Technologies
Moto G 5G (2023) Review: A Tough Buy, Even for $250
Motorola’s newest affordable phone provides plenty for $250, but you may want to consider cheaper options.
The $250 Moto G 5G is not a bad phone. It’s just that you might get more value looking around.
I kept returning to that feeling throughout my weeks reviewing the phone, despite the dramatically reduced price this year’s model hits compared with last year’s $400 Moto G 5G. For instance, I like the phone’s 6.5-inch 120Hz display. But the screen isn’t dramatically better than the 90Hz displays I see in $200 phones like the Moto G Stylus or the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G.
The 5G connectivity is noticeably fast compared with 4G-only phones like the Stylus, but the Moto G 5G’s slower Snapdragon 480 Plus processor coupled with 4GB of RAM aren’t quite enough to power resource-heavy multitasking that truly take advantage of 5G speeds.
Even though the Moto G 5G’s cameras are similar those on other Moto G phones, photos are hit or miss. Images come out nice in bright outdoor areas but struggle with getting detail in low-light environments. I took the phone on a sunny Central Park picnic and got a lot of vibrant photos that I’m super happy with. But the opposite was true when I took the phone to a Kim Petras performance thrown by Motorola, where my photos on the crowded indoor dance floor came out blurry, noisy and lacked a lot of detail. It’s typical for this price range, and is a similar issue across all of the Moto G phones that I’ve tested this year.
When I compare the Moto G 5G against phones that are just $50 more, I realize how much I’m sacrificing. If you can swing it, $300 phones offer a lot of perks that are worth the upcharge. The $300 Moto G Power 5G for instance doubles your available storage space to 256GB, which is the cheapest phone I’m currently aware of offering that much internal space. The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G can quickly recharge its battery from nothing to 100% in 45 minutes with its included charger. By comparison the Moto G 5G takes well over 90 minutes to do the same thing.
And whenever the Pixel 6A is on sale for $299 — its power, performance, photography and longer software support outshine all of these $300 and under phones.
The Moto G 5G tries to hit a strange middle ground between $200 phones and $300 phones, but I think it’s more likely you’ll spend slightly less money or slightly more money on a different phone. Again, that’s not to say the Moto G 5G doesn’t offer a lot for $250. It’s just that you can get a very similar phone and save $50, or get a substantially better phone by spending $50 more.
Moto G 5G design, specs, performance
The Moto G 5G is one of the cheapest phones I’ve seen that has a 120Hz refresh rate display. I found the phone animates very smoothly when reading websites, scrolling apps and playing games, and that’s quite appreciated even with the display’s lower 720p resolution. But like I mentioned earlier, due to that lower resolution I don’t feel like the screen looks that much better than the 90Hz 720p displays I see in phones that cost less. It also left me missing the more detailed 120Hz 1,080p displays I see on the $300 Moto G Power 5G and the OnePlus Nord N30 5G.
The phone’s otherwise basic design comes in two color options: Harbor Gray or Ink Blue. The display includes a hole punch for its 8-megapixel selfie camera. The back of the phone highlights its two cameras, a 48-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It’s a simple matte plastic design, which does pick up smudges.
Along the sides of the phone are a power button that doubles as a fingerprint sensor, a headphone jack, a SIM card tray and a microSD card slot. It continues to be notable that the headphone jack and microSD card remain standard features in this price range, as they are otherwise rare finds on more expensive phones.
The phone’s performance is adequate. I didn’t experience problems with most tasks such as making phone calls, reading articles, listening to music or playing games. However, more demanding apps might overwhelm the phone’s processor and 4GB of RAM, which I consistently experienced when I tried to play Marvel Snap while toggling between other tasks. The game reloaded whenever I switched apps, which was an issue because I usually like to play it while multitasking since Snap is a card game.
Those who just need a phone for making calls, sending texts, listening to music and reading news articles will likely be satisfied with the Moto G 5G. The phone’s 128GB of space should be plenty of room for storing apps, photos and media — but the option to expand with a microSD card means you can add more if you need to.
