The Phone Shelf

Moto G Power (2026): a big battery and a $100 price rise

The moto g power 2026 on paper: 5,200 mAh, IP68/IP69, 8GB RAM and security updates to January 2029. Launched at $299.99, now $399.99 at Motorola.

Published by Yuriy Andreyev

Published October 15, 2026

The back of a blue Motorola moto g play (2021) lying on a wooden desk
Pictured: moto g play (2021), an earlier phone from the same moto g family. No free photo of the moto g power 2026 exists yet. Photo: Andrepoiy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (license)

The moto g power 2026 suits buyers who want a large battery, IP68 and IP69 water and dust ratings and a microSD slot, and who replace their phone every two or three years. It is a poor fit if you keep phones longer: Motorola's security updates stop in January 2029. At its current $399.99, Samsung's Galaxy A27 5G costs $20 less and the Galaxy A37 5G $90 more, and both are promised security updates into 2032.

We haven't held a moto g power 2026; this page compares Motorola's published specifications and support schedule with the phones it competes with.

Price: launched at $299.99, now $399.99

Motorola launched the moto g power 2026 in the US in January 2026 at $299.99. On October 15, 2026, motorola.com listed it at $399.99 with no discount. That is a third more than at launch, and it moves the phone out of the budget tier it was designed for.

Motorola's cheaper g models also show higher list prices on its store now, but both had sales running on October 15: the moto g 2026 was $249.99 against a $299.99 list, and the moto g play 2026 was $199.99 against $249.99. The g power had no such offer. We follow post-launch increases across brands in why phones cost more in 2026.

What it adds over the moto g 2026

The comparison that matters is with the moto g 2026, the cheaper model it shares a platform with. Both use the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 and a 5,200 mAh battery with 30W wired charging. The g power adds:

  • More RAM: 8GB against 4GB.
  • A slightly larger screen: 6.8 inches against 6.7, both LCD at 120 Hz.
  • Better-specified cameras: a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization and an 8MP ultrawide that also works as a macro, against a 50MP main and a 2MP macro.
  • Water and dust ratings: IP68 and IP69, plus MIL-STD-810H. The moto g 2026 has no IP rating and is described only as water-repellent.
  • One more month of support: security updates to January 2029 instead of December 2028.

It also weighs 208 g against 202 g. Both have 128GB of storage with a microSD slot.

Screen and battery on paper

The 6.8-inch LCD refreshes at up to 120 Hz. Samsung's A27 and A37 use 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panels at 120 Hz. We don't judge how any of these screens look from the spec sheet, and the spec sheet doesn't say.

The battery is 5,200 mAh typical, with a slightly lower rated capacity in Motorola's press footnote. That is more than the 5,000 mAh in the Galaxy A27 5G and A37 5G, the main thing the "power" name promises. It is a capacity figure, not a runtime; how long a charge lasts also depends on the chip, the screen and your signal.

Wired charging is 30W. The A37 lists 45W and the A27 25W. Motorola lists no wireless charging for the g power.

Cameras by specification

The g power has two rear cameras: a 50MP main with optical image stabilization, and an 8MP ultrawide that doubles as a macro camera. The Galaxy A37 5G has a 50MP main, an 8MP ultra wide and a separate 5MP macro. The Galaxy A27 5G has a 50MP main, a 5MP ultra wide and a 2MP macro.

Those lists describe what each phone can shoot, not how good the results are. We don't rank photo quality from hardware specs.

Updates: security patches to January 2029

Motorola's security update page lists the moto g power 2026 as launched in January 2026, with security updates "at least bi-monthly" until January 2029. That is three years from launch. If you buy in October 2026, about two years and three months of that remain.

Motorola doesn't publish a number of Android upgrades for this model. Its software upgrade guide says the phone is "expected to receive Android 17", and that is all. Some Motorola phones do carry a count: the motorola edge 2026 promises two Android upgrades. The g power doesn't.

Samsung's two A models count in years. Both promise up to six generations of Android upgrades and up to six years of security updates, and Samsung's US spec pages give July 2032 for the A27 and March 2032 for the A37. That is more than three years longer than the g power. Our guide to how long phones get updates compares every brand's terms.

Carriers and eSIM

Motorola's product page lists the moto g power 2026 as compatible with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. It takes one nano-SIM and an eSIM, and keeps a microSD slot.

That carrier coverage is a real advantage over the Galaxy A27 5G, which isn't on AT&T's Samsung list and which we couldn't find on Verizon's or T-Mobile's sites. The Galaxy A37 5G is sold by all three carriers, and Samsung.com offers it unlocked or in Verizon and T-Mobile versions.

How it compares

Specmoto g power (2026)moto g (2026)Galaxy A27 5GGalaxy A37 5G
Launch price$299.99$199.99$349.99$449.99
Released in USJanuary 2026December 2025July 2026April 2026
Screen6.8-inch LCD 120 Hz6.7-inch LCD 120 Hz6.7-inch Super AMOLED 120 Hz6.7-inch Super AMOLED 120 Hz
ChipMediaTek Dimensity 6300MediaTek Dimensity 6300Snapdragon 6 Gen 3Exynos 1480
RAM8 GB4 GB6 GB6 GB
Storage128 GB128 GB128 GB128 / 256 GB
Battery5,200 mAh5,200 mAh5,000 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging30 W30 W25 W45 W
Rear cameras50MP main (OIS), 8MP ultrawide/macro50MP main, 2MP macro50MP main, 5MP ultra wide, 2MP macro50MP main, 8MP ultra wide, 5MP macro
Weight208 g202 g200 g196 g
Water resistanceIP68/IP69none (water-repellent design)IP64IP68
Updates promised3 years of security updates3 years of security updates6 years of OS and security updates6 years of OS and security updates
US carriers (maker and carrier listings)AT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, Verizon, T-Mobilenot AT&T; Verizon, T-Mobile: not confirmedAT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
  • moto g 2026: $249.99 on sale on October 15, 2026 (launched at $199.99 in December 2025). The same chip and battery, half the RAM, no ultrawide, no IP rating, and security updates to December 2028.
  • Galaxy A27 5G: $379.99 list (launched at $349.99 in July 2026). A 120 Hz AMOLED screen, 5,000 mAh, IP64 and updates to July 2032, but limited carrier availability.
  • Galaxy A37 5G: $489.99 list (launched at $449.99 in April 2026). A 120 Hz AMOLED screen, 5,000 mAh, 45W charging, IP68 and updates to March 2032, with all three carriers.

If you were drawn to the g power because it used to be a budget phone, the Galaxy A17 5G at $269.99 is closer to its old price and gets security updates to August 2031. For more phones around this price with longer support, see our midrange shortlist.

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