The Moto G7 Play is more than worth the upgrade

With new phones releasing every few months, it's hard to decide when to upgrade to a newer model. Here at Android Central we've used all major budget phones launched over the last five years, and are here to guide you in your purchasing decision.

Moto G7 Play

Obvious upgrade

$200 at Amazon

Pros

• Powerful hardware
• Evocative design
• USB-C port
• Incredible value

Cons

• No NFC
• Updates

The most affordable option in the Moto G7 series has plenty to offer, thanks to a robust Snapdragon 632 chipset and USB-C charging. The Moto G7 Play has a more modern design, better camera up front, and is significantly faster than its predecessor. The fact that it costs just $200 makes it one of the best deals around.

Moto G6 Play

Battery beast

$170 at Amazon

Pros

• Larger battery
• Same cameras as G7 Play
• Decent value

Cons

• Underwhelming hardware
• Bezels
• Micro-USB charging

The Moto G6 Play wasn't the fastest phone around when it launched, and a year on it is starting to show its age. The Snapdragon 427 chipset just isn't able to deliver a lag-free experience, and while the large 4000mAh battery lasts for two days, you're better off picking up the Moto G7 Play for a less frustrating overall experience.

Traditionally, devices in the Moto G Play series have featured similar designs as their counterparts in the Moto G series, with minor changes in specs. That has changed this year as Motorola is offering the same Snapdragon 632 chipset as standard across the Moto G7 range. What that means is that the Moto G7 Play delivers even better value than previous years.

Moto G7 Play dials things up a notch

The first thing you notice when comparing the Moto G7 Play to last year's G6 Play is the design. Motorola added a cutout at the top of the display to shrink the bezels, and the result is that the Moto G7 Play is 7mm shorter than the G6 Play while still featuring the same 5.7-inch panel. That makes a lot of difference in one-handed usage, and the phone also looks cleaner with the thinner bezels.

The Moto G7 Play has much better specs and a more modern design.

The Motorola logo is still prominently highlighted at the bottom, but you get much more screen real estate in a shorter chassis. Aside from the changes up front, the overall aesthetic is similar to the G6 Play — the fingerprint sensor is located inside the Batwing logo, the camera housing has a single 13MP sensor, there's an 8MP shooter up front, and you get a MicroSD slot on both phones.

Where the Moto G7 Play truly shines is the internal hardware. The Moto G6 Play had underwhelming specs in the form of a Snapdragon 427, and Motorola has remedied the situation by including a Snapdragon 632 in the G7 Play. The beefier hardware makes it a delight to use the phone, and you won't notice any slowdowns in day-to-day usage.

Category	Moto G7 Play	Moto G6 Play
Operating system	Android 9.0 Pie	Android 8.0 Oreo
Display	5.7-inch IPS LCD 1512x720 (19:9) Gorilla Glass 3	5.7-inch IPS LCD 1440x720 (19:9) Gorilla Glass 3
Chipset	Snapdragon 632 4 x 1.8GHZ Kryo 250 Gold 4 x 1.8GHz Kryo 250 Silver Adreno 506	Snapdragon 427 4 x 1.4GHZ Cortex A53 Adreno 308
RAM	2GB	3GB
Storage	32GB	32GB
MicroSD slot	Yes (up to 512GB) Dedicated slot	Yes (up to 256GB) Dedicated slot
Rear camera	13MP f/2.0 1.12um PDAF	13MP f/2.0 1.12um PDAF
Front camera	8MP f/2.2	5MP f/2.2
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2 LE GPS FM radio	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2 LE GPS FM radio
Audio	3.5mm jack Single speaker	3.5mm jack Single speaker
Battery	3000mAh Non-removable	4000mAh Non-removable
Charging	USB-C 10W	Micro-USB 10W
Water resistance	No rating	No rating
Security	Fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensor
Dimensions	147.3 x 71.5 x 8 mm 149g	154.4 x 72.2 x 9 mm 175g
Colors	Deep indigo, Fine Gold, Starry Black	Deep Indigo, Silver, Gold

That said, the Moto G7 Play comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage as standard, whereas its predecessor launched with 3GB/32GB. The decrease in RAM isn't a deal-breaker as the platform itself is much more robust, but it will create a bottleneck if you're using multiple apps simultaneously.

The rest of the hardware is identical to last year: you get the same 720p panel, and the 13MP camera at the back is also unchanged. There's now an 8MP camera at the front as standard, and it's marginally better than the 5MP shooter on the G6 Play.

It's all the same on the software front either: Motorola's software hasn't changed over the course of the last 12 months, and it is still one of the best third-party skins around. That said, the Moto G6 Play is yet to receive the Pie update, and it's going to be awhile before it shows up to the device. The Moto G7 Play, meanwhile, runs Pie out of the box.

The Moto G6 Play has much better battery life

The one thing the Moto G6 Play has in its favor is battery life. With a 4000mAh battery under the hood, the phone manages to deliver over two days' worth of use consistently.

With the G6 Play, you get two days' usage consistently.

The G7 Play also does pretty well with its 3000mah unit, but the G6 Play has it beat in this regard. Then there's the fact that the phone has the same 13MP camera at the back as the G7 Play, which means you'll get the same quality of images as Motorola's latest.

The design at the back also hasn't changed over the last 12 months, making the G6 Play look just as premium as its successor.

It's time to upgrade

The Moto G7 Play is an obvious choice if you're rocking the Moto G6 Play. You're going to lose out on a little bit of battery life, but the overall experience is so much better. The upgraded hardware in the form of the Snapdragon 632 chipset delivers a much-needed boost in performance, and that alone justifies the switch.

The new design also makes it easier to use the Moto G7 Play one-handed, and while it's not exactly a small phone, it is much better in this regard than the G7 Play. Motorola hasn't changed the formula much this year, but the upgrades to the hardware make the Moto G7 Play a no-brainer.

Moto G7 Play

Obvious upgrade

$200 at Amazon

Robust features at a great price point.

The Moto G7 Play is one of the best phones around when it comes to value, and the fact that it has the same Snapdragon 632 chipset as the $300 Moto G7 makes it an even more enticing option. The beefier hardware combined with the new design makes it an obvious upgrade if you're using the G6 Play.

Moto G6 Play

Battery beast

$170 at Amazon

Great battery life, underwhelming hardware.

The Moto G6 Play had its moments, but it's time to find a better alternative. The phone still delivers great battery life, but the underpowered hardware means you're not going to have a good time using the phone for any extended duration of time. With the G7 Play coming in at just $200, it's time to switch.