Popular Android brand promises iPhone features at just £69 with release of three brand-new phones in UK
Motorola has unveiled three brand-new budget phones set to hit UK store shelves in the coming weeks. And it’s making some very bold claims about the performance of these affordable Android handsets.
Yes, the popular US manufacturer says its new e15, g05 and g15 phones can often rival — and sometimes exceed — the capabilities of the iPhone lineup, despite costing just a fraction of the price.
The incoming lineup from Motorola, which will start to roll-out from January, includes the Moto e15 at £69.99, the Moto g05 at £89.99, and Moto g15 at £139.99. That’s a significant saving on the most affordable iPhone available in your nearest Apple Store, the iPhone SE at £429. It’s an even bigger price cut compared to the entry-level iPhone 16, which launched back in September with the latest AI features, from £799.
Each of these Motorola devices sports a beefy 5,200mAh battery cell, which is bigger than the 4,685mAh power pack found inside the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts from £1,199.
Of course, the capacity of the lithium-ion cell isn’t the only factor when determining battery life, with the efficiency of the chipset and optimisations in the operating system also key contributing factors. However, the 5,200mAh power pack inside the Moto e15, g05 and g15 should last two full days, the US firm tells us.
When you do need to refill the battery, Motorola has included support for wired fast-charging.
Save 33% on Motorola’s Android phones in latest Amazon sale
If you can’t wait until the all-new Moto e15, g05, and g15 make their debut in the UK, Amazon has slashed a third off the price tag of a slew of Motorola handsets — saving you as much as £100. These SIM-free devices can be paired with your existing mobile plan, or any SIM-only deal. Expect 50MP camera, support for Dolby Atmos sound, fast-charging, and 120Hz high-refresh rate displays in the sale..
The new lineup starts with the Moto e15, priced at just £69.99.
Despite that budget-friendly price tag, the device sports a large 6.7-inch screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, which should offer smoother scrolling and other system animations than the standard iPhone models, which only offer a 60Hz OLED display. Apple reserves its buttery-smooth 120Hz ProMotion screen for the Pro-level models.
The e15 comes equipped with an AI-powered 32MP Quad Pixel camera, which Motorola says is perfect for social media-ready snapshots. It’s equipped with 6GB of RAM and RAM boost technology to ensure smooth performance without compromising battery life.
Out of the box, the e15 runs on Android 14 (Go Edition), which includes new privacy and customisation settings. This lightweight operating system is designed to offer many of the perks of Android with stutter-free performance on more affordable phones.
The device includes a 3.5mm headphone port for wired audio — a feature Apple ditche from the iPhones in 2016.
Available in Fresh Lavender, Misty Blue, and Denim Blue, the e15 won’t arrive in UK stores until March 2025.
Before then, you’ll be able to get your hands on the Moto g05, which is scheduled to make its debut in February. Compared to the e15, this model boasts the brightest display at its price category, Motorola says. With a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, the screen should be easily visible even in bright sunlight.
On the back of the Moto g05, you’ll find a 50MP camera system with Quad Pixel technology. In terms of numbers, this beats the 48MP camera sensor found on the back of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, the total number of pixels captured when you press the shutter button is far from the full story when it comes to smartphone photography, so we wouldn’t expect this £89.99 Android phone to surpass the latest iPhone handset.
However, that resolution will come in handy if you want to crop into a photograph or print-out a favourite shot onto a larger canvas. Motorola has equipped its camera system with AI-powered Night Vision and Portrait mode for enhanced shots in the gloom (without blinding your subjects with the LED flash) and professional-looking portrait images with a bokeh-style blur for the background.
Both of these features are staples of mid-range and flagship smartphone cameras, but it’s good to see them make an appearance at a more affordable price point.
Moto g05 offers several upgrades when it comes to audio, with a pair of stereo speakers equipped with Bass Boost and support for Dolby Atmos for an immersive audio experience when you don’t have headphones.
The g05 is one of the first in this price range to feature Android 15, which launched in October with enhanced privacy, security, and personalisation options. Its processor and RAM boost technology ensure efficient performance for multitasking without draining the substantial 5,200mAh battery, Motorola tells us.
Moto g05 launches in the UK in February at £89.99.
Rounding out the latest announcements from Motorola, the Moto g15 costs £139.99 and leads the new lineup with top-tier features and a release date schedule for next month. It comes equipped with a 6.7-inch Full HD+ display paired with stereo speakers supporting Dolby Atmos technology — like the Moto g05.
Like its more affordable counterpart, it also comes equipped with a 50MP camera system with Quad Pixel technology promises clearer pictures in any light. But unlike the cheaper phones in the lineup, the Moto g15 arrives with an ultra-wide lens that promises to fix 4x more into the viewfinder, making it ideal for shooting city skylines as well as large groups of friends and family.
The phone comes wrapped in a vegan leather finish, previously reserved for Motorola’s most expensive handsets.
Storage options are impressive, with configurations up to 512GB and RAM options of 4GB or 8GB with RAM Boost technology. The g15 features an IP54 water-resistant case design and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection to shield the screen from scuffs and scratches in day-to-day usage.
Available in Gravity Grey, Iguana Green, and Sunrise Orange, the phone includes TurboPower charging for quick battery top-ups. And like the other models announced by Motorola this month, you’ll find a 5,200mAh battery pack under the bonnet promising two full days of use between charges.
A standalone variant, dubbed Moto g15 Power, pushes battery capacity even further, featuring a massive 6,000mAh battery rated for 58 hours of use between charges. Yikes. And while the standard models support 18W fast charging, the g15 Power offers enhanced 30W lightning-fast wired charging capabilities.
Motorola will release its new lineup of budget smartphones in stages, with the Moto g15 (£139.99) first to arrive in January, the g05 (£89.99) in February, and the Moto e15 (£69.99) following in March 2025.
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No matter which of these handsets that you pick, Motorola includes ThinkShield for Mobile and Moto Secure functionalities with all of them to keep owners protected with the latest security features. The g15 and g05 will be among the first devices to feature Android 15, while the e15 runs on Android 14 (Go Edition).
Samsung recently confirmed its own release schedule for the hotly-anticipated Android 15 update, with only a handful of models eligible to upgrade to the blockbuster redesign for now.