Moto G Phone Guide

Moto G 2014 (aka Moto G 2nd generation) vs Moto G: top 10 facts you should know

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moto_G_2nd_gen_moto_g_2014 Moto G 2nd generation

Motorola updated the 10-month old Moto G (1st generation) last week. The new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation, aka Moto G 2014) is a significant update to the old Moto G, which is the most successful smartphone Motorola has ever made.

Contents hide
1)  1. The best news:  no price hike ($179) for the Moto G 2nd generation
2) 2. Good news:  SD card support with  the Moto G 2nd generation
3) 3. Good news:  real stereo speakers and they are on front-facing in the Moto G 2nd generation!!!
4) 4 .  Good news:  improved camera, front and rear in the Moto G 2nd generation
5) 5.  Good news:  Android L update is guaranteed for the Moto G 2nd generation
6) 6. Good or bad news?  Screen size increased from 4.5″ to 5″ in the Moto G 2nd generation
7) 7.  Bad news:  the screen resolution is still  720p in the Moto G 2nd generation
8) 8.  Bad news:  still Qualcomm MSM8226 Snapdragon 400 in the Moto G 2nd generation
9) 9. Bad news:  still  1GB RAM in the Moto G 2nd generation
10) 10. Bad news:  8GB model dominates in most regions for the Moto G 2nd generation
10.1) What do you think about the new Moto G (2nd generation)?

Moto G 2nd generation is already available in some countries and regions: UK, India, France, Brazil, Spain and France. More countries will be added the the list gradually

You may wonder what’s new in the new Moto G vs old Moto G (1st generation). The purpose of this post is to show you the difference and similarity of the new  Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation) vs Moto G (1st Gen).

 1. The best news:  no price hike ($179) for the Moto G 2nd generation

In most regions, the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation) will sell at the identical (or even lower) price as last year’s Moto G. This means the you can get the new Moto G (2nd generation) with about $180 (8GB model)  or $200 (16GB model).

So, the new Moto G is  still very affordable and probably gives you the best value for your money. In this price range, the new Moto G is probably the best smartphone.

2. Good news:  SD card support with  the Moto G 2nd generation

Actually, Motorola added SD card support to the 4G LTE models of the old Moto G (1st gen) a few months ago.

But for most Moto G (1st generation)  owners,  lack of storage is one of the biggest concern. In most regions, only 8GB model is offered.

Now, Motorola corrects its mistake by adding SD card support to all new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation)  models.  You can easily expand 32GB storage for your photos, videos and other files. Some apps (app data) can even be moved to SD card so that you can install some big games.  You may refer to this guide on how to move apps to SD card on Moto E and Moto G.

3. Good news:  real stereo speakers and they are on front-facing in the Moto G 2nd generation!!!

The new Moto G ( Moto G 2nd generation) have dual front-facing speakers. You can easily enjoy music when Bluetooth speaker is not an option.

Of course, it is not comparable to HTC BoomSound. But the dual front-facing speakers really beat all other smartphones, including many flagship smartphones with a $600+ price tags.

Front-facing speakers project sounds towards you and therefore gives better listening experience. The standard asshole-like rear speaker projects sound  away from you. So, even high-quality speakers are used, for a rear speaker, it still deteriorate the audio quality considerably.

4 .  Good news:  improved camera, front and rear in the Moto G 2nd generation

More and more people use smartphones to take photos, instead of a physical camera. So, the expectation is getting higher and higher.

In the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation), camera was upgraded considerably. The number of pixels is updated from 5MP to 8MP for the rear camera, from 1,3MP to 2Mp for the front-facing camera.

In addition to the pixels, apparently the quality of the camera sensor seems better than that in the old Moto G (1st generation).

Of  course, the new Moto G (2nd gen) also maintain the simple-to-use camera app interface. It is very helpful for new smartphone users. 

5.  Good news:  Android L update is guaranteed for the Moto G 2nd generation

Motorola promised the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd Gen) will get Android L, which will be released in Q4 this year.

According to the track record of the KitKat update for old Moto G, Moto E and Moto X, it is almost certain we will get Android L before all other Android devices (except Nexus devices).

Nobody can deny Motorola now is the best Android vendor on updating the OS.  It will very likely continue on the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd Gen) for Android L.

6. Good or bad news?  Screen size increased from 4.5″ to 5″ in the Moto G 2nd generation

Motorola follows the trend in smartphone industry: larger display.

The new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation) is bigger than the 1st generation  of Moto G. The screen size increases from 4.5″ to 5″.

Of course, the overall size is also bigger compared to the old Moto G (1st generation).

Some users welcomes this bigger screen; some may not.

But anyway, the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd gen) can  still be easily put into pockets.

7.  Bad news:  the screen resolution is still  720p in the Moto G 2nd generation

The Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation) does not upgrade the screen resolution. It is still 720p.  It is still a high quality IPS panel, which is very rare for  smartphones in this price range.

Actually, for a 5″ screen, 720p is good enough.  294 ppi pixel density is close to the limit of your eyes. Less pixels means longer battery life.

Anyway, no full HD on the new Moto G (2014).

8.  Bad news:  still Qualcomm MSM8226 Snapdragon 400 in the Moto G 2nd generation

Identical chips are used in the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation):  Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 CPU with Adreno 305 GPU. No upgrade.

