Jump to content

Moto G -Worth the upgrade?


Guest Thedarkphonetech

Recommended Posts

Guest Thedarkphonetech

So the recently moto g has recently been realesed to the budget market. It feautures a snapdragon 400 quad core cpu clocked at 1.2ghz,1gb ram,720p screen with a ppi of 321,5mp with 720p recording and android 4.3. So how does this compare to our beloved san diego?

Well in terma of cpu, I think we have a win- our intel processor proves to be very snappy as benchmarks and real life performance shows. Both have 1gb of ram - so a draw. The san diego has an 8mp with dual flash and 1080p at the rear and 1.3mp with 720p. This definately beats the moto g on paper,however I don't have any sample pictures with me. The moto g has a better screwn, with nicer colours and is that bit sharper with the extra ppi. Design and build wise, the moto g again wins with removable coloured backs and curved design. Software wise the moto g runs 4.3 out of the box with a promised 4.4 update in January with virtually no bloat ware. However our sandiego is crammed with lots of bloatware and runs an outdated 4.0.4. Also the san diego is completely locked down both in network and bootloader. Although root is present nothing else can devolpe. The moto g already has lots of devlopment. The san diego wins for connectively with an hdmi port and dedicated camera button. The speakers are also better than the moto g (dual speakers). Is it worth the £150 NO!!!!:lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest BlueMoonRising

Just a few points.

 

1. I find it hard to believe anyone can tell the difference between 321 PPI and 297 PPI on a 4 (or so) inch screen.

2. I didn't think there was that much bloatware on the OSD, but as soon as you're rooted it's all gone anyway.

3. Once out of the minimum term it's not network locked. Admittedly you do have to wait and it can be problematic to unlock to say the least.

 

As to whether it's worth it if you already have an OSD is a personal question and everybody would have their own take on that.

If you are looking to buy one Tescos are selling the 16GB version for £129 I think but of course that is network locked.

Edited by BlueMoonRising
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest spike68

I forgot to mention that if you root then of course you can slap a 64GB MicroSD card in the OSD which for me personally is the clincher.

The moto G leaves it for dead. Camera is only thing on the phone that can by frowned upon but the camera app is customized. Great pics. Blazing fast with 50gb Google drive + 8gb on board. Graphics/display shame the s4, confirmed by friends with s4's. Much longer battery life. Don't compare to this phone, get nexus 4 OE better.

99£ on any network from phones for you but use a friends payg orange sim. Loving it.

post-940307-13852670421912_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest BlueMoonRising

The moto G leaves it for dead. Camera is only thing on the phone that can by frowned upon but the camera app is customized. Great pics. Blazing fast with 50gb Google drive + 8gb on board. Graphics/display shame the s4, confirmed by friends with s4's. Much longer battery life. Don't compare to this phone, get nexus 4 OE better.

99£ on any network from phones for you but use a friends payg orange sim. Loving it.

Remind me where the MicroSD slot is since I use it as my MP3 player?

 

;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Ced_Gee

I'm moving over to a Moto G as soon as Tesco get some more 16GB's back in stock.  

 

The San Diego has been ok but the build quality (mine has more cracks than a crack house) and the battery life (screen just saps power) are major bugbears.  The lack of support and updates are annoying and as I'm leaving EE I don't fancy giving them another £15 just to unlock it.

 

It's a shame really as it had the potential to be an outstanding phone but the execution and the unwillingness to unlock the bootloader was deeply flawed.  A bit of a disappointment compared to the original San Francisco, which has been kept alive by a healthy development scene.

 

Needless to say I wont be buying another 'Orange' phone again...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest BlueMoonRising

I'm moving over to a Moto G as soon as Tesco get some more 16GB's back in stock.  

 

The San Diego has been ok but the build quality (mine has more cracks than a crack house) and the battery life (screen just saps power) are major bugbears.  The lack of support and updates are annoying and as I'm leaving EE I don't fancy giving them another £15 just to unlock it.

 

It's a shame really as it had the potential to be an outstanding phone but the execution and the unwillingness to unlock the bootloader was deeply flawed.  A bit of a disappointment compared to the original San Francisco, which has been kept alive by a healthy development scene.

