Review: The new Moto G doesn’t change much, but still a steal at $179
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The G is a great phone, but at this point, a refreshed version with a Cortex A53 and LTE seems almost inevitable. Might be worth waiting for that if you're in a market with LTE.
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I don't even know why they bother introducing smaller sized phones and then immediately bumping their size up. This is not 2010, why not just start with the larger size instead of giving people false small phone hopes?
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Losing 3 hours of battery life for a no higher resolution screen would seem like a major step backwards, not merely running in place.
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The back peels off but only to access the SIM? How much more would this phone cost if battery were removable and it had an SD slot? Couple of bucks? Come on! I know someone who'd love to buy an inexpensive Android with mid range specs (because it's a phone it doesn't matter it will never need to run Crysis) but it has to have an SD slot.
Edit: never mind I was looking at the 4.5 inch original Moto G.
Edit: never mind I was looking at the 4.5 inch original Moto G.
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It has an SD card slot, mentioned in the article and also in the pictures with the back removed.[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540169#p27540169:izl3iwwk said:
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Save for the camera, this is a huge disappointment. With each new app update, particularly Chrome, my Moto G gets a little bit slower. After 9 months it is starting to feel long in the tooth, and I am no longer sure I would recommend it when the X is $350.
The only incredibly redeeming aspects of this phone are its battery life and compact size, both of which are no longer applicable to the new model. Instead of releasing a bigger G with worse battery and a better camera, they should have released a model with specs and pricing somewhere in between the G and X. Especially if they are planning to charge $499 for the new X.
Edit: Clarity.
The only incredibly redeeming aspects of this phone are its battery life and compact size, both of which are no longer applicable to the new model. Instead of releasing a bigger G with worse battery and a better camera, they should have released a model with specs and pricing somewhere in between the G and X. Especially if they are planning to charge $499 for the new X.
Edit: Clarity.
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If it had the Snapdgragon 410 with LTE for <$250 I would've already bought one, but for now I'm waiting. With the 410/LTE it would be better than my Galaxy Nexus in most important ways. Too bad it takes such a hit in battery life for a larger but same resolution screen. Still way better than my aging GNex battery life though.
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Andrew, how did you get Crow? The only place I've found him is in a $250 boxed set!
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Here in Brazil it has digital TV. Finally something to brag about (though I don't watch TV).
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I wonder if they're planning to release a Moto G LTE variation like they did for the 2013 model.
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Great review! Thanks for sneaking in some Moto X benchmarks... 
I eagerly await the review for that one
I eagerly await the review for that one
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It would make perfect sense for them to release an option with the Snapdragon 410 that has integrated LTE as well as other improvements like slightly better performance, slightly lower power consumption, and 64-bitness. Then we could all focus our ire on the "improved" 5" 720p screen that apparently sucks quite a bit more battery than the old 4.5" 720p screen.[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540331#p27540331:kh3ywt1z said:
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I miss the compact size. It was one of the reasons I liked the Moto X (and by extension the G) so much compared to other phones.
The battery life imparted by the smaller screen was also a great bonus
The battery life imparted by the smaller screen was also a great bonus
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Why the puffin does the SD card slot only support 32 GB!? I have over 60 GB of music I'd like to carry with me so I need at least 64 GB. 128 GB support would make it a perfect replacement for my aging iPod 120 GB.
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I have the original G with the flip-shell, and it can be a bit unwieldy at times. This update is definitely disappointing to me. Good thing I'm happy with what I already have!
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I'm going to go ahead and wait for the Nexus 5 to be discounted in a few weeks/months to pick that up instead of the new Moto (both G and X).
They are fine phones, but a Nexus 5 at $300 off-contract for the 32gb model (as Google did for the 4 last year) is just a game-changer... I just hope Google will do it again this time around...
They are fine phones, but a Nexus 5 at $300 off-contract for the 32gb model (as Google did for the 4 last year) is just a game-changer... I just hope Google will do it again this time around...
