Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
6.4 inch AMOLED display, 1080 x 2340 pixels @ 120 Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
50 MP + 12 MP ultrawide + 8 MP 3x telephoto rear cameras
10 MP selfie cam
4,500 mAh battery, 25 W wired / 15 W wireless charging
Optical fingerprint sensor
Colours: Cream, Graphite, Mint, Purple
Samsung exclusive colours: Indigo, Tangerine
Price: from $500 USD / $870 CAD
Available from October 26th

Sources: GSMArena (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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iPhone 15 & Plus
6.1 or 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR display with dynamic island
A16 Bionic chip
48 MP main & 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
128 / 256 / 512 GB storage
USB-C connector (USB 2)
iOS 17
Colours: Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink
Starts at $799 or $899 USD / $1,129 or $1,279 CAD



iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max
6.1 or 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR display with dynamic island
A17 Pro chip
48 MP main, 12 MP ultrawide & 3 or 5x telephoto rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB storage
USB-C connector (USB 3)
Action button
iOS 17
Colours: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium
Starts at $999 or $1,199 USD / $1,449 or $1,749 CAD

All models available from 09-22.

Specs via Apple: (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Galaxy Z Flip5

6.7 inch 120 Hz 2640 x 1080 OLED inner display
3.4 inch 60 Hz 720 x 748 OLED outer display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
8 GB RAM / 256 or 512 GB storage
12 MP wide & ultrawide rear cameras
10 MP selfie cam
3,700 mAh battery with wireless charging
Colours: Cream, Graphite, Lavender, Mint
Samsung.com exlusive colours: Blue, Green, Grey, Yellow
Price: $1,000 USD / $1,300 CAD
Preorders available now; available in stores August 11th



Galaxy Z Fold5

7.6 inch 120 Hz 2176 x 1812 OLED inner display
6.2 inch 120 Hz 2316 x 904 OLED outer display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
12 GB RAM / 256, 512 GB or 1 TB storage
50 MP wide, 12 MP ultrawide & 10 MP telephoto rear cameras
10 MP + 4 MP selfie cams
4,400 mAh battery with wireless charging
Colours: Cream, Ice Blue, Phantom Black
Samsung.com exlusive colours: Blue, Grey
Price: $1,800 USD / $2,400 CAD
Preorders available now; available in stores August 11th

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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I've been reading Marty Cooper's chronicle of his career at Motorola, developing the first-ever handheld cellular phone. I knew that device would come to be known as the DynaTAC ("Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage") but I didn't know that there were four other design concepts considered:



This flip out mouthpiece design would eventually come to market with 1989's MicroTAC.



World's first foldable? The earpiece and microphone each fold inward to cover the center piece.



World's first slider?



Inspiration perhaps for Nokia's banana phone that Neo would use to escape The Matrix more than a quarter-century later.



And the winning design... The actual prototype would end up being larger and heavier, due mostly to the insides having not been invented yet!

If you're interested in the book it's a very easy read; links immediately below...

Cutting the Cord: The Cell Phone has Transformed Humanity on Amazon / Amazon Canada

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Pixel 7a
6.1 inch OLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 429 ppi @ 90 Hz
Google Tensor G2 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
64 MP wide + 13 MP ultrawide rear cameras
13 MP selfie cam
4,385 mAh battery with wireless charging
Coral (Google Store only), Charcoal, Sea & Snow colourways
$500 USD / $600 CAD
Available now with free Pixel Buds A-series from the Google Store



Pixel Fold
7.6 inch OLED internal display, 2208 x 1840 pixels, 380 ppi @ 120 Hz
5.8 inch OLED external display, 2092 x 1080 pixels. 408 ppi @ 120 Hz
Google Tensor G2 processor
12 GB RAM / 256 or 512 GB storage
48 MP wide + 10.8 MP ultrawide + 10.8 MP 5x optical zoom rear cameras
9.5 MP + 8 MP selfie cams
4,821 mAh battery with wireless charging
Obsidian + Porcelain colourways
$1,800 USD / no availability for Canada (?!!)
Preorder now for delivery in June, with a free Pixel Watch from the Google Store

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Samsung's annual unpacked event has just wrapped... and here are your new Galaxy S devices:

Galaxy S23

6.1 inch FHD+ AMOLED display @ 48-120 Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
128 or 256 GB storage / 8 GB RAM
50 MP main + 12 MP wide + 10 MP 3x telephoto rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
3,900 mAh battery
Phantom Black, Cream, Green & Lavender colourways
Sky Blue, Graphite, Lime & Red colourways (exclusive to Samsung.com)
From $800 USD / $1,100 CAD

