Google has announced a new addition to its Google Play Edition range of everyday smartphones with stock Android installed. However, unlike the phones already available such as the HTC One and the Galaxy S4, this isn’t another high-end flagship device, but something considerably more modest. It’s the Motorola Moto G.
That’s right, Google has taken the bargain Moto G, removed the almost entirely stock version of Android 4.4, and replaced it with absolutely stock Android 4.4. Of course, the Google Play Edition of the Moto G will be at the front of the queue when new Android updates roll around, which is reason enough to choose this model over the others on sale.
The specification remains the same, so you’ll be gazing at a 4.5-inch, 720p touchscreen with a 329ppi pixel density. The processor is a Snapdragon 400 with a speed of 1.2GHz, plus there is 1GB of RAM and either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage memory. Sadly, there’s no way to increase this amount on the device. The camera has 5-megapixels on the rear and 1.3-megapixels around the front.
We loved the Moto G when we reviewed it at the tail end of 2013, and giving it the Google Play treatment over the higher specced Moto X makes sense. Put stock Android on the Moto G’s big brother, and you lose the voice control, the clever gestures, and its cool lock screen – all of which are prime reasons to buy the phone.
If you like the idea of an unlocked, completely standard Moto G, you can pick an 8GB model up for $180 or the 16GB version for $200 from Google Play right now.
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