Moto G85 5G Review: Stylish Design, Smooth Display, but Same Old Power

Introduction

Motorola’s latest mid-range smartphone, the Moto G85 5G, has officially arrived in India — and while it brings a few welcome upgrades, it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. Powered by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of RAM, the phone promises solid performance, a curved OLED display, and a 50-megapixel primary camera. However, it faces tough competition from popular rivals like the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G, iQoo Z9, CMF Phone 1, Infinix Note 40 5G, and Samsung Galaxy M35 5G.

Moto G85 5G Price in India

The Moto G85 5G starts at Rs. 17,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, while the 12GB RAM + 256GB model is priced at Rs. 19,999. The review unit provided by Motorola was the top-end variant with 256GB of storage.

Design: Sleek, Curved, and Comfortable

• Dimensions: 161.91 x 73.06 x 7.59mm
• Weight: 172g
• Colours: Cobalt Blue, Olive Green, and Urban Grey

The standout design feature of the Moto G85 5G is its curved display, something rarely seen under the Rs. 20,000 mark. The vegan leather back feels premium and grippy, although the Olive Green colour option tends to attract dirt and smudges. The Urban Grey variant, with its matte finish, might be a cleaner choice.

The phone’s frame is made of plastic, giving away its mid-range nature, but it’s lightweight and comfortable to hold. At the bottom, there’s a USB Type-C port and a speaker grille — but sadly, no 3.5mm headphone jack, a feature that was present on last year’s Moto G84. Motorola does, however, include a 33W charger, USB Type-C cable, and a slim TPU case in the box.

Software: Clean Look, But With Some Bloat

• OS: Android 14
• UI: Hello UI
• Security Patch: June 1, 2024

The Moto G85 runs Android 14 with Motorola’s new Hello UI, replacing the older My UX. It looks close to stock Android, but disappointingly, it installs a few unwanted games automatically during setup. The MotoHub app also pushes clickbait-style notifications daily, which can be annoying.

Once you clean up the bloat, Hello UI offers plenty of useful features, including Family Space (for parental controls), Moto Secure, and Moto Unplugged (for digital wellbeing). The phone will get two major Android updates and four years of security patches, which is standard for this price range. However, Samsung’s Galaxy M35 still leads with four OS upgrades and five years of security support.

Performance: Smooth for Daily Use, But Not a Powerhouse

• Chipset: Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
• RAM: Up to 12GB
• Storage: Up to 256GB (UFS 2.2)

Under the hood, the Moto G85 is powered by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 — essentially a slightly tuned version of the older Snapdragon 695. It’s fine for day-to-day activities like browsing, messaging, or social media, but don’t expect flagship-level speed.

Apps like Snapchat occasionally lag, and when compared to phones like the iQoo Z9 or CMF Phone 1, both featuring newer and faster 4nm MediaTek chips, Motorola’s performance clearly trails behind.

Still, the 6.67-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate is a big plus. It’s bright, smooth, and responsive, offering a premium feel while scrolling or gaming.

Cameras: Reliable and Balanced

• Main: 50MP (OIS, EIS, 4K@60fps)
• Ultra-wide: 8MP (1080p@30fps)
• Front: 16MP (1080p@30fps)

The 50MP main camera delivers solid results in daylight, producing bright, detailed photos with balanced colours and contrast. The AI post-processing slightly enhances exposure but keeps the overall tone natural.

The 8MP ultra-wide sensor, however, captures softer, less vibrant shots and sometimes overexposes bright areas. Still, distortion around the edges is minimal, which is impressive for this segment.

Verdict: A Safe, Stylish All-Rounder

The Moto G85 5G ticks most boxes for an under-Rs. 20,000 smartphone — curved OLED display, dependable camera, and clean Android experience. The bloatware and notification spam are its biggest drawbacks, and the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 is showing its age.

That said, it’s a reliable everyday performer with a refined design and solid battery life. If raw performance is your top priority, the iQoo Z9, CMF Phone 1, or Realme 12 Pro might be better choices. But if you value design, software experience, and balanced cameras, the Moto G85 5G stands as one of the more polished all-rounders in its class.

Pros:

• Premium curved OLED display
• Clean, feature-rich Android skin
• Solid main camera performance
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Outdated processor
• Unwanted apps and notifications
• No headphone jack

Verdict: The Moto G85 5G is stylish, smooth, and reliable — but if you’re after cutting-edge performance, you might want to look elsewhere.