In a market flooded with slim phones that barely last a day, Motorola’s latest launch takes a refreshingly practical turn. The Moto G86 Power 5G, unveiled in India at ₹17,999, isn’t trying to win spec-sheet battles with gimmicks. Instead, it focuses on something users have been asking for loudly and repeatedly: reliable battery life without sacrificing modern features.

And that choice tells us a lot about where the mid-range smartphone market is headed.

Why the Moto G86 Power 5G Matters Right Now

Battery anxiety remains one of the most common complaints among smartphone users — especially in India, where heavy data usage, navigation, video streaming, and long commutes are part of daily life. While flagships flirt with faster charging as a workaround, Motorola has taken a more grounded approach: just put a genuinely big battery in the phone.

At 6,720mAh, the Moto G86 Power 5G sits well above the segment norm. This isn’t a minor bump over 5,000mAh competitors — it’s a structural advantage. For most users, this translates to two full days of real-world usage, even with 5G enabled and a high-refresh-rate display.

That alone makes this launch relevant. But Motorola didn’t stop there.

A Mid-Range Phone That Doesn’t Feel Fragile

What quietly elevates the Moto G86 Power 5G is its focus on durability, an area mid-range phones often ignore.

• IP68 and IP69 ratings mean the phone can survive water immersion and high-pressure sprays — something even many premium phones skip.

• MIL-STD-810H certification signals resistance to drops, vibration, and temperature stress.

• Gorilla Glass 7i protection adds real-world scratch and impact resistance.

This isn’t just marketing. Motorola is positioning the G86 Power as a phone built for long-term ownership — for users who don’t want to baby their device or replace it every year.

Display and Multimedia: Surprisingly Premium Touches

Motorola has also leaned into content consumption, and it shows.

The 6.7-inch AMOLED panel offers:

• 120Hz refresh rate

• HDR10+ support

• Peak brightness up to 4,500 nits

That brightness figure matters more than it sounds. In Indian outdoor conditions, visibility is often where mid-range phones fall apart. Here, Motorola is clearly targeting users who watch videos, scroll outdoors, or game extensively.

Add dual stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, and the phone becomes a capable multimedia device — not just a productivity slab with a big battery.

Camera: Sensible, Not Experimental

Instead of inflating megapixel counts, Motorola has opted for a 50MP Sony LYTIA-600 sensor — a known, dependable imaging platform. This choice suggests a focus on consistent photography rather than headline-grabbing specs.

The supporting cast — an 8MP ultra-wide with macro support and a flicker sensor — fills practical roles, while the 32MP front camera caters to India’s selfie-first audience.

No, this isn’t a camera-centric phone. But in this price band, reliability beats novelty — and Motorola seems to understand that.

Performance and Software: Quietly Competent

Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 (4nm) chipset, the Moto G86 Power 5G targets efficiency over brute force. Paired with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, it’s well-suited for:

• Daily multitasking

• Casual gaming

• Sustained performance without overheating

Running Android 15 with Motorola’s Hello UI, the software experience remains close to stock — a long-standing Motorola advantage. For users tired of aggressive skins and intrusive ads, this alone can be a deciding factor.

Expandable storage up to 1TB via microSD further reinforces the phone’s long-term usability — another rarity in 2025.

Charging Trade-Off: A Conscious Compromise

The only spec that might raise eyebrows is 33W charging. In a market where competitors flaunt 67W or even 100W speeds, this looks conservative.

But paired with a 6,720mAh battery, the strategy makes sense. Slower charging often means less heat, slower battery degradation, and better long-term health. Motorola appears to be optimizing for longevity rather than quick wins.

Pricing and Availability

• Price: ₹17,999

• Variant: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage

• Availability: From August 6, via Flipkart and Motorola India

• Colours: Cosmic Sky, Golden Cypress, Spellbound (Pantone-certified, vegan leather finish)

At this price, Motorola is directly challenging brands that focus on performance spikes or fast charging, offering instead a more balanced, durability-first alternative.

The Bigger Picture: What This Launch Signals

The Moto G86 Power 5G reflects a subtle but important shift in the Indian smartphone market:

• Users are prioritizing battery endurance and durability over flashy specs.

• Brands are realizing that practical innovation often matters more than spec inflation.

• Long-term ownership is becoming a selling point again.

If this phone performs as expected in real-world use, it could push competitors to rethink their obsession with thin designs and charging speeds — and that would be a win for consumers.

The Moto G86 Power 5G isn’t exciting in a loud way. It’s compelling because it’s sensible. And in 2025’s crowded mid-range segment, that might be exactly what sets it apart.