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Motorola Moto G06 Power: two-minute review
Looking for a cheap phone – a very cheap phone even – that can do all of the basics? Then the Motorola Moto G06 Power could be a mobile well-worth considering. For just £89, this budget device will let you do all the important stuff: think phone calls, WhatsApp messaging, and internet looking.
But even if you’ll experience some occasional delays, you’ll still be able to perform the essential tasks without much of an issue – just as you would on any of the best Motorola phones. And doing that’s good and straightforward due to the acquainted and efficient Android 15 operating system, which is paired with Motorola’s easy Hey UI.
You’re additionally capable of take some snaps with the G06 Energy, due to its most important digicam, which presents an efficient photograph decision of 12.5MP, and an 8MP selfie digicam. Once more, high quality isn’t the most effective right here, however you may take pretty clear captures in pure or low-lit circumstances and hop on video calls and not using a hitch.
The overall theme right here is that you just’ll need to sacrifice a good bit on high quality for a cellphone on this value bracket. For instance, there’s no 5G or Wi-Fi 6 help, so that you received’t have the ability to entry the most effective community speeds. The IP64 waterproof score can be hardly the most effective round and the cellphone’s built-in audio system can sound unrefined.
Nevertheless, there are just a few areas the place this mannequin excels. The obvious is in regard to battery life. You’re getting a 7,000mAh capability battery with the G06 Energy; that’s distinctive, and can simply get you thru a day of use, even in the event you’re dipping into extra power-intensive apps.
One other spotlight is the inclusion of a 3.5mm port on the highest of the system. That is one thing that you just received’t typically come throughout on fashionable smartphones, nevertheless it’s a very welcome addition, enabling you to take pleasure in wired, higher-resolution music with out sacrificing the USB-C port, which could be devoted to charging alone.
All in all, I used to be glad with the Motorola Moto G06 Energy. It did little or no to wow me, efficiency was fairly rocky, and its show was fairly unremarkable. However for £89, I wasn’t anticipating something particular. Primarily, this does all the things it must for the worth and, in the event you want a cellphone for lower than £90, it is going to get the job executed.
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: price & availability
- List price of £89
- Launched in October 2025
The Motorola Moto G06 Power is available in the UK from a range of retailers. It is typically sold for £89, but I’ve seen it going for less than £80 on occasion. It launched in October 2025, and can be purchased in either Laurel Oak or Tapestry.
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: specs
|
Dimensions |
171.4 x 77.5 x 8.8mm |
|
Weight |
220g |
|
Screen |
6.88-inch LCD |
|
Resolution |
1640 x 720 |
|
Refresh rate |
120Hz |
|
Chipset |
MediaTek Helio G81 Extreme |
|
RAM |
4GB |
|
Storage |
64GB |
|
OS |
Android 15 (at launch) |
|
Rear cameras |
50MP f/1.8 |
|
Front camera |
8Mp f/2.1 |
|
Battery |
7,000mAh |
|
Charging |
18W wired charging, no wireless charging |
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: design
- Basic yet decently modern look
- Understated colour options from Pantone
- Nifty 3.5mm port
In terms of looks, the Motorola Moto G06 isn’t doing anything all too differently to siblings like the Motorola Moto G55 5G, say. It’s received a fundamental look, with a decently giant 6.88-inch display, strong really feel, and textured casing on the again – it’s not going to wow anybody, and it’s not precisely razor skinny, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly a modern-looking system.
The entire G06 Energy’s buttons are stored on one facet – one thing I at all times admire, because it means I’m much less prone to by chance press a button whereas gaming, for instance. They’re additionally well-sized and straightforward to make use of.
One thing that Motorola likes to flaunt is its partnership with color specialist Pantone, which has led to some fairly distinctive color variants for telephones just like the Motorola Edge 50 Neo. There’s nothing overly vibrant this day trip, however the two color choices – Laurel Oak and Tapestry – are elegant and understated, and make for a pleasant change from the standard black, silver, or white that the majority producers supply.
Let’s look slightly extra on the sensible elements of this cellphone’s design, although. To start with, I’m an enormous fan of Motorola’s determination to incorporate a 3.5mm slot on the highest fringe of the system. This implies you can take pleasure in top quality audio from a number of the finest wired earbuds or IEMs, just like the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones or the Sennheiser IE 200.
This cellphone additionally presents OK safety in opposition to harm. It makes use of the scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3, and likewise has an IP64 mud and waterproof score. This implies it’s basically totally dustproof, and guarded in opposition to multi-directional water splashes – assume raindrops, as an illustration. Nevertheless, that’s not as spectacular as different Motorola gadgets – just like the IP69-rated Motorola Edge 60 Fusion – which could be totally submerged underwater for prolonged durations with out accruing harm.
