The Moto G86 is one of the most popular mid-range smartphones offered by Motorola in the Brazilian market. This device was seen on promotions around R$ 1,500 at TB's Achados and stands out for having a 120Hz POLED screen, which provides vibrant colors and high brightness, as well as a battery designed to last more than a day without needing a recharge.
However, the device has limitations in terms of gaming performance, and Motorola's update policy for this model was considered disappointing. Therefore, Tecnoblog conducted tests on the model over the last month to determine if purchasing the Moto G86 is still justified in the current scenario.
Upon unboxing the Moto G86, the user finds the device, a 33W TurboPower charger, a USB-A to USB-C cable, the SIM tray ejector pin, the manual, and the warranty term. It is important to note that Motorola does not include a protective case in the box.
Regarding the design, the G86 shares similarities with the Edge 70, another phone analyzed by the publication. However, there are noticeable differences in handling: the G86 is thicker, weighs 185 grams, and has a simpler plastic construction. In the tested 256GB version, graphite and red colors were available. The analysis author did not highly appreciate the faux leather back finish, as small scratches become easily visible.
Like other models, the camera module is raised, causing the lens area to come into direct contact with the surface when the phone is placed face down. After a few days of use, small marks were observed on one of the lenses, reinforcing the absence of a case in the packaging. The device features volume and unlock buttons on one side, while the other side houses the SIM and microSD card slot, allowing for file storage of videos and series, freeing up internal space.
The G86 maintains the IP68 and IP69 ratings of the Edge 70, guaranteeing resistance to immersion in fresh water up to one and a half meters for 30 minutes, in addition to protection against pressurized water jets. During the testing period, the device was used with keys in the pocket without showing structural or screen damage, although the only issue noted was a scratch on the edge of the rear lens due to prolonged contact with surfaces.
The screen is a significant strong point of the G86. Its colors are vivid, the contrast is well-defined, and the brightness supported outdoor use. The definition quality of this display in a phone with a more accessible price than the Edge 70 was a big surprise, and in practice, the author perceived no difference between the two models. Thanks to the maximum brightness of 4,500 nits, it was possible to read content and use social media under the sun without difficulty.
The panel is a 6.7-inch POLED with 1.5K resolution, supporting HDR10 and HDR10+. The resolution helps maintain sharp text and subtitles at this screen size, while the 120Hz refresh rate makes system animations smoother, depending on settings. The screen features Gorilla Glass 7i protection, and the fingerprint reader is located under the screen, functioning even with wet fingers after physical exercise.
The audio of the G86 is provided by two speakers (one top and one bottom), offering stereo sound and Dolby Atmos. Although the audio separation is better in horizontal orientation, Motorola disappointed in terms of volume; even at maximum, the sound was considered low, with little bass and shrill highs. For calls and daily use, it is adequate, but for watching movies, the audio is deficient, recommending the use of Bluetooth headphones or external speakers.
The device has two rear cameras, in addition to the front camera. In well-lit environments, the main lens produced satisfactory photos, despite the perceptible intervention of post-processing. The main camera uses the 50-megapixel Sony LYTIA 600 sensor and features optical stabilization (OIS), aiding in low-light capture. The images show a good balance between light and dark areas, although the tones may be slightly more intense than expected, without excessive artificial contouring.
However, all this quality drastically decreases in Night Mode, where scenes appear washed out and artificially toned, presenting blown-out lights and white spots in brighter areas. The second camera, with 8 MP, serves for ultra-wide and macro modes, useful for including more people in the photo, but loses detail compared to the main one. During the day, this ultra-wide performed well, capturing details of the sky under strong sun and keeping urban shadows visible, although it shows slight distortion and loss of sharpness at the edges.
At night, the secondary camera reveals its limitations, but pleased by maintaining the dark sky without gray tones. However, heavy noise reduction processing blurred many textures, resulting in blurry leaves and facades when zoomed in. The 32MP front camera delivered reasonable results during the day, maintaining natural facial sharpness. In difficult lighting situations, such as selfies against the sun, the difficulty in avoiding blown-out images and night noise became evident. In portrait mode, the G86 surprised with the trimming around facial hair, although the blur was irregular in some body parts, being smooth in the background.
Since the Moto G86 does not have a telephoto lens, zooming is done digitally, which accentuates the loss of sharpness in fine details, such as license plate letters or distant textures.
For video recording, the model achieves 4K at 30 frames per second on both the rear and front; to increase the frame rate, the quality must be reduced to Full HD. Stabilization compensated for recording movements, generating a satisfactory result. Front stabilization is electronic but helps smooth tremors when recording by hand.
In terms of performance, the set is suitable for those who use social networks, listen to music, watch videos, and play games occasionally. Video editing tasks in CapCut are viable, but the author felt that the G86 heated up considerably, even when running multiple applications simultaneously. The device is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage.
In more demanding games, such as Fortnite, the difference compared to the Edge 70 was noticeable, requiring graphics to be adjusted to minimum to achieve an acceptable frame rate. Furthermore, the camera application experienced occasional freezes when switching lenses or accessing advanced features.
Tests conducted on Geekbench 7 showed that the G86 achieved 800 points in Single-Core and 2,932 in Multi-Core, a performance lower than current competitors in the same price range. The device offers expected Android functionalities, such as Google Wallet, Android Auto, and Gemini, and facial recognition worked well. However, the amount of pre-installed factory applications was a negative point for the author.
