I recently made the switch from iOS to Android, mostly because I am definitely on a budget and my old 4th Gen iPhone just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. Without a budget-conscious option from Apple, I turned to the world of Android and immediately got a ton of recommendations for the Moto G. Having hands-on experience with some other lower-end Android phones like the LG Optimus, I was initially nervous I was signing on for a slowed-down experience and a phone bloated with tons of proprietary software, but what I got instead was a speedy, fun-to-use, and quite simply slightly mindblowing experience for someone who's never had a smartphone that wasn't at least a year old by the time it got into my hands.
The phone is pretty much the perfect size, fitting in every pocket comfortably but still feeling large and impressive when playing videos. As someone going from a 480p 3.5-inch display to a 720p 5-inch display this felt like coming out of the dark ages. One of the common things I saw when looking at whether to grab a 1st gen or 2nd gen Moto G was the drop in ppi, but I honestly feel like the images are as crisp as you'd want them to be and quite honestly with the resolution of the phone the top bar and clock feel a little on the small side for me, so a smaller display with the same resolution would actually be rather annoying.
Technologically this phone was a massive upgrade for me. Apps loaded in a snap and once I opened an app there was almost no lag between making a selection and getting a result. The software included with the phone was minimal, which is fantastic as someone who hates bloatware and wants to have as much control over their experience as possible. Motorola had only a few proprietary apps installed by default, all of which were opt-in. So far I haven't opted in to Motorola Assist or Alert, and the only other Moto app that came installed was Migrate, which I used to move my contacts and calendars from my iPhone to my Moto G without manually copying the numbers. Since that's the only thing it can really be used for when switching from iOS to Android, I can't give a full review of some of its other features, but it worked well for what I used it for. The rest of the pre-installed apps were all default Android and Google apps, which I won't review in much detail since most people's mileage will definitely vary on those.
I feel less-than-qualified to give a detailed breakdown on things like the camera quality and processor speed, but as someone who knows what RAM is I can say that this phone makes a compromise in that area. 1 GB is a comfortable amount for any one thing you'd want to do, and the phone is pretty intelligent about shutting down apps if the current app is more memory-hungry than others. On the other hand, if you're a power user who would be looking to take advantage of multitasking, or if you want to play some of the more intense mobile games, you'd want to look at spending more money. With the expandable SD storage for things like music, movies, pictures, or other files, 8 GB feels like a comfortable amount of on-board storage. This would be the main reason to choose a Moto G over a Moto E, since the OS uses almost 2.5 GBs all by itself leaving little room for apps that either can't or shouldn't be stored on an SD card. I have a 32 GB micro SD card in my phone and I still use 5 GBs of my onboard storage just on apps and downloaded Spotify playlists.
One other limitation of this phone that I personally do not care about is the lack of 4G data. There is no 4G radio in the phone, so the highest speed you'll be able to get on this phone is 3G. Personally I don't even have a data plan, since I live on a college campus where wi-fi is both reliable and ubiquitous. For some people, though, this would be a deal-breaker. There is a 4G version of the 1st generation Moto G, and if this is the one reason you don't want this phone I'd highly encourage checking that out.
For the price, I'm almost certain this is the best phone you're going to find new out of the box. Really, unless you're a power user and you don't want to be conscious of how much memory your apps use while idling in the background, this is definitely a phone worth considering for any budget if you're looking to save money. The one concern I do have is longevity, since as flagship phones bolster their processors and RAM developers might look to use more of that power, leaving users of underpowered phones using outdated apps. This is what happened to me with my 4th Generation iPhone. As it stands, though, this is the best buy in the smartphone world right now and a must-buy for anyone on a small budget not looking to lease or finance.
