Moto G (3rd generation)

Last updated
Moto G (3rd generation)
Moto G logo.svg
Moto G 3rd Generation.png
CodenameOsprey
Manufacturer Motorola Mobility
Slogan Choose the phone that's always there for you
Series Motorola Moto it works YouTube and Play Store Normal: Moto G 3rd Generation Current: Moto G 2nd Generation
ModelXT1540/41/42/43/48/50 (Moto G 3rd gen)
XT1556/57 (Turbo Edition)
First releasedJuly 28, 2015 (2015-07-28)
Predecessor Moto G (2nd generation)
Successor Moto G4
Related Moto X Style
Moto X Play
Type Smartphone
Form factor Phablet
Dimensions142.1 mm (5.59 in) H
72.4 mm (2.85 in) W
11.6 mm (0.46 in) D
Weight155 g (5.5 oz)
Operating system
System-on-chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
CPU 1.4 GHz 32-bit Quad-core
GPU Adreno 306
Memory1 or 2 GB LPDDR2/3 RAM
Storage8 or 16 GB, microSD card slot
Removable storage microSDXC up to 32 GB
Battery2470  mAh Li-ion non-removable
Display5.0" (129 mm) 1280 x 720 (294 ppi) 720p IPS panel [1] with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
SoundEarpiece, loudspeaker, 2-mic support
Rear camera Sony IMX214 Exmor R CMOS 13  MP, f2.0 aperture, [2] dual CCT dual tone flash, 1080p video recording @ 30fps, and slow motion recording up to 59.32fps.
Front camera 5 MP, f2.2
ConnectivityMicro USB, 3.5 mm headset jack, Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz only)
Water resistance IPX7
Development statusDiscontinued
Website US, UK, Australia, India, Argentina, Brazil

The third-generation Moto G is an Android smartphone developed by Lenovo's subsidiary Motorola Mobility, unveiled in India on July 28, 2015 [3] and released the same day. [4] The Moto G4 is its successor.

Contents

Specifications

The third-generation Moto G has a 5-inch display with HD resolution of 1280x720p and features Corning Gorilla Glass 3, a 13-megapixel camera similar to the one from the Nexus 6 with many features including HDR imaging and an on-screen exposure setting option, a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, and the latest version of Android, 6.0.1 "Marshmallow". The phone back is removable, and made of textured plastic. The back also comes in multiple colors available in Motorola's Moto Maker website. The Moto G 3rd-generation is water resistant through the use of nano-coating and internal rubber gaskets, giving it an IPX7 rating. [5] This water resistance gives the phone the ability to be submerged in up to one meter (or about three feet) of water for 30 minutes at a time with the back cover secured correctly. [6] The model comes with 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM, while the other model comes with 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. [7] This phone also features a 2470 mAh Li-ion non-removable battery. Both models support LTE.

At launch, the phone ran a near-stock Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, although it has since been upgraded to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, preloaded on new devices and upgradable via an OTA update for devices already on the Lollipop 5.1 OS. [8] The Android Marshmallow 6.0 update for the Moto G 3rd-generation was first widely rolled out in North America starting on December 24, 2015. [9] The phone has both a single-SIM and dual-SIM variant, availability of which vary by market.

Variants

ModelCarriers/RegionsCDMA bandsGSM/GPRS/EDGE bandsUMTS/HSPA+ bandsLTE bandsNotes
XT1540US (unlocked), Canada (all carriers or unlocked), Latin America (Tigo), Mexico (Unlocked)N/A850, 900, 1800, 1900850, 1700/AWS, 1900, 2100B2 (1900), B4 (1700), B5 (850), B7 (2600), *B12 (700), B17 (700)Single SIM
XT1541EuropeN/A850, 900, 1800, 1900900, 2100B1 (2100), B3 (1800), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B20 (800)Single SIM
XT1542/43/44Colombia, Brazil, Latin AmericaN/A850, 900, 1800, 1900850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100B4 (1700), B7 (2600), B28 (700)Dual SIM (XT1543/44), Digital TV (XT1544), Single SIM (XT1542).
XT1548US (Sprint, US Cellular, Virgin Mobile)800, 850, 1900850, 900, 1800, 1900850, 1700, 1900B2 (1900), B4 (1700), B5 (850), B12 (700), B17 (700), B25 (1900), B26 (850), LTE-TDD: B41 (2500)Single SIM
XT1550Asia, AustraliaN/A850, 900, 1800, 1900850, 900, 2100B1 (2100), B3 (1800), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B28 (700), LTE-TDD: B40 (2300)Dual SIM
XT1556Mexico, Brazil, ColombiaN/A850, 900, 1800, 1900850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100B4 (1700), B7 (2600), B28 (700)Turbo Edition

Dual SIM

XT1557IndiaN/A850, 900, 1800, 1900850, 900, 2100B1 (2100), B3 (1800), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B28 (700), LTE-TDD: B40 (2300)Turbo Edition

Dual Sim

*Band 12 is available with the Android M update.

