Motorola Moto G6 Play review

With a 5.7-inch edge-to-edge display, finely tuned camera and all-day battery, the Motorola Moto G6 Play will be able to keep up with whatever your day throws at you.

So it may not surprise you that this popular Motorola handset has become the go-to recommendation for power-hungry phone users on a tight budget.

Read on for everything you need to help you decide if the ultra-affordable Moto G6 Play is the best phone for you: all its tech specs and features, including real user reviews.

Plus, we’ll link you to the best SIM free and pay monthly deals available today, so you save on what’s already a top priced mobile.

✔ PROS – Hard-to-beat value, stunning display, invincible battery
✘ CONS – Headphones not included, gamers may want more power
★ VERDICT – The best value smartphone we think there is

In this Motorola Moto G6 Play review we cover:

Motorola Moto G6 Play pros and cons

The good

• Amazing value – You can own the G6 Play now for under £13 a month (free phone).
• Great display – The 5.7-inch HD display is easy to read and scratch-resistant.
• Superb battery – Did you know two-day smartphone batteries even existed?

The less good

• No headphones included – It’s a rare glimpse of Motorola cutting costs here.
• Hard-core users may want more power – The Snapdragon is fast, but not the fastest.

Motorola Moto G6 Play pricing

Best pay monthly deals

You may be surprised to know the best pay monthly deals (for all mobile networks including EE, O2 and Vodafone) are often on comparison sites like Fonehouse and the Carphone Warehouse, and can’t be found with the provider themselves.

Here are the best pay monthly deals for the Motorola Moto G6 Play today:

Best SIM only deal

RRP £179.99

You’ll want a SIM only deal if you’re interested in buying the unlocked phone outright, so you can add on whichever SIM or contract you’d like.Here are the best SIM only deals for the Motorola Moto G6 Play today:

Motorola Moto G6 Play user ratings

Startups rating ★★★★★ (4.4)
Build ★★★★★ (4.5)
Speed ★★★★★ (4)
Screen ★★★★★ (4)
Battery ★★★★★ (5)
Camera ★★★★★ (4)
Value ★★★★★ (5)
Customer feedback★★★★★
6 customer user reviews on Carphone Warehouse

• Value: “These are wonderful phones for the price.” – Gray
• Design: “Bought in gold, looks great, easy to use.” – Raerae
• Specs: “Great technical standards, fingerprint recognition is back.” – Jerome
• Battery: “Battery can stretch to 2 days if I’m not on my phone every 5 minutes.” – Matty37

Motorola Moto G6 Play user experience

Slick design

Despite the plastic handset on the Moto G6 Play, this phone really feels way more expensive than it is. Don’t quite expect an iPhone X, but you certainly won’t feel like you’re on a shoestring with this in your hands.

Fast processor and superfast 4G

If you like to use your phone mostly for sending messages and web browsing, you’ll be breezing through these functions on this nifty little device.Of course, don’t expect the world for under £200, but with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 1.4 GHz octa-core processor you’ll definitely have more than enough power for everyday use.

Motorola Moto G6 Play tech specs

Motorola Moto G6 Play features explained

HD screen

At 5.7 inches, the G6 Play is a decent display size and the HD screen is kind on the eye. With the edge-to-edge Max Vision display, images appear sharp and text is clear and easy to read.You also won’t need to worry about your phone ageing too quickly – the super-touch Corning Gorilla Glass helps protect the screen from scratches.

Two-day battery

Just try to find a better battery – on a phone of any price. The G6 Play gives you nearly 28 hours of call time, and even the heaviest of users will do just fine on over 14 hours of play.Imagine the freedom of only having to charge your phone every two days. Plus, if you need to power up again, the TurboPower charger will get you another hours’ play in just a few minutes.

Decent camera

The 13 Mp rear camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture (to let in plenty of light) takes a detailed photo, even in close-up. As with near all phone cameras, a zoom will reveal a bit of grain, but overall the shots are great quality.The rapid-fire focus (where the phone takes multiple shots and recommends a keeper) and Optical Image Stabilisation helps you get blur-free photos you’ll be proud to share.

Expandable storage

32 GB is a decent amount of storage for any phone, but if you need even more, you’ll be pleased to know there’s a micro SD card slot ready and waiting, just in case.

Anything else?

It’s impressive to see a fingerprint scanner on such a budget smartphone. This makes unlocking your phone secure and extra fast, and with the Moto Key app, you can even use your fingerprint to access your favourite password-secured apps.

Verdict

The best value smartphone, bar none?

We used to think they’d never make such a high spec phone at such a low price. How wrong we were!

With a battery that just won’t give up and plenty of specs that’d be at home in a phone three times the price, the Motorola Moto G6 Play really is one of the best value smartphones out there.