5 Android Phones To Consider Instead Of The Motorola Moto G (2026)

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If you're shopping for an Android phone on a tight budget, the Motorola Moto G (2026) is a solid option to consider. This is an entry-level model that Motorola launched toward the end of 2025, although it isn't the cheapest Motorola phone on the market. For an entry-level phone, this device launched at a pocket-friendly starting price of just $199.99.

The Moto G (2026) features a 6.7-inch 120 Hz LCD panel with HD+ resolution, a 5,200 mAh battery with 30 W charging speeds, a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, 4 GB of memory, and 128 GB of internal storage. In the camera department, there is a 50 MP primary camera, a secondary 2 MP macro lens, and a single 32 MP selfie camera. That $200 price tag would've been great for the Moto G (2026), but unfortunately, Motorola isn't the only game in town for entry-level devices. To make matters worse, the company has since bumped up the price by $100, to $299.99. 

Luckily, if you're not satisfied with what the 2026 Moto G offers, there are quite a number of alternatives you can consider. Some of the Moto G (2026) alternatives on this list offer better value in certain aspects than the Motorola, and some are even cheaper. We considered Android phones that offer competitive specs and those that cost less or only slightly more than the Moto G. You can read more about our selection process at the end of the article.

The Galaxy A17 5G is the cheapest phone from Samsung that you can buy, starting at just $199.99. In addition to its lower price, the Galaxy A17 5G is also attractive compared to the Motorola in some aspects. Although it comes with a similarly sized 6.7-inch display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, the Samsung has a superior screen overall. Its 6.7-inch panel uses Super AMOLED display technology, and it has an FHD+ resolution (1,080 by 2,340 pixels), which should make images and text sharper. 

Samsung also uses more robust Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection instead of the older Gorilla Glass 3. Another area that makes the Galaxy A17 worth considering instead of the Moto G is software updates. Out of the box, the Galaxy A17 shipped with Android 15, but Samsung promises to keep the device updated with up to six major operating system (OS) updates coupled with six years of security patches. 

This is far superior to the Moto G's update policy, which includes two years of OS updates and an extra year of security updates. Other features of the Galaxy A17 5G include a triple rear camera setup (50 MP main, 5 MP ultrawide, and 2 MP macro), a 13 MP selfie camera, a 5,000 mAh battery with up to 25 W wired fast charging, and an IP54 rating for protection against dust and water splashes. It offers 4 GB of memory and 128 GB of storage. You can buy the Galaxy A17 5G from Amazon or Samsung for $199.99.

The Motorola Moto G Power (2025) is another Android phone worth considering. To start off, this phone has an identical chip to what you get in the 2026 Moto G. However, the Moto G Power combines the Dimensity 6300 with 8 GB of memory, double what the Moto G offers. It also features a slightly larger 6.8-inch IPS panel that offers an FHD+ resolution (1,080 by 2,388 pixels) instead of the inferior HD+.

For protection against scratches, it uses the better Corning Gorilla Glass 5 instead of Gorilla Glass 3. It's also IP69-certified to protect against dust and water. Another feature that gives the Moto G Power a leg up is the rear camera setup. While you still get a dual-camera setup on the rear, the Moto G Power's choice of sensors is better, with a 50 MP wide-angle lens and an 8 MP ultrawide instead of a 50 MP wide and a macro camera.

The Moto G Power ships with 128 GB of storage, and like the Moto G, it's one of the few phones with a microSD card slot for adding extra space. This phone draws its power from a 5,000 mAh battery, which can be charged at speeds of up to 30 W via a USB-C port. The Motorola Moto G Power (2025) launched at $299.99, but you can get it for much less if you time your purchase well.

Another great device from Samsung that you can consider is the Galaxy A26 5G. This is a midrange phone in Samsung's budget-focused Galaxy A series, and it started at $299.99 for the 128 GB variant when it was first unveiled in the U.S. in 2025. The Galaxy A26 is more than a year old at this point, but regardless, it's still a solid option due to Samsung's great software update policy, with this phone scheduled to receive six OS updates and six years of security updates. 

