Motorola phone goes global

Phone mogul Motorola unveiled its new Moto G today in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a top-of-the-line smart device aimed at those who cannot afford top-of-the-line phones. It is a much cheaper and much more available version of the Moto X model, which hit markets only two months ago.

The Moto G — the “G” stands for “Global” — is priced at around $179, while other smartphones with the same capabilities have $500-$600 price tags. Without a contract, Google-owned Motorola’s 8-Gbyte Moto G will run for $179, while they are pricing the 16-Gbyte model at $199; both are much more affordable deals for consumers in emerging markets such as Brazil.

While the Moto G has most of the same capabilities as most smartphones, Motorola did have to make some compromises in order to cut costs. The Moto G’s display, while matching the 720p of the Moto X, stands at 4.5 inches, while the Moto X gives users a slightly wider screen at 4.7 inches. The Moto G’s processor (a quad-core 1.2-GHz Snapdragon chip) is also slower than the Moto X, which boasts a 1.7-GHz chip.

 Motorola smartphone
One can also customize the Moto X in ways they cannot alter the Moto G, by using Moto maker in order to change the phone’s back or case and active grips to their individual preferences.

However, these changes are very minimal considering the large difference in price between the two devices, and should have no effect on its expected popularity if it does offer the premium smartphone experience Motorola has promised. This would be excellent for both Motorola and its mother company Google, as Motorola lost around $248 million last quarter and certainly has not sold as many Moto X phones as Motorola anticipated since its launch.

While the device is billed as a “global” device, it will not hit consumer shelves in the U.S. until this January, and does not come with an LTE chip.

Whether or not the phone helps boost Motorola’s earnings, it is sure to make a difference to consumers in emerging markets, as they will be better connected with a device that is actually affordable.

Source VentureBeat