back to article LG takes on Nokia X, Moto G: These are the cheapie 'droids you've been looking for

Nokia's X and Motorola's G now have two new rivals to compete for the reals, pesos and quetzals as LG targets emerging markets with landfill Androids. The New LG L Fino and L Bello, to be launched at IFA in Berlin, will go on sale in South America first but will also be launched in Europe, Asia, and CIS soon after. The budget …

  1. BillG
    IT Angle

    NFC

    It’s interesting to note that the new LG phones don’t have NFC

    Maybe low end phones tend to be used by less sophisticated users? And NFC is another tech support call to deal with.

    1. ID10T

      Re: NFC

      As much as I agree with NFC being complex and a possible support call request, NFC is starting to appear everywhere from Payments to Printing and everything in between. So would make sense to include it in all smartphones even if it rarely get used.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: NFC

        Why increase cost of all phones (and their after sales support) for something "even if it rarely gets used?"

        It isn't as though there aren't many alternative ways to use NFC, such as a card or a case for a non-NFC phone. Not to mention that it is probably pretty rare to see something which can only be paid for via NFC.

        I'm not sure where you live, but I see pretty much zero NFC around here (US college town with one of the most highly educated populations in the country, presumably the target market for such technology) If there is any, apparently it is well hidden or I don't know what to look for due to the fact I fail to see the point versus swiping a card.

    2. Jess

      Re: NFC

      I have an NFC blackberry and an NFC Bluetooth audio adapter. As yet I haven't bothered to try NFC to connect. I would have to switch on NFC, and physically go to the device, as opposed to simply connecting to it from the phone screen.

      I can see that a similar idea would be sensible for free wifi. They seem to want phones registered, presumably if something illegal happens they can tie the MAC to the SIM etc.

      But I have never seen it offered.

  2. Stuart 22

    Landfill!!! Fill my pants!!!

    Moto G is landfill product?

    Its the fanbois that splash out £500 on the latest gizmo and dump it after 18 months that treehuggers might worry about. I have a feeling longevity may be inversely related to price. I have too many friends with really retro budget Nokias.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Landfill!!! Fill my pants!!!

      Do you really think people throw their iPhone in the trash when they upgrade? I have an iPhone 5 that will be two years old in a month or two that I'm planning to upgrade. I can get over $200 for it from Amazon or other trade-in sites - if I wasn't planning on buying one outright and going with a MVNO that will save me money in the long run, that would pay for the up front (subsidized) cost of the 6! See how much you get for ANY two year old Android phone.

      Amazon, Gazelle, et al aren't throwing away perfectly good iPhones either, they're reselling them to people who want an iPhone, but don't want to pay for a new one. As they're supported by Apple with software/security updates for years after sale (the 3gs just got a security update a few months ago, despite being FIVE years old) they remain useful for a lot longer than the typical Android phone that is orphaned after one or two (if you're lucky) updates.

    2. Infernoz Bronze badge
      FAIL

      Re: Landfill!!! Fill my pants!!!

      Agreed, the Moto G is quality kit.

      I looked at all the other cheaper mobiles, and got an 16GB Moto G because it has a near 720p display (320dpi), excellent hardware, Android 4.4.2, a still portable size and excellent value at £130 (fully inc.) from Hong Kong.

      HTC so failed here; these are not just mobiles, they are very portable Android tablets, GPS and media devices, and 800x600 and 854x480 are pathetic screen dimensions and DPI.

      In my opinion, there is no excuse not to provide at least 300dpi on all new tablet devices, including /all/ GPS map computers.

      I'll just be using my Moto G for PAYG phone calls (I'm not a social insecurity zombie), local stored GPS maps, travel, minimal apps and media, so don't need more storage; I have proper 7" and 10.5" Android tablets for more demanding stuff, so I have no interest in pocket busting "fablets".

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