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  • Shadow7037932 - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Sooo, when can we expect a review?
  • Mondozai - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    Hopefully never. This phone is already outdated. You can get better phones for cheaper from Lenovo or Xiaomi. You can import from Aliexpress with guaranteed return policies. There's no excuse anymore for Motorola.

    In India, which bought up a lot of these phones in the previous generations, this phone is 12K INR. Lenovo's K3 Note is 10K. You can get a similarily specced phone from Xiaomi for almost half the price.

    Only uninformed Westerners will overpay for this phone. And its not like there are not better options in the West either(oops there are).
  • heffeque - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    Yeah... uninformed westerners that receive Android updates regurlarly "just like Lenovo or Xiaomi" (obvious sarcasm).
  • zodiacfml - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    At first I thought, this isn't the best effort from Motorola. Yet, as I can see from various news sites, they seem to have focused on other things such as the camera system, waterproofing, and better build. I have the first gen Moto G and it has Android 5.1 which is classy of Motorola.
  • jospoortvliet - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    Besides, when were launch prices realistic? Within a month, prices will be about USD 20 lower, making the phone a very nice deal. I do agree esp the SOC is a bit mediocre and 2GB ram should be minimum but besides that, it looks like a good phone.
  • tipoo - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    The Xiaomi Mi4 is a nice piece of hardware, I was looking into it...But it was still on Kitkat, which is kind of crazy. Word is they release a lot of updates to MiUI,but aren't nearly as fast on Android version upgrades, if they provide them at all.
  • hamoboy - Thursday, July 30, 2015 - link

    Did you ever consider that uninformed Westerners might be willing to pay a bit more for:

    1) Better support, quicker updates and fewer bugs. Motorola phones are well known these days for being supported for longer, and getting updates sooner than most value phone brands.
    2) A ROM that's very close to stock, with less crapware and customizations that aren't very well thought out (like that abomination that is ZenUI).
    3) Decently balanced hardware that gives good battery life. Once again, the Zenfones, which are amazing value for their specs, have crap battery life. I should know, I bought one.

    That's definitely worth at least $30 USD more to me, which is about the price difference you mention.
  • Shadowmaster625 - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    The screen is a smart choice. But there should only be one SKU for 2GB of RAM. 1GB is crippling nowadays. You can pretty much count on every single task swap to result in an annoying reload.
  • tipoo - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Yup. I have the first Moto G, can confirm that, 1GB is super annoying. The processor speed would be fine if it had more RAM.
  • Impulses - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    I'll believe it, going from an OG EVO to a dual core EVO 3D, I always thought the doubling of RAM made more of a difference... Way less app/page reloading as you switch from one thing to another.
  • toyotabedzrock - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    And 64bit binaries on Linux derived systems generally consume more memory, they should just offer 2gb for all models.
  • hans_ober - Saturday, August 1, 2015 - link

    The motog will still run 32bit software though, most probably..because of the 1gb ram model.
  • hans_ober - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Yeah, 1080p would have required a more powerful SoC + decreased battery life. 720p is fine.
    And yes, they should have had just one 2GB model.
  • Impulses - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Even for $220 that's a lot of phone... Bigger battery, weather sealing, better build quality and camera are all good differentiators that might even tempt some away from a flagship model.

    If only they made something between this and their $400+ flagship X, with some of the same features, and preferably at the same size as the G.
  • Impulses - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Heh, and right after that I read the specs of the Style/Pure, which does look like a lot of phone for $399 as well... 5.7" tho? Ugh.
  • WorldWithoutMadness - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    I was expecting better CPU like 610 for instance.
    Apart from that this is a good phone and another one is 1GB should be gone from these world already.
  • hans_ober - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Yeah, the S610 with it's added GPU perf would have been nice, even if they had to downclock the CPU to 1.4Ghz
  • tipoo - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    I'm on the first gen Moto G, and the number one need was definitely RAM. Heed my advice if you get one of these, get the 16GB model so it comes with 2GB RAM, that extra gig makes a world of difference on Android. Processor speed isn't a big issue if you have that RAM imo, the four A7s were ok already, now its four A53s which are a bit better. And since it has MicroSD I could have my giant music collection right on it and not rely on big data plans for streaming.

    Seems like a deal!
  • Mr Perfect - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Wait, this has MicroSD? I thought the previous Gs didn't? If it does, I'm interested.
  • Mr Perfect - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Okay, I don't know why I thought the old Gs had no MicroSD. I could have sworn I passed one over for the lack of that. Was there ever one without it?
  • tipoo - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    The first gen one did not have MicroSD, the 4G refresh and the second gen did.
  • GauravDas - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Yes, the first gen Moto G didn't have microSD. Second gen did.
  • nwarawa - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Do not want.

