Moto G Phone Guide

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Understand Moto G Model Names

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Understand Moto G Model Names

You are not alone if you are confused by Moto G model names. There are simply too many Moto G models.

Motorola has been introducing more than 10 Moto G phone models every year since 2020. However, the naming convention of these models has become quite confusing for most potential buyers and even the sales staff in Lenovo/Motorola stores. The naming convention is often complex and doesn’t make sense, making it difficult for people to understand which Moto G model they should choose.

This Moto G guide explains the naming convention of Moto G phones in the US and international markets to help you understand the meaning of Moto G model names. It also includes a list of known Moto G models.

Why are there so many Moto G models?

When Google sold Motorola to Lenovo in 2024, Moto G was the most valuable brand in assets. The first generation of Moto G (2013) was a success in the crowded Android smartphone market.

The first generation of Moto G (2013) actually set the standard for a real middle-range smartphone: reasonable price with decent performance. Moto G 2014 (2nd Gen) was also well-received in the market.

Compared to Moto E (which is in the death spiral) and the abandoned Moto X, Moto G has its unique brand value among Android users.

After years of trial, Lenovo/Motorola found Moto G to be the most valuable brand, and therefore, they put the Moto G stick on as many phones as possible. Since 2020, on average, you’d expect one new Moto G model each month.

With Samsung and Apple dominating the high-end smartphone market, Motorola has to seek opportunities in the middle-range market where Moto G targets.

Currently, Motorola has 4 major brands (series) for smartphones:

  • Moto E for entry-level Android phones. It is actually in the death spiral. The lower end of Moto G competes against Moto E directly.
  • Moto G for middle-range Android phones.
  • Motorola Edge (and Edge+) for the high-end Android phones.
  • Motorola Razr (and Razr+) for foldable phones.

Motorola Edge never claimed a meaningful market share in the high-end market. Instead, Motorola has to lower the price so that Motorola Edge (and Edge+) can compete in the middle-range segment.

So, in the current situation, Motorola has to put most of its eggs into the Moto G and some into the Motorola Razr.

Moto G model names in

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Moto G7 vs Moto G7 Play vs Moto G7 Plus vs Moto G7 Power: what are the differences?

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This Moto G guide explains the differences between the 4 Moto G7 (Moto G 2019) models: Moto G7 vs Moto G7 Play vs Moto G7 Plus vs Moto G7 Power, to help you make the decision when choosing a Moto G7.

Motorola released 4 models for the Moto G7: G7, G7 Play, G7 Plus, and G7 Power.

To make it even more confusing (although it is not new), Motorola decided not to release all models in all regions.

Anyway, if you are wondering about the differences between these four Moto G7 phones, this guide will help you.

To read or download the official user guide for Moto G7, G7 Play, G7 Power, and G7 Plus, please check Moto G7 user manual page.

Summary of the specs of Moto G7 vs Moto G7 Play vs Moto G7 Plus vs Moto G7 Power

The following table summarizes the key specification of Moto G7 vs Moto G7 Play vs Moto G7 Plus vs Moto G7 Power.

What are identical: Moto G7 vs Moto G7 Play vs Moto G7 Plus vs Moto G7 Power?

As shown in the specs, the 4 Moto G models are common in

  • OS: Android Pie (Android 9.0).
  • The fingerprint sensor is on the back.
  • USB Type C port.
  • Headphone jack.
  • Micro SD card support up to 512GB.

Motorola normally releases two major updates for Moto G devices. So, very likely, Moto G7 will get Android R as the last update.

Please note, Motorola has become slower in releasing updates for Moto G devices in r4ecent years. But they still released at least two updates for previous generations of Moto G phones in most regions.

Moto G7 Play vs Moto G7 Power: which offers a higher value (per dollar)?

Moto G7 Play is the cheapest one and with the lowest specs compared to the other 3 (Moto G7, G7 Play, and G7 Power).

But Moto G7 Play does not provide the best value for your money.

The $50 more expensive Moto G7 Power actually offers better value for your money. The increased RAM (from 2GB to 3GB) can make big differences even for moderate usages.

Of course, the 5000mAh battery (with TurboPower) is the signature feature of Moto G7 Power.

Unless you are constrained by the budget, or you do not like the weight (198g vs 151g), then you should get G7 Power if possible.

Moto G7 vs

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What are the differences: Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play (Moto G 2018)?