Customers also viewed these products
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
What is an unlocked phone?An unlocked phone is a device that is not bound to any carrier or plan. It allows you to choose your phone first and your carrier second. Upon selecting a plan, simply insert the carrier's SIM card into the phone and you're ready to go. If you decide you want to change carriers down the road or want to take an international trip, it's as simple as replacing your existing SIM card with a new SIM and activating your new plan. |
What are the benefits of an unlocked phone?Freedom: Choose the carrier with the best service or price. If you find a better deal later, you have the ability to change to a different carrier. Travel: Take your phone internationally and use the carrier of your choice. It's as easy as inserting an active SIM card. Selection: Choose the phone with the features you want, whether or not your carrier sells it, and get more service options without a contract. |
How do I set up my unlocked phone?The first thing you’ll need is a SIM card for your desired carrier. When activated, the SIM card will let your phone connect to your carrier’s network. If you decide to upgrade to a newer unlocked phone in the future, you can easily remove the SIM card from your old phone and put it in your new phone—just make sure you get the right size of SIM card (nano, micro, or standard) for your phone. If you want to use your phone while traveling internationally, you can easily buy a SIM card for a carrier that operates where you’re traveling. As long as it’s activated, you can just swap SIM cards when you arrive at your destination. |
Reviews with images
Excellent Budget Smartphone!: Great screen, build, battery life and camera
I purchased this phone as my first Android smartphone due to its price and specs and I was really impressed with the overall package you get for the price. Been using it for a week now and I am ready to post my thoughts. Starting with the display, its a 5 inch 720p panel and is great! The screen is pretty bright and is visible in all lighting conditions, colours are bold and vivid and the viewing angles are excellent.The phone is made out of plastic but I was surprised by its build quality as it feels very comfortable in the hand and the back is soft touch and feels rubberized but premium. The dimple on the back is a small touch but feels very natural to place your finger on. The back is removable for access to a microSD slot and micro sim slot but no removable battery.Only complaint in the build would be the buttons which feel a little cheap and are a little hard to press down on. As for the battery, it easily lasts me a whole day with my medium usage of browsing the web and social media, playing some games, watching Youtube. With lighter usage, it lasts up to 2 days. Would be great if it was replaceable, but if it lasts all day then thats not a problem. The phone came with Stock Android Lolipop out of the box and having owned a Android tablet before, it felt very familiar. Overall performance is very good no matter what I do from gaming to browsing the web, it handles it all easily. While multitasking with many apps, it does take a while to switch between them due to the 1GB of RAM but nothing that really hinders the performance . A few Motorola applications were preinstalled but there isnt any real bloatware preinstalled. An update to Marshmallow is promised soon so no worries about missing out on the latest version of Android. Will update the review once it releases. The phone supports up to 3G HSPA+ but no 4G LTE which I dont mind too much considering the price. I purchased the 8GB model and out of the box 5.5GB is available. After installing all my applications and such, I have about 2.2GB remaining so for my use, its plenty enough. Even so, you can always increase the capacity with a microSD card.On the front, it has dual front facing stereo speakers which get very loud compared to most budget phones and sound good but lack depth and sound a little harsh on the higher volumes. Still better than most speakers you get with flagship devices. During calls I had no issues hearing the person on the other end and neither did they have any issues hearing my voice.The camera is a 8 Megapixel unit and while I havent using it a whole lot, it performs pretty well and takes sharp pictures. Do note that 8MP is in a4;3 ratio so I used it in 6MP for most of the time. In normal lighting the photos turn out really well but in low light, as expected its not all that great. Video is limited to 720p which is a little disappointing considering 8MP is enough for 1080p but the videos turn out fairly crispy.Pros:Bright and vivid Screen with great viewing anglesStereo Front Facing SpeakersAll Day battery LifeSolid build quality and feels comfortable to holdIncredible price to performance ratioCons:No 4G LTENo 1080p video recording*Really cant think of any other real cons.*In the end I am impressed with what you get for the price. It does everything your $600 flagship phone can do but in a much cheaper package. Obviously the screen or camera isnt as great but you have all the essentials for a great phone whether it may be your first smartphone or your switching from a older phone or your just looking for a great phone that doesnt break the bank, either way I would highly recommend this phone and I know I am happy with my purchase. I will be sure to update this review if I discover anything else and once the Marshmallow update is released.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Top reviews from other countries
Dr. Yogi
Great phone for the price
Reviewed in Canada on November 6, 2016Color: BlackStyle: US GSMVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Moto g2 camera fault and back cover fault give me ...
Reviewed in India on March 15, 2017Cliente de Amazon
Excelente relación precio calidad
Reviewed in Mexico on June 21, 2016JOSE OMAR
perfecto
Reviewed in Mexico on August 8, 2015Color: WhiteStyle: Global GSMVerified Purchase
