The Moto G (2015) Review
by Brandon Chester on August 19, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
Final Words
When Motorola launched the 2014 Moto G I felt that it was something of a sidegrade rather than a straight upgrade. The larger display size wasn't accompanied by an increase in resolution, but it did come with improvements to color accuracy. The cameras also received an upgrade, and you got a microSD slot, but every other aspect of the device was unchanged. The 2015 Moto G really feels like the first major upgrade to the phone since the original version launched in 2013.
As far as design and build quality goes, if you're a fan of Motorola's industrial design you'll like the 2015 Moto G, and if you don't like it your mind isn't likely to be changed by it. I think the Moto G has a good feel in the hand and it's not as slippery as the Moto E because of the textured back. The flex around the edges is difficult for me to ignore though, especially when the less expensive Moto E with its non removable back feels much more solid as a result. The waterproofing is definitely a neat addition, but I think in most cases it's just a nice thing to have rather than a selling point. Once waterproofing is accompanied by the ability to use the display when it's really wet I'll be a lot more interested in it.
Speaking of the display, that's one of the areas of the Moto G that disappointed me. The improvement to brightness over the 2014 model is greatly appreciated, but it's still quite reflective and the capacitive touch sensors show up very easily in light which makes it difficult to use outdoors. The calibration also takes a hit in every respect, and unfortunately I would have to describe the 2015 Moto G's display as an overall downgrade from the 2014 model.
When it comes to performance, the 1.4GHz Snapdragon 410 paired with 2GB of RAM is a definite improvement over the 1.2GHz implementation with 1GB of RAM in the Moto E. In fact, CPU performance is almost as fast as devices that use the 1.5GHz version of Snapdragon 615 such as the Huawei P8 Lite. Unfortunately, the Adreno 306 GPU is not very fast to say the least, and that leaves a graphics performance gap between the Moto G and Snapdragon 615 devices. The Zenfone 2 is also a device to consider, with approximately the same price as the 16GB/2GB model of the Moto G, a better display, and significantly higher performance.
While the Zenfone 2 is definitely a faster device than the Moto G, it falls short when it comes to the quality of photos and videos. In fact, I think that the new rear camera in the Moto G is one of its most substantial improvements. IMX214 was a good camera sensor in the Nexus 6, and it's even more impressive to see in a device that starts at $179. Comparisons between the two devices definitely highlights a gap in ISP performance, particularly when examining video quality, but I think the Moto G has the best camera when compared to other mid range devices that I've used.
The last important aspect of the new Moto G to consider is its battery life. While it's certainly not as fast as a device like the Zenfone 2, it has outstanding battery life in a variety of scenarios. It's unfortunate that battery life in heavy CPU workloads is hampered by the high leakage of the 28nm LP process, but in the sort of tasks Moto G users will be performing the battery life is longer than any other mid range phone, and is often twice as long as the Zenfone 2.
This ends up presenting buyers with a choice. One can opt for the larger, faster Zenfone 2 with its better display, but they lose out on camera quality and battery life. If one chooses the Moto G, they sacrifice performance and display resolution for a smaller device with much longer battery life and a camera that is on a completely different level. While users all have different preferences for the features that are important to them, I think whether they choose the Moto G or a device like the Zenfone 2 depends on how much battery life they need.
