Verdict on the Motorola Moto G87
It could be so nice to spend your everyday life with the Motorola Moto G87: There's the stylish casing, the good workmanship including protection from the elements. There is the low weight and reliable operation. A microSD reader and a bright screen round off the package.
The only problem is that the Moto G87 has lost a lot of performance compared to its predecessor and is now equipped with an SoC that is usually found in devices half the price.
Four years of updates is OK, but in view of the much longer promises of the competition and the current EU directives, it is not enough.
The price would have to drop significantly before we could recommend the Motorola Moto G87. This is a shame, because the mid-range phone actually does a lot of things right, but fails due to cost-cutting constraints and strong competition.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The Motorola Moto G87 is available at online retailers across Europe.
- $269.69Motorola Moto G Power - 2026 | Unlocked | Made for US 8/128GB | 50MP Camera | Pantone Evening Blue | AI Camera System, Military Grade, Ram Boost
- $229.50Motorola Moto G86 Dual-SIM 256GB ROM + 8GB RAM (GSM Only | No CDMA) Factory Unlocked 5G Smartphone (Pantone Spellbound) - International Version
- $215.00Motorola Moto G86, 8/256 GB, Golden Cypress
Table of Contents
- Verdict on the Motorola Moto G87
- Specifications
- Case and features - faux leather back
- Communication and operation - WLAN suitable for everyday use
- Software and sustainability - security until 2030
- Cameras - Partly moderate sharpness
- Display - Nice and bright
- Performance, emissions and battery life - Less power
- Notebookcheck overall rating
- Possible alternatives in comparison
Specifications
Case and features - faux leather back
Almost all current Motorola smartphones offer a high-quality artificial leather back in Pantone colors and the Moto G87 is no exception: With Ouverture and Blue Atoll, either a very dark or a very light blue is available for the back, the frame is adapted accordingly.
The camera module is very elegantly integrated into the material with a slight curve. The casing has a high-quality, sturdy finish and offers IP68/IP69 certification, meaning it can also be taken into shallow water.
When it comes to the USB port, you have to make do with a USB 2.0 connection, which cannot output image signals. In terms of memory, you get 256 GB and 8 GB RAM, expansion via microSD card is possible, although the reader is not really fast in our tests.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Motorola Moto G87 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5.72 - 58.9, n=56, last 2 years) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication and operation - WLAN suitable for everyday use
The Moto G87 is a 5G phone that has enough mobile frequencies for many countries.
However, the WiFi modem only offers WiFi 5 as the fastest standard, meaning that only data rates of around 250 - 360 MBit/s were achieved in our test. This should be sufficient for most everyday activities, but demanding users can get significantly faster Wi-Fi from other manufacturers.
The 120 Hz screen can be operated quickly and precisely. The fingerprint sensor is hidden behind the screen. It unlocks the phone quickly and reliably, but is positioned very far down for our taste.
| Networking | |
| Motorola Moto G87 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Motorola Moto G86 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Nothing Phone (4a) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Honor Magic8 Lite | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Software and sustainability - security until 2030
Android 16 is pre-installed on the device. Motorola has outsourced all of its own functions to an app so that updates can be installed more easily.
The security updates are from March 1 and were already somewhat older at the time of testing. Motorola delivers a new version every three months.
Updates will be available until 2030, i.e. for four years, plus three major Android versions.
The packaging is plastic-free, but otherwise there is no information on the sustainability of the device.
Cameras - Partly moderate sharpness
The 200 megapixel main camera should not blind you: In everyday use, it usually only takes pictures with 12.5 megapixels.
However, this is usually more than enough, the image sharpness is much more important and this varies from quite good to quite poor in our test images. The brightness in dark situations is also only mediocre.
The wide-angle camera takes passable snapshots, but hardly any details can be made out when magnified.
The selfie camera is more convincing: images are quite sharp and can be enlarged well.
Image comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Hauptkamera PflanzeHauptkamera UmgebungHauptkamera Low LightWeitwinkelkamera
Display - Nice and bright
The AMOLED screen can become very bright and offers good color reproduction. It can also be used outdoors without any problems.
We measured PWM flickering with a fairly high frequency of around 360 Hz at minimum brightness. Nevertheless, sensitive people should try out the screen before buying.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 1850 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 1.21 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.73}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 2 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø4.98}
99.7% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.229
CCT: 6439 K
| Motorola Moto G87 AMOLED, 2772x1272, 6.8" | Motorola Moto G86 P-OLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | Nothing Phone (4a) AMOLED, 2720x1224, 6.8" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G AMOLED, 2772x1280, 6.8" | Honor Magic8 Lite OLED, 2640x1200, 6.8" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6% | -31% | -50% | -6% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 1850 | 1456 -21% | 1536 -17% | 1155 -38% | 1754 -5% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 1813 | 1362 -25% | 1538 -15% | 1136 -37% | 1748 -4% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 96 | 89 -7% | 97 1% | 97 1% | 98 2% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.21 | 1.08 11% | 2.6 -115% | 2.42 -100% | 1.5 -24% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.01 | 2.21 45% | 5.7 -42% | 5.63 -40% | 3.5 13% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2 | 1.4 30% | 2 -0% | 3.7 -85% | 2.4 -20% |
| Gamma | 2.229 99% | 2.234 98% | 2.24 98% | 2.246 98% | 2.27 97% |
| CCT | 6439 101% | 6405 101% | 6878 95% | 7263 89% | 6358 102% |
* ... smaller is better
| Display / APL18 Peak Brightness | |
| Motorola Moto G87 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G | |
| Honor Magic8 Lite | |
| Nothing Phone (4a) | |
| Display / HDR Peak Brightness | |
| Honor Magic8 Lite | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G87 | |
| Nothing Phone (4a) | |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 361.6 Hz Amplitude: 13 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 361.6 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 361.6 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 52 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 7837 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (The amplitude curve at minimum brightness looks flat, but this is due to the scaling. The info box shows the enlarged version of the amplitude at minimum brightness)
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (19.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 3.1 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.1 ms). | ||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Less power
The MediaTek Dimensity 6400 is a surprising choice in a smartphone for around US$ 450: it is actually used in much cheaper smartphones, but the effects of the memory crisis and other cost-cutting constraints are probably evident here.