Galaxy S23+

6.6 inch FHD+ AMOLED display @ 48-120 Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
256 or 512 GB storage / 8 GB RAM
50 MP main + 12 MP wide + 10 MP 3x telephoto rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
4,700 mAh battery
Phantom Black, Cream, Green & Lavender colourways
Sky Blue, Graphite, Lime & Red colourways (exclusive to Samsung.com)
From $1,000 USD / $1,400 CAD

Galaxy S23 Ultra

6.8 inch curved QHD+ AMOLED display @ 1-120 Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
256 or 512 GB or 1 TB storage / 8 or 12 GB RAM
200 MP main + 12 MP wide + 10 MP 10x zoom + 10 MP 3x zoom rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
S Pen
Phantom Black, Cream, Green & Lavender colourways
Sky Blue, Graphite, Lime & Red colourways (exclusive to Samsung.com)
From $1,200 USD / $1,650 CAD

You can pre-order any of the above now or wait for their wide release on Friday, February 17th

Sources: Android Police, Mobile Syrup (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Pixel 7
6.3 inch OLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels @ 416 ppi
Google Tensor G2 processor
50 MP wide & 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
10.8 MP selfie cam with face unlock
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
4,355 mAh battery
Colours: Obsidian, Snow & Lemongrass
Price: from $599 USD / $799 CAD



Pixel 7 Pro
6.7 inch 120 Hz LTPO OLED display, 1440 x 3120 pixels @ 512 ppi
Google Tensor G2 processor
50 MP wide, 48 MP telephoto & 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
10.8 MP selfie cam with face unlock
12 GB RAM / 128, 256 or 512 GB storage
5,000 mAh battery
Colours: Obsidian, Snow & Hazel
Price: from $899 USD / $1,179 CAD

You can preorder either today for delivery next week...

Source: Google Store (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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iPhone 14 & Plus
6.1 or 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR display with notch
A15 Bionic chip
12 MP main & ultrawide rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
128 / 256 / 512 GB storage
iOS 16
Colours: Midnight, Purple, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, Blue
iPhone 14 available from 09-16, starts at $799 USD / $1,099 CAD
iPhone 14 Plus available from 10-07, starts at $899 USD / $1,249 CAD
Pre-order from 09-09 @ 08:00 Eastern



iPhone 14 Pro & Pro Max
6.1 or 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR display with dynamic island (??)
A16 Bionic chip
48 MP main, 12 MP ultrawide & telephoto rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam
128 / 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB storage
iOS 16
Colours: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple
Starts at $999 or $1,099 USD / $1,399 or $1,549 CAD
Available from 09-16 / pre-order from 09-09 @ 08:00 Eastern

Sources: Apple USA (1) (2) / Apple Canada (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Hot off the presses, here are Samsung's foldable phones for 2022:



Z Fold 4
7.6" 1276 x 1812 pixel OLED internal display @ 120Hz
6.2" 2316 x 904 pixel OLED external display @ 120Hz
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor
12 GB RAM / 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
50 MP wide, 12 MP ultrawide & 10 MP telephoto cameras
10 MP hole-punch & 4 MP under-display selfie cams
4,400mAh battery
Side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor
Colours: Beige, Burgundy, Graygreen & Phantom Black colourways
Price: from $1,799 USD / $2,269 CA



Z Flip 4
6.7" 2640 x 1080 pixel OLED internal display @ 120Hz
1.9" 260 x 512 pixel OLED external display
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor
8 GB RAM / 128, 256, or 512 GB storage
12 MP wide & 12 MP ultrawide cameras
10 MP hole-punch selfie cam
3,700mAh battery
Side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor
Colours: Blue, Bora Purple, Graphite & Pink Gold,
Price: from $999 USD / $1,259 CAD

Both devices can be preordered today for fulfillment on Friday, August 26th.

Sources: Android Police, Mobile Syrup (1) (2), Samsung Canada

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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The Google I/O keynote just wrapped up with the expected announcement of a new a-series phone. But unlike the 5a, this new model will be available in many more markets — Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and the UK, as well as the United States. Notable specs are as follows:

6.1 inch OLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels @ 429 ppi
Google Tensor processor / Titan M2 security co-processor
6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
12.2 MP wide & 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
8 MP selfie cam
4,410 mAh battery with fast charge
Stereo speakers
Chalk, Charcoal & Sage colourways
$449 USD / $599 CAD
Available online July 21st and in stores July 28th