 

Needless to say I wont be buying another 'Orange' phone again...

Pretty much agree with all of that including not buying an 'Orange' phone again.

 

Just two things, it's £20 to unlock (even worse I know) unless it's changed and the battery life I've always found to be fine. Any high resolution screen is going to suck power, it's just the nature of the beast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Ced_Gee

^^^

Yeah, I agree with the screen thing.  Motorola seem to have cracked the battery issue though, which is one of the main reasons I'm moving over.

Edited by Ced_Gee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest BlueMoonRising

Slightly off topic but if anyone is looking to upgrade then Giffgaff have some interesting phone deals where you can pay for the handset over your choice of length of time and pay for the sim separately.

All the phones are even unlocked.

 

http://giffgaff.com/phones

 

 

 

Edit :- I only became aware of this today so apologies if you already knew, no idea how long they've been doing this.

Edited by BlueMoonRising
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got both.

 

The San Diego should have been a great phone, it's ridiculous that Intel ported 4.2 to Medfield but none of the OEMs took them up on it, especially when the phones are essentially the FFRD manufactured by Gigabyte. The hardware is quite capable, but being locked down tight and stuck on 4.0.4 has sucked. Intel's first shot at mobile went down in flames, even the RAZR i and Lenovo K900 (?) seem to have stalled.

 

I'll never buy another Orange phone ever again, or indeed any third-party branded phone like Vodafone's Smart range, you are at the liberty of companies that simply do not care. Updates are a big enough problem as it is without letting operators even more in on the act than normal.

 

All in all it was a mistake to buy one, I'm just glad I only paid ~£80 or so.

 

 

As to the Moto G things are looking much brighter.

 

The good:

 

1. It's fast, certainly faster than you'd expect. No it's not going to win benchmarks but in use it feels good. I'm really very pleased with the performance.

 

2. Build quality is excellent for a cheap phone. There are no rattles or squeaks or flimsy parts on my phone at least. It looks good too.

 

3. The screen is very nice too. I don't think you can get a better screen for this price.

 

4. Software. Essentially completely stock. SIM unlocked from Phones 4U. Unlock-able, apparently, from Motorola. And 4.4 promised for January. This is how it should be done. Short of a Nexus, or Google Play Edition, it's as good as it gets.

 

5. It's cheap too, just over that £100 sweet spot. When you look at other Android phones around that price it's a hell of a good deal.

 

The bad:

 

1. The camera is a bit crap. If you really care about this, I don't, then look elsewhere.

 

2. No SD. I don't care about this either.

 

So for me personally there are no downsides to the Moto G. It does everything I want at a reasonable price. I've already half made up my mind to buy its successor. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest BlueMoonRising

I knew nothing about the Moto G until this thread came up but from a quick Google it looks really good especially for the price.

Tesco's seem to have them back in stock (just checked now) @ £99 for the 8GB and £129 for the 16GB one.

If you want to unlock then just £2.04 from a link on XDA is as cheap as you can get (short of free :) ) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=47746445

 

In relation to the GiffGaff deals I mentioned above the moneysavingexpert website has a handy comparison table for handsets :- http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2013/11/giffgaff-starts-selling-mobile-handsets-but-are-its-deals-any-good?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=msenews&utm_term=26-Nov-13-v1&utm_campaign=news&utm_content=5

 

 

 

Edit :- Tesco's also include them in their Club Card Boost scheme so if you've got enough you can half that online price.

Edited by BlueMoonRising
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest MrPuddington

Just a few points.

 

1. I find it hard to believe anyone can tell the difference between 321 PPI and 297 PPI on a 4 (or so) inch screen.

2. I didn't think there was that much bloatware on the OSD, but as soon as you're rooted it's all gone anyway.

3. Once out of the minimum term it's not network locked. Admittedly you do have to wait and it can be problematic to unlock to say the least.

 

 

I have done it, and I have to say it is worth it. The Moto G is the first phone that I can happy just use. I do not have the feeling that I have to tweak the software, because it just works. Android really has come along nicely since 4.0.

