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Motorola aims to keep the cheap phone crown with the G6 and G6 Play
Year after year, Motorola churns out some of the best inexpensive Android phones money can buy and parent company Lenovo is eager to keep that streak alive. That's where the new Moto G6 and G6 Play come in — Motorola has embraced some of the trends that have made this year's premium phones so palatable, and that's great news for smartphone shoppers who don't feel like shelling out flagship-level wads of cash.
Motorola's new Moto E4 isn't exactly thrilling, but it's cheap
Motorola is as well known for its cheap phones as it is for flagships, so no one was surprised when it revealed the fourth-generation Moto E earlier this month. For those not familiar, Motorola's E line always felt like a curiosity, as though the company was challenging itself to build a phone for as little as possible without turning it into a smoldering pile of garbage. Its track record speaks for itself: Motorola does fine work on the cheap, and that hasn't changed. The frills here are few, but after a little hands-on time, the Moto E4 seems to be a strong option for just $130.
The Moto C series could be Motorola's most affordable yet
Life under Lenovo has had its ups and downs for Motorola. The company has found success on the budget end of the smartphone spectrum with the recent Moto G5 and the Moto E series before that, but the mobile phone business is still bringing down its corporate parent. Based on a new leak obtained by VentureBeat, however, the company appears to be doubling down on the budget end of its product line with an even more affordable Moto C series of phones.
The new Moto G5s trade fun colors for mature looks
When Lenovo/Motorola first revealed the 4th-generation Moto G and Moto G Plus last year, it did so at a surprisingly secretive launch event in India. That was probably just as well: They were perfectly decent mid-range phones that didn't excite the way earlier G's did. The swanky interior of the W Hotel in Barcelona seems to suit the new G5 and G5 Plus a little better. Lenovo still wanted to build a set of reasonably priced mid-range phones, but it's clear the company was angling to give the G series something of a premium makeover. This year is all about cleaner lines and metal bodies, but I wonder if the G5 and G5 Plus didn't lose a bit of character in the redesign.
Moto G4 and G4 Plus review: Bigger and (mostly) better
When it comes to getting the most smartphone for your dollar, the Moto G line has been your best choice for the past few years. We adored the previous model, which came in at a mere $180. Now with the Moto G4 and G4 Plus, Motorola is literally aiming to make its budget lineup bigger and better. They've got larger and sharper screens, improved cameras and, of course, speedier processors. With those upgrades come compromises, though. For one, they're more expensive: The G4 starts at $200 and the G4 Plus at $250. Motorola also made some curious design decisions, which in many ways feel like a step back. Still, they both manage to carry the mantle of Smartphone Value King.
Up close with the Moto G4 Plus, the best from a puzzling new lineup
I've been spending my time here at Google I/O hoping to catch a Google exec pull a supersecret VR headset out of a coat pocket. Instead I ran into one using Motorola's new Moto G4 Plus -- the highest-end of the three new Moto G models announced earlier this week. Said exec was surprisingly cool about letting me give a personal phone the full hands-on treatment too. After a few minutes of play time, I can say that Motorola once again has an impressive device on its hands. It's too bad, though, that a confusing lineup of Moto Gs suggest Motorola's priorities have shifted in some unsettling ways.
Motorola just announced three new Moto Gs
Motorola has just announced a new generation of perhaps our favorite budget smartphone. Presenting the Moto G4, the Moto G4 Plus and the Moto G4 Play. It's a confusing lineup, with the G4 and G4 Plus being riffs on one thing, and the G4 Play being an different device entirely. For now, let's focus on the G4 and G4 Plus. There are numerous changes from the 2015 G, but the most notable is the display. The G4 and G4 Plus have a 1080p 5.5-inch panel, which is a bump from the last phone's 720p 5-inch offering. The additional pixels are welcome, but the new screen makes the duo larger phones overall when compared to their predecessor. If you consider that the first Moto G (launched just two and a half years ago) had a 4.5-inch display, that's a significant increase in size for someone who's skipped a generation or two. Powering that display is a Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor paired with 2GB or 4GB of RAM depending on how much storage you opt for. Battery life will hopefully see an improvement too: the Moto G4 and G4 Plus have a bigger 3,000mAh battery and "TurboPower" functionality for fast charging.
