Moto G6 Explained

moto g6
Codename:G6: ali
G6 Plus: evert
G6 Play: jeter
Logosize:200px
Brand:Motorola
Manufacturer:Motorola Mobility
Series:Moto G Family
Status:Discontinued
Predecessor:Moto G5
Successor:Moto G7
Os:Android 8.0 "Oreo" (upgradeable to 9.0 "Pie")
Cpu:G6: Snapdragon 450
G6 Play: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430
G6 Plus: Snapdragon 630
Gpu:G6: Adreno 506
G6 Play: Adreno 505
G6 Plus: Adreno 508
Display:G6: 5.7inches
G6 Play: 5.7inches
G6 Plus: 5.9inches
Battery:G6: 3000 mAh
G6 Play: 4000 mAh
G6 Plus: 3200 mAh
Type:Smartphone (G6 Play and G6)
Phablet (G6 Plus)
Form:Slate
Released:19 April 2018

Moto G6 (stylized by Motorola as moto g6)[1] is a series of Android smartphones developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the sixth generation of the Moto G family. There are three models, the g6, g6 plus and g6 play. Only the g6 and g6 Play were available in the United States.

Release

Announced as successors to the Moto G5, the phones were scheduled to be released on May 9, 2018 in several markets including Europe, South America, North America and parts of Asia; however, Motorola missed its release date for North America and India.

North America

The G6 was made available in the United States by May 23, 2018 from Boost Mobile, and on the following day through Verizon Wireless.[2] It was later made available on Amazon for a discounted price.[3] On June 5, the G6 was made available for purchase in Motorola's United States website.[4]

The G6 Plus was not released in the United States,[5] likely due to its similarities to the already available Moto X4.[6]

South America

The G6 series was released in Brazil on April 19, 2018.[7]

India

The G6 and G6 Play were released in India on June 4, 2018.[8] [9] The G6 Plus was released on September 10, 2018.[10] [11]

Software

The G6 series was released with Android 8 "Oreo". An update to Android 9 "Pie" for the G6 Plus was rolled out to various countries in January 2019.[12] In February 2019, the update was rolled out for the G6 Play and G6 in Brazil, and was expected to be released worldwide at a later date.[13]

The Pie update reached Australia on February 4 for the G6 Plus,[14] March 20 for the G6,[15] and the G6 Play a week later.

In March 2019 there were articles claiming that the G6 series would receive an official Android 10 update. Later articles, however, claimed to quote a new Motorola policy wherein G-series phones would only receive one major Android version upgrade, i.e., the G6 would receive the upgrade from 8.0 (Oreo) to 9.0 (Pie) but not any other upgrade.

G6

The Android Pie update was rolled out on February 6, 2019, to the United States, then reached Brazil on February 15. Australian devices received the update on March 20, and users in India received the update on March 21.[16]

G6 Play

The Android Pie update reached G6 Play users in Brazil on February 16, 2019, then rolled out in India two days later. It reached United Kingdom users on April 1, 2019.

G6 Plus

The Android Pie update was rolled out to G6 Plus users in India on December 31, 2018. It then reached the United States on January 8, 2019.

Known issues

Videos recorded on the Moto G6 sometimes have distorted audio: the audio cuts off when using headphones and volume levels below 50%.[17] [18]

Several users reported on Motorola's forums about degraded audio quality after the Android 9 "Pie" update.[19]

Reception

The G6 series has been received well by reviewers for its features relative to its low to mid range price. Wired praised the G6's "class-leading tech" and stated that the "accessible" price "highlights the impending identity crisis of expensive phones".[20] CNET rated the G6 four out of five stars, calling the G6 "a sublime value" and stating "a budget phone shouldn't be this good".[21]

In India, the price tag of 22,499 rupees for the G6 Plus drew some criticism for being the most expensive Moto G phone at the time of release, a sharp increase from the previous year's price of about 16,000 rupees for the G5 Plus and G5s Plus.

Specifications

The specification varies slightly between countries.[22]

!Stat!G6!G6 Plus!G6 Play
Price (Euro)249299199
Release DateBrazil: April 19, 2018
Mexico: April 29, 2018
Europe: May 9, 2018
United States: May 23, 2018
Colombia: June 7, 2018
India: June 4, 2018India: September 10, 2018 India: June 4, 2018
Operating SystemAndroid 8.0 Oreo (upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie in some countries)
Display Size5.7inches5.9inches5.7inches
Display Resolution1080p @ 18:9720p @ 18:9
ProcessorSnapdragon 450 octa-coreSnapdragon 630 octa-coreSnapdragon 430 octa-core
GraphicsAdreno 506 @ 600 MHzAdreno 508 @ 700 MHzAdreno 505 @ 450 MHz
RAM3 GB/4 GB4 GB/6 GB3 GB
Storage32/64 GB64/128 GB32 GB
Expandable StorageUp to 128 GB
Wi-FiDual-band 802.11a/b/g/nDual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/acDual-band 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth4.254.2
GPS (US model)GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOUGPS, A-GPS, GLONASSGPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Fingerprint ScannerYes, FrontYes, Rear
Rear Camera Stills12 MP + 5 MP dual. f/1.812 MP + 4 MP Dual. Dual AutoFocus Pixel, f/1.7, 1.4 um13 MP, f/2.0
Rear Camera Video1080p @ 30/60 FPS720p @ 30 FPS4K @ 30 FPS1080p @ 30/60 FPS