In the end, I think as far as conventional mid range devices goes there's no competition for the Moto G. The construction and the camera are good, the performance is the best of an ARM device at this price point, and the battery life is amazing. If you feel that the Moto G's performance isn't fast enough for you then the Zenfone 2 is definitely a device to consider, but I think the Moto G strikes a good balance of performance, features, and battery life, and ends up being the best choice for the average buyer looking to buy a mid range smartphone.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
90 Comments
View All Comments
Cod3rror - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - link
I wish Motorola hadn't released two different versions (1GB / 2GB). I knew what would happen and what I expected is exactly what happened... almost all retailers and carriers in Europe/UK are stocking only the 1GB version and 2GB is nowhere to be found. Plus, because of the weak Euro, the 2GB version, if ordered from Motorola UK, comes out at 300 euro, which is very expensive. But don't get me wrong, even if it cost almost the same, the retailers and carriers would still stock the cheaper version.dan.swain - Saturday, September 12, 2015 - link
I agree with you, My wife has the Moto G 2015 16GB. Got it from Moto website the sales experience was terrible but I couldn't just buy the 16Gb in a shop so frustration ensued. The phone itself is great though, my wife can get multiple days out if it. At just over £200 it seemed a better deal than £200 Apple wanted for a refurbished IPhone 5c.wurizen - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - link
It seems like this review confirms my suspicion of the new Moto G 2015 regarding the back cover flush gate. Feeling the back cover of a phone inch forward or push inwards when gripping it is a sign of a cheap phone to me. And we know that this is a cheap, budget phone, but, the Moto G 2014 doesn't have this issue. I am also looking at the profile picture of the Moto G 2015 and it looks bulkier than the Moto G 2014. Or it seems bulkier because the removable back cover of the 2015 is not halfway but below the Power and Volume buttons. Whereas, the Moto G 2014's back cover is exactly halfway from front to back, so it goes halfway up from the Power and Volume buttons making the phone--on a design perspective--look and feel balanced!What makes me sad is that I don't think Motorola had to sacrifice this decrease in "Phone Feel" and "Phone Ergonomics" or "Phone Design." Whatever you wanna call it.
I mean, did the design of the Moto G 2015 change because Motorola wanted it to be waterproof? Or, did Motorola purposely make a fatter Moto G 2015 so people will buy their other more expensive phones? Let the conspiracy theories begin!
My other gripe is that Best Buy, which is the only store I know in the U.S. that carries the Moto G unlocked version doesn't even have the new Moto G 2015 on display so customers can feel and hold it in their hands. I mean, imagine Samsung or Apple doing this? It would never happen. Yet, Motorola is letting Best Buy not have a display version. I also asked if they had the phone on sale and if they could open a box and let me hold one. But, they said that they didn't have any available. I then asked if they had sold out and they said, yes.
Also, there is no white version available at Best Buy and no 2 GB/16 GB variant available. Just the 1GB RAM and black one.
Can someone tell me why this is? What kind of marketing scheme is at work here?
Demon-Xanth - Thursday, August 20, 2015 - link
The reason why no 2/16 variant is that they are basically sold out everywhere. I'm guessing production focused on the black 1/8 due to anticipated demand. They aren't mythical devices. Just selling like cold beer at a county fair. Yes, I will be replacing my ATT XT1045 with a retail 2/16 when I can. The only problems I've had have been I'd like more RAM, a better camera, less "extra apps", and updates that aren't delayed until the second coming of christ. This covers all of them.stlc8tr - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - link
"I don't think anyone buying a device like the Moto G will have adopted an 802.11ac router at this point anyway due to cost reasons."An AC router is roughly $75 on Amazon. It's not exactly a huge outlay so I think more points should be deducted for the lack of 5Ghz support. The 2.4Ghz band can be very crowded so being limited to only 2.4Ghz is a serious flaw, IMO.
Moto1 - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - link
Dude, its 179$. Seriously?stlc8tr - Thursday, August 20, 2015 - link
Yes, I'm serious. In my neighborhood, there are so many 2.4Ghz WiFi networks that using my 2.4Ghz WiFi is hit or miss. I can't even use a Chromecast as the streaming times out half the time.So I avoid any devices that are 2.4Ghz only.
neogodless - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - link
As this is a phone, could you comment on the speaker quality at all? It sounds like it still has stereo speakers like the 2014 model. Are they the exact same?hans_ober - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - link
They're not stereo, bottom is a loudspeaker.neogodless - Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - link
That's too bad! The 2014 had stereo. In the search for "no compromises" including stereo speakers, I ended up with a Nexus 6.