Technology

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Motorola officially unveiled the Moto G96 5G in India today, July 9, 2025, at 12 p.m. IST, igniting excitement around a mid-range smartphone that brings flagship-level features to the sub-₹20,000 category .  Available exclusively via Flipkart, motorola.in, and select offline retailers from July 16, the G96 5G enters a crowded segment with bold ambitions .

At the heart of the device is a 6.67‑inch curved pOLED display offering full‑HD+ resolution, a silky 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, all protected by premium Gorilla Glass 5 . This visually rich display experience stands out in its price bracket, combining speed and clarity seldom seen in competing models.

Powering the G96 5G is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, built on a 4 nm process, paired with 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and either 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 2.2 storage. It runs on Android 15 with Motorola’s Hello UI, backed by an attractive promise of three years of OS updates and four years of security patches .

Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the dual rear camera setup led by a 50 MP Sony LYT-700C sensor with OIS, alongside an 8 MP ultra-wide sensor that doubles as a macro shooter .The front houses a 32 MP camera capable of detailed selfies and 4K video recording .

On the hardware front, users get a 5,500 mAh battery that supports 33 W or 68 W TurboPower wired fast charging (reports vary), alongside stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, USB-C audio, in-display fingerprint security, and a rugged IP68 certification for dust and water resistance . The phone also supports dual-5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 .

Motorola emphasized design credentials with four stylish Pantone-validated colours—Ashleigh Blue, Cattleya Orchid, Greener Pastures, and Dresden Blue—plus a premium vegan leather finish on select models .

Pricing positions the Moto G96 5G aggressively: ₹17,999 for the 8 GB/128 GB variant and ₹19,999 for the 8 GB/256 GB model . Early pricing leaks indicated a ₹20,000 benchmark, making it a compelling value addition to the mid-range 5G market .

By combining a silky-smooth 144 Hz curved pOLED screen, solid mid-tier processing, a capable camera system, and robust build quality—all under ₹20,000—Motorola seems poised to challenge rivals like Realme, Poco, and Samsung in the mid-range 5G space. The robust update commitment further enhances its long-term appeal.

Consumers will likely weigh these premium display and durability features against similar models from competitors, assessing real-world usage, camera performance, and brand reliability. Initial impressions suggest Motorola’s offering brings a refreshing mix of style, resilience, and specs.

The Moto G96 5G merges flagship-mimicking aesthetics and features—like a curved high-refresh screening and Sony-stabilized camera—into a stylish, affordable package. With reliable software support and resilient build quality, it enters a key summer window on July 16 ready to shake up the ₹18–20 k budget smartphone segment.