720p @ 30 FPS

1080p @ 30 FPS720p @ 30 FPS
Rear FlashYes
Front Camera16 MP or 8 MP (varies by market)1080p @ 30 FPS

720p @ 30 FPS

8 MP1080p @ 30 fps

720p @ 30 FPS

AudioFront speaker & 3.5 mm jack
WaterproofP2iP2i (US Only)
Battery3000 mAh non-removable3200 mAh non-removable4000 mAh non-removable
ChargingTurboPower (15 W) over USB-CTurboPower over Micro-USB
Dimensions (mm)153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3160 x 75.5 x 8154.4 x 72.2 x 9

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The new moto g family – designed with you in mind. Motorola. en-gb. 2018-04-23.
  2. News: Moto G6 US availability: pre-orders, release date, carriers, and more. Gao. Richard. May 23, 2018. Android Police. May 25, 2018. en-US.
  3. News: Moto G6 discounted to $235 as an Amazon Prime Exclusive. Gottsegen. Gordon. May 30, 2018. CNET. May 31, 2018. en.
  4. Web site: moto g6 - Android smartphone. https://web.archive.org/web/20180503004509/https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-g-gen-6. dead. May 3, 2018. Motorola US. June 5, 2018.
  5. News: Moto G6 Plus review. Mundy. Jon. May 29, 2018. TechRadar. March 17, 2019.
  6. News: Should you buy an international Moto G6 Plus in 2019?. Jonnalagadda. Harish. January 15, 2019. Android Central. March 17, 2019.
  7. News: Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus, and Moto G6 Play launched in Brazil. Gordon. Scott Adam. April 19, 2018. Android Authority. March 21, 2019.
  8. Web site: Moto G6, Moto G6 Play launch in India today: Live stream timings, expected price, etc . The Indian Express . 4 June 2018 . 3 June 2018.
  9. News: Meet the new members of the Moto G series.... https://web.archive.org/web/20180719231827/https://www.telegraphindia.com/technology/meet-the-new-members-of-the-moto-g-series-235574. dead. July 19, 2018. The Telegraph. 2018-06-05. en.
  10. News: Moto G6 Plus launches in India but there are better, cheaper phones. Simons. Hadlee. September 11, 2018. Android Authority. March 17, 2019.
  11. News: Moto G6 Plus is the first Moto G phone to go beyond Rs 20,000 and that's not a good sign. Vijayasarathy. Sanket. September 11, 2018. India Today. March 17, 2019. New Delhi.
  12. News: Moto G6 Plus' stable Android Pie update is rolling out now. Lynch. Doug. January 22, 2019. XDA Developers. March 17, 2019.
  13. News: Moto G6 and G6 Play are getting the Android Pie update, starting in Brazil. Rahman. Mishaal. February 16, 2019. XDA Developers. March 17, 2019.
  14. News: Motorola rolls out Android 9.0 Pie to yet another handset — Moto G6 Plus. Plowman. Scott. February 4, 2019. Ausdroid. March 29, 2019.
  15. News: Motorola rolling out Android 9.0 Pie to Australian moto g6 phones. Plowman. Scott. March 20, 2019. Ausdroid. March 29, 2019.
  16. News: Moto G6 Pie update news and more: Android 9 arrives in India. Malani. Kapil. March 22, 2019. The Android Soul. March 29, 2019.
  17. https://www.valuewalk.com/2018/06/motorola-moto-g6-audio-issues/ Motorola Confirms Existence Of Moto G6 Audio Issues
  18. Web site: Motorola confirms multiple audio-related issues with Moto G6 series. 25 June 2018.
  19. Web site: Moto g6 audio quality degraded after Android 9 update. March 18, 2019. Lenovo Forums. September 7, 2019.
  20. The Moto G6 exposes the identity crisis plaguing Android's top-end. Williams. Andrew. April 24, 2018. Wired. March 12, 2019.
  21. News: Motorola Moto G6 review: A budget phone shouldn't be this good. Holland. Patrick. December 7, 2018. CNET. March 12, 2019.
  22. News: Budget Moto G family gets a premium makeover. Black. Marie. Tech Advisor. 2018-04-23. en-GB. 2018-04-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20180423232518/https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/new-product/mobile-phone/moto-g6-3670612/. dead.