Motorola Moto G 2. Gen 4G
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 11 scores (from 14 reviews)
Reviews for the Motorola Moto G 2. Gen 4G
Update Lite. Motorola's Moto G2 mid-range smartphone had picked up a good rating in our test, but it did not feature LTE. The manufacturer has eliminated this drawback in its new edition, and has installed the latest, supposedly faster Android Lollipop instead of KitKat. However, there might just be unexpected modifications in the screen and storage.
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
With the same screen and only a small processor bump, the reasons to upgrade to the Moto G 2015 are the new cameras, waterproof design and the ability to order with the Moto Maker - although that does make it more expensive and it's not really a budget phone any more.
Comparison, online available, Short, Date: 07/30/2015
Source: NDTV Gadgets Archive.org version
There is no denying that the Moto E (Gen 2) 4G is a better bet than its predecessor in terms of performance and because it's more future-ready. However, the Lenovo A6000 Plus, Yu Yuphoria and Xiaomi Redmi 2 all have 2GB of RAM and better cameras, making them better value for money overall. But, the software experience on the Moto E (Gen 2) 4G is unparalleled.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/03/2015
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 80% performance: 80% features: 50% display: 70% mobility: 80% workmanship: 90%
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
The Moto E 4g is definitely an improvement over the 3G variant, but it still can't match the competiton in terms of display and camera. If you need an inexpensive smartphone with very good battery life, then this one would make sense, but for everything else, you should look at the Xiaomi Redmi 2 and Yu Yuphoria.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 05/21/2015
Rating: Total score: 63%
Source: Cool Smartphone Archive.org version
Overall the Moto G 4G 2015 edition it is a great device, at a decent price, with a great display, a Micro SD and some front facing speakers and a pretty decent rear camera. Yes it would be an amazing device with just a little bit more internal memory, but that would cost more. The spec difference between this and the new Moto E is confusing as the Moto E seems to have a better processor. But I feel that this model is seriously impressive in its own right and that’s probably just down to Lollipop and decent 4G.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/28/2015
Rating: Total score: 70% features: 60% display: 70% mobility: 70% workmanship: 60%
Source: Reg Hardware Archive.org version
Unless a truly top notch camera is a requirement, the Moto G – in any variant – really is all the smartphone most people will ever need. For the price the new Mk.II 4G device is the pick of the crop by virtue of the larger screen, bigger battery, 4G comms and extra speaker.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/14/2015
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
If you're looking for a cheap 4G smartphone then the Moto E 4G is the best deal on the market right now. If you would rather have a cheap dual-SIM phone with 3G connectivity then the mark 3 Moto G is your best bet. But the new Moto G 4G for 2015 is not the best phone for either customer, and its larger, higher-resolution screen, marginally improved photography credentials and stereo sound are not enough for us to turn a blind eye to its £60 higher price, slower hardware and missing software features.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 04/09/2015
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 70% performance: 80% features: 70% workmanship: 80%
Source: Gadgets Now Archive.org version
Motorola has improved on last year's edition with the new Moto G 4G, and its £159 still puts it in budget territory for first-time smartphone buyers and newcomers. Its 4G powers will keep you up to date for longer, but we wish its processor was a bit faster, as it's starting to show its age. For the price though, along with a bright, large screen and barebones Lollipop, it's well worth a look.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 04/08/2015
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
Motorola truly impressed us with the original Moto G, a budget smartphone that, at launch, was untouchable. But its larger-scale and slightly more expensive follow-up was a little less impressive due to a bulkier design and lack of 4G. Deep down we were hoping for a slimmer and sexier new Moto G design for 2015. But if the design and scale is of no consequence as it is then the 4G-boosted model makes good on its predecessor's lacking and, all in all, is an accomplished budget smartphone.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/08/2015
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: PC Pro Archive.org version
In all, the Moto G 2 4G is a top-quality budget smartphone. It has a superb display, improved battery life, and fixes its predecessor’s only blunder by including 4G without inflating the price. The aging innards are a concern, but it’s not enough to prevent this being an excellent budget choice.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 04/02/2015
Rating: Total score: 100%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Tom's Hardware DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/30/2015
Source: Computerbild - Heft 12/2015
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 06/01/2015
Rating: Total score: 81%
Source: Stiftung Warentest - Heft 7/2015
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 06/01/2015
Rating: Total score: 82%
Source: Tom's Hardware DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/22/2015
Source: Smartphone Magazin - Heft 3/2015
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 05/01/2015
Rating: Total score: 90%
Comment
Model: Motorola is targeting the budget smartphone market with the introduction of the Motorola Moto G second generation 4G. The screen in a humble 5.0 inches wide and has a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels and a pixel density of 293 ppi. This gives a wide enough display view angle for the average user. The Motorola Moto G is built mostly with a black curved back that has different thickness, varying from 6 mm to 11 mm. It is extremely lightweight at only 149 g and there are two slots for SIM cards as well. Inside the machine is a Qualcomm MSM 8926 Snapdragon 400 chipset, a quad core 1.2GHz Cortex A7 CPU and an Adreno 305 GPU.
Internal memory is either an 8 or 16 GB with 1 GB of RAM. The memory can be extended by up to 32 GB with a microSD card. There are two cameras attached here, an 8 MP rear main camera and a front facing secondary 2 MP one for selfies. A fun feature offered by Motorola are changeable back covers, called 'Shells' that come in a wide variety of bright colors and can be purchased for a small fee from Motorola. This is apparently one of the best budget phones with an ideal combination of usability and power.
Qualcomm Adreno 305: Integrated mid-range graphics card in the Snapdragon 400 and S4 Plus SoCs that supports OpenGL ES 3.0 and features unified shaders.
These graphics cards are not suited for Windows 3D games. Office and Internet surfing however is possible.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
400 MSM8226: ARM Cortex-A7 Quad-Core with up to 1.2 GHz and manufactured in 28nm» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
5.00":
This display is tiny. You will probably see very little on the screen and be able to use mini-resolutions.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Motorola: Founded in 1928, the US-based company mainly focuses on communication technology such as smartphones. The original company Motorola Inc was split up in 2011. Motorola Mobility got the smartphone division and was taken over by Google in 2012 and Lenovo in 2014.
The company is known for its cell phones and other electronic devices such as smartwatches, tablets and accessories. Motorola was one of the first companies to produce cell phones, and in recent years has also innovated in the areas of 5G technology and modular smartphones (Moto Mods). Motorola is also active in public safety and professional communications, providing solutions for government agencies, businesses and other organizations. The company has operations in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America and employs more than 10,000 people worldwide.
80%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.