Again, from the performance perspective, the chip is sufficient for most users. Motorola probably made a wise choice of  saving cost in chips, instead of camera or display.

9. Bad news:  still  1GB RAM in the Moto G 2nd generation

As KitKat was optimized for devices with low resources, 1GB  RAM in the old Moto G (1st generation) was just fine for most users. Motorola achieved this by removing almost all bloatware and giving you an almost vanilla Android device.

Without the heavy skin or bloatware, Moto G is as fast as many Samsung phones with 2GB RAM for everyday usage.

Of course, if you run some heavy games or apps, occasionally, you may feel the pain. But most owners will not encounter such issues.

Anyway, the 1GB RAM in the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation) is acceptable for most users.

10. Bad news:  8GB model dominates in most regions for the Moto G 2nd generation

Both the 1 st generation Moto G and the new Moto G (Moto G 2nd generation)  have 8GB and 16GB options. But in most regions, the distributor only brings in 8GB model.

In the new Moto G, you can add an SD card to expand the storage. But not all apps (actually only app data) can be moved to the SD card. So, if you need install some big games, you may still fell the constraint. unless you get the 16GB model

What do you think about the new Moto G (2nd generation)?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Comments

  2. I have moto g2 and between 3 days I have received system updated of 6.0 version I have installed it .
    But after installing it I am not able to connect the ear phones , and can’t move the the file,video, images to my otg drive (pendrive) and when will I receive the better updated plz hell me for this

    Reply

  5. Sir heavy game not working like GTA vice city wwe immortal and etc its just load for a minute and then crash plz help me to solve this problem plzz

    Reply

  6. My Moto g 2 has become very slow while opening contacts, whatsapp etc. Only blank screen appears for long and then opens up. What may be the reason? I have inserted 16 GB SD card too for more storage.

    Reply

  8. Dear simin sir
    myslf oprtng motog2
    Wenever i call to someone the receiver one who receive ma call is not lisng my voice in a loud or prooerly.
    How can i solve this problm wt im facing now eith this device……

    Reply

  10. Sir, I have an issue. I have moto g 2nd gen, when whenever I call someone or someone calls me, I can’t hear them, but they clearly hear me, I always have to turn on the loud speaker, normally I cant hear the other party. Please help

    Reply

  11. Dear sir I am using Moto G 2nd gen (16GB)
    I’m facing internet problems.. Net speed is very slow on 3G

    Reply

  13. Ringtone volume automatically decreases to minimum whenever a call is received. I am facing this after I upgraded to lollipop. If this is the problem with lollipop how do I go back ad install KitKat?

    Reply

  14. I m unable to change ringtone option to my favorite song as ringtone for Mobil. Please help to change in lollipop version

    Reply

  15. Is anyone else having a ticking/popping/crackling noise coming from your bottom speaker? Especially when your watching a video and someone is talking.

    Reply

  16. Hi Simon,

    Today I did a google update nd my app drawer(6 dots) and the app background have turned white.. I liked the black transparent background much..I also did a search nd read tat its a part of lollipop upgrade..is it so? But Is there any way to get back the pervious..

    Thanks,
    Emy.

    Reply

  17. Simon, I have installed an app providing different font styles in my moto G 2. But it still doesn’t change. What do I do?

    Reply

  18. Hi,

    My mobile data is turned on but there is no connection established.. It happens often nowadays..is it an issue or is it normal? Pls help

    -Emy

    Reply

  21. dear sir,
    earlier i had selected Data Usage Cycle now i would like to change it,but their is no any option in setting.kindly help

    Reply

  22. Hi simon im an moto g1 user despite being andoid l launched in my country i cannot find it in d software upgrade in about phone it is still on 4.4.4 kitkat i reside in india

    Reply

  26. Wt to do for auto hiding …if i open camera its nt auto hiding so its occupy more space..from ds camera screen shwng small

    Reply

  28. My moto g 2 nd generation has a problem of voice cracking during call. I could not here the voice of other person or even ring clearly while in call. The problem persists even after putting it on loudspeaker. But songs and other tones are playing fine. What the problem it would be?

    Reply

  30. Hi could you tell me if it possible to screen mirror on the 2nd gen moto g? I have the first gen moto g and it does not allow screen mirror to my TV. I have used Samsung s4 and it works prefect screen mirror to TV but I like the moto g more.

    Reply

  31. In moto g 2 gen mobile songs r stuckin while playing on default music player.. Plz suggest what to do n suggest some good music player apps…

    Reply

  33. Plese tell me where can I see external SD icon in menu….I cannot see in menu when k inserted my 16 GB external card….

    Reply

  35. Simon I really need ur help now.. I had moto g 1st gen then I sold it. Now I have bought the 2nd gen but I am not happy with the menu options.. The interface was different.. I need the same kind of interface when I press menu button. In my 1st gen I can enter playstore by pressing menu and on the top I have playstore symbol, but in this new 2nd gen I am not able to see icon in the top which has a play store symbol, which I think is one of the disadvantage. Additing to that the menu icons are also looking big in size. not at al aesthetic. So when ever i need to open google play I need to enter menu and then select the play store icon.. How can I get that 1st gen interface..

    Reply

  41. one month before i purchase moto g (1st gen) so i am missing all features.
    is there any option can i get benefits of 2nd Gen except purchase NEW device………???

    Reply

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