I switched from a $1,000 flagship to a $200 budget device...

I switched from a $1,000 flagship to a $200 budget device; here's what I learned Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Moto G Play 2026 sitting next to each other

By Stephen Radochia Published 10 minutes ago When Mitsubishi made your first cellphone, you know you’ve been around a while. Steve has carried the latest and greatest around in his pocket for nearly 30 years, with everything from Motorola StarTACs to Samsung Galaxys crossing his path. Early appearances on TechTV fueled his love of media, and when he isn’t writing, you’ll find him ranting on YouTube as StevealiciousTech. Sign in to your Android Police account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

One of the perks of my job is that I get to test a significant number of smartphones each year.

I love using devices across different price ranges, as it gives me a sense of what I really need in a phone.

I recently got to try two devices back-to-back from wildly different price brackets.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the best Samsung currently has to offer. It features all the premium flagship specs you’d expect, and it’s an excellent smartphone.

However, even during a Cyber Monday sale, it’s still close to $1,000 — a significant investment for most buyers.

By comparison, the Moto G Play 2026 will cost you only $180. It’s a budget phone for a reason, with plenty of noticeable compromises.

Still, it’s functional for the price you pay, so how much do we really lose when spending so much less, and could you live with a phone that costs a fraction of a flagship?

Display quality takes a hit

The G Play 2026 can’t compare

Motorola needed to cut corners to get to a $180 price point for the G Play 2026. Even though I’ve seen decent OLED screens on $200 phones, the G Play has a 6.7-inch 720p LCD.

It’s not as horrible as it sounds. It’s definitely a step-down, and not a display I’d be eager to watch movies on, but it gets the job done.

It’s more color-accurate than I expected, and I didn’t feel it detracted from the user experience.

LCD panels used to be dreadful on budget phones, with devices like the Nokia G10 featuring drab screens. I’d still prefer an OLED screen, but the G Play’s display isn’t disqualifying.

By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has the best display I’ve used on a smartphone this year. I can’t praise it enough, and Samsung has returned to form with its panels.

The phone sports a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen and an anti-reflective layer that helps make the device viewable outdoors, even in harsh sunlight.

There are other areas where you’ll feel that you spent more money, but the display is the most obvious and most worthy of the additional investment.

The performance gap isn’t what you’d expect

The G Play 2026 isn’t a slouch for $180

Display brightness outdoors shown on the Galaxy S25 Ultra

I’m not going to sit here with a straight face and tell you that you won’t notice a difference in performance between a $1,000 smartphone and a $200 device.

Still, the Moto G Play 2026 is more serviceable than you’d expect, thanks to its Dimensity 6300 chipset. I’ve enjoyed the Dimensity 6300 across several phones, and it delivers solid performance for devices under $300.

Light gaming, like Pokémon GO, is fine on the G Play 2026. It’s easy to feel like you’re on a budget device, but I get a decent phone without burning a hole in my wallet.

The real limiting spec on the Moto G Play 2026 is its 4GB of RAM. I know there is RAM Boost, but that doesn’t seem to help performance.

I wouldn’t rush to multitask on the Moto, and you’ll notice the phone aggressively closes apps to manage RAM.

Opening apps constantly isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s something you’ll be aware of on a budget chipset, as it’ll take a couple of extra seconds.

However, after you have a single app like Instagram or WhatsApp up and running, the experience is smooth. You’ll still notice a gap in performance to a phone like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but overall, the phone is pleasant.

There’s the occasional slowdown and hiccup, but nothing that makes me think the device isn’t worth owning.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra features all the performance you’d expect from a flagship. However, I don’t know if I need all of it.

Don’t get me wrong, having that extra raw horsepower as overhead is comforting, and I enjoy getting smooth frame rates in AAA mobile games. But for everyday use, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is overkill.

If you’re a power user who loves to multitask, spending the extra money is worth it. But for most users, you’d be surprised how much of your day you can handle on a G Play 2026 without wanting more.

Battery life is comparable, but cameras aren’t

The G Play really only has one sensor

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra cameras shown against a tree

The Moto G Play features a 32MP rear camera, which is adequate for photos in excellent lighting. The colors are fine, and the detail is passable, as long as you don’t crop in too far in your photos.

Motorola usually equips its midrange and budget devices with a 50MP sensor, which produces better images. It’s a camera designed to capture memories, and that’s it. For that, it does the job, but don’t expect too much, especially in low light.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra features a stellar camera system, with multiple lenses and superior low-light capabilities.

Besides the display, the cameras are where you will see the extra money you spend on a flagship the most.

Battery life is actually comparable between the two.

The G Play’s 5,200mAh battery provides two days of use on a single charge, thanks to its budget chipset. I get almost the same battery life as my Galaxy S25 Ultra, though with much-improved overall performance.

You get more if you spend more, but you don’t have to

I love comparing devices from wildly different price points, because it reveals what I actually need in a device.

I enjoyed using the Moto G Play 2026, but I needed a touch more performance. That doesn’t mean I have to spend big money on a flagship like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but it does highlight that a midrange phone might be the sweet spot for most.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is clearly a better smartphone than the G Play 2026, but I don’t think I get $800 more in value.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra $950 $1300 Save $350 SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy RAM 12GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Battery 5,000mAh Ports USB-C
Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra leaves the Note-like design behind for the very first time. With flat edges, curved corners, and a massive 6.9-inch display, this is a modern flagship through and through — and yes, that S Pen is still here too.
$950 at Amazon Expand Collapse
Moto G Play (2026) RAM 4GB Storage 64GB Battery Up to 48 hours Operating System Android 16 Connectivity GPS, A-GPS, LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, Galileo Dimensions 167.15x76.40x8.44 mm
The Moto G Play 2026 features a Dimensity 6300 chipset and 4GB of RAM. It has the eco-leather back of several of Moto's budget devices, and it includes a 6.7-inch LCD 720p display. Moto equipped the G Play with a 32MP rear camera and a 5,200mAh battery.
$170 at Motorola Expand Collapse

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