Motorola has made its budget-friendly Moto G 2015 bigger and better compared with last year’s Moto G, but is it worth the slightly higher price?
The Moto G 3rd gen certainly has a lot to live up to. Moto G 2014 was hailed as the best cheap phone on the market, and there’s only so much you can upgrade at such a low price point.
We took a look at the new Moto G and last year’s model in a side-by-side comparison to see just what has changed over the last 10 months.
Moto G 2015 vs Moto G 2014: Design
The 2015 version of the Moto G keeps things relatively similar compared to last year’s model when it comes to the overall look of the device; however there are a number of key differences. The camera module, for example, has become much more defined, getting its own metallic casing that extends to the indented Motorola logo around halfway down the back of the device.
Another important difference is that the 2015 Moto G has a water-resistant rating of IPX7, meaning that the new phone can be fully submerged in up to one meter of water for as long as 30 minutes. While it’s not made specifically to be used underwater, if you accidentally drop it in the pool the device should be fine.
Those who want to have more control over the design of their phone will also be pleased to know that the Moto G 2015 is the first of Motorola’s budget handsets that you can customize through Moto Maker, enabling you to choose things like the front color, back color, and accent color of the device. You can also add engravings to your device and choose how much storage you want it to have, all through Moto Maker.
It’s important to note that the new Moto G is slightly thicker than 2014’s model, coming in at 11.3mm at its thickest point. It is also a little shorter, being 141.5mm tall, compared to last year’s 142.1mm.
Moto G 2015 vs Moto G 2014: Display
While Motorola has upgraded the pixel count of the camera, the 2015 model’s display remained the same as its 2014 counterpart.
This is a little frustrating, because the phone does have a larger battery, so it should be able to handle 1080p without a problem, as demonstrated by last year’s full HD Moto X 2014.
The display resolution is 1,280 x 720 pixels, translating to a 294 pixels-per-inch pixel density. It uses IPS LCD technology, offering wide viewing angles, and is 5-inches in total, fairly large for a device in its price range.
Moto G (2015) vs Moto G (2014): Processing and RAM
At the heart of the Moto G 2015 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor that’s clocked at 1.4GHz.
That’s a little more power if you’re coming from last year’s Moto G that had the Snapdragon 400 quad-core chip that ran at 1.2GHz. This power bump is ideal for those who like a phone that can multitask as a reasonable pace.
The chip bump will be especially apparent for those who purchase the 2015 Moto G with 16GB of storage, which comes with 2GB of RAM. The 8GB version of the device comes with 1GB of RAM, like both versions of the 2014 Moto G.
Moto G 2015 vs Moto G 2014: Camera
One of the biggest improvements in this year’s Moto G is found in the camera. While last year’s Moto G included an 8MP rear-facing shooter, the 2015 version offers a 13MP camera – great news if you care about taking decent photos.
In fact, this is the same camera found on the Google Nexus 6, which is around three times the price of the Moto G. The camera also now features a dual-LED flash.
For those interested in video chatting or using Snapchat, Motorola has also heard your requests, bumping the new Moto G’s camera up to 5MP instead of just 2MP.
Moto G 2015 vs Moto G 2014: Battery
Another point of improvement for the 2015 Moto G is in the battery, which has been raised to 2,470 mAh, over last year’s 2,070 mAh.
This is quite a nice upgrade, and should help the device last a lot longer than its predecessor, despite this more power-hungry processor.
According to Motorola, in fact, the larger battery will last for 24 hours of mixed use. Of course, hearing that from the company is different from what you might experience, so stay tuned for benchmarks in our full Moto G 2015 review.
Moto G 2015 vs Moto G 2014: Pricing and availability
The 2015 Moto G is available immediately in over 60 countries, costing $179 (£179, around AU$245) for the 8GB version and $219 (£209, around AU$300) for the 16GB version.
This is part of the reason that Motorola has gained so much popularity – it’s a midrange phone with the price tag of a low-end device.
- Also budget-friendly: OnePlus 2 hands on review
This is slightly pricier than last year’s model, however the improved specs in the Moto G 3rd gen edition certainly help justify the premium.
Moto G 2015 vs Moto G 2014: Verdict
The new Moto G is a far better device for almost the same low cost as last year’s version. What’s not to love?
For those looking for a great Google-powered device running close to stock Android 5.1.1 and able to handle everyday use at a fairly low price, the Moto G is once again an ideal option.
For those, however, who need a real workhorse that can take more than the average user might throw at it, it’s important to note the Moto G is still a midrange phone, and the new Moto X Style (Moto X Pure Edition in the US) or Moto X Play might do you better.
- Still need convincing? Read our Moto G 2015 review
