The Moto G has a 5″ 720p 294 ppi display and runs on a decent 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC. One of the biggest improvements here is in RAM — while the base model has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage, there is also a 2 GB RAM/16 GB of storage model available, which is the one really worth looking at (both come with a microSD slot supporting cards up to 32 GB). With apps taking advantage of more processing power and requiring more system memory to run, 1 GB of RAM can really hamper the performance of a phone if you run multiple apps at once. 2 GB is a huge upgrade, and one that won't cost too much extra in this case. When it comes to benchmarks, the system earned a Quadrant benchmark of 14451 . In general performance is good and the phone is capable of handling everyday tasks well.
Another key upgrade is in connectivity — specifically, LTE comes standard. That joins 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, and GPS — no NFC for smartphone wallet aficionados, though.
The cameras have also gotten significantly upgraded, with the new Moto G featuring a 13 MP f/2.0 rear camera with auto-focus and dual LED flash and a 5 MP f/2.2 front camera. But those specs aren't just good on paper – Motorola has really improved the rear camera. Photos tend to be accurate and sharp, especially in daylight where they suffer from little noise. That said, even indoor shots are pretty good and above average at this price-point. You'll be hard pressed to find a better smartphone camera under $200. And like with its predecessor, the camera app snaps photos quickly with a just a tap on the screen.
The battery is now 2,470 mAh, which Motorola says should last 24 hours on mixed usage. So far in real world use, the battery has indeed been lasting a full day for us.
The last big upgrade is IPX7 water resistance, which means you can actually submerge it in water without damaging the phone. Combine that with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the screen, and you have a pretty durable phone — much more so than other budget phones at this price.
Like before, you can get backs and flip shells in a variety of colors for the Moto G, which you can also customize using the Moto Maker. The Moto G is available now in the United States, and starts at $180 (it's also launching now in 60 other countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific at varying prices). That said, with just 1 GB of RAM, the $180 version isn't that great of a value — the 2 GB configuration starts at $220, and seems like a much better deal. Other companies like Asus and Xiaomi are making phones with better specs for a slightly cheaper price, but the customization options and the durability that the Moto G is promising might be worth the little extra.
VerdictMotorola has improved the Moto G everywhere it needed improvement. To that effect, the camera is vastly better, it's now waterproof, the battery capacity has been increased, and the build quality feels even more premium this time around. As a matter of fact, the more you use and hold the Moto G, the more difficult it is to believe that it's considered to be a budget phone.
So if you're looking for a fun phone, that is also well rounded, but you don't have a lot of money to spend, you can't go wrong with the Moto G. All in all, a great budget phone just got even better.
The Good: Curved back makes it easy to grip and hold, build quality looks and feels more premium this time around, backplates are customizable and removable, the phone is IPX7 certified and waterproof, very good display, camera has been improved and now is above average for its price-point, great battery life.
The Bad: Battery is not removable, no NFC.
Source: Moto G (3rd Gen) Review – A Great Budget Phone Just Got Even Better
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