A Moto G Turbo Edition with a faster eight core Snapdragon 615 processor, 2 GB of RAM, IP67 rating, and Quick Charging was revealed for sale in Mexico, Colombia, and India on 13 November 2015. [10]

Reception

The 3rd generation Moto G received a very positive reception upon release. The Moto G's performance from its 1.4 GHz Snapdragon 410 paired with either 1GB or 2GB of RAM was significantly faster than the 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 with 1GB of RAM in the Moto E, and almost as quick as devices powered by the more powerful 1.5 GHz Snapdragon 615 such as the Huawei P8 Lite, which has been attributed to the Moto G's largely bloat-free build of Android 5.1 "Lollipop". While the 2nd generation Moto G was regarded as a "sidegrade" rather than a true successor to the 1st generation (since it retains largely the same specifications), the Moto G 3rd generation was considered a big improvement over its predecessors. [11] The rear camera's photo quality (except in low-light conditions) was much lauded considering the Moto G's budget price (sharing the same sensor as the much more expensive Nexus 6) and its predecessors' poor camera performance. The IPX7 water resistance (unique among smartphones in its price range at the time) was also praised by reviewers. Ars Technica proclaimed "the fact that the Moto G is so competent drives home the superfluousness of so many flagship phone features—the move from 720p to 1080p to 1440p and beyond, faster SoCs, ever-thinner metal-and-glass slabs. Those things are all nice to have, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue that any of them are essential," [12] referring to the surprising value of the 3rd-generation Moto G considering its price.

There have been criticisms of the 3rd generation Moto G. For example, the IPS panel screen's calibration was poorer than its 2014 predecessor. Despite brighter, more vibrant colours and wider viewing angles, the display still suffered from "muted" greens and "washed-out" outdoor performance. [11] [13] Low light camera performance was also criticized (with similar criticism also being leveled at the Nexus 6, which shares the same camera sensor). The 8 GB of storage and 1 GB of RAM configuration leaves little more than 4 GB out-of-the-box for user-accessible storage, although this was partially addressed with the inclusion of a Micro SD card slot expandable officially up to 32 GB and unofficially up to 128 GB. The lack of RAM on the 8 GB model has also been said to significantly reduce multitasking performance. The criticisms aimed at the low-end model would not be so much of an issue for the 3rd-generation Moto G if the other model had been available in all markets, as some countries only have the 8 GB model available. [14] [15]

Known issues

Multiple users reported having a problem with the microSD card reader, which would stop recognizing the SD card, leading to possible loss of data and inability to use the SD card. [16] The problem appears to remain unaddressed.

The Moto G3, like many older phones, is vulnerable to the series of vulnerabilities known as BlueBorne . [17] Retail versions of this phone are no longer receiving security updates according to the Lenovo Support Site, [18] so it will apparently remain unpatched (carrier support may vary). Unofficial versions via custom ROMs such as LineageOS were likely to solve two of those following issues.

An Image taken using Moto G3 HDR Mode Manu Mathew Keerampanal Parunthumpara.jpg
An Image taken using Moto G3 HDR Mode

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorola Mobility</span> American consumer electronics company

Motorola Mobility LLC, marketed as Motorola, is an American consumer electronics manufacturer primarily producing smartphones and other mobile devices running Android. Headquartered at Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois, it is a subsidiary of the Chinese technology company Lenovo.

Google Nexus is a discontinued line of consumer electronic mobile devices that ran a stock version of the Android operating system. Google managed the design, development, marketing, and support of these devices, but some development and all manufacturing were carried out by partnering with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Alongside the main smartphone products, the line also included tablet computers and streaming media players; the Nexus started out in January 2010 and reached its end in October 2016, replaced by Google Pixel family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenovo smartphones</span> Smartphones

Lenovo smartphones are marketed as the "LePhone" in mainland China and the "IdeaPhone" overseas are smartphones designed and manufactured by the Motorola Mobility, ZUK Mobile and Medion, divisions of Lenovo. On April 27, 2017, Lenovo announced that the ZUK brand would cease operations. In 2015, Lenovo subsumed its own smartphone division into the acquired Motorola brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nexus 6</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility and Google

The Nexus 6 is a phablet co-developed by Google and Motorola Mobility that runs the Android operating system. It is the successor to the Nexus 5, and the sixth smartphone in the Google Nexus series, which is a family of Android consumer devices marketed by Google and built by an original equipment manufacturer partner. The Nexus 6 and the HTC Nexus 9 served as the launch devices for Android 5.0 "Lollipop".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto G (1st generation)</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The Moto G is an Android smartphone developed and manufactured by Motorola Mobility, at the time a subsidiary of Google. Released on 13 November 2013, the phone was initially aimed at emerging markets, although it was also available in developed markets as a low-price option.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto E (1st generation)</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Inc.

