back to article Best budget Android smartphone there is? Must be the Moto G

Regular readers of my phone reviews for El Reg will be well aware that I like cheap devices. On these very pages I have sung the praises of handsets such as Huawei’s Ascend G310 and ZTE’s Skate – aka the Orange Monte Carlo – after being impressed by the quality they offered for the money demanded. Motorola Moto G Moto G: …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.

Page:

      1. sam bo

        Re: Will no-one think of the children? It's the tip of the iceberg

        I wouldn't call an iPhone "budget", I think the children's jobs are safe for now.

    1. sam bo

      Re: It's the tip of the iceberg

      Slim margins on a S4, how do you explain their profits then ? Next thing you will tell me iPhone has slim margins, too.

  1. Duncan Macdonald

    THL W8S

    For £165 the THL W8S is far better value for money - 2GB RAM 32GB ROM, full HD 5" IPS screen, dual SIM, SD card slot, 13MP and 5MP cameras.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: THL W8S

      THL W8S? Took me a while to figure out this isn't a UK post code.

      Looks like a great offer overall, however the first review I've come across mentions that this one's lacking GPS which I'd find difficult to deal with.

      1. Beerdude26

        Re: THL W8S

        I've a ThL W7+ myself, which is currently about 130£. The GPS chipsets on the W7+ and W8S are the same, and it works like a charm for me. If you have a data connection, you automatically download some "Quick GPS Fix" data (it's an option in the GPS settings) that helps you get a fix in under a minute. For what it's worth, my Samsung Galaxy Ace had horrible GPS reception, as does my mum's S3. The reception on this phone is the best I've seen on an Android handset.

  2. All names Taken
    Paris Hilton

    Sell your shares in The Apple?

  3. windy_miller
    Paris Hilton

    No infra red port

    So what? What is this, 1998?!

    1. Paul Shirley

      Re: No infra red port

      Hey, if it's good enough for XBone it's mandatory for Android!

  4. PaulR79

    Fixed storage - my main issue

    I know there are plenty that want removable storage but I'm not one of them. I could probably live with 8GB if that was 8GB free and not 8GB total with about 5 - 5.5GB free. I'm sure it's easier and cheaper to just do 8, 16, 32GB runs but if you're going to be taking up 2GB+ for OS, apps and updates then you really need to start making it 16GB minimum if you can't have 8GB free any other way.

    I don't play a lot of games and I rarely listen to music but I've run into a lot of "insufficient space" messages on my 8GB Nexus 4. What uses all my space? For the most part it's apps, app data, some music (<1GB) and photos. It adds up fast and surprised me when I got those messages. The other surprise was that Google makes the phone reserve 500MB for cache purposes that you can't use which I suppose it smart but the phone still shows, for example, 574MB and you can't only use about 70MB of that.

    1. Lamont Cranston

      Re: Fixed storage - my main issue

      I'm wary, too. Got a Galaxy Ace for my Mum, and it was complaining about a lack of storage from the get-go. Killing off all the Samsung crud would probably leave her with a nice phone, but why should we be jumping through hoops?

      I like the look of this Moto, though - a practically naked Android should mean that 8GB will be enough for my nearest and dearest, so I know where I'll be pointing them when they want new handsets.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Does it have GPS?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      GPS & GLONASS

      http://www.motorola.co.uk/consumers/mobile-phones/moto-g-gb.html?gclid=CPuAqf_ck7sCFTDMtAodLEwASg

  6. Michael Jennings

    With respect to the Amazon price, it might have been that Amazon themselves were out of stock and you were therefore seeing the price from a third party seller who had it in stock. Amazon themselves now seem to have it back in stock and are offering it for £135 as promised.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mini or Micro SIM?

    Those Micro SIMs are a bit of a bugger, especially when travelling.

    BTW, you get one extra pixel for free: tesco.com says it has a "1281x720 HD display"

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Mini or Micro SIM?

      Wouldn't that be 720 extra pixels?

  8. TheMegabyte

    8GB is just fine

    Why critcicise an 8Gb option when their is a 16Gb if that is what you feel you need? Kinda like damning Rover for the Landrover being too spartan...when they have a RangeRover sitting alongide it. Buy their option that works for you - and not the one that does not.Simples.

