Lenovo clearly believes the more G's there are, the better. Moto G's, that is. The company has released 3 variants of the popular Moto G handset -- Moto G (2016), Moto G Play and Moto G Plus. The G and G Plus are expected to arrive stateside this summer, but no other details on pricing or model availability have been provided.
Based on prices released for the UK, though, the new Moto G devices should range between $240 and $286 for the G and the G Plus. The Moto G line appears to offer plenty for the money, but given how many great cheap phones are available now, shoppers may find better deals elsewhere. Here's a look at how the new Moto G line stacks up to the competition.
| Specs/handset | Moto G (2016) | Moto G Plus | Moto G Play | Nexus 5X | Honor 5X | Alcatel Idol 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | TBA | TBA | TBA | $350 / $199* | $199 | $250 |
| Display | 5.5" 1080p | 5.5" 1080p | 5.0" 720p | 5.2" 1080p | 5.5" 1080p | 5.5" 1080p |
| Processor | octa-core Snapdragon 617 | octa-core Snapdragon 617 | quad-core Snapdragon 410 | hexa-core Snapdragon 808 | octa-core Snapdragon 616 | octa-core Snapdragon 615 |
| RAM/ROM | 2GB ; 16/32GB | 2/4GB; 16/32/64GB | 2GB; 16GB | 2GB; 16/32GB | 2GB; 16GB | 2GB; 16GB |
| Cameras | 13MP/5MP | 16MP/5MP | 8MP/5MP | 12.3MP/5MP | 13MP/5MP | 13MP/8MP |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh with TurboPower | 3,000 mAh with TurboPower | 2,800 mAh | 2,700 mAh with Fast Charging | 3,000 mAh | 2,910 mAh |
| Software/Skin | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop/EMUI 3.1 | Android 5.0 Lollipop |
| Size (inches) | 6.02 x 3.01 x 0.31-0.38 | 6.02 x 3.01 x 0.31-0.38 | 5.68 x 2.83 x 0.35-0.39 | 5.78 x 2.85 x 0.30 | 5.95 x 3.01 x 0.32 | 6.01 x 2.95 x 0.29 |
| Weight | 5.46 oz | 5.46 oz | 4.83 oz | 4.79 oz | 5.57 oz | 4.96 oz |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Water Resistant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | * - with a Project Fi service activation |
Moto G Line's Water Resistance Stands Out
Out of all the competing phones, the Moto G and G Plus stand out for their water-repellant nano coating, which no other phone in this price range offers. While the other phones in this comparison will not malfunction from being in light contact with water either, the Moto G and G Plus' water resistant coating lets you use your phone in the rain or near the sink without fear.
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The G and G Plus' 3,000-mAh batteries with TurboPower also beat most of the competition by sheer size. TurboPower will supposedly give you six hours of juice in just 15 minutes. The only other phone on the price range with such a large power pack is the Honor 5X, which doesn't support fast charging.
You can also use the cool Moto Maker customization tool to select patterns and colors for your phone's shells.
Otherwise, the Moto G and G Plus' offerings seem par for the course. A fingerprint reader in this price range may have been fancy last year, but rivals such as Huawei and Google have already put out similarly affordable phones with fingerprint sensors. To really stand out, the Moto G line has to blow us away with its performance and image quality.
Stay tuned for our full review to see how the phones fare.
