You're
not getting the best or the latest technology with Motorola's $179 Moto
Gsmartphone. What you do get is a great price for something close.
Motorola bills
the Moto G as the phone for the rest of us -- the ones who can't afford
$500-700 for a high-end smartphone. That's a big deal overseas, where
carriers don't subsidize phones with two-year service contracts the way
they do in the United States. But even in the US, more people are moving
to contract-free plans and ones that offer frequent upgrades, meaning
the full retail price is what's going to matter.
The Moto G
started shipping in the US this week, initially for the GSM networks
used by AT&T and T-Mobile. I spent the past week testing the Moto G,
comparing the phone primarily with its more expensive cousin,
Motorola's $500 Moto X. I also put it up against another lower-cost
phone, Google's $349 Nexus 5, as well as the premium, $649 iPhone 5S
from Apple.
Where the Moto G fell short was in its camera,
battery life and inability to access faster, 4G LTE cellular networks.
For everything else I tested, the Moto G stood up well.
Motorola,
which is owned by Google, doesn't skimp in equipping the Moto G with a
speedy processor. Apps launch almost as quickly as they do on the
phone's pricier rivals. The Moto G runs a fairly recent version of
Google's Android system, with a promised upgrade to the latest, KitKat,
early next year.
The Moto G also has a decent screen. It's about
as sharp as the Moto X's and the iPhone's, enough for 720p video,
though the Nexus and various Samsung phones do better by offering full,
1080p high definition. The Moto G's screen measures 4.5-inch diagonally,
which is larger than the iPhone's but small for Android. Colours aren't
as rich as on the Moto X's display, but if I want a superb visual
experience, I'd turn to a tablet, a TV or even a movie theater. For a
phone, the Moto G's screen delivers video quite well.
The Moto G
doesn't win points on size and weight. Although the screen is smaller
than the Moto X's 4.7-inch display, the phone overall is a tad bulkier
and 10% heavier. The Moto G has a larger frame surrounding the screen --
something phone makers have been trying to shrink.
As for the other shortcomings:
*
Cellular access: The Moto G delivers 3G performance at best. Many parts
of the world are moving to 4G, but Motorola points out that many of its
target markets are still upgrading to 3G. Even in the US, many regions
lack 4G. If I'm doing a lot of things requiring top-notch speeds, I'm
better off finding a Wi-Fi network anyway.
* Battery life: The
Moto G has 6% less battery capacity than the Moto X. I got about up to
eight hours of streaming video on Hulu with the Moto G, compared with
9-10 hours on the Moto X. Although the Moto G has a removable plastic
back, the battery can't be exchanged with a spare. That said, eight
hours for streaming video is a lot, and you can stretch it to a full day
with more moderate use.
* Camera: The main camera has a
resolution of 5MP, less than the 8MP on the iPhone and the Nexus and the
10MP on the Moto X. There's more to a good camera than the pixel count,
but the pictures I took with the Moto G weren't particularly good,
especially in low light. They are passable for selfies and Facebook
posts, but you'll want a better camera for keepsakes. Perhaps the money
you save on the phone can go to a point-and-shoot camera that takes
better pictures.
The Moto G is also short on frills. Part of
that stems from Motorola's philosophy not to tinker with the Android
operating system too much. Many rival phone makers do just that and wind
up creating more chaos and confusion.
Instead, Motorola tries
to limit what it adds. In the case of the Moto X, you can twist the
phone to automatically launch the camera. You can initiate voice
commands by saying, "OK, Google Now." The Moto X also offers
unprecedented customization when you order; you can choose everything
from the colour of the power button to a personalized message on the
back cover.
The Moto G has none of that. The frills are limited
to an FM radio tuner, something rare in smartphones. Just plug in a pair
of headphones, which serves as the antenna. You can swap the back with a
new plastic cover, but the phone isn't assembled at the factory to your
specifications.
Be aware that the $179 price gets you 8GB of
storage, half of what most phones offer. Given all the room your photos
and video will need, pay the extra $20 for a 16GB model. Unfortunately,
there's no slot for memory cards, as some Android phones offer.
Motorola sells the phone unlocked, meaning you can switch carriers as long as they use GSM.
Phone
makers have been trying to set themselves apart by loading phones with
more and more features, only some of which are useful. Motorola doesn't
try to do that with the Moto G, apart from including an FM tuner.
Instead, it's distinguishing itself through price. No one can question
whether that's useful.
Flatpebble,
a Hyderabad based photography crowdsourcing website, has announced
raising an initial round of funding of around Rs 1 crore from a group
of angel investors including Raghu Bathina, Lax Gopisetty, Ram Jayam and
Sitaram Banda.