    Truthfuly,the first smart phone I bought had 16gb and just filled up with a shed load of stuff I never used.

    First time I did an OS upgrade with compete reset...I intended reinstall a load of music, some video and the legion gimmicky apps I first thought so great (but never used). I never did and never missed them.

    A vast number of peope do not feel need to carry gigabytes of music on their smartphone. Importantly, Fewer still though claiming such a requirement actually possess anything like that many mp3s as legal purchases. If you love music think of the musicians - carry less - but paid for!

    Not everyone feels need to take a legion selfies and pictures with their freinds... not everyone gives a damn about posting every second of their lives on FB or G+! For more serious photography - many shun all phonecams for a decent proper camera.

    In short 8GB (5.something and actual) is plenty for me and I don't think I am that unusual as a smartphone user... over the age of 25 or so.

  9. Paul Hampson 1

    Micros SD is against google policy

    The reason the micro SD is not present has nothing to do with cost; the Nexus 5 doesn't have any either. It is google policy to get you using their cloud services and its ommission means that can sell cheaper and get money back from there

    1. PaulR79

      Re: Micros SD is against google policy

      Incorrect, at least officially. The reasoning given was manufacturers releasing great devices with limited space for apps and such. The biggest and most popular example I can think of here is the HTC Desire which lacked storage for apps and even updates. Having internal only means the phones has access to one pool of storage.

      The point this stops making sense is when you remember they have most input on Nexus devices whereas third party manufacturers have avoided the earlier mistakes largely. I still have suspicions that there is some licensing issue with MS and their various FAT crap.

      1. handle

        Re: Micros SD is against google policy

        And the "official" explanation is very unconvincing. I thought the same about FAT licensing, but if it doesn't support FAT it won't have to pay the fee.

  10. paul481

    Has it got USB TV-out, or at least Miracast ?

    @Alun You wrote: "I’ve spent the last week trying to find something that the Moto G can’t do as well as the Sony Xperia Z1 or LG G2 handsets that I also currently have on my desk.... But I’ve yet to find anything."

    Did you not think of TV-out ? I want a top-spec not overpriced phone small enough to easily fit in a pants pocket, between 4.3 and4.5" with THIN side-bezel (the N5 is too big for that), but when at my or another home, can easily connect to a big screen for watching films etc. Like microSD, wired TV-out has become a standard feature in most SMARTphones.

    Moto G spec and reviews, so far do not cover this. Did you try it ?

    Also, remembering its a phone, is the Ring and Speech volume upto the excellent Ring 78dB, Voice 71dB of the N4 ? (the N5 is 13dB down on the N4 so not a reliable alarm-clock)

    Everthing else, especially the FM Radio for information when there is no mobile signal, suits me well, which leads me to:

    Another aspect to reviews is Customer Support. I twice emailed Moto Customer Support to ask if it has USB TV-out or at least Miracast. The first time, the reply said will contact you when we have the answer, but a day later I got automated email saying as I have not got back to them, they have marked the issue solved ! I then replied to the previous reply pointing out there is a flaw in their customer support system in that unanswered customer questions not are automatically marked 'solved', so can they answer my pre-sale enquiry ? I then get a reply to that asking me to remind them of my question, despite my question being in the email Subject line ! I reply. That is followed by receipt of an apology email saying they will get back to me shortly, followed by another of the automated "as I have not got back to them, they have marked the issue as solved ! What a way to run a pre-sale enquiry service !

    1. Indolent Wretch

      Re: Has it got USB TV-out, or at least Miracast ?

      I've seen a side by side comparison with the Nexus 5 and the Moto-G doesn't support TV-Out. Nor Miracast, nor DLNA nor MHL over USB. I would be flabbergasted if it didn't support Chromecast but of course you'll need the dongle for that and support is app specific (I believe).

      1. paul481

        Re: Has it got USB TV-out, or at least Miracast ?