Motorola chief Rick Osterloh weighs in on life under Lenovo
Motorola's split from Google and absorption by Lenovo left many people wondering if one of the world's most interesting phone makers would get mismanaged into oblivion. Motorola President Rick Osterloh sought to clear the air with a candid chat session at Mobile World Congress, where the answer was a pretty emphatic "no." "We've done an enormous amount of great stuff as part of a broader company," he said.
New in our buyer's guide: the Galaxy Note 5, OnePlus 2 and Moto G
Phones and gaming. Gaming and phones. That's about all we're adding to our buyer's guide this month. Since we last checked in, we've inducted a trio of new handsets, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Moto G and the OnePlus 2. (And yes, we'll soon have to update the iPhone part of the guide too.) Meanwhile, we also decided that the Wii U and the New 3DS XL deserved spots in our gaming guide, along with a nod to toys-to-life products like Amiibo, Skylanders and Disney's Infinity series. We'll be back next month, but until then, feel free to poke around our complete guide to see our top picks.
Engadget UK giveaway: win a new Moto G courtesy of Mobilefun.co.uk
Motorola's been on a roll these past few years, launching smartphone after smartphone that set a new benchmark for value for money. This year's Moto G is no different, with an improved camera and the kind of performance that makes you question our obsession with high-priced flagships. And thanks to our friends at Mobilefun.co.uk, we've got three new Moto Gs (8GB) to give away to readers this week. Mobilefun.co.uk has all kinds of covers, cases and other accessories to kit your third-gen Moto G out with, of course; and to get you started, each winner will also receive an Olixar pocket-size selfie stick and an Olixar Bluetooth tag that keeps track of important possessions and doubles as a remote camera shutter for mobile devices. As always, you can enter the competition using the Rafflecopter widget below, but we'd ask you give the rules a quick scan before you do.
Mini review video: our verdict on the Moto G in under a minute
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-226869{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-226869, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-226869{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-226869").style.display="none";}catch(e){} The Moto G gets a little better every year. Now in its third generation, Motorola's mid-range handset is still our favorite affordable smartphone, with the most recent version notching a score of 87 out of 100 in our review (that's up from 86 last year and 85 the year before that). Aside from its price (just $179), we appreciate its fast performance, much-improved camera and the fact that it now has LTE, not HSPA+. (It's the small things, right?) That said, the camera could stand to be better in low-light conditions, and it's also a shame that the notification light is now gone and that the base model comes with just 1GB of RAM. Who knows? Maybe if Moto could address those few things, the score might get even closer to the 90 mark with next year's model. Even now, though, it's still the best cheap phone you can buy. See it in action above in our 52-second mini review video, and head here if you have time for a deeper dive.
Motorola is the next to patch Android's big video security flaw
Chalk up one more big Android phone maker racing to patch its devices against that nasty Stagefright video security flaw. Motorola has explained that it will not only fix the vulnerability in phones from 2013 onward (such as the original Moto X and the Droid line), but make sure that its latest hardware is secure almost from the word go. Both the Moto X Style and Moto X Play will be secure on launch, while the recently-shipped third-generation Moto G is getting its update "soon."
Next-gen Moto G box shots spoil almost everything
The third-generation Moto G has been one of Motorola's poorest-kept secrets in recent memory, and things certainly aren't getting any better this weekend. A Brazilian retailer has inadvertently posted (and promptly pulled) unboxing photos that confirm nearly everything you'd care to know about Moto's latest budget smartphone. The pics show that the new G will pack a 1.4GHz quad-core processor (up from the current model's 1.2GHz chip), a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front shooter and colorful shells. It's also safe to say that at least some models will tout 5-inch 720p screens, 16GB of storage, dual SIM slots and (in Brazil's case) digital TV tuning.
It looks like the next Moto G will work with Moto Maker
At this point, the Moto G 2015 edition is becoming one of Motorola's worst kept secrets. The latest piece of news, first reported by Evan Blass (aka @evleaks), is that the next Moto G is going to be compatible with Moto Maker for the first time -- following in the footsteps of its flagship sibling, the Moto X. A Reddit user is corroborating this info after breaking down a page on Motorola's website, which has now been pulled, revealing that people who buy the device via Moto Maker will have a variety of custom options to choose from. That includes being able to personalize the next G's front and back colors, plus choose its internal storage (up to 16GB) and memory (1 or 2GB). It also seems there won't be wood choices at launch, but that could eventually change -- we shall find out next week.
