The Moto G85 has a premium design at a budget price

Motorola has just launched its latest budget phone, the $399 Moto G85 5G. While aesthetics aren't usually the main consideration at more affordable price points, the Moto G85 5G has a few unexpected flourishes.

The main one is curved display with very little bezel. Curved displays aren't quite in vogue anymore, but this is perhaps the first time we've seen one on a phone this affordable. In addition, phones in this price bracket tend to have significant bezel surrounding the screen - especially underneath it. This is something Motorola's managed to avoid.

The Moto G85 5G is also available in two vegan leather finishes: blue or green. While vegan leather is effectively fancy plastic, it's a design choice that makes the phone a little more interesting. There's also a non-vegan leather grey version available.

Key specifications for the Moto G85 5G include a 6.7-inch 1080p+ display with a 120Hz display, a Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. In terms of cameras, the's a 50MP primary lens paired with a 8MP ultra-wide lens on the back, and a 32MP selfie camera on the front. The phone has a water-repellant (but not water-resistant) design and eSIM support.

Motorola says the Moto G85 5G will get one major Android operating system upgrade and three years of bi-monthly security updates.

The Moto G85 5G is available now from retailers including JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, The Good Guys, and Amazon. It's available in blue, green, or grey.

Motorola was recently awarded Phone Manufacturer of the Year in the 2024 WhistleOut Awards, covering FY23/24.

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Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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