The issue with the Moto G 5G, however, is that its middling performance makes me question whether I get that much more value out of this it compared with the cheaper Moto G Stylus. In my Geekbench testing the Moto G 5G’s processor does run faster than the Stylus. Yet in real-world use, I felt like performance between the two phones was about the same — slightly sluggish but gets me through most tasks.
Geekbench 6 Benchmarks
- Single-core
- Multi-core
For some people, a faster data connection is worth the extra money. 5G networks are starting to hit a point of maturity where many devices benefit from faster video streaming and downloading while on the go. However, 4G LTE is still quite capable and ubiquitous. Unless you plan on tackling cloud gaming or have a lot of large files to regularly upload from your phone, there’s hardly anything yet that truly requires a 5G connection.
Another miss for me is that the Moto G 5G, like all Moto G phones, will receive only one software update and three years of security updates.
Moto G 5G photography
The Moto G 5G’s photos are colorful with plenty of detail when taken in daylight. While on that aforementioned Central Park picnic, both regular pictures and portrait mode photos came out vibrant with a pronounced bokeh effect on the latter. However, the mix of bright highlights, like clouds and shadows under the trees show just how limited the Moto G 5G’s dynamic range is.
I took the photo below with the 8-megapixel front-facing camera. This was inside of a well-lit elevator, but the photos has more details than I would have expected.
Below are closeups of pets and food, which look OK.
And here are the pictures that I took at that Motorola event with Kim Petras and Cirque Du Soleil. The Moto G 5G struggled to document the action so poorly that I switched to my personal phone to share photos with friends.
But these camera pluses and minuses aren’t isolated to the Moto G 5G. I had the roughly the same camera challenges across the Moto G Stylus, Moto G 5G and the Moto G Power 5G. Since you’re not getting better camera quality by paying more for the Moto G 5G, Motorola’s cheaper option could be the better choice as long as you don’t mind sacrificing 5G.
In my comparison photos below of the grass wall in CNET’s office, all three phones were similarly able to differentiate between the different shades of green featured in the decoration.
While I’m still in the process of testing the $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, I took a comparison photo of the same grass wall, finding the image quality to be a little more saturated by comparison.
Moto G 5G bottom line
The $250 Moto G 5G does include a lot of value for its price. You get a 120Hz display at one of the cheapest prices I’ve seen so far, along with 5G compatibility. Its processor can stand up to most tasks, even if it struggles with some multitasking. And if your carrier ends up subsidizing the phone to a price that’s free or close to free, it’s a very appealing option for someone that just wants a basic 5G phone.
But if you aren’t getting a carrier subsidy, I recommend you either consider Motorola’s cheaper Stylus or phones that are $50 more expensive. The 4G-only $200 Moto G Stylus includes much of the same functionality as the Moto G 5G along with a built-in stylus, but it comes with 64GB of storage, a noticeable step down.
There’s a lot to gain from stretching your budget beyond the Moto G 5G’s $250 price, if you can. For example, the $300 Moto G Power 5G offers twice the storage, while the $300 OnePlus Nord N30 provides exceptionally fast charging.
The Moto G 5G does include many essential features that I want to see in a cheaper phone, but it just feels lost compared with other options in this price range. In some ways it’s so similar to $200 phone options, that it doesn’t stand out enough to justify the extra money. Yet it also doesn’t stand out enough at $250 when phones that cost just a little bit more are including tangible features that can increase how useful your phone can be.
