If you thought the Moto G56 5G leaked in full just yesterday was a remarkably well-balanced mid-range smartphone with a strong potential to attract a large global audience at a low enough price, wait until you see what another presumably affordable Motorola device is set to bring to the table soon.
I’m not going to spoil the Moto G86’s biggest strength and key selling point just yet, instead letting you discover it for yourself in the below spec sheet (revealed by none other than Evan Blass on X) and have your mind completely blown by the prospect of a budget 5G phone like very few Android mid-rangers out there today.
One of these numbers is not like the others
- 6.67-inch P-OLED display with 2712 x 1220 pixel resolution, 120Hz refresh rate technology, and up to 4500 nits brightness;
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor;
- 8 and 12GB RAM options;
- 128 and 256GB storage variants;
- Android 15;
- Two guaranteed OS upgrades and four years of security patches;
- 50MP primary Sony Lytia 600 rear-facing camera with Quad Pixel technology and OIS;
- 8MP secondary ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture;
- 32MP front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture and Quad Pixel technology;
- 5,200mAh and 6,720mAh battery options;
- IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance;
- MIL-STD-810H durability;
- 161.21 x 74.74 x 7.87mm dimensions (5,200mAh battery variant);
- 161.21 x 74.74 x 8.65mm dimensions (6,720mAh battery model);
- 185 grams weight (5,200mAh battery option);
- 198 grams weight (6,720mAh battery option);
- 33W charging support;
- Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos;
- Pantone Spellbound, Pantone Chrysanthemum, Pantone Cosmic Sky, Pantone Golden Cypress colors;
- On-screen fingerprint reader;
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC.
Have you been able to spot it? Yes, it appears that one Moto G86 5G variant will come packing a gargantuan 6,720mAh battery… somehow. How insanely large is that number? Well, let’s see. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is probably the best Android phone you can buy today, comes with a comparatively humble 5,000mAh cell capacity. And an extra 20 grams in weight compared to this bonkers G86 model.
The Moto G56 5G, meanwhile, is expected to pack a 5,200mAh battery, and yes, that number initially sounded pretty impressive too. Then you’ve got 2024’s Moto G85, which was released in a single version with a 5,000mAh ticker under the hood, and a slew of other Motorola mid-rangers from the last few years that have circled that mark without being able to break the psychological barrier.
The Edge 60 Pro did manage to go up to 6,000mAh just a couple of weeks ago, but obviously, 6,720mAh is even better, especially when it’s combined with a relatively frugal Dimensity 7300 SoC and a “Super HD” display. The 6.67-inch screen, mind you, also appears to bring a huge upgrade in brightness over the G85’s own 6.67-inch panel, while the rest of the G86’s specifications are considerably less astounding.
But wait, why are there two Moto G86 5G variants?
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea at this moment, but if I were to venture a guess, I’d assume the two models will not be released in the same regions. That being said, I sure hope the device with the much larger battery on deck will not limit its availability to China, as is sometimes the case with the most advanced Android phones from a number of different brands.
Granted, even the 5,200mAh cell-packing Moto G86 sounds like a pretty strong candidate for the title of best mid-range phone in 2025 with a significantly more robust construction than its predecessor, four fancy-sounding and undoubtedly snazzy-looking colorways, a sub-8mm waist, reasonably fast charging, and excellent cameras.
With the Moto G85 5G regularly priced at €379 in Europe with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage space, there’s definitely a chance the G86 will be similarly affordable, but not in the US, where I don’t expect to see the phone ever released in any official capacity.
