For years, Motorola has dominated the budget smartphone market in the US with its Moto G lineup, but these Android phones have never felt particularly exciting. Handsets like the Google Pixel 3A or even the new Nothing Phone (2a) have almost always offered more features, better performance, cooler designs, and nicer cameras for just a few more bucks.

They also suffered from a lack of near-field communication (NFC) support—the sensor that enables tap-to-pay for contactless payments at cash registers, train stations, and the like. Motorola notoriously skipped this perk on its sub-$300 phones in the US for almost a decade, even though it has been standard on competing devices that are as low as $150. This year’s Moto G Power 5G changes that—it is hands down the best Moto G the company has ever made, and is honestly the best phone you can buy for under $300 right now.

Hello Moto

It’s important to make sure you’re looking at the Moto G Power 5G for 2024, as the name of this device has stayed the same over several years. One of the best parts of the new version is how it looks and feels. Gone is the shiny, boring plastic design in favor of a textured vegan leather back that does a surprisingly great job of resisting fingerprints (dust and lint tend to get stuck in the grooves though). I suggest buying the Pale Lilac model, but the Midnight Blue, which is more black to me, is handsome too.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Using this phone, it’s easy to forget it costs just $300. The 6.7-inch LCD is sharp and I’ve had no trouble reading the screen on bright sunny days. The speakers sound decent, there’s a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is reliable.

Performance is a standout too. This Motorola is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7020 chipset with 8 GB of RAM, and while you will notice a few stutters here and there, like when switching between apps, it’s otherwise fairly snappy and smooth. I’ve found it performs more fluidly than Samsung’s Galaxy A35 5G ($400), which I’m currently testing, even if the Samsung scored slightly higher on benchmark tests. To assuage any concerns, I have used the Moto G Power 5G as my daily smartphone for almost a month and haven’t run into any issues.

The 5,000-mAh battery cell comfortably lasts a full day of heavy use—I’ve hit 39 percent after five hours of screen-on time—with enough to make it to the following morning on a single charge. One of the biggest surprises is that you can wirelessly recharge this phone. I say that because wireless charging is generally not available on sub-$400 smartphones. Nothing’s fancy-looking Phone (2a) at $350 doesn’t even have it. I love popping my phone on my bedside wireless charger instead of hunting for a cable in the dark, so it’s a welcome addition, and I hope to see wireless charging creep into cheap phones.

Similarly, I love that a sub-$300 Moto G finally has NFC support. It’s about damn time! I’ve used it to pay for my subway fare, late-night trips to the deli, and coffee. No wallet needed.