Moto E is an Android smartphone developed and manufactured by Motorola Mobility. It was unveiled and released online in India and the United States on May 13, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto X (2nd generation)</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The second generation Moto X, marketed as moto X and referred to in the media as Moto X (2014), is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. Released on September 5, 2014, it is the successor to the original Moto X released in 2013. It was succeeded by the third generation Moto X Style and Play family, announced on July 29, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto G (2nd generation)</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The second-generation Moto G is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. Released on September 6, 2014, it is a successor to the original Moto G released in 2013. The phone was initially aimed at developing markets, although it is also available in developed markets as a lower-cost option compared to other phones in its class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Droid Turbo</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The Droid Turbo was a high end smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. It is part of the Verizon Droid line, and was announced on October 28, 2014, on the Verizon Droid Does website. The Droid Turbo maintains a similar design shape to its predecessor, the Droid Maxx, with new durable ballistic nylon or metallized glass fiber reinforced with Kevlar as the materials offered. The on-screen buttons for back, home, and multitask functions were kept off-screen as capacitive soft-keys below the display. Due to Lenovo closing its acquisition of Motorola Mobility from Google, the Droid Turbo was the first phone released by Motorola Mobility under Lenovo ownership, as it was released through Verizon Wireless first on the same day the Lenovo sale closed, October 30, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Galaxy A5 (2015)</span> Android smartphone manufactured by Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2015) or Samsung Galaxy A5 2015 Edition is an Android smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. Serving as a premium upper mid-range device, it was introduced on 30 October 2014, along with the smaller and related Samsung Galaxy A3 (2015) and larger Samsung Galaxy A7 (2015) introduced later in January 2015. The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) is a successor to the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2015) edition, featuring a revised metal and glass build that debuted with the Galaxy S6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto E (2nd generation)</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The second generation Moto E is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. Released on February 25, 2015, it is a successor to the Moto E released in 2014. The New Moto E is a low-end device for first-time smartphone owners or budget-minded consumers, and is available in 40 countries worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto X Style</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The Moto X Style is the flagship third-generation of Moto X Android smartphone developed and manufactured by Motorola that was released on September 2, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto X Play</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

Moto X Play is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. Unveiled on July 28, 2015, it was one of three devices that succeeded the second-generation Moto X. In contrast to the high-end Moto X Style, the Play is a mid-range device distinguished by its high battery capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZUK Mobile</span> Chinese smartphone company

ZUK Mobile was a Chinese smartphone company founded in May 2015, and a subsidiary of Lenovo. It was headquartered in Beijing. The brand ceased operations in 2017, when Lenovo shifted its smartphone focus to Motorola.

The Moto X Force is a high-end Android smartphone made by Motorola Mobility. Inside the United States, it is branded as the Droid Turbo 2, available exclusively in the United States for the Verizon Droid brand. It was released on October 27, 2015. The phone is marketed as having "the world's first shatterproof screen."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honor 4X</span> Android smartphone manufactured by Huawei

The Huawei Honor 4X is a mid-range Android smartphone manufactured by Huawei as part of the Huawei Honor X series. It was released in October 2014, and received generally positive reviews.

Lenovo Vibe P1 is an Android smartphone manufactured by Lenovo. The Vibe P1 was announced on 2 September 2015 at IFA 2015. It was launched in October 2015 for US$249. It was available in Silver, Platinum and Graphite Grey and Gold colour variants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto G4</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The Moto G4 is a line of Android smartphones manufactured by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the successor to the third-generation Moto G, and was first released in Brazil and India on May 17, 2016, with other markets following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto G5</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

Moto G5 is a series of Android smartphones developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the fifth generation of the Moto G family. Announced as successors to the Moto G4, they were first released in March 2017 in several markets including India and Europe. The original variants are the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, the latter also being available as an Amazon Prime version in the United States. The mid-cycle updates, the Moto G5s and Moto G5s Plus, were released in August 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto X4</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

Moto X4 is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. Unveiled on August 31, 2017, at IFA, it is a revival of the previously discontinued Moto X line. It was released in Europe at the end of September 2017.

References

  1. "Display And Audio Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) Review". Tom's Hardware . 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  2. Moto G review: Camera | TechRadar
  3. Official: Everything you need to know about the Moto X Style, Moto X Play and Moto G 2015 Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  4. Moto G (3rd Gen) Launched In India Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  5. "Moto G Durability". Motorola. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  6. "Moto G". Motorola.
  7. Moto G hands-on: Motorola's most popular phone gets a premium upgrade Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  8. Motorola Android 6.0 marshmallow update device list/
  9. "Android 6.0 Marshmallow starts rolling out for the unlocked Moto G 2015 in North America | Android Central". androidcentral.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-26.
  10. Motorola launches a faster, pricier version of the Moto G in Mexico, Android Authority, 6 Nov 2015
  11. 1 2 "Final Words - The Moto G (2015) Review". Anandtech.com. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  12. Cunningham, Andrew (2015-08-10). "Review: New £180 Moto G is a stylish upgrade worthy of the original". Ars Technica UK. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  13. "The Moto G (2015) Review". Anandtech.com. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  14. "Exploring smartphone choices under $600". MobileSyrup.com. 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  15. "Moto G (3rd gen) review". MobileSyrup.com. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  16. "Moto G 3rd gen stopped recognizing SD card". Lenovo forum. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  17. "The Attack Vector "BlueBorne" Exposes Almost Every Connected Device". Armis. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  18. "Motorola Support [select Other Carrier or Retail, then Moto G (3rd Generation)]" . Retrieved 21 September 2017.

Further reading