Currently, Motorola seems to be the king of budget smartphones. With the launch of the Moto G ($179.99) and more recently the Moto E ($129.99), it seems like Motorola has a smartphone tier for just about anyone. Motorola’s Moto X has also dropped in price to $349.99 off contract and just barely graces the budget phone border.
The good news is, there are plenty of budget Motorola devices to choose from, but now you’ll have to make a decision. Which one is the best for you? Let’s find out in our Moto showdown.
There are clear advantages to each of Motorola’s Moto options. The Moto E only requires a small investment, but lacks serious specifications. The Moto G is the “happy medium,” bringing decent performance, but at half the price of the Moto X which is the best Moto you can buy at the moment. Starting off at the top of the food chain, the Moto X is a flagship device that flirts with high-end specs, but how much better can it be over its budget competition?
Check out our comparison video below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fayqFsU6Lao]
Moto X specs:
- 4.7-inch AMOLED display 720 x 1280 (316 PPI)
- Motorola X8 dual-core 1.7GHz (Snapdragon S4 Pro) processor
- Adreno 320 GPU
- 2GB of RAM
- 16/32GB of storage (depending on model)
- 2,200mAh battery
On the backside you’ll find a 10-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video along with an LED flash and speaker. The front is home to a 2-megapixel camera, earpiece, and the appropriate sensors. One thing that I can attest to is the amazing battery life the Moto X offers. It was one of the strong points in my use and along with that, you can customize your Moto X using Moto Maker. The downside is, you’ll be stuck with the storage variation that you choose as the Moto X doesn’t offer expandable storage.
Moto G specs:
- 4.5-inch IPS display 720 x 1280 (329 PPI)
- Qual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 400 processor
- Adreno 305 GPU
- 1GB of RAM
- 8/16GB of storage (depending on model)
- 2,070mAh battery
With the Moto G you’re getting a decent device on a budget. Starting at just $179, the Moto G offers customization via removable backplates, a 5-megapixel camera rear camera (720p video), LED flash, a small speaker, and a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. This device isn’t going to outperform the Moto X, but it’s a strong contender. Motorola also launched an LTE version that includes a Micro SD card slot for storage expansion.
Moto E specs:
- 4.3-inch display 540 x 960 (256 PPI)
- Dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 processor
- Adreno 302 GPU
- 1GB of RAM
- 4GB of storage (Expandable via SD card slot)
- 1,980mAh battery
Obviously, the Moto E takes the cake for cheapest smartphone. Don’t worry though, just because it’s inexpensive, doesn’t mean it’s bad. The Moto E has a 5-megapixel rear camera, but unfortunately, it lacks auto-focus capabilities. That’s right, no auto-focus or even an LED flash. Also, the Moto E only has 4GB of internal storage, but luckily you can add an additional 32GB via the Micro SD card slot. Surprisingly, the front-facing speaker on the Moto E is decent. It’s nothing in comparison to the HTC One M8, but I found it to be more than acceptable for consuming media.
Sure, you’re probably better off spending an additional $50 for the Moto G, but for light users, the Moto E will get the job done. I did notice several stutters while using the Moto E, but for the price it’s hard to complain.
Out of these three phones, there’s definitely a winner, but it also depends on how much you’re willing to spend. The Moto X is packed with tons of features that we didn’t get a chance to cover in this showdown, but without a doubt it’s the top-tier Moto smartphone. If you’re looking for the best budget Motorola option, you’ll probably be happy with the Moto G over the Moto E. Unless you’re a very light smartphone user, the Moto E is going to be a tough phone to deal with long-term, but then again, it’s only $129.99. Which Moto smartphone do you prefer?
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