Cheap phones cut corners. It's just unavoidable, that's why they cost less money. But each phone is its own seasoned mix of specific setbacks and disadvantages. Sometimes that's a precisely tuned combination with a clear goal in mind, but it can easily be a haphazard and hamfisted assembly loaded with gotchas. But the 2021 Moto G Play hits an almost perfect combination with good performance, unadulterated software, stellar battery life, and a big bright screen. It's a huge phone, and ounce for ounce, pretty tough to beat for $170.