Motorola Moto G Review
by Brian Klug on December 18, 2013 2:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Motorola
- Mobile
- *VA
- Cortex A7
- snapdragon 400
- Moto G
Display on mobile devices is one area where we’ve seen considerable improvement. Pixel density has gone up, contrast ratios have improved, and the emphasis on low power in a platform gated by its battery size means there’s always innovation happening. In the case of the Moto G, what we’re after should really be a display that looks visually appealing without any of the egregious issues that plague most midrange devices – poor viewing angles, low resolution, low contrast, dim displays.
On paper, the Moto G has what would probably have been a flagship display for a mobile device a year or two ago, it’s a 4.5-inch LCD with 1280x720 resolution and 326 PPI pixel density. The comparison point is the Moto X with a 4.7 inch AMOLED panel of the same 720p resolution and 312 PPI pixel density.
I’m pretty impressed with how the Moto G’s display looks. Subjectively, viewing angles are good, there aren’t any of the issues I normally attribute to non-flagship devices either with low pixel density or contrast that fails to please. There’s no light leakage at all from any of the corners.
One unfortunate thing about the Moto G I was sampled however is the presence of two small bubbles in the cover glass. I initially thought these were dust, but inspection with a microscope reveals they are in fact inhomogeneities in the cover glass.
I’m not sure whether these kind of defects are within spec for the Moto G, but they’re distracting and visible on most solid colored UIs or views. I’ve never seen something like this on any handset I’ve reviewed to date.
The Moto G goes plenty bright, at just over 455 nits, and delivers contrast numbers that are pretty darn good for the price point at just shy of 1200. Normally black levels are out of control on the lower end devices, I’m not sure if the Moto G uses an IPS panel, but suspect it does.
Upon inspection I immediately noticed that the Moto G display was very, very blue. To measure color accuracy we turn to the same combination of measures that we have used for a while now.
My comparison points are unfortunately primarily high end devices, which makes the Moto G look comparatively poor. The Moto G display tuning is indeed very blue with a white point of nearly 9000K, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn this is a function of the backlight LEDs used or intrinsic properties of the panel.
Color calibration is something we’ve only just now started to see get taken seriously on the high end devices, if we can’t expect it to be a regular staple there, the midrange is obviously a lost cause. I wouldn’t fault the Moto G for not being very accurate, but it is something to be aware of as a sacrifice at this price point if you’re considering it over a high-end phone. On the flipside, the pixel density and contrast of the Moto G’s display seems excellent given the price, and I suspect the defects in my Moto G’s cover glass are specific to this unit.
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Taracta - Thursday, December 19, 2013 - link
"Moto G arrives without LTE and instead offers up to single carrier HSPA+ with 64QAM, for up to 21 Mbps on the downlink. Although MSM8x26 itself has a modem block capable of up to dual carrier HSPA+ and category 4 LTE, it seems as though Motorola went for single carrier HSPA+ in the Moto G for time to market reasons, with the LTE and dual-carrier HSPA+ enabled software tree likely slotting in a quarter later than the initial code drop with single carrier HSPA+."Does this means that the Moto G will have LTE in the near future? This would put my only major reservation about this phone to rest!
Mogster - Thursday, December 19, 2013 - link
I'm wondering that as well. Even if it's not officially supported, could the phone be hacked to use LTE or dual-carrier HSPA+? Guess I'll check XDA Developers, maybe they have some info on it.Also, any idea if the CPU can be overclocked?
orenc17 - Thursday, December 19, 2013 - link
now that the kitkat update began seeding will you update the reviewto see if kitkat actually improved anything?
smarty69 - Friday, December 20, 2013 - link
As I knew Tesco were cheaper than phones 4 U for the moto g phones 4 U were selling it 16GB for £149.99 + £10 top up any network (so they are unlocked!)& had them in stock :)
Phones 4 U will if you ask customer services nicely price match :-)
& if you've ordered online you have 7 days change of mind policy .....so I said I don't want to return it but Tesco is cheaper than you! so they refunded me back the difference! .... & their deal was an unlocked moto g with free white phone back case & a £10 top up & entry into their Christmas giveaway draw (I got a scratch card sent to me with a code entered it online ) & won 25% off all accessories!
I got these as well :0)
& only paid the same as Tesco £129!!!!!
Hope this helps grab a bargain....loving my Moto g ;0)
Excellent Battery life BTW & Go online & read a few Android tips.... eg use auto brightness & stop apps running in background
Use power saving etc etc I get 23 hours out of my phone with 8 hours of actual on screen time omg! :0) that's amazing.....
Merry Christmas ppls X
bhima - Friday, December 20, 2013 - link
Really great review Brian. This is probably the most accurate review of this device on the internet. So far I'm really enjoying my Moto G, especially the battery life compared to my old Galaxy S1.metayoshi - Friday, December 20, 2013 - link
I've been reading this review in installments and finally got to the battery life section... Wow, that's impressive. It has got to be the best battery life on any smartphone in this class. And it has Android 4.4.2 as of the writing of this comment? Way to go Motorola. They have really stepped up their game.unconnectme - Saturday, December 21, 2013 - link
Moto G is a game changer for the consumer. Moto G + service from 35orless. Savings versus 2 year agrement over $1,000will2 - Sunday, December 22, 2013 - link
@Brian. Very good detailed review of most of it, but no mention of any means of getting the screen mirrored to TV, and if it plays at least 720p films smoothly. I read elsewhere it doesnt have any wired TV-out, but are you able to check if it supports Miracast ? ... and if it plays films smoothly ?blzd - Monday, December 23, 2013 - link
First Nexus 5 now the Moto G. Google are on a roll here for those price:performance sweet spots.Also 4.4 Kit Kat supports screen mirroring natively.
truminspiron - Monday, December 23, 2013 - link
Oh so good for see but not good for buy...