Moto G Play 2021 (XT2093DL) Review - Tracfone Smartphone
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| Tracfone Moto G Play 2021 |
With a big, 6.5" touchscreen, good performance and great battery life, the Moto G Play (2021) from Tracfone makes for a solid budget smartphone.
The Moto G Play was first launched at the beginning of 2021 and is now available from Tracfone (locked) or from a variety of retailers unlocked. We'll share where to find the best prices below, along with all the specs, features and if this phone is worth the price!
Tracfone now has several great smartphones available from Motorola, including the Moto G Power which was released last year, and the newly released Moto G Stylus. To keep up with all the new devices, stop by our List of the Latest Tracfone Smartphones.
Let's get straight to our pro's and con's for the Moto G Play.
Moto G Play (XT2093DL) Quick Facts
What we Like:
-Excellent Battery Life
-Great Value
-Good Performance (Snapdragon 460)
What we Don't Like:
-Mediocre Camera
-No NFC
This smartphones offers a lot for the price, with the large screen and big battery. But does the 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage, which are on the low side, take the wind out of the sails? The Moto G Play also doesn't include NFC, though that is a feature usually only included in much more expensive phones.
Tracfone now offers a number of devices with more storage and RAM, like the Moto G Power, that are only a little more expensive.
Let's get to the full list of features and specifications on the Moto G Play.
Tracfone Moto G Play 2021 (XT2093DL) Features and Specs
Below are the features followed by the technical specs
- Android 10
- 4G LTE compatible (Verizon)
- Access to the Google Play Store with over 1 Million Apps
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO
- Bluetooth 5
- Alarm Clock
- MP3 Player
- Standard 3.5mm headphone jack
- Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting
- SMS/MMS
- USB Type-C 2.0 connection
- USB Charger (10W Fast Charging)
- Fingerprint reader
- Water-repellent coating
- Hearing Aid Compatible
Moto G Play (XT2093DL) Specs
Size: 6.56 x 2.99 x 0.37 in (7.2 oz)
Camera: Dual rear camera - 13 MP main camera, 2 MP depth sensor. 5 MP front camera
Screen: 6.5" HD touchscreen with 720x1600 resolution (270 ppi)
Processor: 1.8 Ghz Octa-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 460)
Memory: 3 GB
Storage: 32 GB and dedicated MicroSDXC card slot
Battery: 5,000 mAh with about 36 hrs usage time (non-removable)
Motorola was first founded as an American telecommunications company back in 1928. But in 2011, after several years of significant losses and challenges, the company was split and the mobile phone segment of the company was sold to Google. Two years later, the Motorola mobile phone segment was sold again, this time to Lenovo.
It was during the ownership by Google that the popular Moto G line was first released, as an unlocked, budget smartphone that still packed features to keep up with all the daily needs of users. Since transitioning to Lenovo, that has continued with now a large lineup of Moto G phones released every year.
Many Tracfone BYOP users are very familiar with the Motorola brand as it has released a number of low cost unlocked phones capable of being used with Tracfone going back to the original Moto G. The Moto G Power is also available unlocked, and can be used with any service provider.
Based on the specs sheet, the Moto G Play will continue this trend but let's take a closer look in our full review.
Tracfone Moto G Play (2021) Review
Touchscreen
Going big on the screen, the Moto G Play features a 6.5" touchscreen with HD 720x1600 resolution. That gives the phone a 20:9 ratio and about 270 dpi. We're surprised by not only how large of a screen this budget phone comes with, but also by how solid a screen it is. If you look closely you can see some minor indications of the lower resolution compared to more expensive devices, but overall the screen is bright and has great colors.
A small drop at the center top of the screen is where the front facing camera is located.
Performance - Storage, RAM and Processor
The phone performs well thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 processor which has 8 cores. The 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage are on the low end, but in line with a budget phone. Additional storage is available with a micro SD card.
The Moto G Play can handle the typical daily tasks like checking social media and browsing the web. It is also capable of some light gaming, but lagging and slow load times may hinder more resource demanding games.
If storage and gaming performance are important to you, we suggest considering the Moto G Power or Moto G Stylus which both have more RAM and storage, plus more powerful processors.
Camera
The rear dual camera setup, with a 13MP main and 2 MP depth sensor, perform rather mediocre and it could be the least impressive part of the phone. While it is capable of capturing good photos in well lit conditions, it struggles in darker settings. For casual photos to send to friends and share on social media it will work just fine but anyone who likes to take photos on their phone should probably look for something with better camera quality. You do get PDAF, panorama, HDR and a LED flash.
The rear sensor shoots video at 1080p 60fps while the front has a 5MP sensor and shoots 1080p at 30fps. No slow motion capture here, but the video quality is good enough to get by.
Battery
Long battery life is becoming a staple for Motorola phones and the Play doesn't disappoint with a 5,000 mAh battery that easily lasts all day and even most of the next.
Android OS
The Moto G Play comes with Android 10, which is recent version of the operating system but not the latest. The unlocked version of the Moto G Play will likely be updated to Android 11 at some point, but whether Tracfone will update the locked version is unclear.
Design
While the phone is rather large and heavy, it is actually nicely balanced and isn't all that noticeable. Probably not the best phone for those who like a smaller device, like the iPhone SE.
The back has some texture to it, and is where the fingerprint sensor and rear cameras are located. At the top is the headphone jack, and we have the volume and power buttons on the side. And finally the bottom has the charging port and speaker. With only one speaker, it works well enough for video calls, but gran your headphones or wireless speaker if you really want to listen to music.
Conclusion
This is a great phone for the price thanks to the large screen, good performance and long battery life. It is a great option for people who like to watch videos or use social media a lot but not much beyond that. For anyone looking to do some gaming, use more than a handful or apps, or interested in a better camera, the Moto G Power (2020) or the Moto G Stylus (2021) are both great options. The Stylus is almost twice the price, however.
It is really hard to beat the features this phone offers for the price at just $119, especially when it can often be found at a discounted price or with airtime bundles, but the phone also isn't for everyone with the lack of a great camera and the low storage space.
Moto G Play Locked vs Unlocked
A great option for users who want more flexibility is to buy the
unlocked version of the Moto G Play which has the same features, but can be used on any network. It is a little more expensive but may be worth it to some for the extra flexibility.
Where to Buy the Moto G Play
Get the Moto G Play (2021) with airtime bundle from
HSN for $179
Get the Moto G Play (2021) from
Tracfone for $119