Source: Google Store

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Pixel 6
6.4 inch flat FHD+ OLED display @ 90 Hz max
Google Tensor processor
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
50 MP primary and 12 MP ultrawide rear cameras
8 MP selfie cam
4,614 mAh battery w/ 30 W wired charging and up to 21 W wireless charging
Kinda Coral, Sorta Seafoam and Stormy Black colourways
Starts at $600 USD / $799 CAD



Pixel 6 Pro
6.7 inch curved QHD+ OLED display @ 120 Hz max
Google Tensor processor
12 GB RAM / 128, 256 or 512 GB storage
50 MP primary, 12 MP ultrawide and 48 MP telephoto rear cameras
11.1 MP selfie cam
5,003 mAh battery w/ 30 W wired charging and up to 23 W wireless charging
Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny and Stormy Black colourways
Starts at $899 USD / $1,179 CAD

Both devices can be preordered today and officially go on sale October 28th.

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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iPhone 13
6.1 inch OLED display, 2532 x1170 pixels @ 460 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP wide & ultra-wide cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
64 / 128 / 256 GB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED & Starlight
Starting at $799 USD / $1,049 CAD

iPhone 13 mini
5.4 inch OLED display, 2340 x 1080 pixels @ 476 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP wide & ultra-wide cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
64 / 128 / 256 GB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED & Starlight
Starting at $699 USD / $949 CAD



iPhone 13 Pro
6.1 inch 120 Hz OLED display, 2532 x 1170 pixels @ 460 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP telephoto, wide & ultra-wide rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
128 / 256 / 512 GB or 1TB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue & Silver
Starting at $999 USD / $1,399 CAD

iPhone 13 Pro Max
6.7 inch 120 Hz OLED display, 2778 x 1284 pixels @ 458 ppi
A15 Bionic processor
12 MP telephoto, wide & ultra-wide rear cameras
12 MP selfie cam with Face ID
128 / 256 / 512 GB or 1TB storage
(undisclosed battery size)
Available in Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue & Silver
Starting at $1,099 USD / $1,549 CAD

All models are available to pre-order from 05:00 Pacific Time on Friday, September 17th, and to purchase from Friday, September 24th.

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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... with 5G, obviously.

Major specs are as follows:

6.34 inch OLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixels @ 413 ppi
12.2 MP + 16 MP ultrawide rear cameras
8 MP selfie cam
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor / Sub-6 5G
6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
4620 mAh battery
Colour: "Mostly Black"
Price: $449 USD

Pre-order now for delivery on August 26th from the Google Store or Google Fi. Sadly, no availability for Canada (yet).

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Thanks to Michael Fisher's video review (available in this morning's news briefing) it looks like I won't be getting a G-Shock smartwatch after all. And honestly, that's fine, because I've already moved on... to a Mi Band 6.

If you're in the market for a cheap but capable fitness tracker or wrist-based notifications to manage your smartphone addiction, an unassuming Mi Band is an excellent choice for two big reasons: comfort and price.

Comfort

A reviewer somewhere was having trouble weighing the latest Mi Band because it wasn't registering on his scale, and I believe it. The band is so impossibly light that you quickly forget you're even wearing it. Also, it's pill shape won't impede any bending of the wrist that's wearing it, and if you don't like the included strap you can find replacements online for about a buck each.

Price

On the subject of money I bought my Mi Band 6 from this AliExpress seller for $60 CAD, or $50 USD. For a fitness band that lasts more than a week and reliably delivers notifications to your wrist (sorry, Fitbit) that's a pretty incredible deal, and goes a long way to forgive its few but notable shortcomings, like a dim screen and lack of app support. But you still get robust fitness tracking, music controls and a high-res AMOLED screen. Some further details:

Fitness Tracking

Version 6 of the Mi Band is definitely an improvement over version 4, as it adds two of my favourite tracking features from the Amazfit Bip: (1) a vibration alert after every kilometer I've walked, and (2) auto-pause for the inevitable traffic light that makes me wait.

Unfortunately there's no direct support for exporting your workouts but the Mi Fit app for Android can at least sync with Google Fit and then export from there. If, for some reason, you're worried about sending your health stats to China the last time I checked Mi Fit synced with a server in Singapore.

Given how Google already knows about me why not share the wealth a little bit?

Notifications

What's especially great about notifications is the granular support—Mi Fit lets you choose which apps can or can't alert your wrist. This 6th iteration has only limited emoji support and unless you have the Chinese-market version you can't reply from the band. For me, that's a "nice to have" feature that I rarely, if ever, use on other smartwatches.

I'm happy to answer any specific questions about the Mi Band or Mi Fit. If you're interested and can stand to wait a few weeks for delivery I'd say go ahead and get your order in now!

