Better late than never, the Motorola Moto G100 lands in the U.S.

By Paula Beaton Published July 23, 2021

The Motorola Moto G100 is now available in the U.S., after being released elsewhere in the world in March. Why it has taken Motorola so long to get the phone into its own online store in the U.S. is a mystery, but to make up for the delay the phone can currently be purchased with a $100 discount on its usual full price of $599. That puts it into a very competitive space, so what do you get?

Moto G 100 in Iridescent Ocean. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Moto G100 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor. Announced at the beginning of 2021, the chip is almost identical to the old Snapdragon 865+ found in phones like the Asus ROG Phone 3, but with a slightly faster CPU and GPU speed. It’s paired here with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. It’s a 5G-capable GSM phone, which means it will work on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, but according to Motorola, it will only get a 5G signal if you’re on T-Mobile.

What else? There’s a 6.7-inch, 2520 x 1080 pixel LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, and three cameras on the back. A 64-megapixel main camera heads up the trio, and is joined by a 16MP wide-angle camera, plus a 2MP depth camera. Motorola has also added a time-of-flight (ToF) laser autofocus system, which should help with lowlight photography. On the front is a 16MP selfie camera.

The spec list continues with a 5,000mAh battery with Motorola’s TurboPower 20 fast charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack, NFC for Google Pay, and a microSD card slot. There’s also Motorola’s new ReadyFor mode that allows the phone to be connected to a monitor or TV using a USB-C-to-HDMI cable, so video calls, games, and movies can be viewed on a bigger screen. It’s available in Iridescent Ocean, an eye-catching metallic blue that shifts to purple depending on the light, but it’s a weighty beast at 215 grams.

If you want to get the Moto G100 for $499 you’ll have to be quick, as Motorola’s offer expires on August 5, when the price will go back up to $599. It’s up against our top recommendation, the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, the Google Pixel 4a 5G, and the new OnePlus Nord 2. That’s before looking at phones like the Realme GT, and the Samsung Galaxy S21, once the discount expires.

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Freelance tech and travel writer living in (somewhat) sunny Scotland. Gamer, tea addict, never without a good book.

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