Motorola announced and released Moto G8 Plus, and Moto G8 Play in October 2019, without Moto G8, which will be very likely announced in February 2020. But what are the differences of Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play?
Apparently, Moto G is the most valuable brand asset of Motorola now: Moto X is dead; Moto Z is dying, Moto C has gone, and Moto E is struggling.
Will Moto G save Motorola?
Motorola (Lenovo) cannot wait until 2020. So, they released “part” of Moto G8 for this holiday season. Remember, Moto G7 was just released earlier this year.
Of course, many potential buyers are wondering about the differences between Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play.
This Moto G guide first explains the common features of Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play, then discusses the top 10 differences of Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play.
The official user manual for Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play is now available here.
Update: Motorola now has a total of 9 Moto G models for the 8th Gen of Moto G. A comparison of all these nine Moto G phones is detailed in this post. You may check this guide on the meaning of Moto G model names.
Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play: the common features
Moto G8 Plus and G8 Play share similar dimensions with significantly different specifications.
As both bear the Moto G8 name, there are surely some common features.
Android Pie
Just like many other Android phones released this year, both Moto G Plus and Moto G8 Play come with Android Pie (Android 9.0).
Very likely, both phones will get the Android 10 update. But based on the recent track record of Motorola’s Android update, you will have to wait at least one year for the Android Pie.
4000mAh battery
The battery capacity in Moto G8 Play and G8 Plus is 4000mAh. It should be able to last one full day for most users. All the latest Moto G phones (e.g., Moto G 2024) have a 5000mAh battery.
The massive battery can also be used as a power bank to charge other devices because both phones use a USB-C port.
micro SD card support
Similar to previous generations of Moto G, Moto G8 Play and Moto G8 Plus support micro SD card.
So, you can insert a micro SD card to expand storage if you have an extensive collection of media files.
Please note that the Moto G8 Play and G8 Plus do not have a dedicated SD card slot. Instead, if you want to use a micro SD card, you have to use slot 2 of the hybrid SIM card tray.
This suggests you can only use one SIM card when there is a micro SD card in the tray.
You may refer to this guide on how to move apps to the micro SD card on Moto G8 Play and G8 Plus.
Splash proof
Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play are splash-proof with an IPX2 rating.
This means both phones can survive from water dripping (e.g., rain). But the phones may be damaged if you drop them into water.
Headphone jack
As usual, both Moto G8 Play and Moto G8 Plus have a headphone jack, which becomes a luxury in smartphones.
FM radio
Yes, both phones still have an FM radio tuner. You need to insert a wired headphone into the headphone jack as the antenna.
You may refer to this guide on how to use FM radio Moto G (all generation) phones.
Fingerprint reader and other sensors
Both Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play share an identical fingerprint scanner. Both are mounted on the back of the phone.
Other sensors, like accelerometer, gyro, and proximity sensors, are also identical on these two phones.
dual SIM
Because Moto G8 Play and G8 Plus will not be available in the USA, both have dual SIM capability.
As mentioned earlier, both Moto G8 Plus and G8 Play have a hybrid SIM card tray. Slot 2 can be used for the second SIM card or a micro SD card, but not both at the same time.
So, if you want to use a micro SD card, then you can only use one SIM card. You can use two SIM cards only after you remove the micro SD card from the phone.
You may check this guide on how to use two SIM cards on Moto G8 Play and Moto G8 Plus.
USB-C port
Both Moto G8 Plus and G8 Play have a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.
Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play: Top 10 Differences
Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play are the two extremes of to-be-released Moto G8. So, you can expect there are huge differences between these two phones: Moto G8 Play vs Moto G8 Plus.
Here are the top 10 differences between these two phones.
CPU
Moto G8 Plus uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665; while Moto G8 Play uses a cheaper Mediatek Helio P70M.
So, as expected, Moto G8 Plus will perform better when you play large games.
RAM
Motorola finally did not use complicated configurations. Moto G8 Play has only 2GB RAM; while Moto G8 Plus gets 4GB.
2GB may be a bit low for a few heavy apps. But it should be sufficient for most apps.
Storage
Moto G8 Play has 32GB internal storage, and G8 Plus has 64 GB storage.
The storage speed seems almost identical.
Screen
Although the screen size is similar (6.2″ for Moto G8 Play, and 6.3″ for G8 Plus), the screen resolution differs.
Moto G8 Play has a screen resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels (19:9, 720p, HD). So, the pixel density is about 271 ppi (pixels per inch).
While Moto G8 Plus has a screen resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels (19:9 ratio, 1080p, FHD). This translates to about 400 ppi density. So, pictures and text on Moto G8 Plus look sharper than those on G8 Play.
Both screens are IPS LCD panels. But apparently, the quality of the panel on G8 Plus looks better with higher maximum brightness.
Rear camera
Both Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play have 3 rear cameras. But the camera sensors are quite different on these two phones.
Moto G8 Play has a 13 MP, f/2.0 (wide angle) sensor, an 8 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) sensor and a dedicated 2 MP, f/2.2, depth sensor. The video is limited to 1080p@30fps.
The camera sensors on Moto G8 Plus are better. It has a 48 MP, f/1.7 (wide angle) sensor, a16 MP, f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, and a 5 MP, f/2.2 depth sensor.
Moto G8 Plus can shoot videos at 2160p@30fps, or 1080p@30, 60, and 120fps.
So, if the camera is important for you, you probably should choose Moto G8 Plus.
Selfie camera
Both phones have a single front-facing selfie camera and support HDR.
The camera sensor on Moto G8 Play is 8MP, while on G8 Plus, it is 25MP.
The video of the selfie camera on G8 Play is limited to 1080p@30fps, and 1080p@30 or 120fps on Moto G8 Plus.
Bluetooth
Moto G8 Play supports Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP profile, and Bluetooth LE.
While Moto G8 Plus supports Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, Bluetooth LE, and aptX.
So, if your Bluetooth headset also supports aptX, then you can get better audio quality with Moto G8 Plus.
WiFi
Moto G8 Play only supports 2.4GHz WiFi network and does not support WiFi Direct.
While Moto G8 Plus supports both 2.4G and 5GhHz network and 802.11 ac. It also supports WiFi Direct.
Dolby Audio
Moto G8 Plus supports Dolby Audio, while Moto G8 Play doesn’t.
But due to the small size of the speakers, you probably will not notice the difference.
Dimensions and Weight
The dimensions and weight of Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play are very close.
The dimensions of Moto G8 Play is 6.20 “x 2.97″ x 0.35,” and the weight is 6.49 oz (183.6g).
Moto G8 Plus is slightly larger (6.24″ x 2.98″ x 0.36″) and heavier (6.63 oz/188g).
Do you have any questions on the differences between Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play? What’s your thought on Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play?
If you have questions or want to share your thoughts on the differences between Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play, please let us know them in the comment box below.
The community will try to help you. You may also check the official user manual for Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play.
For more Moto G online manual pages, please check this page.
For detailed step-by-step guides, please check Moto G How-to guides page.
Leave your comments