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Motorola now selling unlocked Moto G in the US, starting at $179
Motorola just gave Americans a surprise holiday gift: it's now selling an unlocked version of the Moto G in the US. Starting today, you can purchase both 8GB ($179) and 16GB ($199) editions of the entry-level smartphone with HSPA+ data optimized either for most US carriers (including AT&T and T-Mobile) or for international travel. Any orders placed today should ship by December 2nd, although you'll have to be content with a black shell -- the phone's colored backs and flip covers are "coming soon." Those on CDMA networks will still have to wait until January to get a Moto G of their own, but everyone else can start shopping at the source link.
Moto G makes its North American debut at Telus and Koodo
The Moto G may not reach the US until January, but that doesn't mean it will be unavailable on North American shores until then. Motorola's budget wunderkind has just reached the continent through Canada's Telus and its low-cost Koodo brand. Both carriers are selling the 8GB smartphone for $200 CAD ($189 US) off-contract; thriftier shoppers can get the Moto G for free on a two-year Telus agreement, or $50 at Koodo with a $150 use tab. Other local carriers aren't expected to offer the Moto G in the near future, so this may represent the best chance of getting the handset for both Canucks and eager American importers.
Motorola unveils the Moto G, its new colorful and affordable Android phone (hands-on)
For the sum-total of 13 days, Google's Nexus 5 has been without doubt the best value Android phone on offer. Today, Motorola -- famously part of Google -- has potentially stolen that title with the official reveal of the Motorola Moto G Android smartphone. A quick tour of the specifications -- the 4.5-inch/720p screen, Android 4.3, 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of storage and a 5-megapixel camera -- might initially suggest it's no threat to the Nexus' universally superior artillery. Until you learn that the Moto G costs around $179/£135 SIM-free ($199/£159 if you'd prefer 16GB of storage). That's nearly half the price of the Nexus 5, and much lower than many other competing handsets out there right now. There are, as you can imagine, a couple of significant trade-offs to factor in. There's no mention of support for 4G/LTE, making HSPA+ your fastest data option. Which will be a deal-breaker for some, even with the low price considered (the similarly priced Lumia 625 manages to squeeze it in). It also isn't fully customizable like its elder, and US-only sibling, the Moto X. Though you can still make it your own with a range of changeable back covers. Lastly, it's already been confirmed that the Moto G will get Android 4.4 KitKat by January 2014. If you're still undecided, the finer details include a 1.3-megapixel front camera, 720p video shooting, Bluetooth 4.0 and a water-repellant coating. The Moto G will launch in Brazil the UK and Ireland today, Canada and other parts of Europe in the coming weeks and will come to the US and India in (very) early 2014. Head past the break to see exactly how much phone $179 buys you these days.
Moto Maker customization for Moto X now available on all major carriers
AT&T's monopoly over personalized Moto X handsets has finally come to an end. As was predicted last week, the Moto Maker website has opened up to customers on Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. The free service allows you choose from a wide range of back plate colors, a selection of front plate colors and accent colors, to create a unique handset design that Motorola says will reach you in just four days. While there's still no sign of the wooden-style Moto X back plates, the company has added a personal engraving option and confirmed it'll begin rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat to the Moto X soon -- maybe after it unveils the Moto G on November 13th.
Motorola teases Moto G announcement for November 13th
Motorola's already tipped that we're gonna see the Moto G, a cheaper alternative to the Moto X, and now we know when it's going to officially arrive. The company has launched a teaser site, promising that the budget smartphone will be launched on November 13th, and is inviting users to sign up to learn more next Wednesday. Of course, if your insatiable lust for gadget news can't wait that long, then this leaked Phones4U card will tell you that the device will come with a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU, a 5-megapixel camera and 8GB internal storage. See, that's the problem with the internet -- it really knows how to kill a surprise.
Moto G leak hints at entry-level, quad-core smartphone with a holiday launch
Motorola may have already spoiled the Moto G launch, but it didn't reveal everything. GSMArena has posted a leaked Phones4U promo card that gives a better impression of the Moto X's budget sibling. The Moto G will reportedly be just a bit smaller, at 4.5 inches, and there's no mention of hands-free voice commands or other Moto X party tricks. The Android 4.3 device would likewise step down to a slower (if quad-core) 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera and 8GB storage. However, it would be exceptionally cheap -- at £135 ($215) off-contract, the Moto G could be a champ among entry level devices. The promo card's holiday theme suggests that the starter handset could be available in the UK before the end of the year, although we wouldn't plan our gift shopping around the leak. There's also no word of a corresponding US release, so Americans wanting a Moto G may simply have to be patient.
Moto G drops by the Motorola website unannounced, doesn't stay long
Well, would you look at that. It seems the recent rumblings and trademark paperwork for the reportedly low-cost Moto G had some merit. The unannounced device popped up in the navigation of Motorola's site despite leading to a dead link (moto-g.com) but has since been removed. Details are quite sparse for the time being, but we've reached out to the smartphone maker for comment on the apparent snafu and will update this post the moment we hear back.