Moto G 5G vs. Moto G Stylus vs. Moto G Power 5G vs. OnePlus Nord N30 5G vs. Google Pixel 6A
| Moto G 5G (2023) | Moto G Stylus (2023) | Moto G Power 5G (2023) | OnePlus Nord N30 5G | Google Pixel 6A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.5-inch HD Plus LCD display (720p resolution); 120Hz refresh rate | 6.5-inch IPS LCD; 1,600×720; 90Hz refresh rate | 6.5-inch LCD display; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 120Hz refresh rate | 6.72-inch FHD (1080p resolution); 120Hz refresh rate | 6.1-inch OLED; (1,080 x 2,400); 60Hz |
| Pixel density | 269 ppi | 269 ppi | 405 ppi | 391 ppi | 429 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6.45 x 2.95 x 0.33 in. | 6.41 x 2.91 x 0.36 in. | 6.41 x 2.94 x 0.33 in. | 6.51 x 2.99 x 0.32 in. | 6.0 x 2.8 x 0.35 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 163.94 x 74.98 x 8.39mm | 162.9 x 74.1 x 9.2mm | 163 x 75 x 8.45mm | 165.5 x 76 x 8.3mm | 152.2 x 7.18 x 8.9mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 189g (6.66 oz.) | 195 g | 185 g (6.52 oz.) | 195g (6.97 oz.) | 6.3 oz.; 178g |
| Mobile software | Android 13 | Android 13 | Android 13 | Android 13 | Android 12 |
| Camera | 48-megapixel main, 2-megapixel macro | 50-megapixel (main), 2-megapixel (macro) | 50-megapixel (main), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth sensor) | 108-megapixel main, 2-megapixel macro, 2-megapixel depth sensing | 12.2-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel ultra wide) |
| Front-facing camera | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 8-megapixel |
| Video capture | 720p at 30 fps | 1080p at 30 fps | 720p at 60 fps | 1080p at 30 fps | 4K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 480 Plus | MediaTek Helio G85 | MediaTek Dimensity 930 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 | Google Tensor |
| RAM/Storage | 4GB + 128GB | 4GB + 64GB; 4GB + 128GB | 4GB RAM + 128GB; 6GB RAM + 256GB | 8GB + 128GB | 6GB RAM/128GB storage |
| Expandable storage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | None |
| Battery/Charger | 5,000 mAh (15W charging) | 5,000 mAh (15W charging) | 5,000 mAh (15W wired charging speed, 10W adapter included) | 5,000 mAh (50W wired charging) | 4,410 mAh capacity; 18-watt fast charging (adapter sold separately) |
| Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side | Side | Under display |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | None |
| Special features | 5G enabled, dual stereo speakers, Moto Gestures | Stylus, Moto Gestures | Estimated 38-hour battery life, Moto Gestures, stereo speakers | 50W SuperVooc fast charging, 108-megapixel main camera, game mode, dual stereo speakers | 5G-enabled, 18W fast charging, WiFi 6E, security updates for 5 years, Android OS updates for 3 years, dual SIM, IP67 water resistance |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $250 | $200 | $300 | $300 | $349 ($299 when on sale) |
| Price (GBP) | N/A, Converts to £195 | Converts to £158 | Converts to £240 | Converts to £238 | £349 |
| Price (AUD) | N/A, Converts to £380 | Converts to AU$295 | Converts to AU$445 | Converts to AU$443 | AU$599 |
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds, foldable displays among others that can be useful. And we balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
Technologies
Marvel Rivals Season 2 Adds New Vanguard Emma Frost, Krakoa Map
Emma Frost and Ultron are joining the Rivals roster in season 2, and developers are upping the pace to one new hero per month starting with season 3.
After surviving the endless night in New York City with the Fantastic Four, Marvel Rivals players are getting invited to the shores of Krakoa for the start of season 2 on April 11. The game dropped the first trailer for the new season, giving us our first official look at the new heroes, and a developer vision video dropped major news about the future of hero releases.
The trailer features the former foe and sometimes-leader of the X-Men, Emma Frost, inviting people from across Rivals’ various timelines to the mutant nation of Krakoa, where everyone gets dressed up for a fancy gala — even Wolverine puts on a white tux. The event, however, is unceremoniously interrupted when Ultron shows up preaching extermination.
