The next Moto G will come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888

By Michael Allison
published

Moto G Stylus 2020 Hands On
Moto G Stylus 2020 Hands On (Image credit: Joe Maring / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 888 this week, its most powerful SoC ever.
  • Motorola says the Moto G next year will ship with an 888.
  • The Moto G line has traditionally shipped with lower-end processors in the 6xx and 7xx series.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 is set to make a debut with powerful phones like the Xiaomi Mi 11, the OnePlus 9, and other Android flagships. For Motorola, it's coming in next year's Moto G, an odd choice for the smartphone OEM.

Announcing the move, Motorola shared that next year would be the 10th generation of the Moto G series, and the Snapdragon 888 is a perfect fit for a celebration of the line.

As far as choices go, this seems to be an odd one. On the one hand, Motorola has often shipped the Moto G with low-end components, making up for it with an otherwise delightful experience. We'd expect the 888 to make a debut in something like the Motorola Edge or Edge+.

On the other hand, Chinese OEMs have been shipping powerful SoCs and high-end components in their phones for prices comparable to the Moto G for years. Perhaps, as the Moto G remains one of the company's strongest brands, the company may want to more directly challenge competitors from Xiaomi and Oppo. It doesn't have to include the 888 in all its SoC, perhaps just a Moto G anniversary edition. With the Moto G having more than a few variants, that's not a far-fetched notion.

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Michael Allison
Michael Allison
3 Comments
  • Love the Moto G series - have been using for about 8 years since it was the Moto X series. IMHO, the only thing missing is NFC given the rise of pay-with-your-phone terminals in stores. The faster processor is nice only if it doesn't make the phone move up too significantly in price. I can stick with a mid tier processor since I don't game on my phone, and would take NFC for an additional $20
  • Whoa, this is by far one of the most unpredictable turn of events I've seen in some time. Extremely interested in seeing how the price is reflected. I used the original Moto G and the Moto G 5plus so I am a definite fan of the series.
  • I am really curious how they'll manage to cram in a Snapdragon 888 and still keep it affordable. Also I just don't understand putting such a high-end SoC in a Moto G. It's better off in one of Motorola's other lines of phones.