Moto G96 5G: Affordable Performance with Premium Features
Motorola continues its momentum in the mid-range smartphone segment with the launch of the Moto G96 5G. Positioned as a value-for-money device, the G96 5G combines impressive specs, sleek design, and 5G connectivity—making it a compelling option for budget-conscious users who don’t want to compromise on performance or features.
Let’s dive into what the Moto G96 5G has to offer and why it could be your next everyday smartphone.
📱 Design: Sleek, Durable, and Modern
The Moto G96 5G brings a refreshed design language to the G-series. With a matte textured back, metallic frame finish, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, the phone feels premium in hand. It’s slim and lightweight, making it comfortable to use for long durations.
Available in Ocean Blue and Charcoal Black, the G96 5G is both stylish and practical. Motorola has also included a water-repellent design, offering protection against minor spills and splashes.
🔁 Display: Smooth Experience with FHD+ Resolution
Up front, the G96 5G features a 6.67-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Whether you’re scrolling through social media, watching videos, or playing games, the high refresh rate ensures buttery smooth visuals.
While it’s not an AMOLED panel, the screen delivers vivid colors, decent brightness levels, and wide viewing angles—ideal for binge-watching and gaming on a budget device.
⚙️ Performance: Powered by Snapdragon with 5G
At the heart of the Moto G96 5G is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, a capable 5G chipset built on the 6nm process. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, expandable via microSD card.
The Snapdragon 695 ensures smooth performance in daily tasks, light-to-moderate gaming, and multitasking. Apps open quickly, and thanks to Moto’s near-stock Android interface, the user experience remains snappy and bloat-free.
With 5G support, users are future-proofed for faster internet speeds and improved connectivity as 5G networks roll out more broadly.
📸 Cameras: Reliable Photography Day and Night
The Moto G96 5G packs a 50MP main rear camera with Quad Pixel technology for better low-light photography. Alongside it is a 2MP depth sensor to assist in portrait shots. While the camera setup may seem modest on paper, Motorola’s image optimization and AI enhancements help deliver good results in most lighting conditions.
On the front, there’s a 16MP selfie shooter housed in a center punch-hole cutout. It handles selfies, video calls, and social media filters well enough for most casual users.
🔋 Battery Life and Charging: All-Day Power
A 5000mAh battery keeps the Moto G96 5G running easily for a full day of moderate to heavy use. Whether you’re streaming content, browsing, or attending video calls, battery anxiety is a thing of the past.
Motorola includes a 30W TurboPower charger in the box, which can juice up the device to around 50% in just 30 minutes. While not the fastest charging in the segment, it’s certainly sufficient for daily use.
📦 Software and User Experience
The phone runs on Android 14 out of the box with Motorola’s MyUX interface, which offers a near-stock Android experience. You get Moto gestures, customizable UI options, and minimal pre-installed apps, giving you a clean and intuitive experience.
Motorola promises 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security patches, which is decent for this price bracket.
💰 Price and Availability
The Moto G96 5G is expected to launch in India and other global markets at a starting price of around ₹16,999 (~$199 USD). Given its performance, design, and 5G capability, it stands out as one of the strongest contenders in the sub-₹20K segment.
✅ Final Thoughts: Should You Buy It?
If you’re looking for a well-rounded 5G smartphone under ₹20,000, the Moto G96 5G offers excellent value. With a clean software experience, dependable performance, 120Hz display, and solid battery life, it checks nearly all the right boxes.
For students, professionals, or anyone needing a reliable daily driver without overspending, the Moto G96 5G is worth a serious look.