We also got a look at some of the cosmetics in season 2, though it’s unclear which are from the shop and which might be in the battle pass. In addition to the dressed-up Wolverine, we also got looks at Magik and Psylocke in the traditional X-Men blue and yellow. Nonmutant guests are also getting in on the fun, with fancy attire for heroes like Cap, Widow and Luna Snow.
New Heroes and balance changes in Marvel Rivals Season 2
Emma Frost joins the roster as a Vanguard who can project a shield forward, give herself damage reduction by going into her diamond form, and also choke-slam people while insulting them. We got a glimpse at her abilities in her hero trailer, but we don’t have detailed information about her abilities yet — expect that information to drop ahead of next week’s season launch. Ultron is coming in the season 2.5 update, which should be in late May.
Some team-ups are changing in season 2, including three new team-up abilities that were previewed in the newest developer vision video.
- Emma Frost allows Magneto and Psylocke to create illusions of themselves.
- Doctor Strange teams up with Scarlet Witch allowing her to use small portals to seemingly increase her damage output via a rapid-shooting alternate fire.
- Cap finally teams up with Bucky, allowing the Winter Soldier to leap to allies.
A few existing team-ups are getting adjustments, with Psylocke, Winter Soldier and Doctor Strange being removed from older team-ups in favor of new ones, and Namor moving from working with Luna’s anchor to Hulk’s to empower his ultimate with gamma energy. Two team-ups are being removed entirely: Magneto can no longer team up with Scarlet Witch, and Thor is no longer anchoring Cap and Storm.
Rivals announced the full list of season 2 balance changes, including buffs to Peni, Mister Fantastic and Moon Knight, with Strange losing some damage for more survivability (via his new anchor buff) and Rocket getting several adjustments, while Loki and Adam Warlock receive nerfs to their Regeneration Domain and Soul Bond abilities.
Future seasons will be shorter, which means more new heroes
One of the most surprising moments in the developer video was the announcement that, beginning with season 3, seasons will be two months long instead of roughly three. There has been a lot of discussion online about whether Rivals’ pace of new heroes (about eight per year based on three-month seasons) was sustainable. Well, apparently the Rivals devs took that personally and are cranking up that pace to a new hero every month, meaning 12 new heroes per year.
This feels borderline ludicrous compared with other hero shooters that average about three new heroes per year, or even MOBAs like League of Legends, which has averaged about four new champions per year over the past five years. Rivals benefits from having an overflowing stable of Marvel characters to pull from rather than inventing their own hero concepts, and compared with Overwatch, the developers seem less worried about mechanical overlap in their heroes, as seen with many support ultimates. Still, a new hero every month feels unheard of for a hero shooter.
New Krakoa map and competitive changes
Season 2 is adding two new maps, including a Krakoa-themed domination map at the season’s start. Yggsgard: Royal Palace (domination) and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya (convergence) will rotate out of the map pool for ranked modes, though they’ll still be available in quick play and custom games.
The threshold for competitive picks and bans, which currently only happen in diamond-ranked lobbies, will be lowered to gold 3. Players in Eternity or One Above All ranks will only be able to duo queue, instead of queuing with larger groups — a measure that’s likely intended to keep high-level teams from stomping lobbies.
Speaking of ranks, season 2 will drop everyone by 9 divisions, which is equal to 3 ranks. That means players in Eternity will drop to diamond, and any players at platinum 3 or below will start their climb from bronze 3 again. (AGAIN… AGAIN.)
Rivals developers also announced that individual player performance will be weighted higher when determining competitive progress after a match, meaning if your stats outperform your team’s, you’ll earn more for winning and drop less for losing. This change can help elevate smurfs and other high-skill players in lower-ranked lobbies by getting them into their appropriate ranks faster. However, it can also lead to players stat-farming, instead of playing in a way that is most effective for winning games. Overall, given that Rivals doesn’t use any sort of competitive placement matches, this should be a net positive for the game.
