With the Moto G Pure, Motorola makes $160 go farther than last year

Motorola's budget phones really do get around. Whether it's a Moto G or a Moto E, they're a popular standout at carrier stores that cuts between the richer Samsung and Apple devices..And it just so happens that we have a new one landing this month that changes several major things about what the Lenovo-owned manufacturer has been doing in a very specific price category.

Display

6.5" 1600 x 720 (20:9) LCD

SoC

MediaTek Helio G25

RAM

3GB

Storage

32GB + microSD up to 512GB

Cameras

Rear: 13MP f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 depth Front: 5MP f/2.4

Battery

4,000mAh w/ 10W charging

Connectivity

4G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, FM, No NFC

Peripherals

3.5mm audio, USB 2.0 (Type-C), fingerprint

Android 11

Size

167 x 75.6 x 8.8mm / 188g

Color

Deep Indigo

Price

$160

The Moto G Pure represents the company's most basic offering in the G series and, in a sense, takes the spiritual place of last year's Moto E (2020). For a $10 bump in MSRP, users are getting 50% more RAM, improved charging speeds, a much-needed update from Micro-B to USB Type-C, and acceptable Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5 specs. Combine that with a modest IP52 rating, Motorola's ability to ensure near-universal cellular compatibility in the U.S., plus an extremely complementary treatment of Android and the value almost presents itself.

There are a couple of troughs in the landscape such as the continued lack of NFC for mobile payments and a waffly software update policy featuring one OS bump and 2 years of security patches ("regularly" issued, though we suspect this could be as good as every other month in line with the company's other devices), but at this price level, you may consider those matters trivial.

Pre-orders open today for unlocked units at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Walmart, and Motorola. Shipments should go out starting October 14.

New customers to Verizon can get a Moto G Pure free via 24 monthly bill credits (RRP: $150) beginning October 14. In the coming months, those switching to Metro by T-Mobile will also get a Pure as a freebie. The phone will also come to AT&T, Boost Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Cricket, Republic Wireless, Spectrum Mobile, T-Mobile, UScellular, and Xfinity Mobile.