Here's your clearest look yet at the next Moto G
If there was any doubt left that Motorola will unveil a new Moto G at its July 28th event, Swiss retailer Digitec just removed it. The store has posted listings for a "3rd gen" Moto G that offers the clearest look yet at what this budget smartphone will likely deliver. Besides a fresher design, it could be far more potent than its predecessor -- Digitec claims that the new G touts a 5-inch 1080p display, 2GB of RAM, LTE and a 1.7GHz quad-core chip (likely the 64-bit Snapdragon 610). If it weren't for the 8GB of expandable storage, this could easily pass for a mid-range phone. You probably won't have to pay mid-range prices, though, since the G tentatively costs $245 off-contract in Switzerland. We'd still take the listings with a grain of salt, since retailers occasionally botch specs. If they're accurate, though, they suggest that you're in for a treat if you want an affordable, near-stock Android phone this summer.
Third-gen Moto G leak shows a new camera, not much else
The Moto G is quite the attractive handset for someone looking for a capable phone that's also very budget friendly. In fact, our own Chris Velazco calls it the best budget smartphone available. Thanks to a video and a few snapshots, there's a look at the supposed third-gen model and a list of its specs. While 2014's Moto G was a rather modest improvement over the OG device, the details served up in this leak show more of the same for the 2015 installment. The device shown here is said to keep the 5-inch 720p display, 1GB RAM and 8GB of storage. However, it does pack a Snapdragon 401 processor with 13-megapixel rear-facing and 5-megapixel front-facing cameras. That's a 5-megapixel boost for the primary camera and a 3-megapixel increase for the one you'll be using for selfies.
Cablevision's WiFi-only unlimited mobile phone service is live
The all-WiFi phone service Cablevision announced in January is now available. Unlike the usual mobile carrier, the Freewheel phone (currently a $100 second generation Moto G) only operates on WiFi -- to keep costs down it doesn't look for 3G, LTE or any other kind of signal. Of course, if you're consistently in the range of wireless hotspots then that's not a problem, and it's pre-programmed to log in to any of 1.1 million Optimum hotspots in the New York area or "Cable WiFi" hotspots elsewhere. As promised, it's $10 per month for customers with Cablevision's internet service or $30 without, all to get unlimited calling, data and text messaging with no annual contract.
Freewheel is Cablevision's WiFi calling service for thrifty New Yorkers
In large metropolitan areas that are covered with WiFi, you might start to wonder why you pay for a cellular service at all. It's this germ of an idea that has inspired Cablevision to announce Freewheel: a WiFi-based phone service that offers unlimited talk, text and data with no annual contract. The catch, if you hadn't already guessed, is that you'll only be able to use those minutes and MBs while you're in range of the nearest WiFi hotspot.
Moto X Pure Edition, Moto G and 'most Nexus devices' get a taste of Lollipop
We heard rumblings that Motorola's pair of single-lettered handsets would be amongst the first to get Android's latest update, and the company has made the news official. Lollipop is rolling out to the second-gen Moto X Pure Edition and Moto G (US GSM and global GSM versions) devices "in phases," so if you're wielding one of those, you should be privy to the new version soon enough. If you'll recall, Android 5.0 brings with it the flatter look and feel of Material Design, guest mode, battery saver and much more. Need a refresher on all the additions? Consult our extensive preview right here. Unfortunately, there's no telling how long it'll take for the new software to hit carrier versions, but we're just as anxious as you are. Update: Google has announced that Lollipop is starting to rollout to is family of Nexus devices. Of course, it's going to take a few weeks for the major update to hit everyone. But owners of the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (both 2012 and 2013 models), Nexus 10 and the Nexus 4 can all look forward to Android 5.0 hitting their devices... at some point. You'll have to wait a little bit longer if you're using a tablet with mobile data, but that's just par for the course.
Windows 10, the GoPro Hero4 and other stories you might've missed
The weekend is here, and you know what that means? It's time to catch up on all the best tech news from the last seven days -- we went hands-on with Windows 10, explored the world of vape modding, launched our own web series, and more. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
