Moto G Power vs. Moto G Fast: Which should you buy?

Moto G Power

You'll find a lot of phones in Motorola's budget lineup, but the Moto G Power stands out as its best offering. The big draw to the phone is its 5,000 mAh battery, which delivers up to three days of use on a single charge. There's a lot more to the phone, though, including a great display, good performance, and fun cameras — all at a very reasonable price.

Moto G Fast

The Moto G Fast is the cheaper cousin of the G Power, retaining some of its DNA while making compromises in other areas to achieve a lower price. You get the same design, processor, and cameras, all of which are great. However, significant cuts to the display, RAM, storage, and battery are hard to justify. If you really can't spend a penny more, it'll get the job done.

Motorola crafted the Moto G Power and Moto G Fast in an attempt to give shoppers as much choice as possible. Still, at the end of the day, the G Power is undeniably the better purchase and overshadows the G Fast. The larger battery is a killer feature; the increased display resolution is a huge benefit and having the extra RAM and storage results in a more enjoyable overall experience. The Moto G Fast fits the bill if you really can't afford the Power, but if you're able to choose between the two phones, the Moto G Power wins every single time.

Moto G Power vs. Moto G Fast Price and availability

The Moto G Power and Moto G Fast have a lot in common, one of those things being price. Both phones have very affordable price tags, making them much more accessible than something like a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

You'll pay around $250 for the Moto G Power, and if you go with the Moto G Fast, you're looking at just around $200. It's also worth noting that those are the retail prices; Motorola often runs discounts for its devices to make them even cheaper.

Something else we like to see is the Moto G Power and G Fast's wide availability. In addition to being sold at various carriers, they're also offered as unlocked phones for use on any network you like — AT&T, Sprint/T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Moto G Power vs. Moto G Fast The Moto G Power wins this family feud

Compared to its G Fast sibling, there's no denying that the Moto G Power is the better of the two phones. That may not come as much of a surprise, given its higher price, but you just get so many vital upgrades for not that much more money.

One of the areas in which you'll notice the G Power's superiority the most is with its display. Both phones have a 6.4-inch LCD screen with a hole-punch cutout, but where the G Fast has a resolution of 1560 x 720, the Moto G Power cranks things up to 2300 x 1080. That's a difference between HD vs. Full HD, and it means the G Power's screen is considerably sharper and more pleasing to the eye. Even if you aren't a pixel peeper, there's a clear difference between the quality of these two displays.

There's also the matter of RAM and storage, with the Moto G Power coming with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage compared to the Moto G Fast's 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. An extra gigabyte of RAM might not sound like that big of a difference, but in day-to-day use, the Moto G Power gets smoother performance and better multitasking. It'll also go a long way as the phones age over time, with the G Power likely retaining that reliable speed longer than the G Fast will.

And, of course, there's the difference in battery capacity. The Moto G Fast's 4,000 mAh battery offers excellent endurance, but the G Power's 5,000 mAh unit is unmatched. That's enough juice for up to three days of use on a single charge, making the Moto G Power one of the best phones for anyone that's not always near an outlet or power source.

Moto G Power vs. Moto G Fast Making a case for the Moto G Fast

Given all of those improvements that you get with the Moto G Power, what leg does the Moto G Fast have to stand on? The answer is simple — price.

The Moto G Power is not an expensive phone by any means, but if money's especially tight, you may only be able to afford the G Fast. If that's the case, go ahead and buy the phone and know you're getting a capable and reliable device. It has plenty of downgrades compared to the G Power, but if it's your only choice, it'll serve its purpose just fine.

You're still getting the same Snapdragon 665 processor found in the G Power, identical rear cameras, and Motorola's excellent software that's clean, easy-to-use, and filled with helpful features like Moto Display and Moto Actions. Build quality on the Moto G Fast is also outstanding for a phone in its price range, not to mention the inclusion of a water-repellent coating.

Moto G Power vs. Moto G Fast Listen to your budget

This is one of those comparisons that ultimately comes down to your budget. Both of these phones are some of the best, cheap Android phones on the market, so you're getting a great deal either way. If you can afford either the Moto G Power or the G Fast, go with the Power. The better display, RAM, storage, and battery are all more than worth the slightly higher price, making it a no-brainer for shoppers with that choice.

People that can only afford the Moto G Fast are still getting a decent Android handset, and if you fall in that group, that's totally fine. Listen to your budget, make your decision based on that, and you'll be gravy.