Opinion Motorola Moto G Second Generation (Moto G2, 2014)

Almost a month of use with the Moto G Second Generation. It has been the replacement for my Samsung Galaxy S3 mini in recent weeks, in which I have been able to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of this cell phone (the good and the bad).

The Motorola Moto G Second Generation is also known as Motorola Moto G 2014 (because it came out in that year) or also as Motorola Moto G2.

The difference between the second generation Moto G and the first generation (the original Moto G that came out in 2013) is that the 2nd Gen has a larger screen (5 inches vs. 4.5 inches), it has larger cameras. resolution (rear: 8MP vs. 5MP; front: 2MP vs. 1.3MP), has a slot to put an external SD card (the first moto G doesn’t have this) and comes with stereo front speakers. In the rest of the technical specifications they are basically the same (including the fact that both do not have 4G / LTE).

Hardware

Screen

The 5-inch screen of the Moto G Second Generation provides an extremely pleasant experience, especially if it comes from a smaller screen, as in my case I come from a S3 mini with a 4-inch screen. Uncomfortable to use the phone because of this? At first yes, but like everything else, it’s just a matter of getting used to it. I know that the phone becomes less portable than a smaller one, but for a large screen it is worth it.

The IPS LCD screen offers lower image quality than, for example, a Super AMOLED screen like some Samsung Galaxy have. AMOLED screens provide brighter, more vivid and even realistic colors if you want. The colors on an LCD screen like the one on the Moto G are a bit duller. Here I leave a couple of screenshots, where you can see this difference between the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini vs. the second generation Motorola Moto G (Super AMOLED vs. IPS LCD, respectively).

Of course, this weak point of the Moto G is only noticeable if you have a previous reference to it.

Sound

The sound of the Moto G 2nd Generation is engaging, not so much because they are stereo but rather because they are intelligently located at the top and bottom of the cell phone, on the front. Stereo means it has two channels – this feature is especially noticeable if the audio has parts recorded on one channel and the other independently. Each part will be heard separately on one or the other speaker of the Moto G.

Audio is much more accommodating on the Moto G, compared to, for example, phones that have a single speaker located at the rear. I repeat, this is not necessarily due to its stereo capability, but mostly due to the placement of both speakers on the cell phone. Hearing the sound from both speakers instead of just one provides a more “surround” experience. The fact that they are located on the front side avoids having to turn the phone over when I activate the speaker for calls or want to hear the music more clearly.

Camera

The images speak for themselves. In this photo gallery You can see some examples of photos taken with the rear camera of the Moto G Second Generation, at full resolution.

Storage

The second generation Motorola Moto G does have a slot to put an external micro SD memory card. This does not exist in the first generation or 2013 Moto G.

Design

Ergonomic and pleasant to have in hand, despite the fact that its weight is not very ideal. It’s a big phone but the curved back panel design helps a lot to get used to the grip. Speaking of aesthetics, very elegant. Great job done by Motorola in this regard. The 3.5mm headphone jack and the micro USB connector slot are perfectly aligned in the middle of the chassis.

The interchangeable back covers (BEWARE, which are included in this model and are 3 IN TOTAL) give the cell phone an even more attractive touch. This may seem trivial but it adds an unusual touch to the phone, in a world where most devices are marked by dark colors.

The battery is NOT CONVENTIONALLY removable. Technically it is possible to remove it, but it is necessary to send it to a technical service or have all the tools, skill and knowledge necessary to remove it. Obviously it is a point against talking about design. Since it is not as easy to remove the battery as in removable battery phones, the solution that remains in case of phone freezing, blocking or strange screen shots, would be a forced restart by holding down the power button for 10 or 20 seconds in a row, or 120 uninterrupted seconds when the phone is connected to the charger.

Autonomy

This is where the Moto G2 struggles. Motorola increased the screen size over the Moto G1, but not the battery size. It’s still 2070 mAh, making it virtually impossible to get through the day without charging it twice. In moderate – demanding use, the phone can last between 7 and 9 hours. With full charge from 9 in the morning, at 5 or 6 in the afternoon I have already had to charge it again.

