Motorola Moto G 5G 2024 Sedona Sage 128GB

The Moto G 5G 2024 gets you 5G and a massive battery for very little money, but its performance is one of the worst we've seen this year. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 with 4GB of RAM chokes on multitasking, and the dim 720p display is a letdown. If you only need a simple phone for calls and light browsing and can find it under $150, it's acceptable; otherwise, spend a bit more on a Poco X6 Pro or Nothing Phone 3A Lite.

Let's be blunt: the Moto G 5G 2024 is one of the slowest phones we've tested this year. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 was already a modest chip when it launched, and paired with 4GB of RAM, it's just not cut out for anything beyond the most basic tasks. In our benchmarks, it lands in the 18th percentile, putting it behind virtually every other phone in its price bracket. That means apps take a noticeable beat to open, switching between them stutters, and the phone outright freezes if you try to run music, maps, and messages simultaneously. One customer review even mentions exactly this, and our own testing backs up that frustration.

Gaming is a non-starter. The phone scored a 32.6 out of 100 in our gaming evaluation, so even lightweight titles will chug. The 120Hz display sounds great on a spec sheet, but the processor can't push enough frames to take advantage of it, and you'll often see lag in the interface. If your day consists of checking emails, scrolling social media, and streaming YouTube, you might not feel the pain as acutely, but the moment you ask for a little more, the Moto G 5G raises a white flag. It's a shame, because the 5G radio works fine, but the chip can't even keep up with network speeds that would make downloading large apps a breeze.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Google Pixel 7 Pro, and Apple iPhone 16e aren't even playing the same sport, they sit in a completely different galaxy of price and performance. But among budget-minded rivals, the Moto G 5G 2024 gets outmuscled by the Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro and the Nothing Phone 3A Lite in almost every way that matters for daily use. The Poco X6 Pro brings a MediaTek Dimensity chip that absolutely demolishes the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, plus a bright, sharp AMOLED screen that makes the Moto's LCD look like a relic. The Nothing Phone 3A Lite counters with unique design, a smoother software experience, and better camera tuning, though it lacks the Moto's stereo speakers and expandable storage.

What you're trading off with those competitors is usually a bit more cash and sometimes Motorola's clean software. If you must have a headphone jack and hate MIUI ads, the Moto has a small edge. But for anyone who values a frustration-free experience where apps open without a sigh, the extra $30 to $50 for a Poco or Nothing phone is money well spent. You'll notice the difference every single time you unlock the phone.

Pricing lands anywhere from $130 to $225, and at the lower end, you might feel like you're getting away with something because you are getting 5G, a big battery, and a decent main camera for that kind of cash. But our value scores paint a more sober picture: budget metrics came in at 55.1 out of 100, and battery life at 59.7, which suggests this phone is merely okay for the money, not some outrageous steal.

Compare it to the Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro, which often hovers around $200 to $250 on sale. That phone gives you a much faster chip, a sharper AMOLED display, and faster charging, all for just a bit more money. Even the Nothing Phone 3A Lite undercuts the Moto in some regions with a cleaner design and snappier performance. So the Moto G 5G's value really hinges on finding it at the absolute floor of its price range. Pay over $150, and you're leaving better daily performance on the table for the price of a decent dinner.

The Moto G 5G 2024 is one of those phones that screams 'budget' the second you pick it up, but not in a cheap-feeling way. It's got a 6.6-inch 120Hz LCD, a 50MP main camera, and 5G connectivity, all for a price that bounces between $130 and $225 depending on the day and the retailer. On paper, that's a lot of phone for not a lot of cash, and for someone who just needs a reliable device for calls, texts, and some light browsing, it seems like a no-brainer.

Here's who this phone is really for: someone upgrading from a much older device, a kid's first smartphone, or anyone who wants a backup phone with a battery that refuses to die. The 5000mAh cell sits well above average in our battery rankings, landing in the 77th percentile, so you can easily eke out a day and a half of moderate use. Motorola also kept things clean with Android 14 and their light software touch, so you're not drowning in bloatware.

But there's a catch, and it's a big one. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 paired with just 4GB of RAM limps along in daily tasks, and the moment you ask this phone to multitask, it grumbles. We've seen this chipset in other budget devices, and in our database it sits in the 18th percentile for performance, which is woeful. So while the spec sheet checks all the boxes, the experience often feels like it's running a couple of years behind schedule.

If you regularly juggle apps, edit photos, or play any kind of game, skip the Moto G 5G 2024. The performance is genuinely frustrating, and you'll notice the slowdowns within days. Anyone upgrading from a 2022 Moto G Stylus 5G should also look elsewhere, this phone is more of a sidegrade and in some ways feels slower. For just a little more cash, the Poco X6 Pro and Nothing Phone 3A Lite deliver a far smoother experience that won't leave you squinting at a dim screen or waiting for apps to catch up. If your budget is absolutely capped at $150 and you only need a basic phone, it makes sense, but for everyone else, spend those few extra dollars.

For the absolute no-frills user, the Moto G 5G 2024 does the job. My mom, who only checks Facebook, makes calls, and sends an occasional photo, would probably be fine with it. The battery lasts forever, the software is simple, and 5G means her video calls won't drop. In that extremely narrow use case, it's hard to argue with a $130 price tag.

But for anyone who multitasks even a little, or ever wants to play a game that's more demanding than Solitaire, this phone gets difficult to recommend. The sluggish performance creeps into everyday tasks, and the dim, low-resolution display makes reading in sunlight a chore. If you can stretch your budget by even a small amount, consider the Poco X6 Pro or Nothing Phone 3A Lite instead. They'll age much more gracefully and won't make you want to throw them out a window six months from now.