MOTOROLA MOTO G REVIEW

The Motorola Moto G has been around for a
few months now so here's our updated and in-
depth review of the best budget smartphone
on the market. Head to page two for our
original review. See also: 21 best
smartphones: The best phone you can buy
in 2014 .
Moto G review: What's changed after a
few months?
We've been using the Moto G since launch
and we still really love this phone. It's cheap,
cheerful and reliable. Every time we pick it up
we're blown away by the stunning screen
which you just don't get on a gadgets this
cheap. Performance remains excellent too,
partly thanks to software updates, including
Android 4.4 KitKat, which have arrived
promptly when promised - a rarity in itself.
Nevertheless, the Moto G isn't flawless. The
camera is still just ok and that means we're
less likely to get snapping. Our main problem
remains in the storage area. With no microSD
card slot for adding more storage, our 8GB
model is seriously lacking in space for the
apps we want to download and use. So anyone
looking at getting the Moto G will be better
off investing in the larger 16GB version.
If we were going to picky, then a lack of 4G
support is a downside. Faster 4G networks are
now widely available and 4G tariffs are
quickly becoming the norm. However, 4G LTE
goes hand in hand with high-end phones so
consumers buying a budget device but still
wanting 4G are still in a niche category.
Motorola Moto G review: The budget
smartphone market and alternatives
For a smartphone, the Moto G is getting a
little old - it happens very quickly in the
mobile market. However, we've still not seen
a worthy rival for its best budget smartphone
crown. It still tops our best budget
smartphones comfortably. Check it out: The
6 best budget smartphones: what's the best
budget smartphone?
Sony launched the Xperia Z1 Compact
following the trend of mini versions of
flagships and has done a great job. The device
has the same premium feel, in a smaller size,
but without the massive downgrade in
specification. Alas, this is no budget
smartphone though and costs a few times
more than the Moto G.
The new Nokia X is much more of a rival since
it will launch for under £100, but this device
runs a strange cross between Android and
Windows Phone which we don't recommend.
See also : Why I won't buy a Nokia X Android
phone: and nor should you.
Upcoming is HTC's Desire 310 which we
haven't seen in the flesh yet. It, like the Moto
G, has a quad-core processor, a 5Mp rear
camera and a 4.5in screen but it importantly
has a lower resolution and only runs on
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
For a long time the phrase 'budget Android
phone' meant 'poor-quality handset'. For less
than £200 you were looking at a connected
device with laggy performance and - most of
all - an ugly display with a poor resolution.
You probably won't have heard of many of the
manufactures so it can be difficult making the
right choice on a handset.
But the bottom of the market is where the
new customers can be found, and we've
started seeing some excellent devices at
cheaper prices. Walk into your high-street
store and you'll see the Nokia Lumia 520
offering a decent cheap deal on the Windows
Phone platform.
Meanwhile the likes of the Nexus 5 and 2012
flagships such as the Galaxy S3 offer
something for everyone in the mid-price
range. But the Moto G is the first genuinely
cheap Android phone that is genuinely good.
For a few quid over the £100 mark you can
have high-end performance, features and
build - with almost no compromise.
This kind of value for money is unheard of at
the budget end of the smartphone market.
The Moto G barely has a single rival. Only
really the Lumia 520 but we're still at the
stage where we recommend Android over
Windows Phone, especially for users buying
their first smartphone.
Motorola Moto G review: What you get
For your ton, you'll get a nice albeit fairly
basic looking handset. There's nothing
interesting going on here, with just the
essential buttons, ports and a classic
smartphone shape. It does have some style
though; interchangeable covers which are
relatively cheap provide easy access to
customisation. We're quite fond of our aptly
red rear cover. The flip case even has a
magnet built-in so it sticks to the screen and
the Moto G comes to life as soon as you open
it up.
Going back to the price again, it's astonishing
that the Moto G has an HD screen. That's
720p and with a 4.5in screen, the result is
the same amount of pixels per inch as the
iPhone 5s, a device which costs five times
that of the humble Moto G.
That's not all you're getting either. The Moto
G has a quad-core processor, 8- or 16 GB of
internal storage a 5Mp camera and the latest
version of Android, 4.4 KitKat. It's not too
surprising that there's no NFC or features
such as infrared or wireless charging. The
only really downside of the device is a lack of
expandable storage; there's no microSD card
slot here.
We've examined why the Moto G is so cheap
in this blog - how Motorola made the Moto G
so cheap . Here we focus on the Moto G's
features, design and build, and performance.
If you are new to the smartphone game, or
just looking for a bargain, you've found it.
Read on to find out why.