Other announcements
Rivals is adding new skin recolors to certain hero skins and (finally) giving players the option to gift costumes to their friends so they can surprise someone for their birthday, which you definitely did not forget about.
Missions are changing a bit, with the addition of weekly missions and a redistribution of where battle-pass-progressing chrono tokens are earned. The devs framed this as creating a «smoother expectation» of how to earn chrono tokens, but the surface-level description sounds like they’re just making it harder to earn battle pass progress over the season by tucking away more progress under missions with shorter time limits.
The developer vision update also gave us our first look at the competitive distribution, showing how many Rivals players are in each tier as of season 1.5.
The Hellfire Gala trailer says season 2 will start on April 11 UTC. While it doesn’t give a specific start time, expect the between-seasons maintenance to finish sometime in the middle of the night in the US.
For more on Marvel Rivals, check out which heroes and roles you should play and how to get free skins.
Technologies
Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders: New Tariffs Mean US Customers Will Have to Wait
We’ve got all the need-to-know details about the new console, but Nintendo’s recent announcement has caused some uncertainty.
It’s finally here. Well, almost. The Nintendo Direct event on April 3 gave us our first concrete information about its highly anticipated Switch 2 console. In addition to the official release date (June 5), we also got details about the specs, price and some hot new titles. Preorders were originally supposed to open on April 9, but the new tariffs mean that US customers will have to wait a little longer. Below, we’ve rounded up everything you want to know, including when and how you’ll be able to preorder one of these nifty new handhelds.
Where to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2
When can I preorder the Nintendo Switch 2
Preorders we’re originally set to open on April 9, and for most countries, that is still the case. However, in light of the new US tariffs, Nintendo has delayed preorders in the United States while it assesses «the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.» As of now, there are no details about when US preorders will start, but we’re closely monitoring the situation and will update this page as soon as new information is available.
Read More: How Nintendo is Combating Switch 2 Scalpers
How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?
The standalone console will start at $450, which is a $150 increase compared to the original console. You can also bundle it with Mario Kart World for $500, which saves you $30 compared to purchasing the game and system separately.
When will the Nintendo Switch 2 be released?
The Switch 2 will officially begin shipping on June 5. As of now, Nintendo has stated that the preorder delay in the US will not affect the release date.
When can I preorder Nintendo Switch 2 accessories?
Nintendo and several other retailers already have preorder pages for controllers, cases and other accessories, as well as games. It’s likely that preorders will begin at the same time as consoles, but there’s no official confirmation as of yet.
When can I preorder Nintendo Switch 2 games?
As with accessories, we expect that Switch 2 game preorders will be available when console preorders go live.
Nintendo Switch 2 preorders: What are people saying?
Feeling about the Switch 2 are mixed — to say the least. While the new console certainly offers some nice upgrades over it’s predecessor, including a larger screen, improved Joy-Cons and boosted storage, many are wondering if it’s enough to justify a fairly significant price hike. Especially when you consider with the new $80 price tag of its two biggest launch-window games — Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. CNET gaming expert Scott Stein sums it up as a console that «feels a lot like an updated version of a system many people already own.» Additionally, the confusion about preorder availability has many gamers wondering if they’d be better off waiting a year or two and grabbing a refurbished console at a lower price.
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 5, #1386
Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,386 for April 5.
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Still recovering from yesterday’s tricky Wordle? Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little easier, although the first letter isn’t one I often guess. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.
Today’s Wordle hints
Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
There are two vowels and one sometimes vowel in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: Start letter
Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter F.
Wordle hint No. 4: Under the sea
Today’s Wordle answer is sometimes associated with ocean waves, and also with soap.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle answer can refer to something that is frothy or creamy.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is FOAMY.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 4, No. 1385 was KRILL.
Recent Wordle answers
March 31, No, 1381: BOOTY
April 1, No. 1382: JEWEL
April 2, No. 1383: CURSE.
April 3, No. 1384: SHEAR
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