Start, and the ability to function as a PC are not included. OS updates are not delivered directly by the vendor, meaning software updates depend on the manufacturer's distribution process.

Battery:

battery power 5000 mAh
has wireless charging
Supports fast charging
charging speed 15W
comes with a charger
has a removable battery
has a battery level indicator
has a rechargeable battery

The Moto G Play (2024) is equipped with a 5000 mAh rechargeable, non-removable battery that supports 15W fast charging, and a charger is included in the box. A battery level indicator is present, making it easy to monitor remaining charge at a glance. Wireless charging is not supported.

Audio:

has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack
has stereo speakers
has aptX
has LDAC
has aptX HD
has aptX Adaptive
has aptX Lossless
Has a radio
number of microphones 2

The Moto G Play (2024) includes a 3.5 mm headphone jack and stereo speakers, along with a dual-microphone setup. It does not support any high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs — aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, and LDAC are all absent — and there is no built-in radio.

Connectivity & Features:

has 5G support
Wi-Fi version Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
SIM cards 1 SIM
Bluetooth version 5.1
has an external memory slot
Has USB Type-C
USB version 2
has NFC
download speed 390 MBits/s
upload speed 150 MBits/s
Has a fingerprint scanner
has emergency SOS via satellite
has crash detection
is DLNA-certified
has a gyroscope
supports ANT+
Has a heart rate monitor
has GPS
has a compass
supports Wi-Fi
Has an infrared sensor
has an accelerometer
has a cellular module
Has a barometer
has an HDMI output
Uses 3D facial recognition
Has an iris scanner
Stylus included
supports Galileo
Has motion tracking
Has optical tracking
Has a built-in projector

The Moto G Play (2024) supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.1, and cellular connectivity, though 5G is not available. It accepts a single SIM card and offers a USB Type-C port running at USB 2.0 speeds, with maximum download and upload speeds of 390 Mbits/s and 150 Mbits/s respectively. An external memory slot is present for storage expansion, while NFC, HDMI output, and DLNA certification are absent. The sensor suite includes a fingerprint scanner, GPS with Galileo support, a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, and barometer, covering a solid range of navigation and motion sensing needs. Features such as 3D facial recognition, an iris scanner, infrared sensor, heart rate monitor, ANT+ support, crash detection, emergency SOS via satellite, motion tracking, optical tracking, and a built-in projector are not included, and no stylus is bundled with the device.

Miscellaneous:

has a video light
Has sapphire glass display
Has a curved display
Has an e-paper display

The Moto G Play (2024) features a curved display and includes a video light for use during video recording. The screen uses neither sapphire glass nor e-paper technology.

Final Verdict

The Motorola Moto G Play (2024) is a straightforward smartphone built around practical, everyday utility rather than pushing boundaries in any single area. Its most compelling attribute is the 5000 mAh battery with 15W fast charging, which anchors the device as a reliable option for users who need consistent all-day endurance. The 90Hz IPS display, stereo speakers, expandable storage, and a capable set of manual camera controls round out a feature set that covers the essentials without major gaps for light-to-moderate use. That said, the HD-only resolution, absence of NFC and 5G, and modest 4 GB of RAM mean it is not designed for users with demanding connectivity or performance needs. For those whose daily requirements center on dependable battery life, casual media use, and flexible storage, the Moto G Play (2024) delivers a coherent and functional package.

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