Verdict
Missing the efficiency required to be referred to as a cast funds gaming telephone, the Motorola Moto G06 guarantees so much, but underdelivers on the entirety however value. With a fairly large show, and a few high quality design, it’s a fundamental handset that doesn’t cost a fortune, nevertheless it slightly runs very important apps or minimum video games.
- Very affordable
- Huge show
- Respectable design
- Efficiency is disappointing throughout
- Deficient cameras
- No main updates
There are a large number of funds cellphones round that may be offering nice gaming stories at a fragment of what the flagships opt for, and whilst I want I may say the similar for the Motorola Moto G06, that isn’t the case. Taking a look previous the stunning huge show for a tool at this value vary and a few respectable price for cash, it isn’t the funds possibility that I might in my view counsel.
Motorola’s newest addition, which is having a look to discover a position a number of the highest funds gaming telephones, shouldn’t be sufficient to supply a long-term way to an incessantly pricey drawback: taking part in the highest cellular video games with out breaking the financial institution. It is just right sufficient for doomscrolling, it is respectable sufficient for surfing, however previous very fundamental stories, you are at an advantage having a look in different places.
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Specifications
| Battery | 5,200 mAh |
| Show | 6.88-inch 120Hz LCD, 600 nits |
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G81 Excessive |
| RAM | 4GB / 8GB |
| Garage | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB |
| Entrance digicam | 50MP digicam |
| Again digicam | 8MP selfie digicam |
| Weight | 194g |
| Dimensions | 171.35 x 77.50 x 8.31mm |
| Colours | PANTONE Laurel Oak, PANTONE Arabesque, PANTONE Tapestry, PANTONE Tendril |
A alternative of remaining 12 months’s G05 style, the Motorola Moto G06 is unusually acquainted to the 2024 predecessor. It has the similar chipset and the similar Android 15 working machine, nevertheless it boasts a bigger show. That can sound like an improve, however the similar display screen solution implies that it has got a decrease pixel in line with inch (or PPI) ratio. We are speaking simply unmarried digits, however it is a small downgrade price bringing up.
Even sooner than coming into my critiques on efficiency, the Mediatek Helio G81 Excessive is operating time beyond regulation to do – neatly, the naked minimal, in all honesty. With a measly 4GB of RAM (8GB with the RAM spice up possibility), the specifications are moderately vulnerable around the board, save for a hefty 5,200 mAh battery capability.
Value and availability
The Motorola Moto G06 begins from simply £69, which is an incredibly low determine, one who showcases why the inner (and exterior) {hardware} is moderately minimum. There is a vary of fashions, with 64GB being the smallest in relation to garage and 256GB being the perfect, which is able to set you again simply £109.99. Presently, it does not appear to be there are any variations of the mobile phone to be had in the USA.
For that affordable value, you get a variety of colours to make a choice from, together with PANTONE Laurel Oak, PANTONE Arabesque, PANTONE Tapestry (the colour of the software on this assessment), and in any case, PANTONE Tendril. It is a cast lineup of possible choices, taking into account how affordable the telephone launches at.
Efficiency and gaming
Upon launching the telephone for the primary time, I used to be shocked at how stuttery it used to be right away. Even after a couple of hours of permitting the telephone to head in the course of the vital preliminary setup, it used to be nonetheless laggy, with a noticeable lengthen each time I swiped to some other web page of the house display screen or booted up an app. A being concerned signal, to mention the least.
Whilst it is extra occasional now, stuttering nonetheless happens, and even though the low value of the telephone grants it some leniency, even for a tool in 2025, that looks like a tall order to disregard in a assessment. Thankfully, it did do a tight task as I learn via my quite a lot of Google Play books within the evenings, and I used to be shocked at how neatly it treated Pokémon Pass.
Talking of Pokémon Pass, that is one of the vital highest Android video games that the Moto G06 can run, along the likes of Sweet Weigh down or Monopoly Pass. Even Surprise Snap turns out to run advantageous, permitting me to revel in my favourite cellular card recreation with out factor. Then again, previous those easy and once in a while older titles, the Moto G06 lags at the back of.
