Motorola Moto G (2nd Generation) Review

Last year Motorola released the Moto G with impressive specs at a very low price point and it was subsequently released in India as well. Moto G went on to become one of the best selling devices for the company. This month, Motorola announced the second generation Moto G or Moto G 2014 with few enhancements over the previous version and with a slightly lesser price.

The new Moto G comes with a 5inch HD display and is powered by Snapdragon 400 Quad Core Processor with 1GB RAM. Motorola has improved the camera on Moto G to 8MP from the 5MP on first generation. The new device also supports microSD card which was missing in the first generation. It also runs the latest version of Android 4.4.4 KitKat and is also slated to get the Android L update.

We take a detailed look into the new Moto G to see if it really worth the upgrade.

Related Reading: New Moto G [2nd Generation] Unboxing and First Impressions

Here is the video review of the device, for text version read on.

Design, Build and Display:

In the design aspect, Motorola has followed the same design of the first gen Moto G and also has the same quality and fit and finish. Similar to the original Moto G, the new model has a curved rear panel, so there’s no uniform depth to the device. It is available in white and black colors, but users can always buy additional colorful back covers to enhance the looks.

While the device keeps the same overall look as the first gen model, there are a few notable differences, the major change with respect to design is the dual speakers above and below that 720p HD display. The power and volume keys are on the right side and they have a chrome finish. The 3.5mm audio jack is at the top while the micro USB charging slot is at the bottom. On the rear panel, you have the 8MP camera unit along with flash and the Motorola logo.

The display size has been increased from 4.5 inch to 5 inch and has the same display which looks pretty good. This also means that there are fewer pixels-per-inch (PPI) than the predecessor but thankfully they’re not all pixelated and looks more or less like the original Moto G. The viewing angles are pretty decent and so is the sunlight readability. But all in all, the original Moto G has better display.

Software and Performance:

The Moto G 2014 runs the latest version of Android 4.4.4 KitKat and this time Motorola has shipped it with more or less like the stock Android. Performance has never been an issue on the first gen Moto G and the same goes with new Moto G. Motorola has added useful tools like Moto Migrate, Moto Assist and also Moto Alert. Motorola has also promised that this device will be getting the Android L update when it is released by Google.

Under the hood there is the 1.2Ghz Quad core Snapdragon 400 processor with 1GB of RAM which delivers great performance. There was no lag or issues and it did deliver snappy performance even when running high graphic rich games like Asphalt 8 Airborne. With 5 inch display, the device is pretty good of gaming as well although we would have ideally expected a full HD display.

Since the phone comes with dual SIM, there is dedicated options for managing the SIM cards. You can choose between the two cards and make them default for calls, 3G Data and also messaging. The call quality on the device was really good and we didn’t have any issues with reception either.

The phone comes with 16GB internal storage which is expandable to 32GB via microSD card. While you can move certain apps to SD card, it cannot be moved completely due to restriction from Android KitKat. The phone also has dual front facing speakers. Although the speakers have decent performance, there isn’t any major upgrade from original Moto G in terms of quality.

Camera:

The camera on the device is 8MP shooter with a LED flash which is a major upgrade from the 5MP shooter on the original Moto G. Camera is probably the best upgrade for this device and it performs really well. There is also a 2MP front camera for video calls and selfies. The interface of the camera has not changed and still sports the same basic features which is kind of disappointing as there is very little control on the camera settings.

But having said that the 8MP shooter is capable of great photos. It performs really well in bright light and with objects up close, which results in clearer and crisper images. The camera does produce great shots for a phone in this price point. There is a still an issue with focusing objects which is annoying at times.

The phone can record videos in 720P which is same as that of original Moto G. 1080P recording is missing probably to keep the costs low. The video quality is again pretty decent.

Here are some of the samples taken with the device.

Daylight captures:

Low light photos:

Overall, we were really impressed with the capabilities of the 8MP shooter.

Battery Life:

Moto G 2014 comes with the same 2050mAh battery found on the original Moto G. Battery life will definitely vary depending on your settings and also signal strength, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness etc. Moto G will get you through a day of normal usage with calls, a bit of gaming, videos and music and browsing. With bigger display and same capacity, the battery life is slightly on the lower side compared to original Moto G.

Motorola should have increased the battery capacity considering the bigger display which will consume more juice.

Verdict:

Priced at Rs 12999 for the 16GB variant, Motorola has reduced the pricing of the phone even with the upgrades to display, camera and also inclusion of microSD card slot. But having said that things have changed since the first generation Moto G was launched last year, now we have various devices in the same or lower price point offering better specs like the ones from Xiaomi and ASUS.

Moto G’s biggest strength is the ready availability which is missing for both ASUS and Xiaomi phones. Moto G still offers remarkable value for money if you’re looking for a solid mid-range Android handset with decent display, great camera and performance and it will also be getting latest Android updates.