Motorola Unveils the Moto G56, Moto G86, and Moto G86 Power – Talk Android

At the start of last year, a Lenovo exec expressed how it planned to make Motorola, one of the companies it owns, the third biggest smartphone maker in the world by the start of 2027. We’re about halfway through that, and while I’m not sure where the manufacturer stands in the metrics, it has been doing a solid job.

Motorola is going to continue delivering devices that nail pretty much every aspect of the spec sheet, regardless of their price point, and the new G series devices exemplify that. The company has just unveiled the Moto G56 and Moto G86, along with the battery-focused Moto G86 Power. Let’s talk about them.

The Motorola G56 Is Budget, But Tackles Above Its Weight Class

The Motorola G56 is priced at £199.99 in the UK, which places it in budget phone territory. If you’re looking for a device that delivers more than its price would suggest, this is a perfect choice.

It Looks Good and Is Built Tough

It comes with the Motorola design language that I love so much, with a textured vegan leather back panel, a gentle curve into the camera module, and four Pantone colors: Black Oyster, Dill, Gray Mist, and Dazzling Blue.

You also get IP69 certification, Gorilla Glass 7i, and military-standard durability. That’s a tough device for the price tier it is in.

Comes with Respectable Specs

The display is one place where the cost shows, but it isn’t expressly bad. It is a 6.7-inch FHD+ unit with a 120Hz refresh rate. You’ll have to settle with an LCD panel, and there’s no word on brightness, but at this price, that shouldn’t be a point of contention.

The MediaTek Dimensity 7060 is the chip of choice, and that comes paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If the storage isn’t enough, this is one of the few mainstream devices these days that comes with expandable storage (and a headphone jack!). The battery is a 5,200mAh cell, and you get 30W charging. That’s respectable enough.

The Cameras Are Good Enough

Photography is one place where it is easy to separate the smartphone wheat from the chaff. With the Moto G56, the cameras are just good enough. Remember, this is a budget phone, so don’t expect anything close to flagship capabilities. You get this setup:

• 50MP primary camera powered by the Sony Lytia 600 sensor
• 8MP ultrawide camera
• 32MP selfie camera

Generally, the hardware should perform well, especially with plenty of lighting. While Motorola says the low-light capabilities are good, I know better than that.

The Moto G86 and G86 Power Step the Hardware Up a Little Further

The Moto G86 and G86 Power are essentially identical, but the one category where the Power model comes out on top is with its massive battery. It is the biggest battery a Motorola smartphone has ever had, but we’ll get to that soon. The G86 will retail at £279.99 and the G86 Power at £299.99.

The Moto G86 Devices Maintain the Same Design We All Love

The Moto G86 and G86 Power have a very similar look to the G56. However, in this case, the colorway you choose determines the back panel texture, from a vegan leather to what looks to be a fabric finish:

• Pantone Spellbound
• Pantone Cosmic Sky
• Pantone Chrysanthemum
• Pantone Golden Cypress

Of course, you still get IP69 certification, military-grade toughness, and Gorilla Glass 7i on the screen.

Performance on the G86 Duo Is Paid a Little More Attention

If you’re going to be spending close to £100 more, then you expect the devices to run at least a little more reliably. Thankfully, that’s the case here. Both phones share mostly the same hardware.

When it comes to storage, the G86 gets 256GB, and the G86 Power doubles that to give itself a little more value. It’s rather annoying how headphone jacks and SD card slots have turned into budget features, because both of these devices drop that, which is a shame.

The Moto G86 Power Has Motorola’s Biggest Battery Yet

The Moto G86 brings the same 5,200mAh battery and 30W fast charging that the G56 has, so there’s nothing special there.

However, the Moto G86 Power exists solely to deliver better battery life, and it does that. The device has a 6,720mAh battery, which is the biggest Motorola has ever put in a phone. You’ll still have to make do with 30W charging.

The Cameras Are the Same as the G56

For the cameras, you get the same hardware as the cheaper G56. That means a 50MP primary camera with a Lytia 600 sensor behind it, paired with an 8MP ultrawide. On the front is a 32MP unit. However, with the better chip, you get a few additional features, including RAW output and Moto AI processing.