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: display
- Unremarkable 720p LCD screen
- But has a respectable 120Hz refresh rate
- Peak brightness of just 600 nits
Design-wise, the G06 Power seems decent for a sub-£100 phone, but when we turn towards the display, its limitations start to become all too apparent.
First of all, and perhaps most importantly, this display’s resolution is very low for a phone that was released in late 2025. It’s just 720p – not even full HD – so you won’t be able to enjoy your favourite movies, series, YouTube videos and more in the best quality.
Just generally, the picture here is pretty poor too. When watching a YouTube video covering the natural beauty of Costa Rica, the deep greens of a lizard on-screen weren’t replicated well, appearing flushed out and artificial. On my mid-range Samsung cellphone, nonetheless, these greens appeared true-to-life and wealthy, creating a much more interesting viewing expertise.
Positive, there are methods to change the show’s output – you may swap between a Pure and Saturated presentation in system settings, alter color distinction ranges, and extra. However no matter your calibration, you’re not going to get the sharp element and eye-popping colors that pricier fashions can supply.
Aside from disappointing color copy, I additionally picked up on underwhelming distinction and brightness. The show’s peak luminance of 600 nits performs fairly the half right here – that’s low, even for a funds system, contemplating a rival just like the Samsung Galaxy A15 delivers 800 nits. That low brightness means the cellphone performs poorly open air, and I discovered it onerous to learn or view on-screen content material in vivid circumstances.
Despite its unremarkable image high quality, the G06 Energy’s show does have a 120Hz refresh fee, which is fairly first rate. That signifies that you’ll have the ability to play some cellular video games at as much as 120fps, in the event that they help such a body fee.
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: software
- Runs Android 15 out of the box
- Expected to receive three years of security updates
- Some annoying bloatware, but less AI fluff
Out of the box, the Motorola Moto G06 runs Android 15, which is as customizable, easy-to-use, and intuitive as ever on the G06 Energy. Motorola claims that it’ll replace to Android 16 in the end, and you can anticipate three years of safety updates. That’s not notably good, however nonetheless in-line with most of its G-series mobiles.
The standard Motorola UI touches are right here too, which open up just a few good choices. You’re getting gesture controls, attentive show, media controls, and extra. The UI is effectively laid-out and simplistic, making it extremely accessible for all customers.
One thing I appreciated fairly a bit in regards to the Moto G06 was its extra stripped again method to AI performance. After I reviewed the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, I felt as if it was consistently making an attempt to push uninteresting AI instruments onto me – considering generated wallpapers, playlists, and notification summaries.
However the G06 Energy doesn’t attempt to drive these superfluous options onto you. As a substitute, it delivers a way more streamlined, bloat-free person expertise. AI could be discovered on the system, with some digicam integrations and Google Gemini performance, nevertheless it’s not the star of the present right here.
Having stated that, the G06 Energy isn’t completely bloat-free. And that’s as a result of it robotically downloaded a bunch of apps that I didn’t need in any respect. I’m not speaking in regards to the helpful stuff, like Google Chrome or YouTube. No, as a substitute I increase you Toon Blast, Block Blast, and the dreaded Temu. If I needed this software program, I’d be able to downloading it myself, thanks very a lot.
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: cameras
- 50MP camera realistically operates at 12.5MP
- Basic 8MP selfie camera
- Quality isn’t great overall, but does the job
As you may expect, the Motorola Moto G06 Power is no powerhouse in the cameras department. However, it does produce perfectly acceptable results for a phone in this price range, in my view.
The star of the show is the 50MP Quad Pixel camera system, which essentially combines four pixels into one to capture what are effectively 12.5MP photos. I took a variety of snaps throughout the day in my city, both indoors and outdoors, and the quality was about as I’d expected.
In natural light, buildings and cars looked clear enough, although I hardly got the most detailed or dynamic images around. It was a similar story when taking photos inside: the vivid blue of my vase was captured decently, but a restricted resolution meant that the intricacies of a rose inside were lost.
The G06 Power uses digital processing to make photos clearer in low light, and this worked fairly well in my experience. I took a photo of a street at night, and although some details were blurred, the overall finish was solid enough. In a darker room, the camera held its own, ensuring a pigeon figure was easily discernible.
When zooming in, the camera’s restrictions became very apparent; a lot of clarity is lost, and already low-detail elements can look pretty messy. But again, that’s nothing out of the ordinary for cameras on a phone this cheap.
With the 8MP front-facing camera, the story is much the same. When taking a photo of myself, my skin tone and eyes looked pretty colour accurate, although it wasn’t the brightest of images. Finer details, like lines on my face and individual hairs weren’t the sharpest, but again, I was satisfied with what I saw.
