The 3rd-generation Moto G: The best bang for the Android developer’s buck

Inside this terribly unsexy box is the best Android bang for the buck. Whether you’re dipping your toe into the wild and wooly world of Android development like I am, or just need a decent smartphone for under $200, you should consider the 3rd-generation Moto G.

The 3rd-generation Moto G, which was released in July 2015, comes in two different models:

• The base model, which has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of flash storage. At the time of writing, an unlocked one lists for US$160 on Amazon.
• The better model, which has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of flash storage. At the time of writing, an unlocked one lists for US$180 on Amazon. This is the one you should aim for.

If you don’t mind refurbished electronics, you can get one at a really low price online. I got the 2GB RAM/16GB flash storage model listed on Best Buy’s site at US$120; with free shipping and taxes, the total came to US$130. It arrived yesterday in a plain white box along with the kind of USB charger whose cable doesn’t detach, and nothing else…

…but at this low price, and since I already have a stash of USB A-to-USB micro cables, I’m not going to complain.

The 3rd-generation Moto G, viewed from the front, back, and side.
Click the photo to see it at full size.

Engadget summed up the 3rd-gen Moto G very nicely in their August 2015 review, titled Motorola wins the ‘best cheap phone’ crown, again. Although it’s priced like a starter phone, its Snapdragon 410 chipset help it to perform like a mid-range phone, and its display is surprisingly bright for a phone at this price point. The camera uses the same 13 megapixel sensor as the Nexus 6, which means nice photos in good light, grainy photos in low light, but a clear improvement over the previous year’s version. Battery life is very good; it played continuously looping video with the screen at 50% brightness for 10 hours and 40 minutes in Engadget’s test. It’s also waterproof for up to 30 minutes in depths of a meter (39 inches) or less:

As for software, my 3rd-generation Moto G came with Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) installed, but a short over-the-air update later, it was running 6.0 (Marshmallow). Motorola have always been quite quick with the OS updates, unlike many other more popular, pricier vendors.

Motorola do a very good job of not covering up Android with crapware — it’s as close to plain old Android as I’ve seen on any phone. The very few software add-ons that Moto added were subtle and nice; my favorite’s the hand-gesture detection, which switches on the camera app if you twist the phone twice, and turns on the flashlight if you make a “karate chop” gesture while holding the phone.

If you’re a reader of this blog, there’s a good chance that you’re a developer with an interest in mobile platforms. If you’re looking for an Android device for development and testing, and especially if you’re looking to target middle-of-the-road devices (which are high-end devices in emerging markets), the 3rd-gen Moto G offers the biggest bang for the buck, especially if you opt for a deal on a refurbished model.

I’m going to be doing a lot of development on my Moto G in the upcoming months; watch this space for some of the results!