Motorola

1,016 'Motorola' stories May 2011 - December 2013

Review: Moto G – The Google Global Game Changer

Seth Weintraub Dec 13 2013 - 12:21 pm PT

When I wrote for Fortune in 2010 that inexpensive hardware would allow Android to ‘take over the world’, the concept of smartphones that were priced only slightly above feature phones was just starting to take hold. Fast forward three years and Android has by some accounts cleared 80% of the world smartphone market. The low end of that Android spectrum, with the exception of a few mediocre handsets (LG’s Optimus line comes to mind), has been, frankly, a mess.

Today there is a truly great, inexpensive Android phone that costs less than $200 unsubsidized, and it is made by Google’s Motorola division. I’ve tested the Moto G for the past week and a half and I love it. It could easily replace any high end handset on a day to day basis in terms of speed and functionality. The one caveat being the camera is mediocre, but still functional.

I’ll rundown the specs, but the important thing to consider is the price and positioning of Google (and believe me, this is a Google phone, not an old Motorola one).

The $179/$199 8GB/16GB Motorola G comes with a 4.5-inch 720P display, which isn’t the best by any means, but it also isn’t far from the best out there. I’ve argued for awhile that you can’t hardly make out the difference between 720P and 1080P on a display without some very close inspection. Even those with sub 20/20 vision don’t notice much day to day.

The G has a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor which falls along the same lines: Not the best, but not far from it. It is a little heavier than what I’d now expect from a 4.5-inch display phone, but that heft is largely because of the all day 2,070 mAh battery.

This thing looks and behaves like a flagship Nexus phone…from last year – all the way down to the hardly-touched Android 4.3 interface. Motorola has promised some form of 4.4 Kitkat by the end of next month. With the veracity that they’ve been updating their Moto X handsets, I have little doubt that it will get done.

But what does this all mean? Why this phone at this price? Why now?
Expand
Expanding
Close

Motorola updates camera app on Google Play with manual control of focus and exposure

Chance Miller Dec 12 2013 - 1:16 pm PT

0 Comments

With it’s latest Moto G and Moto X devices, Motorola has made its camera app available on Google Play. This means that the company can rollout an update specifically to it without having to release a full, OTA update and deal with carrier approval. This afternoon, the company did just that and updated its camera app on Google Play. Most notably, the update adds the ability to manually control focus and exposure. To try this, simply bring up the settings menu from within the app, and tap the finger pointing into a square button.

-Manual control of focus and exposure

-Locked exposure during Panorama capture

-Enabled additional language support

-Bug fixes

Moto X users on Android 4.4 have had some of these enhancements for awhile, but Moto G owners have not. If you own either of those devices, however, the update is available on the Play Store now.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Moto G shipments plagued by bad weather, delayed until December 17th

David Beren Dec 12 2013 - 5:18 am PT

0 Comments

The winter weather has already wreaked some havoc across the US and unfortunately those folks waiting for Moto G shipments, the wait might take a bit longer than anticipated. According to separate emails obtained by Engadget and Android Central, Motorola is explaining that bad weather has impacted operations at their fulfillment center in Forth Worth, Texas.