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Motorola Moto G review

8/10 AVG.
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Motorola Moto G
Motorola Moto G
Motorola Moto G
Motorola Moto G
Motorola Moto G
Motorola Moto G
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8/10
Informr score
The Motorola Moto G currently has an Informr score of 8 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 74 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Good screen resolution
  • Decent battery life
  • Fast processor for price range

What's bad

  • No 4G LTE support
  • Limited on-board storage
  • Mediocre camera

Although priced in the budget range, the Motorola Moto G smartphone has wowed reviewers with its impressive screen and specs. This moderately priced phone boasts a 4.5” IPS screen with a resolution of 720p. In a side-by-side comparison with the Nexus 5, Laptop Mag found that the Nexus 5 offered more detail, but the Moto G rendered brighter and bolder colors. Critics also found the screen to be bright and easily readable in outdoor and indoor light settings.

In terms of specs, the G offers a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and up to 16GB of onboard storage. Although slightly slower when compared to more high-end smartphones, Digital Trends states that it is “a little rocket.”

Various benchmark tests done by critics put general performance well under phones like the Nexus 5, however it is able to perform on par during more simple tasks such as browsing the web and using simple apps.

Reviewers note that the efficient processor and display deliver great battery life than standard smartphones. After a 24-hour run test, PCPro found that the G retains 70% of its capacity after 24 hours of mixed usage.

Despite its impressive performance in benchmark tests, the phone does have several drawbacks. One major issue for many reviewers is its lack of storage. There is no expandable storage available, though there is connectivity to Google cloud. Aside from lack of storage, experts also criticized the lack of 4G LTE support and mediocre 5MP rear-facing camera.

Overall, however, most critics find the Moto G to be an excellent phone for the price. GSMArena states that “it’s near impossible to match the Moto G’s bang for the buck.”

Techcrunch hails the Moto G as a “remarkable device” and The Verge states that it “truly redefines what a low-end smartphone can be.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
1.2 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.2 GHz
4.5"
Screen Size
Screen Size
4.5"
5+ MP
Camera
Camera
5+ MP
2070 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Digital Versus
Digital Versus

The Moto G 4G doesn't offer the same exceptional value-for-money as its predecessor. There are now several good-quality 4G Android phones on the market for less than £160, including the Huawei Ascend G740 and the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3. That's not to take anything away from the G 4G; it's still...

- Sofian Nouira, Digital Versus
GSMArena
GSMArena

Motorola Moto G 4G is definitely a phone many are looking forward to. It is the upgrade people wanted and Motorola delivered. The very popular Moto G was criticized about its lack of memory expansion slot and not so about the missing LTE connectivity. Well, here it is - the Moto G 4G with a microSD...

- GSMArena team, GSMArena
Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor

Motorola's Moto G is the best budget smartphone around. At £135 it's got great build quality, an excellent screen, decent cameras and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean soon to be upgrade to 4.4 KitKat. It's only limited in the storage department and a lack of 4G support.

- Chris Martin, Tech Advisor
Coolsmartphone
Coolsmartphone

Overall the Motorola Moto G with 4G is a nifty little device. It basically has most things you’d want in a budget device and it has a user experience that feels like something costing twice the price. Once again hats off to Motorola for creating the Moto G. This new 4G version of the Moto G ke...

- James Pearce, Coolsmartphone
Cnet
Cnet

With its decent specs and rock-bottom price, the Motorola Moto G was already a fantastic bargain, not only outpacing its low-end rivals, but offering much more than most mid-range mobiles. The addition of 4G LTE and expandable storage addresses our two original quibbles with the Moto G.There's been...

- Andrew Hoyle, Cnet


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


Motorola Moto G prices will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. Motorola's suggested retail price is $179.00. You can compare Moto G prices from around the web here on The Informr.


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Motorola Moto G user manual here.


Motorola backs up the Moto G with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Moto G has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.




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Quick view

Screen Size
4.5"

The Motorola Moto G's screen size is 4.5 inches with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution.

Processor
1.2 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor Quad core 1.2 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (Update Available: 5.0.2 Lollipop) operating system (OS).

Camera
5+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 5+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 1+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
8/16 GB

Internal memory is 8/16 GB. No external card slot is available for expansion.

Battery
2070mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 2070 mAh battery. Motorola's performance ratings are 1440 minutes, 544 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Moto G Specs

Overview
Release Date November 15, 2013
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (Update Available: 5.0.2 Lollipop)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor Quad core 1.2 GHz
Internal Storage 8/16 GB
RAM 1 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 1.17 W/kg
Body: 1.06 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+ 21.1
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Unknown
SIM card size
Micro-SIM
variations
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, BPP, DUN, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, aptX
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot No
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Zoom
4x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Geotagging, Multi-shot, Panorama, HDR, Slow motion video
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
HD (1280 x 720 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
1+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density 329 pixels
Size 4.5 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 2070 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 468 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 544 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Up to 455 minutes
Talk Time Up to 1440 minutes
Standby Time Up to 14 days
Mixed Usage No
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Black
Dimensions [H x W x D] 13 x 6.6 x 1.2 cm (5.1 x 2.6 x 0.5 in)
Weight 143 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information

Messaging: SMS, MMS, Google Talk
Multi-Use Smart Phone / PDA: Yes
Graphics: Yes
Backlit Illumination: Yes
Zoom / Magnification: Yes
Screen Orientation Lock: Yes
Predictive Text Entry: Yes
Voice Commands: Yes
Keypad/Screen Lock: Yes
Multiple Numbers Per Contact: Email address, Other fields
Contact Groups: Yes
Voice Activated Dialing: Yes
Photo Caller ID: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Email Client: Yes
Email Protocols: POP3, IMAP, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
PC Synchronization: Yes
Audio Formats: AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, eAAC+, MIDI, MP3, OGG, QCP
Video Playback Formats: 3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
Streaming Video: Yes
Custom Ringtones: Yes
Vibration Alert: Yes
Downloadable Ringtones: Yes
Ringer ID: Yes
Speakerphone: Yes
Haptic Feedback: Yes
Data Tethering: Yes
Mobile Hotspot: Yes
Radio: Yes (FM)
Viewable document types: XLS, PPT, PPTX, DOC, DOCX, PDF
Games: Downloadable
Apps: Downloadable
Included Software / Apps: -
Calendar, World Clock, Alarm, Stop Watch, Timer, Calculator, Weather, Maps, Voice Memos / Recorder



Other Names (AKA): Motorola XT1032

Also available in a dual-SIM model.

LTE model has expansion slot for MicroSD cards (up to 32 GB)

Related Links Manual (PDF)
Motorola Moto G Reviews
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