Moto G 3rd gen vs Moto G 2nd gen

But just how much has changed since last year? Read on for all the similarities and differences between the Moto G 3rdgen and the Moto G 2nd gen.Motorola has had a lot of success with its ‘G’ range of phones. The first model really shook up the low end market, packing in better specs than rivals for a similar price. Then the Moto G 2nd gen arrived and repeated the trick and it looks like the Moto G 3rd gen has done it all over again.

Build

Motorola Moto G 3rd gen (142.1 x 72.4 x 11.6mm 155g plastic) vs Motorola Moto G 2nd gen (141.5 x 70.7 x 11mm 149g plastic)

The Moto G 3rd gen has a plastic build, but its gently curved back leaves it looking aesthetically pleasing and makes it comfortable to hold. It’s also hugely customisable, as you can use Moto Maker to choose a front, back, trim and even an engraving. It’s water resistant too, so not only does it look fairly good but it can survive a splash.

The Moto G 2nd gen is not water resistant sadly but it does have a similar curved plastic design, which is similarly attractive and comfortable to hold. However unlike the Moto G 3rd gen it’s not customisable, with the whole phone coming in just black or white, so it’s far less distinctive.

Display

Motorola Moto G 3rd gen (5.0-inch 720*1280 294ppi) vs Motorola Moto G 2nd gen (5.0-inch 720*1280 294ppi)

The Moto G 3rd gen and Moto G 2nd gen have essentially identical displays, with both packing 5.0-inch 720 x 1280 screens for a pixel density of 294 pixels per inch. It’s a shame that the screen wasn’t improved for the 3rd gen model but that’s still a reasonable size and resolution for a budget handset, so it’s one of the areas which was least in need of an overhaul.

Power

Motorola Moto G 3rd gen (1.4GHz quad-core 1/2GB RAM) vs Motorola Moto G 2nd gen (1.2GHz quad-core 1GB RAM)

Although both generations of the Moto G have quad-core processors the Moto G 3rd gen is the more powerful of the two, with a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 64-bit processor compared to the 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 32-bit processor in the Moto G 2nd gen.

In other words the chip in the Moto G 3rd gen both has a higher clock speed and is 64-bit, further aiding its performance, especially when it comes to multitasking.

The Moto G 3rd gen also wins out on RAM, with 2GB if you opt for the 16GB model, though the 8GB version only has 1GB of RAM, the same as the Moto G 2nd gen.

The two phones run a similar version of Android, with the Moto G 3rd gen on Android 5.1.1 and the Moto G 2nd gen on Android 5.0.

Camera

Motorola Moto G 3rd gen (13MP rear 5MP front-facing) vs Motorola Moto G 2nd gen (8MP rear 2MP front-facing)

The Moto G 3rd gen’s camera is a huge improvement on the 2nd gen model. It has a 13 megapixel snapper on the back with a dual-LED flash, while on the front there’s a 5 megapixel lens. The Moto G 2nd gen on the other hand has just an 8 megapixel camera on the back with a single LED flash and a 2 megapixel one on the front, so both snappers are inferior to those on the 3rd gen model.

That said they’re still pretty good for the money, it’s just that the Moto G 3rd gen really excels at photography given its price.

Battery life, memory and connectivity

Motorola Moto G 3rd gen (2,470 mAh 8/16GB 4G) vs Motorola Moto G 2nd gen (2,070 mAh 8GB 4G)

The Motorola Moto G 3rd gen has a 2,470 mAh battery designed to give all day battery life, even with fairly heavy use. However it’s still one you’ll tend to have to plug in before bed.

The Moto G 2nd gen has a smaller 2,070 mAh juice pack and while it should still see you through a day it won’t do so quite as comfortably as the 3rd gen model.

It also has less storage, with just 8GB, while the Moto G 3rd gen has a choice of 8 or 16GB built in, though both also have microSD card slots with support for cards of up to 32GB.

The two phones have similar connectivity options. Both support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and 3G and both also have 4G, though there’s also a 3G-only model of the Moto G 2nd gen.

Conclusion

The Moto G 3rd gen is a clear improvement on the Moto G 2nd gen in a number of ways. The camera is vastly improved, the build is far more customisable and more durable too thanks to its water resistance. It’s also quite a bit more powerful, has more storage and a longer battery life than the Moto G 2nd gen.

Really the only thing that hasn’t changed is the screen and while that’s a shame it’s still got a pretty good display.

Of course there’s one negative change in the new model and that’s the price, because with a starting price of £179 it’s a little more expensive than the 2nd gen, which can now be picked up from around £135 SIM free. But with all the upgrades it more than justifies the price hike.