Motorola has thrown a spanner in the woods for the low price market and introduces a very well priced device with a spec sheet that exceeds its cost. The Moto G brings high end features to a wider range of audience for just $179 off-contract. Does it manage to do this without making serious compromises? Read on for the full review.
Hardware
Motorola has designed a stylish device that centers on a minimilistic frame. The plastic shell can be switched to your tastes just like the Moto X and the corners around it makes the phone very comfortable to hold. While plastic never feels premium, this device makes you can change your opinion on this one since the material feels extremely pricey and much better than other plasticky flagships. The standout feature of the Moto G is the 4.5 inch LCD display that wheels in 1280x720 resolution giving a sharp 326ppi panel. The screen may not be nominated for any oscars but will definitely be crowned the king for this price point. A 1.2Ghz Quad Core Snapdragon 400 CPU does the heavy lifting along with Adreno 305 for the graphics and 1GB RAM for multi-tasking.
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Software
In terms of software, Motorola's idea is almost clear, the stock Android 4.3 runs smoothly without any hiccups or lags. The UI is clean and clear with some extra software additions. It feels so great to be offered such an experience in contrast to some of the UIs around at this moment. and we didnt feel like we were missing out anything than
what the other handsets have. Overall the UI feels uncluttered and straight forward and there were none of the attention grabbing features seen on the Galaxy devices or even HTC's recent high enders. There are a couple of addtions, Moto Assist. This looks like a Google styled revamp of Smart Actions which was seen on the older Razr handsets and it lets automate some functions depending on your circumstances. For instance when the calendar says you're in a meeting the phone will silence itself and believe us its so good you will never forget to use these features. The regular Google Now funtionality exists but the touchless features like voice commands when the device's screen is turned off seems to be missing. In regular use it becomes extremely clear how good the performance is.
what the other handsets have. Overall the UI feels uncluttered and straight forward and there were none of the attention grabbing features seen on the Galaxy devices or even HTC's recent high enders. There are a couple of addtions, Moto Assist. This looks like a Google styled revamp of Smart Actions which was seen on the older Razr handsets and it lets automate some functions depending on your circumstances. For instance when the calendar says you're in a meeting the phone will silence itself and believe us its so good you will never forget to use these features. The regular Google Now funtionality exists but the touchless features like voice commands when the device's screen is turned off seems to be missing. In regular use it becomes extremely clear how good the performance is.
Camera
With 5MP camera, the photos may not challenge the likes of Lumia 1020 or Xperia Z1 but does an incredible job in its own territory. Though we'd liked for more details, you couldn't possible ask for more at this price point. In good lighting the handset can take well balanced, accurate colored photos that appear to have almost real life color saturation and the auto settings in the camera does an excellent job. The focus and exposure can be adjusted when a finger is slided across the display. The video mode shoots a 720p movie at 30fps but the handset can playback 1080p. Video seems to be quite good on the exposure and contrast but color saturation seems a bit off during indoor videos.
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Battery & Conclusion
Advertised by Google and Motorola as an All Day phone, we definitely believe it can be a 24 hour device. With gaming and watching videos, you get about 20 hours of use and when on stand-by and minimal use you get about 2 days of backup. To sum up the Moto G, its a handset that has a few flashy features and does a very solid job. As the almost stock Android 4.3 UI gives a breadth of fresh for those looking for some new wind. The fact that it does such a good job at being one of the cheapest handsets, its just incredible for the price-spec ratio. The Moto G can be a game changer that can be hugely popular especially with a price tag of $179.
Moto G - Full Phone Specifications
| Specifications | Moto G |
|---|---|
| 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G Network,4G Network | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, NO LTE |
| SIM | Single SIM(Micro Sim) |
| Display Type | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Display Size | 1280 x 720 pixels, 4.5 inches (~326 ppi pixel density) |
| Features | Quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Processor, Android OS v4.3 , 1 GB RAM |
| Phonebook | Yes, Practically Unlimited |
| Call Records | Yes, Practically Unlimited |
| Internal Memory | 8/16GB Internal Storage, 1 GB RAM |
| Card Slot Memory | No |
| GPRS | Yes, Class 12 |
| EDGE | Yes, Class 12 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot |
| USB | Yes, microUSB v2.0 |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v4.0 with A2DP,LE,EDR |
| 3G | HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps |
| Camera Primary | 5 MP sensor, autofocus, LED flash |
| Video | Yes, 720p @ 30fps, playback upto 1080p |
| Secondary | Yes, 1.3 MP |
| Sound Alert Type | Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones |
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| OS, CPU, Chipset, And GPU | Android OS, v4.3 , Quad-Core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Chipset And Adreno 305 GPU |
| Messaging | SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM |
| Browser | HTML5 And Flash (Download From Outside) |
| Radio | Yes |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS support |
| Java | Yes, via Java MIDP emulator |
| Colors | Black( front panel), Back( 7 color options) |
| Battery | Standard Li-Ion 2070 mAh battery |
| Talktime | Up to 24 h (3G) |
| Standby | Up to 300 h (3G) |
| Price | $179 |
Author : Nadeem Ansari
Designation: Senior Editor
Bio: A gadget freak who can't make a day without his tiny little toys and is constantly trying to keep himself up to date with the latest events in tech history. Loves to read and write articles.
Bio: A gadget freak who can't make a day without his tiny little toys and is constantly trying to keep himself up to date with the latest events in tech history. Loves to read and write articles.
