Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Recently had to give up my iPhone 5 and was in need of a new, unlocked phone that I could use immediately. Perusing about amazon, I came across the Moto G and started doing some research on this puppy and liked what I read; decided to take the plunge. My immediate reaction to using this device has been extremely positive, and surpassed my expectations coming from an iPhone 5. At a $180'ish price point, the performance and the most put together Android/Google experience the Moto G delivers is unmatched. What you get with the phone: Moto G and charging cable... That's it! Design: Honestly, for a phone this cheap, this is a slick looking phone. With its concave design, matte black back plate and just about edge-to-edge glass on the face, you do not need to worry about the Moto G looking like a cheap Korean phone. This thing has style. The weight of the phone seems to be on the heavier side, which I like a lot, makes it feel well built and valuable. Comparing this Moto G to my Fiance's 4s, I have to say the Moto G looks better than the more expensive 4s. The only physical buttons on the Moto G is the lock and volume rocker, which adds to the simplicity and coolness of this phone's design. The home, back and multi-task buttons are on the screen. One design flaw that bummed me out is how you have to remove the back plate to insert your sim card. Seems like Motorola/Google could have thought of a better way to make this process easier. I ended up snapping the thin plastic on the top of the headphone jack. I'm the only one that notices it, but it's there and it's a bummer. UX/UI The first time I have seen a perfect marriage of an Android OS implementation and Google's awesome applications. If you have ever used an Android from another vendor, the OS tends to feel like a bootleg copy of another or does not feel polished like Apple's iOS. Using the Moto G, you will notice that this looks like the way Google intended their Android OS to be implemented on a device--remember, Google purchased Motorola and their handsets are starting to show the benefits of this acquisition. No weird bloatware is forced upon you, you basically get all of the Google apps, Motorola Migrate and that's about it. The Moto G is a lean machine out of the box, which is something I was thankful for when I first started it up. Also, the OS does a good job of guiding you on how to use the Google-centric apps instead of the on-board messaging/email apps with your google account, which each application is intuitive and runs flawlessly so far. Login to your Google account on startup and your whole Google-cloud-You is automatically loaded into your new Moto G almost instantly. Overall the interface and experience the Moto G delivers, running Android Jelly Bean, feels cohesive and intuitive. After using iPhones for so long, you tend to hear about "fragmentation," "walled gardens" in the Android universe, but the experience this Motorola delivers offers a glimpse into some pretty cool things to come for the Android OS--with Motorola handsets. Performance: I will warn you that I am not a mobile gamer. I use my phone to get things done and keep my life in order but would consider myself a power user, but have no need or want to play games on my phone--personally, I need tactile feedback to play video games... Anyways, this thing zips. After playing with crappy Android based tablets and witnessing some of the performance issues friends and relatives have with their Android phones, I was expecting some hiccups here and there at this price point. Motorola HAD to pinch pennies somewhere on this phone, right?! Well, they did compromise dollars here and there on this offering, but not so much in the hardware. This thing is a speedy little handset that will be more than adequate for the average user and I think if you are a power user that needs your phone to be productive, the Moto G should be able to handle everything you throw at it. Not only does the quad-core processor and 1gb of RAM in this little beast zip, but it is a true battery sipper. Battery saver mode shuts down background functions you don't absolutely need to get every drip of battery juice. The efficiency of this phone is amazing, don't even need to charge it through the day even when using mostly cellular data. Speaking of cellular data, one thing you should know about the Moto G is that one of the cost-saving features that Motorola implemented is that this phone is 3G only. This is not a huge deal to me as in my area 3G is fast enough. I also do not watch Netflix on my phone or anything, I have a Roku for that. Honestly, it's a small compromise for a phone this nice at this price point, I don't think it's a big deal. Your mileage will vary, so it is something to take into consideration. Display/Camera The display on the Moto G is sharp. No obvious aliasing or pixelation, everything looks crisp and clean... Except for the default background, get rid of that as soon as you get your Moto G. The camera is probably the biggest compromise made to the Moto G that I recognize and am kind "meh." about. It will shoot 720p video, which is completely fine; shoots panorama images (cool); frigin burst mode (pretty cool); and that's about it. The still camera quality is nothing compared to what you will find on the iPhone 5 and up or other more expensive handsets on the market. BUT THAT'S OK! You're taking photos with your phone and posting them on instagram or Facebook or whatever, not shooting editorial photography for [insert any nationally recognized magazine name here]. Overall: If you're looking for an unlocked phone or tired of the BS bloatware that comes with Android Handsets from other vendors, BUY THIS PHONE. This thing is a gem and the compromises that Motorola made to get the Moto G to this price point were all spot-on, correct decisions that consumers can really appreciate.