Smooth operation in menus is usually possible, but even slightly more complex apps clearly overtax the processor.
The memory could also be faster, so you have to live with slightly longer loading times.
At least the heat build-up under load is low and the SoC only throttles minimally under prolonged load.
The Motorola Moto G87 comes with stereo speakers, although one of the two speakers is the earpiece. At maximum volume, trebles are strongly overemphasized and often sound unpleasant. If you lower the volume a little, the sound becomes more pleasant, but low frequencies are still not audible.
The battery has not increased in size compared to its predecessor, the Moto G86, and the runtimes in our WLAN test are correspondingly very similar: just under 17:30 hours is not bad and should easily be enough for a working day without a charge. However, other phones in this price range offer significantly more.
The battery can be charged with up to 30 watts. We need around 1:30 hours for a full charge.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total | |
| Average of class Smartphone (59.7 - 423, n=130, last 2 years) | |
| Honor Magic8 Lite | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G87 | |
| Average Mediatek Dimensity 6400 (94.3 - 100.3, n=5) | |
| Motorola Moto G87 | Motorola Moto G86 | Nothing Phone (4a) | Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G | Honor Magic8 Lite | Average 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -2% | 64% | 1% | 87% | -6% | 89% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 987.6 | 980.4 -1% | 2003.93 103% | 945 -4% | 1948.54 97% | 901 ? -9% | 2241 ? 127% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 701.3 | 687.1 -2% | 1596.2 128% | 837.4 19% | 1828.13 161% | 732 ? 4% | 1923 ? 174% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 224.6 | 219.3 -2% | 263.22 17% | 184 -18% | 344.19 53% | 225 ? 0% | 307 ? 37% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 302.6 | 295.2 -2% | 325.75 8% | 326.1 8% | 412.87 36% | 250 ? -17% | 360 ? 19% |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.1 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.9 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Stress Tests
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Honor Magic8 Lite | |
| Nothing Phone (4a) | |
| Motorola Moto G87 | |
| Motorola Moto G86 | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Motorola Moto G86 | |
| Nothing Phone (4a) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G | |
| Honor Magic8 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G87 | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Honor Magic8 Lite | |
| Motorola Moto G86 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G | |
| Nothing Phone (4a) | |
Motorola Moto G87 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 35.4% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (16.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 10.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 72% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 34%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 84% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Motorola Moto G86 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 31% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 34%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 50% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
| Motorola Moto G87 5200 mAh | Motorola Moto G86 5200 mAh | Nothing Phone (4a) 5080 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G 6580 mAh | Honor Magic8 Lite 7500 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery runtime | -1% | 3% | 75% | 32% | |
| WiFi v1.3 (h) | 17.4 | 17.3 -1% | 18 3% | 30.5 75% | 23 32% |
| Reader / Idle (h) | 34.4 | 39.2 | |||
| H.264 (h) | 20.1 | 31.7 | |||
| Load (h) | 4.9 | 5.2 |
Notebookcheck overall rating
The Moto G87 could be a great phone with a bright screen, but offers little performance for its price.
If you love it for its looks, you can get very similar smartphones from Motorola for much less money.
Motorola Moto G87
- 05/22/2026 v8
Florian Schmitt
Total Sustainability Score: Possible alternatives in comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 74.6%  | Motorola Moto G87 Mediatek Dimensity 6400 ⎘ ARM Mali-G57 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.2 | Amazon: List Price: 400€ | 183 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.78" 2772x1272 450 PPI AMOLED |
2. 75.9%  | Motorola Moto G86 MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.2 | List Price: 299€ | 185 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2712x1220 446 PPI P-OLED |
3. 78.6%  | Nothing Phone (4a) Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 810 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 3.1 | List Price: 429€ | 204.5 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.78" 2720x1224 440 PPI AMOLED |
4. 77.6%  | Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G MediaTek Dimensity 7400-Ultra ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.2 | List Price: 400€ | 210 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.83" 2772x1280 447 PPI AMOLED |
5. 78%  | Honor Magic8 Lite Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 810 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 512 GB UFS 3.1 | List Price: 400€ | 189 g | 512 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.79" 2640x1200 427 PPI OLED |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was freely purchased by the author at his/her own expense. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
Add as a preferred source on Google