    None of the new Motorola stuff I want. I got the 2013 Moto X, and I love it. 4.7" IPS 720P screen that not once have I felt I missed out on higher resolution. It came with 11ac and 2GB of RAM. I have close to 100 chrome tabs open and it still runs fine. My 2 year term is up on boxing day, 2015, and I was hoping the specs would have trickled down to the Moto G after 2 years... nope. They already have a Moto E with 8GB/1GB spec... why even offer that on the Moto G in 2015, now their mid range phone? And only 2.4GHz N Wifi on a midrange phone in this day in age? Give me a break. The 4.7" size was perfect. 5" is still doable, so that is why I was considering the Moto G as the replacement... but obviously that's out the window. My sister in law got the 2014 5.2" Moto X. I played around with it... already found that too big. Now they're trying to push 5.7" on me? And dropping the OLED for IPS? What about the active display that I loved so much? Screw you, Motorola... I love the Active display, the twist-for-camera I depend on now day-to-day, the always on voice recognition... but I'm not going to walk around with this 5.7" freak-show of a device bulging out of my pocket.
  • utmode - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Display is still 5 inch mate :)
  • Impulses - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    He's talking about both the X and G, nothing in his post is inaccurate. Reading the comments it seems him and I and many others are on the same damn boat... Moto X (2013) and even N5 owners that don't want 5.5"+ flagships but can't find anything else worth upgrading to.

    The difference between a phone measuring 130-135mm x 65-70mm (as the original X and small bezel N5 did) and a 5.5" flagship measuring 150mm+ x 75mm+ is pretty substantial in the hand and operationally.

    I guess people with small hands might not care either way, and giants will obviously prefer larger. I'm 5'11" and I can just barely reach my notification shade with one hand without adjusting my grip, anything larger makes that impossible and begins to dig into my leg while in pocket when I sit, squat, etc (and no, I don't wear skinny jeans at all).
  • djvita - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    upgrade to a xperia z3 compact. it runs faster than a nexus 5, its smaller than my razr hd, the chipset is still good, the camera is better than any nexus or motorola (until this gen)

    battery life is stellar

    and its only $350 now!
  • Impulses - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Didn't realize it was down to $350, it's actually the only phone I've seriously considered getting over the last two years... Would have to change carriers for it tho. :/ That hassle (I'm generally satisfied with my carrier) plus lack of Qi stopped me. I really liked what I saw in it otherwise, it's basically the only mid size flagship in two years too.
  • BMNify - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Till the time you remain Telecom carrier slave, you will keep facing such problems, this is a unique USA problem as rest of the world buys any phone and uses it on any network.
  • Impulses - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Ehh, there's two sides to everything. My nexus 5 happens to work on three of the four major carriers, along with mostly every other GSM MVNO... So there's obviously ways to make phones that are more universal before the eventual LTE transition (which might or might not make things worse, in the US and abroad).

    I also pay like $60 a month for unlimited everything and I can travel from LA to NYC while using it, along with Hawaii and Puerto Rico (in the Caribbean, where I live). You might pay less, but how far can you go without roaming charges or switching numbers?
  • WorldWithoutMadness - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    Although that is correct but you have to pay full price of that phone and mostly are more expensive than the unlocked version in the US. Another downside is you have to wait at least months to get it as well.
  • nwarawa - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Seriously considering z3 compact myself. The new z4 compact coming out supposedly uses an 810... Not sure if I trust that SoC in a "compact" phone...
  • hans_ober - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    So true.
  • ummduh - Monday, August 3, 2015 - link

    Well, I'm 5' 5", generally have to special order size small gloves because nobody carries anything smaller than Large anymore, and I don't have any of those problems.
  • hans_ober - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Exactly!

    I love the look of the MotoX Play, but it's just too big!

    They should have kept it around the size of the 2013 X (perfect size), or just a small bit larger (but smaller than the Nexus 5).
    720p display (1080p battery hog), S618, current cameras, big battery, waterproof.

    'Play' would have made sense; something compact you can take with you anywhere!
  • WorldWithoutMadness - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    It is the Lenovo effect what you see over here.
    They become the follower, not the trend setter like what they used to be when they came up with Moto G.
  • Belard - Thursday, August 13, 2015 - link

    Yeah, I know what you mean! I'd really like to replace my X with a new Moto as the camera still sucks, but otherwise the phone works fine. I love the look and feature set of the new 2015 X and even the G. But the size of the X is bothering me. I'm a 6' male without giant hands, but still big. I like the phone to fit in my pocket and sit down with easily.

    So I'm debating the G as a replacement as it has a decent camera, but lacks many features I want. But I also like being able to buy a few different back covers. Stereo speakers were part of the 2014 G feature set, which is now gone. :( With the new G, I think its still thicker and slightly bulkier than the 2013 X...