 

On the hardware side, there are pros and cons. The display is larger and has a higher resolution. You can see the higher resolution if you look very closely, but I doubt it is in any way relevant. The bigger size does make a difference. The Moto G is also slightly thicker, but it is curved and nice to hold. The CPU is more powerful, but has less single thread performance. Importantly it is an ARMv7, which means the phone has excellent compatibility with all apps (but I think no flash player?). The audio output and the speaker is not quite as good, and it has only one microphone (no noise cancellation). The camera has a lower resolution, but makes better pictures. The wifi signal is a bit stronger, I think. The build quality is much better. The battery lasts a lot longer. 

 

So the hardware is nearly on par (except for the display), and most of the difference is in the software. Don't forget that the Moto G has unified storage, which means 5 GB for apps. On the San Diego I easily run out of app space.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest MrPuddington

The San Diego should have been a great phone, it's ridiculous that Intel ported 4.2 to Medfield but none of the OEMs took them up on it, especially when the phones are essentially the FFRD manufactured by Gigabyte. The hardware is quite capable, but being locked down tight and stuck on 4.0.4 has sucked. Intel's first shot at mobile went down in flames, even the RAZR i and Lenovo K900 (?) seem to have stalled.

This.

 

Intel made a great phone, and they turned it into a great hardware platform that easily outperforms ARM. But they failed to deliver the software to go with it. Now they have a bad reputation, and are only being used in cheap budget stuff like the Galaxy Tab 3. They blew it big time, they have turned evil (why do they still keep the boot loader locked even after they stopped selling it?) and they have only themselves to blame. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest BlueMoonRising

I have done it, and I have to say it is worth it. The Moto G is the first phone that I can happy just use. I do not have the feeling that I have to tweak the software, because it just works. Android really has come along nicely since 4.0.

 

On the hardware side, there are pros and cons. The display is larger and has a higher resolution. You can see the higher resolution if you look very closely, but I doubt it is in any way relevant. The bigger size does make a difference. The Moto G is also slightly thicker, but it is curved and nice to hold. The CPU is more powerful, but has less single thread performance. Importantly it is an ARMv7, which means the phone has excellent compatibility with all apps (but I think no flash player?). The audio output and the speaker is not quite as good, and it has only one microphone (no noise cancellation). The camera has a lower resolution, but makes better pictures. The wifi signal is a bit stronger, I think. The build quality is much better. The battery lasts a lot longer. 

 

So the hardware is nearly on par (except for the display), and most of the difference is in the software. Don't forget that the Moto G has unified storage, which means 5 GB for apps. On the San Diego I easily run out of app space.  

I never doubted it's a good phone (amazing for the price) although with no SD card slot it's not for me. The fact that the build quality is better should come as no surprise to anyone who's bought an OSD :(

As far as the screen resolution goes perhaps I should have pointed out that I'm in my 50s with fading eye sight so I'll pass on that ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Ced_Gee

Been using the Moto G for a week now, so I've had time to compare it to the San Diego.

 

Pro's:-

It seems quite a bit faster, I've not done any benchmarks but real world feel is nippier

Build quality is very good at the price point.  It doesn't feel like it will fall to pieces like the SD and the buttons have a nice positive action.

Battery life is excellent, nearly twice as good as my SD

GPS actually works, unlike on my SD

 

Cons:-

Camera isnt brilliant, SD is slightly better imo

No microsd card 

No dedicated button for the camera

 

 

All in all the Moto G is a massive bargain, especially as it only cost £115 for the 16GB from Tesco.  I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a budget upgrade from the San Diego.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Guest markhuges

Hi, I also have got the Moto G. Heres my views! and also had used the Orange San Diego!

 

Moto G 

The Good 

- It is an overall Better Build quality, overall!!!!!  Is ALOT BETTER ( power button 50/50)  SEE The okay! )

- Latest version, 4.3 getting 4.4 Root Rom etc ( not my thing but still for others to consider)

- Can get good cases for phone

- Cheaper to SIM unlock. compared to £20 from Orange!!!!!!  Only £2.03!!!!!!!!!