        Thanks for that info. I am curious as to why they left it out, as unlike mSD, mirroring to a big screen does not negate their advertising revenue, probably would increase it due to better UX. When I first read about Chromecast as a replacement for other TV-boxes for $35 I was very interested, but it doesnt have a separate Audio-out 3.5mm socket, which I would like to use at least at home so I could benefit from a separate H-Fi system that has analog ip only. Secondly, the initial reviews of Cromecast said the initial firmware was limited to streaming just TouTube & a couple of US commercial sites, but could be easily expanded to stream your own local offline media by installing 3rd party Apps, as indeed it shortly did; but within a week or so I read Google did a automatic OTA 'update' to kill off, what for I suspect for many, was the most useful functionality of all. After the uproar, I read Google 'may' allow 3rd party installs sometime in the future, but that is now over 2 months ago and Chromecast news seems to have since gone quiet.

    2. Al Taylor

      Re: Has it got USB TV-out, or at least Miracast ?

      In a word no, the microUSB port does not output AV. And yes, I should have mentioned that in my write up.

      The Skifta app should do the trick if you want to throw audio and video to a DLNA/UPnP network-attached stereo or telly.. And there is always Chromecast (when it gets an official UK release).

      As for ring and speech volume, they are no worse, or better, than any of the other handsets that have landed on my desk of late. Can't say that I recall the Nexus 4 being unusually loud..

    3. MacNews

      Re: Has it got USB TV-out, or at least Miracast ?

      Don't bother writing them by post, it will just get binned. As me how I know.

  11. TheMegabyte

    If 8GB is too little for you - get the 16GB. Where's the problem?

    A vast number of people feel no need to carry gigabytes of music on their smartphone. Fewer still possess anything like that ...legally. If you love music think of the musicians - carry less - but paid for!

    Why critcicise an 8Gb option? If you want more - buy the 16GB

    Kinda like damning Rover for the Landrover being too spartan...when they have a RangeRover sitting alongide it. Buy their option that works for you - and not the one that does not.

    The first smart phone I bought had 16gb and just filled up with a shed load of stuff I never used.

    First time I did an OS upgrade/reset...I intended reinstall a load of music, some video and the legion gimmicky apps I first thought so great (but never used). I never did and never missed them.

    Not everyone feels need to take a legion selfies and pictures with their freinds... not everyone gives a damn about posting every second of their lives on FB or G+! For more serious photography - many shun all phonecams for a decent proper camera.

    In short 8GB (5.something and actual) is plenty for me and I don't think I am that unusual as a smartphone user... over the age of 25 or so.

  12. Simon Booth

    A superb stocking filler

    OK - I got it to fill my own Xmas stocking and gave it myself before Christmas but for anyone wanting a Droid on a budget this can't be argued with

    Yes, there are limitations but they are easy to live with

    You can have a large game on it without issues - you just cant have lots of them at once. Performance is extremely good as is battery life.

    I got this to supplement my little pile of BlackBerry devices (which admittedly were zero cost) and the obligatory iOS stuff

    Extremely happy - zero complaints

  13. Craigness
    Boffin

    Volume button NOT in the right place!

    Earphones with asymmetric cables always have the cable coming down from the left side, so the natural pocket for a phone is the front left pocket. With the headphone socket at the top, and giving protection for the screen, the optimal position within the pocket is upright, with the screen facing inwards. This leaves Moto G's volume buttons on the crotch side of the device.

    My old phone had volume buttons on the left, so when I was walking and listening to music I could change the volume with a tap on the outside of my pocket. My current phone is a fragile affair which needs a case, so the volume buttons are less accessible and a shuffle inside the pocket is required. But at least I'm fiddling on the outside of my leg! With Moto G I'd be tapping or fiddling on the inside, which might be off-putting for any ladies in the vicinity. So volume buttons should always be on the left. This is particularly important in winter when a gent may have to lift up a heavy coat before accessing the pocket.

    Or can Sennheiser put a volume slider on their CX300IIs?

    1. Al Taylor

      Re: Volume button NOT in the right place!

      "This leaves Moto G's volume buttons on the crotch side of the device."

      That works for me.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Volume button NOT in the right place!

        Yes, great excuse for pocket billiards. " I was just adjusting the volume"

  14. E_Nigma

    Impressive

    This actually competes well with the no-name handsets. I should know, I got one, costing 105€, a couple of months ago. It compares well to the Moto G in most aspects except this particular MediaTek SoC has a shot GPS unit (which I thought was fixable at the time) and no GorillaGlass (but it's not too shabbily built either). The only thing that's missing on the Moto G is the storage expansion option (and being dual SIM, which my Chinese, naturally, is), which is such a simple thing that it really makes me think that it was deliberate. I'd still be pondering the 16GB version, though, for the build quality and not having to send it back to China if I needed it fixed under warranty.

