To stay competitive, Motorola has introduced the Moto G Turbo Edition. It is an upgrade to the Moto G (Gen 3). The changes are not revolutionary. Along with upgrades in processor, RAM and storage, Motorola TurboPower feature has also been included.
The Moto G Turbo Edition will be comparable to the Moto G (Gen 3) in every aspect, except for the price. We are very curious to know how effective this strategy of the company will prove to be.
Look and design
In terms of design profile, there is nothing new in the Moto G Turbo Edition. The weight and dimensions of the previous generation device and the latest handset are the same. The handset we got for review had a black front panel and a grey-blue rear panel. The rear part has a rubber finish which gives a strong grip to the hands. It is clear that this is the most attractive and strong built handset available in this price range.
The panel ensures that the Moto G’s IP67 certification remains intact. There is also rubber on the inside that seals the micro-SIM and microSD slots. Whenever you remove the panel, an alert pops up on the screen to ensure that the panel is put back correctly.
The Moto G (Gen 3) is only a waterproof handset, while the Turbo edition also comes with dust protection. Both smartphones are claimed to be completely immersive in fresh water up to three feet deep for 30 minutes. That doesn’t mean you should do the same.
The curved back has become a hallmark of Motorola’s style these days. This makes it easy to use the phone with one hand. It is a little heavy, 155 grams. A plate has been provided below the camera on the rear panel for beauty. It will attract your attention knowingly or unknowingly.
The ear piece and mic grill on the front panel are present with a bulge. Both give the feeling of being stereo loudspeakers, while the grill at the bottom plays this role. The power button is on the right. Below it are the volume rockers. The second mic is present on the top next to the audio socket. There is also a micro-USB port on the top.
The Moto G Turbo Edition supports quick charging, called TurboPower. Motorola claims that the handset can last up to 6 hours with just 15 minutes of charge. The charger that comes with the handset is bigger than expected. It outputs 12 volts. We have only one complaint, it comes with a fixed USB cable, meaning you will have to arrange for a separate cable for data transfer. Interestingly, Motorola’s website and promo material showed a detachable USB cable.
Specifications and software
Moto G (Gen 3) has two variants. You can choose between 1 GB RAM-8 GB storage and 2 GB RAM-16 GB storage. On the other hand, Moto Turbo is available in only one variant (2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage). It is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset. Adreno 405 GPU is integrated for graphics. Storage can also be expanded with a microSD card up to 32 GB.
The screen is 5 inches with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels. Today, handsets with higher resolution are available in this price range. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It also has a 2470 mAh battery. The rear camera has a 13 megapixel sensor and dual-LED flash. You will be able to record 1080 pixel videos with the rear camera. A 5 megapixel camera has been provided for selfies. Both SIM slots support LTE.
The biggest feature of every Motorola handset is its stock Android experience. The UI of the Moto G Turbo Edition is also not customized much. You will get Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and it is also known that an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be available in the future. Some changes have also been made. The most important of these is the Moto Display feature. Whenever the handset detects motion, the screen will automatically start showing notifications.
Some shortcuts are also provided, like if you hold the handset in your hand and rotate your wrist twice, the camera app will automatically launch. Or if you move the handset sideways twice, the flashlight will turn on directly. These are useful features, but there is no guide for them. Users can perform these actions knowingly or unknowingly and they also do not know how to turn off these features.
The photo size is fixed at 9.7 megapixels by default, which is a bit annoying. As soon as you tap on the video camera icon, it starts recording the video, which is a good thing.
Performance
Motorola seems to be lagging behind in terms of screen resolution. For many people, 720p is not enough. Viewing angles are good, but overall the screen is a bit dull compared to its rivals. The sound is loud and clear most of the time. Playing games and watching videos on this smartphone was a great experience. We are also happy that the screen did not heat up too much during this time.
Photos taken outdoors in daylight came out with a very warm colour cast. While we weren’t very satisfied with the reproduction, sharpness was generally good. Photos taken in low light were good, especially for a handset in this price range.
The battery performance of the phone surprised us in the video loop test. It lasted for 7 hours and 36 minutes whereas the battery of Moto G (Gen 3) lasted longer in the same test. This is possible due to the changes made in the hardware. However, there are no complaints about the battery during normal use. The battery easily lasted for a day. The quick charging feature is fun. However, carrying the phone charger everywhere can be a hassle.
Our verdict
Since the Moto G (Gen 3), many affordable handsets have been launched in India. Some of these come with full-HD screens, 3GB of RAM, fingerprint sensor. Motorola’s parent company Lenovo also sells a much better-specced Vibe S1 for just Rs 1,500 more. If Lenovo discontinues its Vibe line of handsets and gives Motorola that space, then we can expect even better specifications in the coming days.
We were impressed by the Moto G (Gen 3) for its experience, knowing that it was weaker than its rivals in terms of specifications. The new Moto G Turbo edition is slightly better than that, but it is nowhere near enough to put Motorola ahead in the race. It helps Motorola stay competitive, nothing more.
Waterproof feature and stock Android are two important reasons why users choose Motorola. Quick charging is like a value addition. We believe that buying the Moto G Turbo Edition will be a safe and wise decision. It will not disappoint you.
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