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The quality of phone you can buy at the sub $300 price point is improving rapidly. Alcatel offers up a compelling option for folks wanting to shop an inexpensive Android handset. Let’s take a look!
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Alongside the Moto X refresh, the Moto G is also getting an update.
Keeping a similar shell, and the front facing speakers from the X, the new G will step up to a 5″ 720p screen paired with a low power 1.2GHz quad-core and 1GB of RAM. Depending on region it will receive 8 or 16GB of storage with a MicroSD slot to add more. A 2070 mAh battery should keep the device running all day thanks to the low power internals.
While the G wont have the same breadth of customization options through Moto Maker that the X will have, there will be a variety of backplates for consumers to choose in a variety of colors. Happily, for people shopping entry level devices, Moto stands with LG and Nokia in providing inexpensive phones which look very similar to their flagship counterparts. That simply because they aren’t spending as much, doesn’t mean they should get saddled with boring or “cheap” looking phones.
The new Moto G is available starting today off contract for $179.99 at Motorola.com. You can see Moto’s teaser for the new G below.
Borrowing the design language of the G3, LG is introducing two new “L Series” phones built for emerging 3G markets. Following in the footsteps of Motorola and Nokia, It’s another attempt at building out a higher quality experience at an entry level price.
The L Fino features a 4.5″ screen at a resolution of 800×480 powered by a low power 1.2GHz quad-core, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 1900mAh battery.
The L Bello bumps up all of those numbers with a 5″ screen (854×480), a 1.3GHz quad-core, 8GB of storage, and a 2400mAh battery.
Both phones will feature 8MP rear cameras, with LG boasting best in class camera performance, and will run Android 4.4.2 KitKat. HSPA+ (21Mbps) radios will power the 3G connection. Not a bad collection of specs, and just reinforces our stance that the next area of hot smartphone growth will be at the entry level as the premier flagship market is pretty well mature.
They’ll launch first in Latin American markets, followed by countries in Europe, Asia, and CIS following shortly after. Pricing and availability will be announced locally. Full PR below.
Continue reading “LG Brings Two “L Series” Smartphones to Emerging 3G Markets”
It’s an area where Android often lags. How to bring functional low cost phones to developing markets?
Google has been looking at software optimization with KitKat, who to provide a less punishing experience for low power handsets, but that still requires manufacturers to tailor the experience on the phones they produce. That can be a tough decision for a company to make, how much man power to assign to a device which likely wont generate as much profit as a flagship phone.
Android One is a program which aims to streamline the development, manufacturing, and support process. Android One devices will run stock Android like Nexus phones, though carriers and OEM’s will be able to pre-load apps to customize the experience. Google will also be responsible for providing updates to One phones as further incentive for manufacturers, saving them a little on support costs.
Micromax was on hand to show off an example One device and they’re expected to release a dual SIM handset with a 4.5″ screen and SD card slot for under $100.
Android One will start up in India first, with devices expected to drop later this Fall.
After the leaked and blurry pictures, it’s nice to see Motorola continue applying pressure to the entry level market.
The Moto G started a “low cost” conversation, and we’ll see it get a nice little update. Already showing up on MotoMaker and Amazon, G gets LTE support and still maintains its $229 price point.
The big news is Moto E however, as it steps into an even lower cost market. Motorola is delivering a solid spec sheet for a $129 price. A 4.3″ qHD screen (960×540) will be powered by a Qualcomm 200 dual-core and 1GB of RAM. A 1980 mAh battery should get this low powered wonder through a solid day, and a 5MP camera is on board for photos and vids. Plus the phone will feature a removable backplate to customize the design.
It’ll also offer up some great “Offline” features like an FM Radio and a MicroSD card slot, notable as this phone will be targeted at areas where data coverage is spotty or prohibitively expensive.
Exciting stuff, as less than three years ago this would have been a premier phone in the $600 price range. Motorola released a fun welcome video, and you can read the full PR below.
Continue reading “Entry Level Moto E Smartphone Official at $129, Moto G Gains LTE”
The unlocked phone market is going to get a little more exciting.
This is Moto’s first serious stab at the global market under Google’s ownership. The Moto G aims for the same developing markets targeted by Nokia with their Asha devices and the formidable $100 Lumia 520. Moto G is more expensive, but carries better specs and the Android app ecosystem certainly doesn’t hurt.
Getting into those better specs, a 4.5″ 720p LCD display is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. It’s lower power per individual core than phones like the HTC One, but it’s twice as many cores as a handset in this price range typically receives. 1GB of RAM should keep plenty of apps running simultaneously, and there are options for 8GB at $179 or 16GB of storage for $199.
A 1.3MP front facing camera should be plenty fine for video chat, and a 5MP shooter is bolted onto the back. Lastly a 2,070 mAh battery should give the G decent staying power. Provided the quad-core doesn’t run to hard, that’s a larger battery than most entry level phones receive. There wont be a removeable battery, there’s no LTE, nor the ability to add more storage as Moto G lacks MicroSD. Obvious concessions at this price point.
This is also the second phone from Motorola to carry this design aesthetic. Sculpted modeled polycarb, organic rounded lines, the G looks very similar to the Moto X, which is a good thing. It’s a compact and attractive handset. It’s unlikely that there will be the same customization options available for the Moto G as there are for Moto X (especially with the recent opening of MotoMaker for all carriers), but there is a removeable backplate. Moto G will launch with a handful of colors blue, teal, red, yellow, purple, white, and black. Expect to see additional full body covers and a rugged case option after launch.
Maybe most exciting, this phone is launching with Android 4.3 JellyBean, but will soon be updated to Android 4.4. KitKat’s focus is on low power hardware, improving the Android experience for devices in that sub $200 price range. Those phones usually end up getting single processors, 512MB of RAM, and they have to run Android 2.3. The Moto G could be one of the first phones to really showcase the benefits of KitKat’s optimizations while presenting it on more current and powerful hardware at an accessible price. This demonstrates a higher tier of software support than most expect at this tier.
Motorola has struggled to move Moto X as it had to compete against iPhones and Galaxies, but while in Google’s pocket (and with access to Google’s checkbook) disrupting the entry level market could be Motorola’s path to better mindshare.
Moto G is available in Brazil and a handful of European markets today. We should see it launch in Latin America and Canada in the coming weeks. We’re expecting USA availability in January of next year. Watch Motorola’s announcement for more info and demos after the jump!
Continue reading “Motorola unveils Moto G – A lot of phone for only $179 off contract.”