Motorola’s cheap 5G phone will be coming to the U.S. this fall

The good news is Motorola is launching a really nice-looking 5G phone that won’t bankrupt you. Americans might want to sit down for the bad news, though.

Motorola’s Moto G 5G Plus will launch in Europe on July 8. As you can tell from its name, the phone can connect to 5G networks — something a majority of big-name smartphones still can’t do. As part of the same announcement, Motorola also committed to launching a “sub-$500 5G device in North America this fall.”

Unfortunately, that’s all Motorola had to say for the North American market. We don’t know if that planned 5G handset will be the same as this phone or not. But it’s reasonable to assume it might be. 

The Moto G 5G Plus will come in two variants, priced at €349 and €399. In U.S. dollars, that roughly translates to $400 and $450, respectively. The cheaper one comes with 4GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, while the more expensive handset is packed with 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

As for the phone itself, the specs are pretty respectable considering the price point. It’s got a 6.7-inch screen with HDR10+ support, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 21:9 aspect ratio. The front selfie camera sports an ultra-wide 16MP lens while the rear module packs in a 48MP main lens, as well as cameras for macro, ultra-wide, and depth shots. To top it off, you get a 5,000mAh battery, a headphone jack, a USB-C charging port, and NFC support for contactless payments.

For our North American readers, all of that is moot until Motorola announces a release date for this phone or a similar one. For now, we’ll have to make do with the Motorola Edge+, which also packs 5G support. But that phone retails for $999.99 — a far cry from that mid-tier pricing sweet spot. 

The 5G dream on this continent, if it ever comes to pass, will only be realized when people can get a decent phone for less than their monthly rent.