The Motorola Moto G Play (2023) is an entry-level 4G phone for the US and Canada. Motorola announced it on December 8, 2022, and sales started on January 12, 2023. The unlocked model launched at $169.99 with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It is no longer produced, and the Moto G Play (2024) replaced it.
Design and display
The phone has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD with HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and 269 ppi. The main upgrade over the 2021 model is a 90Hz refresh rate. A small hole-punch cutout holds the selfie camera.
The body is plastic and measures 167.24 x 76.54 x 9.36 mm. It weighs 203 grams. The phone carries an IP52 rating, so it handles light splashes and some dust. It was sold in one color, Navy Blue. A fingerprint reader sits in the Motorola logo on the back.
Performance
Inside is the MediaTek Helio G37. This 12 nm chip has eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked up to 2.3 GHz and PowerVR GE8320 graphics. Motorola paired it with 3 GB of RAM.
Storage is 32 GB of eMMC. A microSD slot adds up to 512 GB. The older Moto G Play (2021) used a Snapdragon 460. Notebookcheck rated the new chip as roughly 30% slower. Several reviews also noted slow app loading and lag.
Cameras
The rear has three cameras. The main sensor is 16 MP with 1.0 µm pixels. It works with a 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth camera for portrait blur. There is no ultrawide or telephoto lens.
The front camera is 5 MP with an f/2.4 lens. Both the main and front cameras record video at up to 1080p at 30fps. The macro camera records 720p.
Battery and charging
A 5,000 mAh battery powers the phone. Motorola rates it for up to three days on a single charge. Charging tops out at 10W, and a 10W charger comes in the box. There is no wireless charging.
Software and updates
The Moto G Play (2023) shipped with Android 12. Motorola promised one OS upgrade, to Android 13, plus three years of security updates. Other features include a 3.5 mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C. It has no NFC and no 5G.
Should you buy the Moto G Play (2023)?
This phone suits buyers who want a low-cost backup device with a large battery and a headphone jack. The microSD slot helps with the small 32 GB of storage. However, the phone is discontinued, and its update promise covered only Android 13.
The weak chip and 3 GB of RAM make it a poor fit for heavy apps or games. The successor, the Moto G Play (2024), is a more current choice in the same price range.
