It’s hard for smartphones to stand out in 2024 but the latest Android handset from Motorola packs in a ton of impressive specs for the very eye catching price of just £149. You might imagine there would be too many corners cut to make a phone so cheap, but on first impressions it seems the Moto G34 5G has enough to keep bargain hunters happy in the week Samsung is set to launch its incredibly expensive Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Motorola said the new phone “embodies the Moto G family mission of making technology accessible for all.”
“The Moto G34 comes with an immersive entertainment experience, combining a compact display, high refresh rate, flawless sound, and an advanced camera system for stunning picture capture.”
The G34 is available in attractive black, blue, or green, the latter of which has a vegan leather rear finish. The phone is powered by a peppy Snapdragon 695 5G chipset paired with up to 8GB RAM to keep things ticking over.
It also runs Android 14 out of the box – great to see Moto running the very latest version of Google’s Android on a phone that costs hundreds less than the Google Pixel 8. That’s rare to see at this price point, where phone companies usually get stuck a generation behind.
Up front on the Moto G34 is a large 6.5-inch LCD display. It’s not OLED, a small clue to the corners cut to hit the phone’s thrifty asking price, but it does have a 120Hz refresh rate, which means apps, text and games will look silky smooth. That’s a spec that even beats the £799 iPhone 15 – Apple’s latest iPhone – which is stuck in the past with a 60Hz screen.
You also get a headphone jack, something we haven’t seen on an iPhone for years – or most expensive Android phones, for that matter. You charge the large 5,000mAh battery with a USB-C cable and the 20W fast charger that comes in the box, unlike high-end phones these days. It all seems a bit backwards that you get more for much less here, but that’s the world of smartphone tech for you.
There’s even a 50MP main camera for shooting detailed photos, though the 2MP macro lens won’t be worth writing home about. Still, Moto makes up for that with dual stereo speakers, another more premium feature we didn’t expect to see for £149.
Add to that NFC tech for contactless payments, a case in the box, an FM radio that works with the included headset, dual-SIM slots, and a microSD slot for expansion up to 1TB and you have yourself a pretty full spec sheet.
We’re also fans of Moto’s clean Android software skin, which is uncluttered and easy to use, plus its phones have handy gestures such as twisting the phone twice quickly in your hand to open the camera from any screen.
If you’re fed up with your current phone and want to check out a new Android device that won’t break the bank, the Moto G34 5G goes on sale this month from Motorola UK. It will also be available from Three, Vodafone, O2, Currys, and Amazon.