Software

System in general

Generally speaking, this version of Motorola’s Android KitKat is very good, mostly because the phone is satisfyingly fast, fast, and smooth when switching between applications, opening files, and exploring the phone. It will have only 1GB of RAM but it is very good in this regard. Perhaps this is mainly due to the fact that it carries Android KitKat 4.4.4, a version of Android optimized to work even on low-end phones, which is almost pure since Motorola does not modify it much compared to the original version offered by Google, and not the overload as it does, for example, Samsung. Other than Google apps, it doesn’t come preloaded with useless apps or bloatware.

Calls and Messages

Efficient but incomplete. The dialer and the message management application are quick and practical, but they are somewhat incomplete. In them I do not have the option to block incoming messages or calls, for example. They serve very well to manage calls and SMS, but if you need functions advanced you will need to install a third-party app from Google Play.

Launcher

The launcher is, in more digestible words, the home screens and the app drawer. Like the rest of the software, it is fast, but very basic. It lacks customization options. In this launcher you will not have the option to order and hide the applications in the drawer. At most you have the option to change the wallpaper and add widgets. As this second-gen Moto G is remarkably fast, I think you can afford to use a replacement launcher that’s more customizable. Nova Launcher is a good alternative.

Camera Application

Fast, very fast! It is one of the things that stands out the most in the Moto G software. By default the camera is configured for automatic focus, but in the application options you can choose a manual focus and exposure. After dragging the focus point to the desired position, you touch the screen again and the capture immediately takes place. Burst photos or one after another? Just press and hold on the focus point to take multiple shots. The camera has panorama mode, HDR setting, timer, among other settings.

Motorola Software

With the pre-installed Motorola Migration application I was able to transfer music, videos, images, messages and call logs from my previous Samsung Galaxy S3 mini to the Moto G easily. The Motorola Alert and Assist applications that are also pre-installed (the only ones that Motorola imposes on the cell phone) are interesting tools that allow you to quickly send an alert to a preconfigured contact in case of an emergency (Alert), and put the phone in silent mode automatically, based on the event programming made (Assist).

Google Apps

This Moto G Second Generation is preloaded with all Google applications. As they are factory apps, they cannot be uninstalled (unless we get to root the device). Perhaps this is not necessary since most of the Google Apps such as Chrome, YouTube, Maps, Keep, Gmail or Play Music are always very useful and will surely become your best allies in the Moto G.

Additional details

There are some other details out there that are not understood about KitKat, such as that it does not have the option to show the battery percentage in the status bar.

The Moto G doesn’t come with a pre-installed file explorer, so you’ll need to install an app for this. ES File Explorer is a good alternative.

Moto G version and system updates

Regarding the update of the phone, I should recommend if possible to buy a Motorola Moto G that is global version or US version (Global GSM The US GSM, which can be found on Amazon, for example). These versions receive Android updates faster. Other versions of the Moto G, for example, the Colombian version of the Claro operator that I got (unlocked / released version), it takes weeks and even months to receive updates. Right now I am still waiting for the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, while the global or USA version of the Moto G second generation has already received it for a long time and has even begun to receive Android 5.0.1.

Conclution
Good pretty and cheap. That’s in short the second-generation Moto G. It has some extremely interesting hardware / technical specs for a phone that costs less than $ 200 on Amazon. Nice and elegant design. Speaking of the software, excellent in terms of fluidity and speed. The pre-installed apps come with just the right stuff, yes, but that makes them fast too. In case you want something more complete, the Play Store is there available to find a world of alternatives. The second-generation Motorola Moto G remains – continuing the legacy of the first-generation Moto G – the best budget Android phone you can buy right now.

Final note: The second-generation Motorola Moto G reviewed here had Android 4.4.4 KitKat as its operating system. The exact model is the XT1063, unlocked Latin American version, with 16GB of internal memory.

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