  15. Tim Almond

    Anyone on 4G

    Is there really much benefit to it at the moment?

    The places it seems to be, like London or Reading, I can find pay a Starbucks, pay a quid for an espresso and use their wi-fi.

  16. dave 93

    I am tempted to make an iOS 6 to Android switch

    My iPhone 4 is still on iOS 6, and I have seen them struggling with iOS 7, and given that the new look and features would take some getting used to, I have held off updating because I know I will end up wanting a new iPhone - 500 quid.

    I am seriously considering the Moto G with its big screen and fast processor, and learning Android's way of doing things instead, because it will be interesting and offers a bit more freedom than iOS - 150 quid.

    I might just keep the iPhone 4 for another year or two, because it is still fine on iOS 6. - 0 quid

    Hmmm -not trolling, just sayin'

  17. Joe Gurman

    Enjoyed the review, BUT....

    .... no matter how much you want to trash Apple, the 5c is an LTE device. Don't know if that's not a selling point in the UK, but here in the States, you can't really sell much else and call it a "smartphone." All the carriers have or rent well built out 4G LTE networks now. Worth the difference in price? (Note that "no contract" is not that big a deal here.) No idea. The buyers will decide.

    Another thing I didn't see mentioned was the case material. Having two kids who've dropped and mangled their phones, I appreciate that the 5c case material (polycarbonate) is decidedly more durable than some plastics I've had the misfortune deal with after dropping older phones. I can't find anything online that says what the case and optional shells for the G are made of – can you?

    1. Craigness

      Re: Enjoyed the review, BUT....

      It's not aimed at everyone, it's primarily for less wealthy customers or those who don't require super-fast downloads over mobile carriers (I've only ever had 3G and it's not inconvenienced me at all). If you want LTE at an Iphone 5c price, get Moto X.

    2. Al Taylor

      Re: Enjoyed the review, BUT....

      Fair comment about LTE. Personally I fail to see the point of 4G at the moment, and if I did take the plunge I'd go for a 4G wireless router and a stand-alone. But each to his/her own. And again, something has to give to keep the price down. You just don't 100% of a £400 device for £135. As for build quality, the body of the G doesn't appear to be made out of anything fancy, but it feels every bit as robust and sturdy as the iPhone 5C I've got at the moment,

    3. Anomalous Cowturd
      Boffin

      @ Joe. It's Polycarbonate!

      Very flexible...

  18. Fink-Nottle

    I'm surprised ...

    nobody has commented on the lack of wireless charging.

    Personally, I find this feature so useful that I wouldn't consider a new phone without this capability.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm surprised ...

      Curiously, when I put the one I've just got from Tesco on top of my cheap Chinese QI charger, the little led does start flashing like it does with my 2013 Nexus 7. But the battery indicator doesn't say there's any charging going on. I assume the charger must just be detecting metal bits in the phone.

  19. HarryR

    woe is me

    Woe is me.

    Having broken 2 phones in 4 months and passed weeks without one I've just bought an HTC Desire C ( as presumed natural upgrade to my Wildfire S) on special offer of €90 as an interim and future backup phone hoping to afford a Nexus 5 or maybe 2nd hand Nexus 4 later.

    Now to read about this a week later is painful.

    It's got everything I need until 4G is commonplace, affordable and PAYG.

    It's even got an FM radio which the Nexuses don't have so is arguably better for me than either Nexus.

    Woe!

  20. Gene Cash Silver badge

    I bought one based on this review

    And I like it.

    It was cheap, available online unlocked, didn't come with a ton of extra shit, didn't have NFC or wireless charging, and El Reg had a positive review. I shattered my Nexus 4 because the damn glass back slid off a counter. It would've probably not been so bad had I not tried to catch it.

    The first positive is the power & volume controls are FAR FAR better. You don't hit the volume control every single damn time you pick it up like you do with the Nexus 4 (possibly because I'm a lefty?)

    I have not noticed a speed difference, but the camera sure is crap.

    And as a bonus, I'm "helping to undermine Android"

    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/12/13/does-googles-moto-g-undermine-android.aspx

Page:

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like