Motorola's new Moto G is for every budget

The Moto G is Motorola’s first UK smartphone since becoming a Google-owned company, and it is probably the best budget phone going.

Motorola set out to “disrupt” the smartphone market with the Moto G. It wanted to make a phone that was feature packed, behaved like a premium phone, but at a price point that was about one-third of most premium smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S.

Starting at just £135 SIM-free and without a mobile phone contract, the Moto G is certainly exceptional value for money.

The Moto G is very solidly built, which is a refreshing change from most budget smartphones – there is absolutely no flex in the body when trying to twist it between two hands, which bodes very well for durability.

That build quality does come at a bit of a cost regarding size and weight. The Moto G weighs 143g, which is 13g heavier than the larger Google Nexus 5 for instance, or 31g heavier than the smaller iPhone 5S. It is also heavier than its direct competitors, smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, which weighs just 107g.

At its thickest point, the curved back of the Moto G stretches to 11.6mm, which is also thicker than its competitor the Galaxy S4 Mini, which squeezes in at 8.94mm thick.

The curved back of the Moto G, however, is ergonomic and fits nicely within curvature of your hand, while the smooth plastic back provides enough friction to give you a reassuring grip on the phone.

The back of the phone is removable, and Motorola has produced the back shell in six bold alternative colours – white, blue, red, yellow, turquoise and purple – that can optionally be swapped for the default black.

The front of the device is dominated by a 4.5in high-definition screen, which at 1280 x 720 resolution is the “sharpest screen in its class” with a 329ppi screen density. For comparison, the iPhone 5S retina display has a screen density of 326ppi. It is also significantly bigger than the majority of the Moto G’s competition, which have screens around the 4in size.

The display is certainly crisp and clear, making text on websites and in emails easily legible, while photographs look detailed and sharp. The viewing angles are very good too, meaning sharing videos with others is easy.

Gorilla Glass also covers the screen, making it scratch resistant, while a nano waterproof coating on the inside and out of the Moto G makes it water repellant and splash proof.


/The Guardian/