Now not solely is the software operating Android 15, remaining 12 months’s main replace to the working machine, however it isn’t getting to any extent further, and it is also solely receiving two years of safety upgrades. That is a disappointing issue, even though it isn’t reasonably as disheartening as the truth that it would possibly not run one of the vital highest gacha video games (like Future Emerging or Zenless Zone 0) in any respect. Sure, it kicks you off in the event you attempt to boot up Future, a complete arduous lock, capital letters N-O.
I am getting that it is a funds telephone, underneath £100 for that truth, however the truth that it is going to develop into a safety chance in a few years (along the lackluster efficiency typically) places a bitter style in my mouth. It is a nice, easy answer in case your present software is on its means out and you wish to have to stay involved with others, however do not be expecting to be powering via ZZZ very easily.
Digital camera-wise, it does not fare a lot better. Even the on-screen show of what your lens sees is smudgy, washed out, and moderately uninteresting. There is not any vibrance or lifestyles to the pictures captured, and it takes a couple of moments for the seize to procedure. I am not anticipating photography-level {hardware} right here, however the 50MP digicam is obviously overselling the deficient sensors.
Design and battery
I am glad that the Motorola G06 comes with a microSD slot for expandable garage, providing as much as 1TB of additional content material to retailer for your telephone. A cushy leather-style end surrounds the again of the software, giving it a pleasing really feel and a singular little characteristic for the budget-friendly telephone, and the IP64 ranking makes it a sturdier smartphone than maximum competition at this value vary.
Eliminating the disgruntlement with the inner {hardware}, it is a nice and unusually light-weight telephone taking into account the show’s dimension. Then again, for the primary time, I might in fact counsel the use of it out of the incorporated case, because the case I gained with the Moto G06 had a couple of sharpish edges on the backside, which felt uncomfortable to carry and relaxation my hands alongside.
Thankfully, the battery is basically nice. The whopping 5200 mAh is made lengthier with the weaker {hardware} and show, so it is a long-lasting telephone that – with out intense paintings – can remaining upwards of 40 hours. That does imply it is a nice emergency-only telephone, as long as you’ll nonetheless price it up moderately incessantly and if you are (for some reason why) now not charging your present handset sufficient.
Show
The Moto G06’s show, on paper, is little short of sensible. It’s an IPS LCD, however it is also 6.88 inches of majesty to revel in, and one that gives as much as 120Hz besides – to play Sweet Weigh down with top refresh charges, after all. Whilst it is quite blurry to take a look at, that is me coming from the standpoint of anyone who makes use of an AMOLED show as a rule, so it’ll glance just a little worse than my same old viewing conduct.
Then again, there is a quite huge bezel surrounding the show that makes it glance even less expensive, made worse with a raindrop entrance digicam notch versus a punch-hole design. With only a most brightness of 600 nits, it is a moderately uninteresting show that does not get a possibility to polish, taking into account how large the show actually is.
Must you purchase the Motorola Moto G06?
Coming from a cellular video games point of view, the solution may not be. It is a to hand little Android that works neatly for scrolling social media or studying books, however it isn’t beating out different budget-friendly telephones in relation to efficiency, design, or a lot else, actually. It is a moderately cast handset that does maximum jobs both mediocrely or poorly, and without a main OS updates, that is a difficult tablet to swallow.
In case you are in search of a easy, affordable handset to get you via a couple of months, or you are merely in need of an additional little software operating Android (possibly you’ve just right Google Play issues however run the most efficient iPhones, like me), then it is advantageous. It is not breaking any data, however it isn’t breaking the financial institution both.
Choices
Samsung Galaxy A16
Whilst it isn’t as affordable because the Motorola Moto G06, the Samsung Galaxy A16 provides extra safety updates with six years of patches, in addition to 5G connectivity and a triple digicam array. Highest of all, it runs Future Emerging – low visuals, however a minimum of it in fact works.
Samsung Galaxy S22 (renewed)
If you do not thoughts paying a little bit extra for a refurbished telephone, the flagship Samsung Galaxy S22 remains to be a perfect little handset in spite of being a couple of years previous. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 remains to be a perfect chipset that runs Future Emerging actually neatly, and lets you get right of entry to quite a lot of Android video games with out breaking the financial institution.
