Moto G Power 5G Looks Good in Vegan 'Leather' and Lilac

The new Moto G Power 5G (2024) is now out. Motorola took several significant steps forward with the phone adding NFC for Google Pay, wireless charging and a larger screen.

The phone's 6.7-inch display has a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, which makes games and animations look smooth. The screen is lovely when you use the phone indoors, with colors that are nice and punchy. 

I mostly left the display set to auto, which changes the refresh rate according to what's on the screen. But in direct sunlight, this display is too dim. I got frustrated trying to take a photo at sunset because I couldn't see the framing.

Like last year's Motorola Razr (2023), the back is covered in "vegan" leather. When I was at dinner with a table of iPhone-wielding friends, everyone complimented the faux leather back. Some even thought it was a case.

The Moto G Power can charge fast too. It supports 30-watt fast wired charging, and when I timed it, the battery went from empty to 55% in 30 minutes. I should note that the wall plug isn't included in the box. It also supports 15-watt wireless charging, which is rare for a phone of this price.

The Moto G Power runs on Android 14 and has a slew of nifty Motorola customizations for how apps look. Here it is with Google Maps on the screen.

Here's a view of the right side. From left to right, is a power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader and a volume rocker.

The phone is packed with old-school Android phone extras like an FM radio, headphone jack and a side fingerprint reader, which I absolutely enjoyed using.

Motorola took a less is more approach to the Moto G Power's cameras, which I think works well. There's a wide and ultrawide lens on the back, compared with the trio of rear cameras on the 2023 model, which included a depth sensor for Portrait mode.

The main camera has a 50-megapixel sensor and optical image stabilization, which allows for longer shutter speeds when taking photos in mixed and low-light situations. A longer shutter speed allows more light to hit the sensor, which typically results in a better image.

The ultrawide lens is new to the Moto G Power and doubles as a macro lens, so you can get close to your subject and still have it in focus. This camera has an 8-megapixel sensor and I am genuinely impressed with some of the photos it was able to take.

During the six days I tested the phone, I charged it only twice. Motorola claims the phone offers two-day battery life, and it largely lives up to that promise.