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The top 6 differences among Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 PlusFor the 6th generation of Moto G (Moto G 2018), Motorola released 3 models: Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus.

These 3 phones may look similar. All come with the latest Android Oreo 8.0.

But the differences are obvious as well.

This post compares the 3 models of Moto G6 (Moto G 2018) and explains the top 6 differences among these 3 Moto G6 modes to help you understand the differences and therefore make the correct decision when purchasing a Moto G6.

You may check the official user manuals for Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus in this page.

1. Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play: Screen size and resolution

The 3 Moto G6 models have different combinations of screen sizes and screen resolution.

Moto G6 and G6 Play both have a screen size of 5.7″. Moto G6 Plus has a 5.9″ screen.

But for the screen resolution, Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus both have a 1080p (18:9) screen. Moto G6 Play comes with a 720p screen. This suggests Moto G6 has the highest pixel density (higher than both Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus.

Overall, for the screen, the difference between Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus is small.

2. Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play: CPU (SoC)

Motorola continued to use middle-range CPUs on Moto G6 (Moto G 2018) devices.

Moto G6 Play comes with a Snapdragon 430 CPU (or 427 in the US). There are eight (4 cores for Snapdragon 427) cores up to 1.4GHz.

Moto G6 has a Snapdragon 450 CPU, which is also an octa-core SoC with a higher speed of 1.8GHz.

As expected, Moto G6 Plus has the most powerful CPU (Snapdragon 630) compared to Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play.  The maximum frequency for the CPU is 2.2GHz.

3. Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play: rear cameras

Both Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus feature dual rear cameras (12MP+5MP). The 5MP f/2.2 camera will be used only when you change to portrait mode. It is designed for depth sensing, not real photo taking.

The 12MP camera sensor in Moto G6 Plus is slightly better with an aperture of f/1.7.  It is capable of capturing 4K (2160p) videos at 30fps. While the 12MP camera in Moto G6 has … Read the rest

User Manuals for Moto G

Moto G (Moto G4, Moto G 1st Gen, Moto G 2014 and Moto G 2015) is probably the best budget-friendly Android phone you can get each year in 2016, 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively.

And in 2017, you can get Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus.

Of course. Moto G6 (Moto G 2018, 3 models) was released in 2018 and Moto G7 (Moto G 2019, 4 models) in 2019.

Unlike other Android vendors, Motorola tries hard to make the phone not only affordable but also easy to use.

But for many new Moto G owners, an official user guide is still needed to get started quickly.

This is the purpose of this page.

In this page, you can find the user manuals for Moto G8 (Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play), Moto G7 (4 models), Moto G6 (3 models), Moto G5  and Moto G5 Plus, Moto G4 (Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play), Moto G 1st Gen (Moto G 2013), Moto G 2014 (Moto G 2nd Gen) and Moto G 2015 (Moto G 3rd Gen) in different languages.

All these Moto G user manuals are in PDF format. It means you can download and read them offline on your PC, tablet or phones.

Of course, we also have 3 other sections to help you use Moto G:

  1. Moto G how-to guides section. You can find detailed step-by-step guides on how to use some features of Moto G, or how to configure Moto G to get desired phone behaviour.
  2. Moto G online manual section. You can find detailed guides on using Moto G features and apps.
  3. Moto G Accessories guide.

These guides cover all Moto G devices.

Official Moto G8 User manual

These are the official user guides for Moto G8, Moto G8 Play and Moto G8 Plus.  Moto G8 Play and Moto G8 Plus were announced in 2019. Moto G8 will be announced in February 2020.

Official Moto G7 user manual

Official user manual for Moto G7 (Moto G 2019), Moto G7 Plus, Moto G7 Power, and Moto G7 Play.

The differences among Moto G7, Moto G7 Play, Moto G7 Plus and Moto G7 power are explained in this guide.

Official Moto G6 User Guides

Official Moto G6 user manuals, Moto G6 Play user manuals and Moto G6 Plus user manuals.

You can also find the differences between … Read the rest

How to remove Moto G back cover?

Why you must remove Moto G back cover

For Moto G (including Moto G 2nd Gen), the SIM card slot is under the back cover. So,  to insert SIMcard, you must remove Moto G back cover.

In addition, the micro SD card slot in Moto G 2014 is also under the back cover. You have to remove the Moto G back cover to put in your SD card.

