Motorola Moto G (2023) review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Motorola Moto G (2023) is Motorola's 2023 entry model: a Snapdragon 480 Plus, a 6.5-inch 120 Hz LCD, and a 5,000 mAh battery at $199 new for 4/64 GB. Used units sell around $55 across a seven-sale sample for 4/64 GB and $64 for 4/128 GB — with the two-year update window already closed.

Display and design

The 6.5-inch IPS LCD refreshes at 120 Hz with 450 nits of peak brightness; screen quality is 39/100, carried almost entirely by the refresh rate. The 189 g body scores 86/100 on compactness; a formal IP rating is not part of the spec. For its launch year, the 120 Hz panel was the single feature that separated this model from the cheapest entries.

Performance

The Snapdragon 480 Plus posts everyday responsiveness 19/100 and gaming 4/100. The platform is a 2021-vintage 5G chip reused in a 2023 shell: dependable for the basics, slow to launch apps by current standards, and not built for 3D games.

Camera

The camera pairs a 48 MP main sensor with a 2 MP close-up lens, without stabilization; camera score 15/100. Daylight main-sensor record shots are the expectation, and the close-up lens adds little.

Battery and charging

Battery life scores 40/100 on the 5,000 mAh cell — a full day of light use — while 15 W charging scores 0/100. Resale is 61/100, mid-scale: the used market absorbs these steadily, which keeps supply deep and prices low.

Verdict

Around $55-64 used, the Moto G (2023) is one of the cheapest 120 Hz screens in the catalog, with the update window closed and an entry platform as the trade-offs. The Moto G (2024) is the direct successor with a newer platform, and the Motorola G Pure is the even cheaper rung if 5G is irrelevant.