- Battery Life IS MUCH Better 4-5 Screen time on OSD    VS   5-6!! on Moto G

 

 

The Bad 

- The overall build quality is better BUT i still feel the power button is "poor" its like the OSD but on the right hand side and slightly bigger its not 100% solid built

- Some users have said that the Unlock code is a 50/50 risk! sometimes it dont work ( i belive its 70/30 Sucess chance!)

- After using this, I still miss my OSD , Moto G feels slightly weaker and slower the OSD Processor is better and i feel its more faster! and slightly zippyer 

- Screen - I find no difference between them both very similar cant tell the difference. 

- No HDMI output

 

The Ugly !!!!

- Moto G camera is RUBBISH compared to OSD very very poor for a 5mp! No 1080p

- NO Micro SD Card BUT i believe the OSD has more free internal space available!!!

- Both NO REMOVABLE Battery

 

 

Overall i would say If you have a Good case and take EXCELLENT care and (NOT a clumsy person who drops their phone)  and takes Lots of Pictures! I would say KEEP the OSD. 

 

If you drop your phone alot, have a poor power button, love to Mod/root/room don't mind the poor camera get the Moto G. 

 

Enjoy :) :D  If you have more questions or want to know more about the Moto G ! Ask me! :d

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...
Guest glossywhite
Comparing the OSD to the Moto G is akin to comparing a Reliant Robin to a Saab 9000. What good was the San Diego, together with its' (supposed) 1080p camera, 16GB nand etc, when:
 
~ It was built from paper thin, spray-painted BENDY plastic which was only slightly more advanced than bakelite... and just as brittle
 
~ The bezel and/or trim around the power button/volume/camera button(s) would fracture in a matter of DAYS
 
~ The battery, camera module OR BOTH, would die after a few months, never to be used again
 
~ The camera sensor suffered from amp noise, noticeable by the purple tinge in images
 
~ The screen would get strange distortion marks, due to heat coming from behind the LCD as the chips got ridiculously hot, likely due to video encoding when recording
 
~ There was NO "official" SD card slot - this was never a justifiable reason to buy it over the fixed memory Moto G 1st gen - it was a messy hack, and voided any warranty (and never worked properly)
 
~ It was hampered by a brand new "proof of concept" Intel marketing scheme, designed to show off how amazing Intel thought the Atom was, and how it was going to overthrow ARM and... zzzzzzzz (it didn't)
 
~ The CPU was **NOWHERE NEAR** the speed of the quad core Qualcomm MSM8226 of the Moto G (if you think it was, it's time to power down the reality distortion field, or lay off the booze)
 
~ You were/(are? I sincerely hope not) stuck with crappy 4.0.4 *FOR LIFE*, as XOLO (whoever they were or are) abandoned it after that
 
~ You were never, EVER going to get the bootloader unlocked - Orange just wanted to milk us for cheap junk hardware, then run to the bank
 
~ Moto G had 4.4 from the get-go, upgraded to 4.4.4 AND will get (guaranteed) 5.0 Lollipop, and possibly the next version (maybe?)
 
~ Motorola is owned by Google, so you basically get the next OS within a few weeks of release
 
~ Moto G 4G had a proper SD card slot and DUAL SIM slots
 
~ Motorola ALLOW you to unlock the bootloader, on the understanding you void your warranty
 
~ Motorola sell the coloured shells and the almost indestructable, rubberised "Flip shell" for the Moto G (1st gen), Moto G (4G) and Moto G (2nd gen, 5") 
 
 
 
 
I could go on... and on... and on... but I won't, as I don't want to sound like an arrogant twerp. The San Diego had a (very) false perception of being an amazing device, but was basically a very badly failed experiment by OrangEE/whoever made it and some unheard of Indian outfit, none of which are exactly helpful for warranty issues.
 
 
I'm glad mine died - it put me off Orange mobile for life, and did me a HUGE favour. I am now the proud owner of a Moto G 2nd gen with a flip shell and 64GB SanDisk ultra microSD card.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.