I’ve been testing the Motorola Moto G86 5G (Power). This smartphone is turning heads in India’s budget market. It has a big battery, a flat display, and a solid build. Motorola has released phones quickly, and this model stands out for its balance. But does it meet expectations? Is it the best phone under ₹20,000, or does it have drawbacks? Let’s explore the details and ask key questions to see if this device is right for you.
Unboxing
First things first, let’s talk about the unboxing experience. Motorola’s packaging feels eco-friendly and familiar. The Moto G86 Power keeps that signature scent, and it’s just as pleasant as before. But what’s inside?
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Contents:
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The Moto G86 Power phone itself.
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A 33W charger (Type-A to Type-C cable included).
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A SIM ejector tool.
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Standard paperwork.
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No back case, which is a bit of a letdown, but the included charger is a win in this price range.
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Question: How much does the absence of a case affect your buying decision? Would you prefer a case over a charger, or is Motorola’s choice here practical?
Design and Build:
The Moto G86 Power’s design is refreshing, especially after Motorola’s curved displays. I tried the Golden Cypress variant, also known as mustard in some reviews, and it’s impressive. The vegan leather back provides a premium, textured grip. The flat polycarbonate frame adds strength without feeling cheap. At 195-196g and 8.4mm thick, it’s heavy but still easy to handle.
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Key Design Features:
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Colors: Golden Cypress, Cosmic Sky, Spellbound, and a vibrant red option.
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Build: Vegan leather back with a brushed feel, paired with a flat frame for better grip.
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Durability: This device has IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance, which is rare here. It also holds a MIL-STD-810 military-grade certification. So, it can handle extreme heat, cold, and drops from up to 1.2 meters.
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Extras: Dual mics, hybrid SIM slot (supports microSD or dual SIM), and eSIM compatibility.
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Display:
The Moto G86 Power shines with its 6.67-inch pOLED display. It features a sharp 1.5K resolution (1220p) and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Motorola finally got rid of the curved display. This change fixes a common problem: accessory compatibility, like issues with tempered glass. This flat panel is a game-changer, but let’s break it down.
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Display Specs:
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Brightness: Offers peak brightness of 4500 nits and high brightness mode of 1400 nits. This makes it the brightest in its segment.
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Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for scratch resistance.
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Features:
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Supports HDR10+ (works on YouTube, but not Netflix)
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10-bit color
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Color Boost option for vibrant multimedia
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Smart Water Touch: You can use it with wet hands or in the rain. My tests showed mixed results. It works well with small water drops but has trouble with heavy splashes.
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I used the phone outside for navigation on a rainy day. The brightness was impressive. Here’s a question: Does the lack of Netflix HDR support bother you? Or is YouTube HDR enough for your streaming needs? Also, how important is the wet-screen functionality for your daily use?
Audio:
The Moto G86 Power has dual stereo speakers. They are improved by Dolby Atmos and support high-resolution audio. I played my favorite track (let’s say “Crab Rave” for fun), and the sound was loud with decent bass, especially in music mode. Dialogue clarity in movies was also solid.
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Audio Highlights:
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Loud and clear output, great for media consumption.
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Dolby Atmos enhances bass and dialogue.
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No major distortions, even at high volumes.
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Camera:
The camera setup on the Moto G86 Power is ambitious for its price. It borrows tech from Motorola’s Edge series, which is a bold move. Here’s what I found:
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Camera Specs:
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Rear: 50 MP Sony LYT-600 main sensor with OIS. It includes an 8 MP ultra-wide lens that also works as a macro. There’s a 3-in-1 ambient light sensor for improved exposure and color, not a third camera.
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Front: 32 MP selfie camera with Quad Pixel technology.
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Video: All cameras support 4K 30 fps; slow-motion at Full HD 120fps or 720p 240fps.
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Features:
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AI Photo Enhancement
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Auto Smile Capture
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Photo Booth
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Tilt-Shift
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Google Photos integration (Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur)
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The photos are vibrant with good detail, even in Delhi’s rainy weather. Selfies look sharp, but I saw a slight smoothing effect on faces. Transcript 2 pointed this out as well. Night shots look good in bright light. The ultra-wide performs well without major color changes. However, quick shots sometimes fail to focus, and there’s no pro mode for video.
Performance:
The Moto G86 Power uses the MediaTek Dimensity 7400. This is a small upgrade from the global model’s Dimensity 7300. It is built on a 4nm process. With 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128 GB UFS 2.2 storage (or 256 GB in some variants), it’s no slouch.
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Performance Highlights:
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AnTuTu Score: Around 685,000-700,000, solid for the price.
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Gaming: It supports BGMI at 60 fps. Call of Duty can run at up to 90 fps on some settings. However, heavy tasks might cause minor stutters.
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Thermals: Stays below 42-43°C, even during intense gaming or benchmarks.
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CPU Throttling: Stable, with an 81% score.
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For daily tasks—social media, browsing, multitasking—it’s smooth. But if you’re a hardcore gamer, would you need a more powerful chipset, or is this enough for casual gaming?
Software:
The software experience is where Motorola shines, but there’s a catch. The Moto G86 Power runs Hello UI on Android 14. Transcript 1 mentions Android 15, but that seems off. Motorola offers 1 year of OS updates and 3 years of security patches. This seems limited when compared to what other brands provide.
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Software Features:
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Smart Connect: Stream content to your laptop or use the phone’s camera as a webcam.
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Moto Secure: Locks sensitive apps like banking or social media.
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Moto Unplugged: Blocks distracting notifications to avoid doomscrolling.
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Pre-installed Apps: There’s some bloatware, like games and Glance on the lock screen. You can uninstall or disable all of them.
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Google Dialer: Supports call recording with an announcement beep.
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Battery:
The 6,720 mAh battery is the Moto G86 Power’s crown jewel. I tested it hard. Here’s what I did: 2 hours of BGMI, 1 hour and 45 minutes recording in 4K, 3 hours on Netflix, and 4 hours on social media. After 12 hours of heavy use, it still had 14% battery left. With normal use, it easily lasts 1.5 to 2 days.
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Battery and Charging:
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Capacity: 6,720 mAh (Transcript 2 mentions 5,200 mAh, likely a mistake).
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Charger: 33W TurboCharger (full charge in ~1.5 hours; 50% in ~40 minutes).
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Optimization: Excellent software tuning ensures 10+ hours of screen-on time.
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Question: How much battery life do you need? Would you trade faster charging (say, 45W) for a slightly smaller battery?
Connectivity and Extras
The Moto G86 Power covers the basics well, but it’s not perfect.
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Connectivity:
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5G: Supports 11 5G bands with VoNR and 4-carrier aggregation.
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Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 for faster connections.
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Widevine L1: Ensures HD streaming on platforms like Netflix.
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No NFC: A miss for contactless payments.
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Price and Availability
The Moto G86 Power is priced at ₹17,999 for the 8 GB/128 GB variant, with a ₹1,000 discount bringing it to ₹17,000. It’s available on Flipkart starting August 6, 2025. A 256 GB variant exists (per Transcript 2), but pricing wasn’t specified.
Conclusion
I tested the Moto G86 Power, and I’m impressed. It has a huge battery, a bright flat display, and a strong build. The cameras are good for the price. The software is clean. However, the promise of limited updates is disappointing. Performance is reliable for most tasks, but gamers might want more power. At ₹17,000, it’s a strong contender in India’s budget segment, rivaling brands like Nothing and Samsung.
Questions: What matters most to you in a budget phone? Is it the battery, display, cameras, or software? Does the Moto G86 Power check your boxes, or would you look elsewhere? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll see you in the next review.
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