The Moto G100 takes the G-series to new heights with the Snapdragon 870

What you need to know

• The Moto G100 has launched as the global variant of the China-exclusive Moto Edge S.
• Design and specs are largely the same between the two models.
• The Moto G100 will be available soon in Europe and Latin America.

Motorola's Moto G phones are among the best cheap Android phones on the market. The company has made a brand out of offering a Moto G smartphone for just about every price-point, and the Moto G Stylus is among the few smartphones to offer a built-in stylus (looking at you, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra). The company is now extending its Moto G lineup to include higher-end flagship performance thanks to the newly announced Moto G100.

Motorola's new smartphone features a 6.7" FHD+ 90Hz HDR10 display with two punch-holes for the dual front-facing cameras, offering wide and ultra-wide sensors. On the back is the quad-camera setup nestled onto a square stove, featuring a 64MP main sensor capable of 6K30fps video capture, accompanied by a 16MP ultra-wide, a macro camera, and a ToF sensor. Motorola is touting its Audio Zoom feature to capture directional audio from your subject while filtering out any extra background noise. It's a feature that's been shown off before on devices like the LG V60 ThinQ 5G, but it remains to be seen how well it works.

Under the hood, there's 8GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, and a massive 5,000mAh battery with 20W charging. The Moto G100 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset, making it the first G-series smartphone with an 800-series chip. This is essentially a boosted version of last year's Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, which should provide respectable performance, even in 2021. This also makes it the most powerful phone in the G-series lineup and could be positioned as a more affordable flagship offering.

If this all sounds familiar, then you've been paying attention. The Moto G100 is a global version of the Moto Edge S launched exclusively in China earlier this year. The design and specs between these devices are largely the same, but Motorola clearly wants to take advantage of the G-series' popularity.

The Moto G100 will support Motorola's "Ready For" connectivity suite, allowing users to connect to their monitors TVs using an optional dock or HDMI cable. It's similar to the DeX experience found on the best Samsung phones, and Motorola allows users to cast video calls or some of the best Android games to their screens for a more immersive experience. There's even advanced motion tracking so you don't have to worry about framing yourself on a call.

The Moto G100 is available in Europe and a few Latin American markets for £449.99. Available colors include Iridescent Sky, Iridescent Ocean, and Slate Grey. Some regions will include the dock when you purchase the device, while others will come with an HDMI cable. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it'll make its way stateside, which is quite the missed opportunity.