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Just a correction the photos and video can be changed to store future pictures and videos on the SD card (from the camera app). Downloads from like Chrome? I don't know but I think some could figure that out.
I would have liked to see the same screen size with LTE and the 410. I don't think you have to compete with 5inch+ phones at this price point IF you include a modern processor (eg. 410), RAM (2GB) and LTE in your 4.x inch models.
Moto might find this one sells a lot less. My guess is that they just wanted a cheap "5inch" phone to market. I loved the size of the old 2013 model. Battery life also is REALLY a factor for me. I ditched my "phablet" addiction so I could get better battery life. I don't regret it at all. Almost 2 days without charging when I had to charge my Note(s) about 3pm in the day. I use my phone a lot.
If Motorola keeps with the 5inch+ budget phone I will have to substitute someone else to fill my need as I want battery life as well. If I want 5inches I will pay for your MotoX.
I also touted my phablet as the best thing in the world (got a lot of people to switch). Now that I back at 4.5 inches I have to say...oh how wrong I was. My subconscious thanks me as well. I now don't have to take my phone out of my pants to jump in an SUV (so it won't dig into my hip).
I would have liked to see the same screen size with LTE and the 410. I don't think you have to compete with 5inch+ phones at this price point IF you include a modern processor (eg. 410), RAM (2GB) and LTE in your 4.x inch models.
Moto might find this one sells a lot less. My guess is that they just wanted a cheap "5inch" phone to market. I loved the size of the old 2013 model. Battery life also is REALLY a factor for me. I ditched my "phablet" addiction so I could get better battery life. I don't regret it at all. Almost 2 days without charging when I had to charge my Note(s) about 3pm in the day. I use my phone a lot.
If Motorola keeps with the 5inch+ budget phone I will have to substitute someone else to fill my need as I want battery life as well. If I want 5inches I will pay for your MotoX.
I also touted my phablet as the best thing in the world (got a lot of people to switch). Now that I back at 4.5 inches I have to say...oh how wrong I was. My subconscious thanks me as well. I now don't have to take my phone out of my pants to jump in an SUV (so it won't dig into my hip).
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540527#p27540527:1v3zb8pl said:
Right, yeah, it's done on an app-by-app basis, just not system-wide like Windows Phone can do it. I'm traveling out to CA for Apple's thing right now but I'll clarify when I can charge my computer.
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540367#p27540367:321vqcfh said:DrFaustPHd[/url]":321vqcfh]Great review! Thanks for sneaking in some Moto X benchmarks...
I eagerly await the review for that one
Should go up tomorrow!
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540293#p27540293:3mfolimx said:
I got him when the set he came in was new.
I always buy the MST sets right when they come out because back in the day some of them disappeared really quickly because the movie rights lapsed again. There was even one set where they just didn't have the rights to the movie they released (Godzilla I think), and it was only on sale for a few weeks. Not sure how that made it through legal...
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540445#p27540445:n77enb80 said:
I couldn't agree more. I mean I like the idea of the cloud for all my stuff, but with mobile data plans being what they are, I would rather just carry my music with me on a device I already own.
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As an owner of a Moto G, the original one, and a very happy owner at that, I would not update if my phone got stolen: I'd buy the old Moto G instead.
The new one is too big.
The new one is too big.
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The new Moto G and the Moto X look to be about the same size, even though the X has a slightly larger screen. Interesting.
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the G is still a good phone but I think it's pretty disappointing this version doesn't have LTE. if you don't need LTE then there are such great phones for so little money you can buy from China. US/european LTE is really the only thing I think keeping samsung, htc et al in business.
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540635#p27540635:nbeddt9n said:
It's possible that it's one of those cases where the cards that will actually work are bigger than the ones that are "officially" supported, but Motorola's documentation clearly says 32GB and that's the biggest microSD card I have around to test with at the moment.
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540727#p27540727:4rcbags8 said:
I'm betting the reason is because the SDXC spec (which covers any SD card larger than 32GB) specifically calls for the exFAT file system, which requires a license from Microsoft. Given that this is a budget phone, Motorola probably didn't want to pay for the license.