Links: Mi Band 6 Product Page, Mi Band 6 on AliExpress

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Nokia is bringing the 2720 V Flip to the US via Verizon. The "smart feature phone" running KaiOS comes with 4G and Google Assistant and will be available on May 20th for $79.99.



Info and full specs at Nokia

Via: Nokiamob.net

Well, that only took five years... As soon as I received my custom-made Nixon Mission back in 2016 two realizations immediately came to mind:

1. I have a thing for ruggedized watches;
2. What I really wanted was a G-Shock running Wear OS.

Fast-forward to this morning when yours truly spots this beast on G-Central—it's apparently the GSW-H1000, and not an April Fool's joke. They grabbed the image from Casio's German G-Shock portal but I can't seem to find it; there's also evidence of a prototype in a post from last December. Here's what we know about specs:

It's expected to retail for $699 USD when made official in May or June of this year. That's quite a bit more than than $199 CAD I paid for my current Garmin Instinct (on sale), but I wouldn't hesitate for a second to add this to my collection of Pro-Trek smartwatches. And yes, I have all of them!

Sources: G-Central (1) (2)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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In addition to an India-only budget phone and a smartwatch, OnePlus today announced their newest hero phones. Because of their carrier deal with T-Mobile the company is pushing especially hard on the "5G" branding in the US, but 5G should work in Canada as well. Details are as follows:



OnePlus 9 Pro (5G)

6.7 inch curved AMOLED display, 1440 x 3216 pixels @ 120 Hz
Snapdragon 888 processor
8 or 12 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
50 + 48 + 8 + 2 MP rear cameras
16 MP selfie cam
4500 mAh battery, 65 W fast charging, 50 W wireless charging
Morning mist, pine green colourways
From $1069 USD / $1499 CAD



OnePlus 9 (5G)

6.55 inch flat AMOLED display, 1080 x 2400 pixels @ 120 Hz
Snapdragon 888 processor
8 or 12 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
50 + 48 + 2 MP rear cameras
16 MP selfie cam
4500 mAh battery, 65 W fast charging, 15 W wireless charging
Astral black, winter mist colourways
From $729 USD / $999 CAD

Sources: OnePlus Canada / USA

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G:



6.8 inch curved AMOLED display, 3200 x 1400 pixels @ 120 Hz
Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 processor
12 or 16 GB RAM / 128, 256 or 512 GB storage
108 MP + 12 MP ultra-wide + 10 MP 3x + 10 MP 10x rear cameras
40 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Android 11 with Samsung One UI 3.1
Starts at $1,200 USD / $1,650 CAD

Galaxy S21+ 5G:



6.7 inch flat AMOLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixels @ 120 Hz
Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
12 MP + 12 MP ultra-wide + 64 MP 3x rear cameras
10 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Android 11 with Samsung One UI 3.1
Starts at $1,000 USD / $1,400 CAD

Galaxy S21 5G:



6.2 inch flat AMOLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixels @ 120 Hz
Exynos 2100 or Snapdragon 888 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 or 256 GB storage
12 MP + 12 MP ultra-wide + 64 MP 3x rear cameras
10 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Android 11 with Samsung One UI 3.1
Starts at $800 USD / $1,130 CAD

Sources: Liliputing, Mobile Syrup

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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Moto One 5G Ace
6.7 inch LCD display @ 2400 x 1080 pixels
Snapdragon 750G Processor
4 or 6 GB RAM / 64 or 128 GB storage
48 MP rear camera with 8 MP ultra-wide, 2 MP macro
5,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$399 USD



Moto G Play 2021
6.5 inch LCD display @ 1600 x 720 pixels
Snapdragon 460 Processor
3 GB RAM / 32 GB storage
13 MP rear camera with 2 MP depth sensor
5 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$169 USD



Moto G Power 2021
6.6 inch LCD display @ 1600 x 720 pixels
Snapdragon 662 Processor
3 or 4 GB RAM / 32 or 64 GB storage
48 MP rear camera with 2 MP macro, 2 MP depth sensor
8 MP selfie cam
5,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$199 USD



Moto G Stylus 2021
6.8 inch LCD display @ 2400 x 1080 pixels
Snapdragon 678 Processor
4 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
48 MP rear camera with 8 MP ultra-wide, 2 MP macro/depth
16 MP selfie cam
4,000 mAh battery
Headphone jack / USB-C
Android 10
$299 USD

Sources: The Verge (specs), Liliputing (images)

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Andrew Currie has been blogging about mobile phones since 2001, smartphones (depending on how you define them) since 2002 and smartwatches since 2014.
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