If youre a gamer on a budget, this is definitely a solid pick.
Close competition is nothing new for Moto phones, given how many similar-looking budget mobiles it releases each year.
The cameras arent terrible either, they just wont suit passionate smartphone-centric photographers.
This ‘standard’ shot of a coffee looks a little dull in the froth and colorful plates.(Image credit: Future)
It was joined by the low-end Moto G54 and premium-leaning Moto Edge 40 Neo.
Thats Motos whole schtick, after all.
But for its price and the performance it offers, the G84 is solidly good value.
So if youve seen a Moto G in the last few years youve seen the G84.
And its a great change too, as unlocking the phone is much easier than in previous Motos.
You cant remove this, its part of the phone.
That’s all to be expected at this price.
A small issue I had with the phone was with its display and the automatic brightness features.
The phone uses up its color budget on its exterior shell and theres none left for its photos…
The main snapper is a 50MP f/1.9 unit and its joined by a single 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide companion.
On the front, youre looking at a 16MP f/2.5 selfie camera.
But Id really recommend you dont, unless you want your photo to be as grainy as spot art.
When capturing video, you might shoot at 1080p, with no4Koption.
These latter two options are also available for photography.
Onto audio this is par for the course for a Moto phone.
Theres a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired music and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless.
No surprise, then, that the Moto G84s 5,000mAh battery lasts a long time.
Theres no wireless charging here, but at that price, no-one should be surprised.
This ‘standard’ shot of a coffee looks a little dull in the froth and colorful plates.(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy the Moto G84?
If that reaction was positive, then for sure, go for it!
Don’t buy it if… Youre a phone photographerIf theres one cut corner with the G84, its the lackluster camera performance.
This photo came out bizarrely yellow.(Image credit: Future)
You care about software updatesSoftware fanatics out there might raise an eyebrow at Moto’s limited software update promise.
There are several key aspects in which it lags behind, but it’s a clear rival nonetheless.
Lots of specs in common with the G84 but more processing power.
Here’s a standard snap of a street, so you can contrast to the next pic…(Image credit: Future)
It felt fitting to test this festive-looking mobile during winter, hence the Christmas baking images!
This included all the tasks you’d use your mobile for: social media, photography and streaming.
I also used it for gaming a lot.
…here’s that same street in ultra-wide.(Image credit: Future)
My tech review history spans five years for TechRadar, and more for other brands.
Read more about how we test
First reviewed December 2023
This festive outlook also looks a little duller than what another phone would capture.(Image credit: Future)
If you were to zoom in close to the face, you’d see it’s quite grainy (but please don’t!).(Image credit: Future)
I captured the G84’s contemporary, the Edge 40 Neo, so you can see how it picks up color.(Image credit: Future)
