Motorola launched the Moto G6 series earlier this year in April at an event in Brazil. At the event, Motorola unveiled the Moto G6, the Moto G6 Plus, and the Moto G6 Play, running near-stock Android 8.0 Oreo, a water-repellent coating, and a more modern design befitting smartphones launched in 2018.
The Moto G6 is priced at Rs 13,999 and will be an Amazon exclusive, while the Moto G6 Play starts at Rs 11,999 and will be a Flipkart exclusive. Motorola has tied up with a number of mobile service providers for cashback offers. Both phones will go on sale starting midnight, June 5.
After weeks of teasers, the company has finally launched the new Moto G6 series in the Indian market, however, for some odd reason, the company has only launched the regular Moto G6 and the budget Moto G6 Play in the country. In terms of specifications, the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play include:
| Moto G6 | Moto G6 Play | |
| Display | 5.7-inch FHD+ 18:9 Max Vision display | 5.7-inch HD+ 18:9 Max Vision display |
| Processor | Snapdragon 450 | Snapdragon 427 |
| RAM | 3/4GB | 2/3GB |
| Storage | 32/64GB, expandable up to 128GB via microSD card | 16/32GB, expandable up to 128GB via microSD card |
| Cameras | Rear: 12MP (f/1.8) + 5MP (f/2.2) with dual-LED dual-tone flash Front: 8MP (f/2.2) with LED flash | Rear: 13MP (f/2.0) with LED flash Front: 8MP (f/2.2) with LED flash |
| Battery | 3,000mAh | 4,000mAh |
| Operating System | Android 8.0 Oreo | Android 8.0 Oreo |
Both the devices sport a fingerprint sensor, with the Moto G6 housing the sensor on the front, below the display, while the budget Moto G6 Plus has it embedded within the Moto logo on the back.
As you can tell from looking at the specifications, the Moto G6 is being highlighted by the company as a solid mid-ranger with decent specifications and a respectable 3,000mAh battery, the battery on the budget Moto G6 Play is its USP.
The 4,000mAh battery on the Moto G6 Play, combined with the lower-resolution 720p display and the power-efficient Snapdragon 427 processor is expected to give the device an exceptional battery life. This might attract a lot of users who want to make the most out of their device, without being leased onto the power outlet at the end of each day.
This year’s iteration of the Moto G6 series might not have the same effect on the buyers as it has previously, partially because of the underpowered CPUs included in a device at this price range and also because the company is not launching the high-end Moto G6 Plus in the country this time around.
Focus on Camera
One of the areas Motorola is focussing on is improving the camera shooting modes without using the buzzword AI. The Moto G6 will get real-time Google Lens integration this week. In addition, Motorola is adding Active Photos which is its take on Google’s Motion Photos, which essentially captures a short video every time you take a photo. This can be useful at times, but not all that great if the scene has no movement.
Motorola is also using the two rear cameras to bring in features and effects such as the Portrait Mode or selective focus and selective black and white. It’s also bringing a mode to highlight a particular colour in a photo.
So the Moto G6 family in India comes at an interesting time as competition in the mid-range market intensifies. It will be interesting to see whether Motorola’s stock Android experience will win over the market which is so used to the feature-heavy Xiaomi and Honor experience.