    Should have kept the same specs as last year's X with a 5.2" screen and I'd feel better about that.
    Should have made:
    X 5.2" screen / same spec.
    XL 5.8" screen / same spec. $50 more in price.
    XS 4.7" screen / a few less features, $50 less. Like front flash and keep 1280x720.
    G as is, but with stereo speakers.
    E as is, but add a bloody flash.

    Not sure how I feel about the IPS, is the display quality better?
  • Taracta - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    The 2014 Moto G did not have LTE. This was the major problem with it, especially since the Moto E had LTE!
  • JoshHo - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Apologies, the issue has been resolved. I definitely made the change but for some reason or another it didn't take before publishing.
  • adityarjun - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    All of three of them seem to miss their marks by a bit. They forget that they are also competing with the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus, especially in Asian markets which is their focus.

    The moto g3 need the S615, all else is good enough. Maybe a more compact body too.

    The moto x play need the S618/S620 and maybe a 5.2in screen and 3 gb ram.

    And with a body as large as the moto x style they should have gone for a slight underclocked, 1.8GHz S810 v2.1 like OnePlus2 with 4gb ram.

    The moto x play will be directly competing with the higher variant of OnePlus2. The specs of the moto g 3 are already available in Xiaomi and Lenovo phones for a much lower price.

    To the author: Please do a moto g 3 review and include other phones in this price range like Xiaomi and Lenovo.

    Weirdly enough, believe it or not, i just ordered 2 of these phones for my mom and brother. Despite similar specs at a lower price point available in the form of Xiaomi and Lenovo phones, I can't seem to bring myself to even consider those phones. And to think that Lenovo actually owns Motorola.

    Maybe a review, or even a subjective comparison against those phones in the moto g 3 review might change my mind.
  • WorldWithoutMadness - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    If you like Google UI, this is the only phone to go with cheap price.
    I despise Xiaomi's UI with passion.

    I agree with you, they went wrong with Moto G, 2GB with SD61x is the only version to go.
    My MotoG (1st gen) is lagging because of RAM but 40-50% performance increase isn't really worth to spend the money.
  • tipoo - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    You can use the Google launcher on the Mi4, it doesn't lock you into MiUI.
  • quiksilvr - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    The 2nd Generation Moto G did NOT have LTE, at least not in the United States. The 1st Generation Moto G had an LTE edition later in its launch cycle but as far as I know, the Moto G 2nd Generation (2014) did not have it in the US.
  • quiksilvr - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Also something worth noting which is odd to say the least: The Moto G never had NFC? Why the hell not?
  • Azusis - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    I don't understand. Why would anyone want this over an ASUS ZenFone 2?

    For $199 ($20 cheaper than the best Moto G), you get:
    - Larger 5.5" screen
    - Higher resolution 1080p screen
    - Larger battery
    - More LTE bands / connectivity
  • hans_ober - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    Larger screen is not better.
    Better battery life on the moto G, the Zenfone 2 is very inconsistent.
    Pure Android
    Waterproof
  • Azusis - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    Great points. Going off of just the spec sheets the ZenFone 2 seems clearly better (for me), but after digging in a bit deeper to reviews / user reviews there seems to be a lot of QA/QC issues. Maybe some competition will help kick ASUS into gear.
  • tipoo - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link

    The larger battery doesn't mean more battery life, ATs own review showed it wasn't great there thanks to the inefficient panel, and maybe in some part the SoC. The camera was also a mixed bag, capable of great shots, but often didn't get them. Have yet to see what the third gen Gs camera will be like, but the battery life on my first gen one is almost amazing for a non-huge-battery phone.
  • varad - Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - link

    The Network column for the 2014 Moto G says LTE but i don't think it had LTE support [at least in the US]
  • archish - Thursday, July 30, 2015 - link

    Sad to see Motorola shipping 32 Android version on this phone even though hardware supports it!
  • hans_ober - Sunday, August 2, 2015 - link

    Is it true that the phone has no gyroscope? CPUZ output seems to show an Orientation sensor in addition to the accelerometers.

    Photospheres require gyroscopes!
  • ummduh - Monday, August 3, 2015 - link

    I ordered one a couple days after the reveal for my son. Should be here on/before the 7th.

    I'm considering turning in my Note 4 and switching to the X, but I'd like to see a review or two before I do that. The Note 4 really is too big as a cell phone, but it's perfect as a consumption device.. So I'm torn. I don't think I could go back to a smaller screen after the Note 4.
  • Belard - Saturday, August 15, 2015 - link

    I think I'll get the G rather than the new X... Its smaller. Maybe next year, Motorola will make a smaller X next year.

    Reasons I don't want a the 2015 X.
    - They don't have a 5" version.
    - There is no option to swap out the back, but its a bit nicer looking phone.
    - USB 2.0 OLD style USB port. I want the 3.0-Type C for my $400+ for a flag ship phone.

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