Assuming it's hardware-compatible with SDXC, it may be possible to work around this, either by reformatting the card with FAT32 or by loading a custom ROM.
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think Motorola's dropped the ball on this one. like most people I think the original Moto G was in a sweet spot with it's size and battery life, the new Moto G feels like a device from a different product line (maybe it should have been) rather than an upgrade of the Moto G. i think the device most people wanted to see is the original Moto G with a Snapdragon 410 (LTE, 64 bit architecture), more RAM (1.5 or 2 GB) and a better camera. i know that's what I was hoping for
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540909#p27540909:zsuoduan said:
you just described the ZTE Nubia 5s mini, though it's a bit pricier.
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I have the first gen and its one of the better smartphones i've had. For the price however it is a great phone.
Apart from the camera though there's no real benefit in getting the second generation G. I don't want a bigger scree, in fact that's a minus in my book, and I especially don't want a bigger screen at a cost of battery life.
I think it will do well and I would still recommend the G to other people but for myself I would not even think about upgrading to the new model.
Apart from the camera though there's no real benefit in getting the second generation G. I don't want a bigger scree, in fact that's a minus in my book, and I especially don't want a bigger screen at a cost of battery life.
I think it will do well and I would still recommend the G to other people but for myself I would not even think about upgrading to the new model.
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@Andrew In emerging markets like India, where the 1st Moto G was a runaway success, there is competition & it's not feeble.The Asus Zenfone 5 is a worthy contender at INR 9,999 for the 8GB version. The UI is refreshing & well thought out. Excellent Software for the camera too. Battery backup is a concern as no update to Kitkat yet. Must do a Comparative. Flipkart.com is the online retailer
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YetAnotherAnonymousAppellation
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I wouldn't rely on that. 64GB and up uses a different format (SDHX) from the existing cards (SD & SDHC). I don't know the details of the differences, but I wouldn't be surprised if the SD Association required a bigger royalty to include access to the new format.[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540727#p27540727:2wnxx4mw said:
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YetAnotherAnonymousAppellation
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The Canadian website for the G seems to imply that you don't get an SD slot unless you buy the LTE version:
"Moto G
8 GB or 16GB internal storage
Two years 50 GB storage free on Google Drive
Moto G with 4G LTE
8GB of internal storage
Supports removable micoSD cards up to 32GB"
Does anyone know if this is true?
"Moto G
8 GB or 16GB internal storage
Two years 50 GB storage free on Google Drive
Moto G with 4G LTE
8GB of internal storage
Supports removable micoSD cards up to 32GB"
Does anyone know if this is true?
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[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27541101#p27541101:3qm8matn said:
Those are the 2013 models.
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My gods, everything's bigger! EVERYTHING! I'm better off getting a dumbphone for texting while standing in my commuter train and using one hand to hold on for dear life. I just hate the entire industry right now.
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I love the confusion. You can look through most of the specs and not know which model they're referencing unless you see the 4.5"/5" screen size and 5MP/7MP camera differences. I guess there's the no-SD/no-LTE (2013), SD/LTE (2013), and SD/no-LTE (2014) differences also, but that just adds to the confusion.[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27541137#p27541137:3u2rtwj6 said:
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I think at this point the difference between the G and the X becomes moot (for those who don't need something fast to play games), which was probably a factor here.[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27540909#p27540909:1lg81v8x said:
I can appreciate the need to maintain product differentiation, but going backwards on battery life was a real disappointment. And the fact that this comes as a result of the larger size just makes it worse. If they'd just upgraded the camera and added the SD slot while leaving everything else alone it would have been perfect.
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well as someone who likes big phones, I'd never consider a phone below 5" in the first place- obviously enough people feel the same as me that the market has been pushed.[url=http://meincmagazine.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=27541301#p27541301:1f03sb3l said:
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really puzzling decision by motorola on this one. it's almost as if a marketing VP thought that filling every niche was more important than properly building on a solid hit. or that they fell into the mindset that the typical consumer thinks bigger means better.
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