Motorola updates $150 Moto G Play for 2023: Here’s what’s new

Motorola on Thursday announced the new $150 Moto G Play smartphone, an updated version of the 2021 Moto G Play. You’ll be able to order the new Moto G Play starting Jan. 12 directly from Best Buy, Amazon, and Motorola. 

The new Moto G Play retains the previous model’s 6.5-inch display HD display, but it’s now faster, with a refresh rate of 90Hz. 

The improved speed, compared with the standard 60Hz, means that scrolling through webpages, apps, and gaming will all have a smoother look and feel.

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Powering the Moto G Play is a MediaTek Helio G37 processor, 3GB of memory, 32GB of storage, and a 5,000-mAh battery that Motorola promises will give owners up to three days of use. 

You can expand the 32GB of storage using a microSD card, adding up to 512GB of extra space. 

There are three rear-facing cameras: a 16-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth camera. The front-facing selfie camera is 5 megapixels. 

In order to get the Moto G Play’s cost so low, there are some features that don’t make the cut, even in 2023. You won’t find 5G connectivity with the Moto G Play, nor will you find NFC capabilities — which means you can’t use any mobile payment services like Google Pay. 

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The Moto G Play will come in the color blue, with a plastic housing that has a USB-C for charging and data transfers. 

At launch, on Jan. 12, the Moto G Play will be available from Best Buy, Amazon, and Motorola.com.

After the initial launch, Motorola says we can expect to see the G Play 2023 at Metro by T-Mobile, Dish, Xfinity Mobile, US Cellular, Consumer Cellular, Spectrum Mobile, and Optimum Mobile.