Motorola has once again proven that it’s not just about premium phones—it can shake up the mid-range smartphone segment too. The new Motorola G96 is a smartphone where the company claims there have been no compromises. And to be honest, this time there really is something special, because the G96 offers features we earlier saw only in Motorola’s expensive phones.
The jump from G85 to G96 might seem a bit odd in naming, but while the name may be confusing, the experience is anything but. The moment you hold it in your hand, the premium curved design immediately impresses. It’s slim, lightweight, and fits perfectly in the hand—stylish to look at and just as practical.
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Design & Build Quality
Motorola has stuck with its signature curved design. Both the front and back have a slight curve, and the back panel features a vegan leather finish that looks classy and feels soft. On the back, there’s a dual-camera setup along with the Motorola logo. The phone weighs just 177 grams and comes with an IP68 rating, making it resistant to water and dust.
The phone is slim, yet it feels sturdy. Yes, the side buttons are a bit thin, but the grip remains decent. There’s Atmos branding on the top, and at the bottom, you get a Type-C port, speaker, and dual nano SIM slots.
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144Hz Display
The Motorola G96 sports a 6.67-inch Full HD+ pOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. It’s rare to get such a smooth and vibrant display in this best phone under 25000 segment. Add to that HDR10+ and DCI-P3 wide color gamut support, and you get a powerful visual experience.
Whether it’s cosmic animations or dark-themed movies, everything looks crisp and stunning. A slight limitation is that due to the curved screen, your fingers might slip a bit during gaming, which could bother some users. HDR support on YouTube isn’t available yet, but it might come with an update. Brightness is top-notch, peaking at 1600 nits.
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Motorola G96 Performance
Motorola hasn’t held back this time. The G96 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor built on a 4nm process. Compared to last time, this is a solid upgrade, especially since the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 didn’t quite hold up in gaming.
With LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage, the phone runs multitasking and gaming smoothly. We tested BGMI on HDR with Extreme settings, and it ran like a charm. This makes it a solid gaming phone under 25000, especially for casual and mid-level gamers.
While 90fps isn’t supported yet, the 60fps experience is still quite enjoyable. For gamers, features like Game Turbo Mode and Edge Lighting add a nice touch.
32MP Selfie Camera
The G96 features a dual rear camera setup—a 50MP main sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide sensor. Unlike the older sensor used previously, this time, Motorola has equipped it with Sony’s new IMX700 series sensor. Photos come out sharp and detailed, especially in natural lighting.
Portrait mode is decent, though the background blur can occasionally feel a bit artificial. Night mode performs well, maintaining detail and light balance. For selfies, there’s a 32MP front camera that delivers social media-ready shots. The rear camera supports 4K video recording at 30fps.
5500mAh Battery
Motorola didn’t compromise on battery either. Despite being slim and lightweight, the G96 packs a 5500mAh battery that easily lasts all day. We used it for gaming, video recording, and streaming, and the performance was impressive.
As for fast charging, it supports 33W charging. Considering the size of the battery, it’s a bit on the slower side, but still very usable and reliable. During daily usage, there were no major issues with heating or battery drain.
Android 15 Software
The Motorola G96 runs on Android 15, and Motorola’s custom UI is clean and lightweight. Gesture-based features like shake-to-flash and twist-to-camera are present—classic Moto trademarks.
The UI feels close to a stock Android experience, which many users appreciate. Motorola’s additions, like themes, fonts, and smart shortcuts, add extra value. One downside is that this phone will get only 1 year of major Android updates and 3 years of security patches. Still, the overall software experience is smooth and dependable.
Dolby Atmos Sound
The phone comes with stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos support. The sound is loud and well-balanced, though the bass is a bit subtle. Thanks to the long aspect ratio, movies look cinematic, and the media experience overall is quite enjoyable.
Features like Smart Connect, Family Space, and Edge Lighting add both utility and flair. IP68 protection, Gorilla Glass 5, and solid haptics make the phone even more appealing.
For more information, visit Motorola G96
Final Verdict – Should You Buy Motorola G96?
To put it simply, the Motorola G96 is a solid all-rounder. From display and camera to performance and battery, this phone delivers in every department. The power of Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, the charm of a 144Hz AMOLED display, a 5500mAh battery, and a clean software experience—together make it a definite value-for-money deal.
If you’re exploring the latest Motorola smartphones in 2025, the G96 should be high on your list.
Sure, the Android update policy could be better, and full HDR playback on YouTube would be a nice cherry on top. But even so, if you’re looking for a stylish, capable, and reliable phone in the ₹20,000–₹25,000 range, the Motorola G96 is a strong contender. Many will consider it among the best phones under ₹25000.
And for those comparing pricing options, the Motorola G96 price in India makes it a budget-friendly pick with flagship-like features.