For the Moto G (2026), Motorola only promises two years of major Android updates and an additional year of security patches. The Galaxy A26 is also a much better device, hardware-wise. It features a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ for protection. It has a better build with a glass back and is IP67-certified for protection against dust and water. The camera setup includes a trio of lenses on the rear made up of a 50 MP wide, 8 MP ultrawide, and 2 MP macro, while the front has a single 13 MP shooter. 

A 5,000 mAh battery powers the phone, and it supports fast charging speeds of up to 25 W. Although the Galaxy A26 hit shelves at a starting price of $299.99 for the model with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, you can buy the variant with 8 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage on Amazon for just $264 as of this writing.

This is yet another solid Moto G 2026 alternative in Motorola's lineup. Compared to the Moto G, this phone has lots of things going on that make it a good alternative. It has a better display, featuring a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with 1,220 by 2,712 resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. Under the hood, it's powered by a better 4 nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 paired with 8 GB of memory and either 128 or 256 GB of internal storage. 

It comes with a built-in stylus for sketching, doodling, or writing notes with your handwriting. For taking pictures, the Moto G Stylus (2025) is a more capable device than the entry-level Moto G. It has a 50 MP primary sensor, the same one used on the more pricey $549.99 Edge (2025) model, and a secondary 13 MP ultrawide sensor with a 120-degree field of view. Both Android Authority and GSMArena praised the phone's camera capabilities in their hands-on reviews. 

The 256 GB variant of the phone has an MSRP of $399.99, $100 more than the Moto G (2026) — but considering the extra storage, better display, and speedy processor, the additional cost is worth paying. GSMArena says it offers an "all-around package" for a midrange phone, and it stands out as one of the cheaper Android phones that punch above their price bracket. As of this article's writing, you can buy the Moto G Stylus (2025) for $349.99 from both Amazon and Motorola.

TCL might not be a popular Android manufacturer, but the company's TCL NxtPaper 70 Pro is a device worth considering. The TCL NxtPaper 70 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, which is a slightly better processor than the Dimensity 6300 in the Moto G (2026). The company has paired that chip with 8 GB of memory, which should give the NxtPaper 70 Pro an edge performance-wise. You can pick this device up in one of three variants, depending on the internal storage. 

It offers either 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB of onboard storage, and in addition to that, it includes a microSD card slot for expansion, which is a rarity these days. TCL's NxtPaper 70 Pro also offers a slightly larger (and better) display, measuring 6.9 inches diagonally and featuring a slightly higher FHD+ resolution (1,080 by 2,340 pixels) for sharper text. Like the Moto G (2026), the panel uses IPS technology and offers a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. 

However, the NxtPaper 70 Pro offers TCL's NxtPaper technology, which is meant to reduce eye strain when using the phone. The TCL NxtPaper 70 Pro has a dual-camera rear setup (50 MP wide-angle + 8 MP ultrawide) that can shoot videos up to 4K, and a 32 MP selfie camera. On the inside is a 5,200 mAh battery that supports 33 W fast charging. You can buy the TCL NxtPaper 70 Pro starting at $329.99 for the variant with 8 GB of memory and 128 GB of storage.

When compiling this roundup of Android phone alternatives to the Moto G (2026), there were a couple of factors that we considered. The first factor was price. Since the Moto G sells for $299.99 after the price hike, we only considered Android phones that either cost the same price or fall within a $100 range above or below the MSRP (between $199 and $399). Second, we considered phones that have at least one feature or specification better than the Moto G (2026).

That included the display, software support, processor, and other key specifications that you should consider when buying an Android phone. Another key factor that we looked at was availability. Some of the best Android phones aren't sold in the United States, but since we're making a listicle on models you should consider instead of the Moto G (2026), we focused only on those available stateside. As a result, you won't have to jump through hoops to get a China- or India-exclusive device.