Motorola Revamps Moto G, Moto X

In the market for a new Android phone? Motorola has you covered.

The phone maker on Tuesday announced the next-generation Moto G, along with two new versions of the Moto X. The new Moto G is available now in the U.S. via on Motorola.com, BestBuy.com and Amazon.com, and will be hitting Best Buy stores on Aug. 2. The base 8GB model Moto G with 1GB of RAM starts at $179.99, but Motorola also has a 16GB version with 2GB of RAM on its website.

The new Moto G (pictured left in the image above) might be especially attractive to the accident-prone. While you shouldn't take it swimming, the handset was designed to withstand immersion in up to 3 feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes (provided the back cover is properly sealed). It runs Android Lollipop 5.1.1 and features a 5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass display, a 13-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash, 5-megapixel front camera for selfies, 4G LTE, and a 2470 mAh battery offering up to 24 hours of juice on a charge.

Motorola promised even more customization options for the handset on Moto Maker, its online design studio where you can pick the colors, memory, and accents to customize your device. Moto Maker is also expanding to Brazil this year.

Motorola said this is its biggest Moto G launch yet with availability in more than 60 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific today. For a closer look at the new Moto G, check out the video below.

Meanwhile, Motorola also unveiled a pair of new Moto X handsets: the Moto X Style, which offers "more customization options than any other phone on the market," and the Moto X Play, for markets outside of the U.S.

"The new phones feature best in class cameras, meaningful software experiences, and personalization options — all at exceptional prices," Motorola said in its announcement.

Moto X Style
In the U.S., the Moto X Style will be known as "Pure Edition" offering universal banding that can be used on any network without a contract. It will be available for $399 in September, and you'll be able to choose between a variety of colors and materials, including new Saffiano leather and real wood to customize the phone the way you like.

As for specs, the Moto X Style features a 5.7-inch edge-to-edge display, a 21-megapixel camera on the back, and a 5-megapixel front shooter. Motorola also called it the "world's fastest charging smartphone" offering 10 hours of power after just 15 minutes of charging with TurboPower.

Moto X Play
The Moto X Play, which offers up to 48 hours of battery life and a water-repellant design, will be available in August in various countries across Europe, Latin America, and Canada before making its way to the Asia Pacific region, including China and India — but not the U.S. It features a 5.5-inch HD display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor for gaming and streaming.

For more, check out PCMag's review of last year's Moto X and Moto G.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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