However, for many new Moto G or Moto E owners,  it can be frustrating to find the correct way to remove Moto G back cover due to Motorola’s unique design for the back cover.

You cannot peel off the Moto G back cover.

Please follow this guide if you want to remove Moto G back cover properly. Otherwise, you may damage the back cover.

How to remove Moto G back cover? (for Moto G and Moto G2, Moto G3, Moto G4, and Moto G5)

Step 1: Power off your Moto G

It is recommended to remove Moto G back cover only when the phone is powered off.

To power off Moto G, press and hold the power button and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Turn Moto G upside down

You need to turn Moto G upside down so that the USB port is facing up. This is the most comfortable orientation to take off Moto G back cover.

Anyway, Motorola designs it in this way.

Step 3: Put your finger in the USB charging port, as shown below.

Step 4: Press your thumb of the hand in the centre of the back (Motorola logo), as shown below.

You need to use two hands to remove Moto G back cover.

You also need to press the Motorola logo hard (apply some force, not just put the thumb there) so that it is easy to pry the cover off.

Step 5: Pry the cover off.

remove_moto_g_back_cover

Please remember it is not necessary to use any tools to remove Moto G back cover. Such tools may damage the cover or internal parts

If you still have problems to take off Moto G back cover, you may check this official video.

How about Moto E back cover?

Moto E back cover shares a similar design of Moto G back cover.

So, you can remove Moto E back cover with the identical method mentioned on this page.

This applies to both Moto E and Moto E … Read the rest

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 generationMotorola 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.

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 … Read the rest

How to use dual SIM cards on Moto G?

how-to-use-moto-g-dual-sim-card-customizationUpdate: if you want to make both SIM cards available at all times in dual SIM version of Moto G (all Moto G generations) so that you will not miss any calls (even when you are talking over one SIM card) , you may follow this guide to set up call forwarding and call waiting.

In some regions, Moto G supports dual SIM cards. In other words, you can use up to two SIM cards simultaneously.

But Moto G dual SIM (and Moto E, Moto X and Moto Z) phones are dual standby, NOT dual active. Please refer to this dual SIM Android phone guide on differences between dual standby and dual active in dual SIM phones.

For correct SIM card size for Moto G (Moto E and Moto X as well) and how to insert SIM card  into Moto G, please check this guide.

How to access Moto G dual SIM settings?

All the settings related to Moto G dual SIM cards can be accessed through Settings— Dual SIM settings.

You can choose icon colors for each SIM card, choose the SIM card used for mobile data.

Please note, only one SIM card can be used for 3G. The other one can only be on 2G.

If you are using one SIM card, you can ignore all setting here.  The settings here are only relevant to owners who are using two SIM cards on the Moto G.

How to get rid of the Moto G SIM card selection when making a call?

how-to-use-moto-g-dual-sim-card-sim-selectionBy default, when you dial a number, you will be asked for the SIM card to be used for that call. This is useful if you want to use different SIM cards for different numbers, and you need switch them frequently.

However, this can be annoying when you mainly use only one of the SIM cards for outgoing calls.

It is easy to designate one of the SIM card for all of your outgoing calls. You can go to Settings–Dual  SIM settings– Call settings, tap Making calls. Then you have 3 options:

  1. use SIM card 1
  2. use SIM card 2
  3. let you select each time (this is the default setting).

How to use Moto G  automatic SIM selection?

how-to-use-moto-g-dual-sim-card-automatic_sim-selectionMoto G also has a nice feature in dual SIM cards models for those who have to switch between SIM cards for outgoing … Read the rest

Moto G wireless display: the problem and the solution

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moto-g-wireless-displayWhat is Wireless Display?

As some Android users know that Miracast is officially supported since Jelly Bean 4.2. Most Android phone manufactures usually name this feature as wireless display. Of Course, some vendor give it a different name for marketing purpose, for example, Samsung uses the name of “screen mirroring” for Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3.

Moto G wireless display simply does not work

Moto G come with Jelly Bean 4.3. In last December, Motorola updated the phone to Android KitKat 4.4.2. But you may find out that there is no option to enable Moto G wireless display no matter it is in Jelly Bean 4.3 or KitKat 4.4. There is no way to get wireless display in Moto G.

Of course, if we check the brother of Moto G, you can find out that Moto X fully supports wireless display.

So, missing Moto G wireless display is not an inadvertent mistake; it is done deliberately.