In the video domain, things are about as basic as it gets. You can film in up to 1080p, at 30fps, which isn’t going to compete with some of the best budget phones. But still, motion was as smooth as I expected, and image quality was steady.
Image 1 of 5
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: performance
- Constant issues with stuttering
- Underwhelming built-in speakers, but good audio support
- No 5G or Wi-Fi 6 capabilities
Given this phone costs less than £90, it may not surprise you to hear that it has some glaring performance issues.
Even with only a couple of apps open, I was experiencing fairly consistent delays when sifting through menus, scrolling across webpages, and opening software. Some other basic functions, like switching out of full-screen mode on a YouTube video, also caused some slow-down.
As you can imagine, then, some more demanding commands can be tough for the G06 Power to handle. I downloaded Genshin Impact, a pretty intensive 3D game, and even loading it up took a full minute. When I was finally through the door, the game did stutter quite a bit, although some segments were functional.
Ultimately, the phone’s MediaTek Helio G81 Extreme processor and 4GB of RAM just won’t be enough for mobile gamers. This model is even pretty weak for general productivity and daily tasks, so unless you’re fine with a little bit of stuttering and delay, you’ll probably want to step-up to something more powerful.
Something I also want to touch on is audio quality. Now, I have to be honest, the phone’s built-in speakers aren’t very good. When watching The Boy and the Heron, audio wasn’t the most controlled or balanced, and in Genshin Impact audio could get a bit distorted. However, this phone does support Dolby Atmos, LDAC, and wired listening through its 3.5mm port, meaning it’s awesome when paired with some of the best earbuds or best headphones.
Lastly, it’s price noting that the Motorola Moto G06 Energy doesn’t help 5G or Wi-Fi 6. Consequently, you’ll be lacking out on the most effective community speeds and connectivity choices, which might show to be a sticking level for some patrons.
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: battery life
- Very high 7,000mAh battery capacity
- 18W wired charging
- No wireless charging
Other than its incredibly low price, the most enticing aspect of the G06 Power is its battery life.
That’s right, it has a phenomenal 7,000mAh capacity battery, which means it can live for quite some time. Its processor is hardly the most demanding either, so it will drain at a fairly slow rate. Motorola says that the battery will last as long as 62 hours, but even if you’re using more intensive apps, you’ll easily get a day’s use from the G06 Power without needing to charge it.
You can check up on battery health status, usage history and more in system settings, but there’s more available if you go digging. For instance, you can activate a battery saver mode, toggle adaptive battery, and enable overcharge protection, which limits charging to maintain superior health.
In terms of charging technology, things are kept pretty basic, though. This model supports 18W wired charging, but has no wireless charging capabilities.
Should I buy the Moto G06 Power?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Basic but decently modern-looking, nice 3.5mm port, only IP64 waterproof rated. |
3.5/5 |
|
Display |
720p only, fairly low peak brightness, but 120Hz refresh rate isn’t bad. |
2.5/5 |
|
Software |
A simple yet effective approach to software, but has some annoying bloatware. |
3/5 |
|
Cameras |
You won’t get very sharp or detailed images at all, but quality is as you’d expect for the price. |
3/5 |
|
Performance |
Lots of stuttering and delay, but still functional, decent audio support. |
2.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
Basic charging tech, but 7,000mAh capacity is excellent and long-lasting. |
4/5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Motorola Moto G06 Power review: also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Motorola Moto G06 Power |
Motorola Moto G55 5G |
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
£89 |
£199 |
£199 |
|
Dimensions |
171.4 x 77.5 x 8.8mm |
161.6 x 73.8 x 8.1mm |
164.4 x 77.9 x 7.5mm |
|
Weight |
220g |
179g |
192g |
|
Cameras |
50MP main |
50MP main; 8MP ultra-wide |
50MP main; 5MP ultra-wide; 2MP macro |
|
Battery |
7,000mAh |
5,000mAh |
5,000mAh |
How I tested the Motorola Moto G06 Power
- Tested for one week
- Used at work and in day-to-day life
- Assessed gaming, camera and battery features, among other things
I tested the Motorola Moto G06 Power across an intensive week-long period, trying it out in a wide range of environments, like the office, at home, and out on walks.
In my time testing the phone, I exhausted all of its core features – stuff like different display configurations, camera options, and gesture controls. I also tried listening to music via the included 3.5mm port, and tried out a bunch of games like Genshin Impact, to test performance.
More generally, I’ve tested a bunch of phones here at TechRadar, including a range of budget-friendly Motorola devices like the Motorola Moto G55 5G and Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, to call only a couple.
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