Motorola Moto G (2nd Generation) Review: Revolution of Affordable Moto

The original Moto G was the first mid-range smartphone to have affordable price tag. However, with just a year, everything has changed. The mid-range smartphones have even lower price and, the flagship smartphones, are just as affordable as those old mid-range smartphones back then. Can the Moto G (2nd Generation) able to catch the consumers eyes? We'll find out.

The Key Specifications...
- 5" HD (720 x 1,280) IPS display
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
- 1 GB RAM
- 8 GB internal storage
- Micro SD card slot
- 8 MP rear camera with 720p video recording
- 2 MP front camera
- 2,070 mAh battery
- Android 4.4 KitKat with Google Now Launcher (Upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop)

Familiar but Different Design

The Moto G (2nd Gen) looks same as its predecessor. The speaker at the back has been moved to the front, which means there are dual front-facing speakers.

 

This time, we got the full white version and just as usual the back cover is exchangeable with colors of Motorola Shell. The curved back brings ergonomic handling but then it's slippery.

Larger Display, Same Resolution

The display is now bigger at 5" but the resolution is still the same at 720p. The color temperature looks warm and taking a closer look at the screen, you can barely see the stripes of the pixels. Overall it is still acceptable as no one will look at the screen so close.

Same Processing Power

 

Under the hood is the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 1 GB of RAM. Not much problem on the hardware as playing games are smooth but there are some hiccups when the app or game requires a lot of memory. Playing games, listening musics or watching videos are more enjoyable thanks to the dual front-facing speakers. Both speakers are loud and clear, but don't expect that it can beat the HTC One (M8).

  

Quadrant Standard - 8,900
AnTuTu Benchmark - 18,290

Pure Google Experience

Software wise is more of the same as stock Android experience. It is running on Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Google Now Launcher out of the box.

We have updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop during our review period and the smoothness has improved. There are a few Motorola apps but all are same as its predecessor.

Higher Resolution Camera, No Big Improvement At All

The camera has upgraded to 8 MP resolution but the video recording is still 720p resolution. The stock camera app fails to impress us because its shutter speed is slow and focusing an object requires you to drag the focus bracket instead of touch focus. Thankfully, you can always download third party camera app like Google camera.

        

Image quality is better thanks to the higher resolution camera. You get to shoot some nice photos with low noise. However the video quality seems no improvement at all.

Same Battery Unit

The battery is still a 2,070 mAh unit. Battery life is average with up to 5.5 hours heavy usage and 21 hours moderate usage. Somehow it actually disappoints us.

     

Final Words

For this time, the 2nd generation Moto G only comes with 8 GB version for RM 688. This is because it features Micro SD card slot. Well, the Moto G (2nd Gen) is now bigger and better. It is a phone for those who don't expect much but just everything is working. Not to forget that the Moto G (2nd Gen) actually got the same treatment as the Nexus devices. So, should you buy it? It's all up to you.

Pros
- Upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Comes with Micro SD card slot
- Clean user interface

Cons
- Not a big upgrade from its predecessor
- Unimpressive camera interface

Written by: Charles