Why Moto G wireless display is disabled?

The question is why Motorola disable this very useful feature.  We haven’t got any official clear answer from Motorola on disabling Moto G wireless display.

The untold truth about Moto G wireless display is that wireless display is enabled in hardware level, but disabled in software level. It is actually due to hardware limitations.

Motorola chose to disable the Moto G wireless display for two reasons:

  1. WiFi connection and Miracast cannot be used simultaneously in Moto G. If the wireless display is enabled (it uses WiFi direct per Miracast standard), the WiFi connection to your router will be shutdown and therefore you have to use mobile data for internet connections.  Some Sony devices (2013) suffer from this issue either. To avoid negative feedback, and inadvertent usage of mobile date (remember that Moto G is targeted at users with moderate mobile data usage), Motorola has  to disable this feature.
  2. Even you manage to enable Moto G wireless display (root is needed, and it is not a simple task. Do NOT ask me how to do this. I do not show things that I do not recommend), the performance is not so good. There is noticeable delay and sound sync seems not good as well. Probably due to hardware issue, or Motorola did not do any optimization, or both  (because it will be anyway disabled).

Alternative solutions

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Moto G KitKat update: top 5 new features you may enjoy

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moto g KitKat updateFollowing the Moto G KitKat update this month, you can enjoy the Android KitKat 4.4.2 in Moto G now! Motorola did a nice job in updating their handsets in 2013.   Moto G is only second to Nexus to receive this KitKat update.

A lot of reviewers regarded Moto G as an affordable middle or low range smartphone. They may be correct as long as hardware specification is the criterion.

In the reality, software is equally important for a smartphone.

The Moto G KitKat update  indicates that Motorola treats all customers as VIPs. Moto G,  just like its bigger brother Moto X,  is also a top-notch smartphone in Motorola’s perspective.

At the end of the day, users enjoys the experience, rather than clock speed. Most of Moto G owners are very satisfied with Moto G, not only for its affordability, but also the excellent (and surprising) user experience it delivers.

Moto G  Kitkat update just improve the user experiences again. Some new features are added.

In this post. I will share with you the top 5 new features of Moto G KitKat update.

1. Faster Moto G

Although the hardware specs are not impressive, Moto G is surprisingly fast. Some users even compared this $179 smartphone with Galaxy S4, which is 3 times more expensive in most regions. They found out there is marginal difference in responsiveness between these two for most apps (not the heavy games). Of course, the slowness in Galaxy S4 could be partially due to the packed features in TouchWiz. Moto G is leaner and lighter.

One of the main improvements of KitKat 4.4 is to better the usage of resources. It simply means updating to 4.4 does not demand better hardware. If the handset can run Jelly Bean 4.3 smoothly, it should run KitKat even better.

Moto G’s KitKat update proves this. After the KitKat 4.2.2 update, you will simply feel  your Moto G is even more buttery.

Some former Samsung users may be scared of updating. For example, the recent Jelly Bean 4.3 update for Galaxy S4 make some users unhappy for various reasons. I even listed the top 5 problems after Android 4.3 update for Galaxy S4.

So, my suggestion to these former Samsung smartphone users is to get the update. You will not be disappointed. You will enjoy all of the  new features of Moto G KitKat update.

2.  Simplified and unified  

… Read the rest

All About Moto G: a definite guide for Moto G phone, is online now!

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Moto-g-phoneThis brand new website is for  owners of Motorola’s new Moto G phone.  All the topics are  on Moto G, and everything you need know about Moto G will be covered.

The community is about Moto G, and it is for you.

There are various sections in the website:

  • Manual section: you can  find the official Moto G user manual here. You can read online with the embedded PDf viewer, or download the PDF file to your desktop to read it later.
  • How-to guide section: you can find both short and long guides on how to use all features in your Moto G phone.
  • Buyer guide section: you can find the comparison between Moto G and other smartphones. This will help you decide which phone is for you.
  • Accessories guide section: you can find some essential or cool gadgets for your Moto G.
  • The Moto G forum section:  you are free to discuss anything related Moto G.
  • More sections will be added

If you have any suggestions, you may leave your message in the comments or relevant pages, or contact us privately.

Don’f forget to subscribe to our free Newsletter: Moto G Update, to get the latest updates, tips and tricks, and other info on Moto G. Some contents are exclusive on the newsletter.… Read the rest