Moto G when it was initially launched in 2013 redefined value for money smartphones by combining good hardware and software proving that a under 200 USD can provide a excellent smartphone experience. And I’ve reviewed the Moto G 1st Gen 4G version a while back which backed up my initial thoughts . But as always in this ever evolving mobile technology arena manufacturers have tried to do each other in this category with the likes of Xiaomi Redmi 1S / 2S, Note, Lenovo A6000 / A7000 to name a few which have taken the value for money (VFM) smartphones to the next stage. So when the 2nd Gen Moto G (2014) was launched I hoped Motorola would continue the trend of giving excellent hardware / software combo for a great price. So when the Moto G (2014) was launched with almost the same hardware like Snapdragon 400 processor with 1 GB RAM and same screen resolution of 1280 x 720 I was pretty disappointed. 8 Megapixel primary camera and 5 inch screen were the main upgrades for the 2014 version …
So when I got the chance to play with the Moto G (2014) edition I wanted to see whether it still gave a VFM smartphone experience. The phone I tried was a white color one and with dimensions of 141.5 x 70.7 x 11 mm it was pretty solid and right enough for single handed use. The 5″ screen with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution (294 ppi) with Android 5.0 lollipop was great to look at and I was impressed by the almost pure android experience. The quadcore processor with 1 GB RAM was pretty smooth for daily mundane activities like calling. messaging , photos , videos, music etc… But when multiple apps were opened the phone sometimes took a second or two to catch up.
The 8 megapixel camera was pretty good for well lit conditions and the 2MP front camera might not be up for selfie afficianados. The front firing speakers produced good enough sounds and coupled with internal 16 GB memory and a micro SD card slot it should be good enough for multimedia needs on the go. The 2070 mAh battery will be good enough for a day for moderate use. Connectivity wise 3G, Bluetooth, USB, Wi-fi covers your needs for internet and local connectivity.
At 12,999 INR ( 210 USD) for the 16 GB 3G variant with Dual sim it still provides a great smartphone experience but with competition from Xiaomi’s, Lenovo’s, Huawei’s it has got lots of competitors to put up against. For people who prefer a vanll