android

Why we love Motorola cell phones

Christine Ottoni • June 13, 2018

Our guide to Motorola cell phones

It’s no secret that we talk a lot about Motorola cell phones here on the Ting blog. Over the years, we’ve been impressed time and time again at what they’re bringing to the table: smartphones that do it all at incredibly affordable price points.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane. Remember the first and second gen of Moto E4? These phones were rapidly closing the gap between what it meant to be a budget smartphone and a flagship. Fingerprint sensors, Google Assistant, long battery life and more, with a Moto you didn’t have to spend a lot to get all the latest features. Then there’s Moto X. We still get a little nostalgic when we think back to this one. Moto X was all about customization and personalization. Moto Maker let you attach different backs right onto your phone for a unique look that ranged from plastic to leather to bamboo. And then there was Moto G5 Plus. If you’re a frequent reader of the Ting blog, you know how much we love this phone. Smooth performance, solid specs and at $299, we’d never seen anything like it before.

While we find ourselves pining for the Moto X of old, we’ve got to admit, Motorola cell phones have continued to rise to the occasion, exceeding our expectations for what a smartphone should be and how you didn’t have to spend up for a superior smartphone experience.

Moto today, Moto tomorrow

If you’re looking for an unlocked phone, cheap Android phone or the best budget smartphone, you’ll want to take a closer look at Motorola’s current lineup. Unlocked for all US carriers, these phones come with big batteries, high-performing cameras and sleek, modern designs.

Cheap phone with a good camera? Yes, it’s possible.

Apple and Google will have you believe you have to spend close to and upwards of $1,000 for a phone these days. A huge part of the marketing campaigns for iPhone X and the Pixel focus on cameras with high-end specs. We put these cameras to the test on the Ting Facebook page recently, in a contest we called Find the Flagship.

Below, you’ll see two photos captured by different phones. We tested this at the same time, in the same light. The Moto X4 is on the left and the Pixel 2 is on the right.

To put this difference in perspective, Moto X4 is $399 in the Ting Shop and Google Pixel 2 starts at $649 in the Google Play Store. Moto X4 comes with a 12-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear camera system. Google Pixel 2 comes with 12.2-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear camera system. By the numbers, if you’re looking for a more affordable phone with a great camera, we can’t recommend Moto X4 enough.

Moto E4 Plus packs a 13-megapixel front camera at just $199 in the Ting Shop and Moto G6 has a 12-megapixel camera at just $249 in the Ting Shop. Of course, the camera isn’t the only thing that’s important in a phone, but if its a priority for you, you won’t be disappointed in what Moto’s been putting out.

Motorola’s battery game

Phones with big batteries are on the rise, and fast charging is a huge help when you’re short on time and battery.

Moto X4 comes with a 3000 mAh battery, which translates to about 30 hours of use.

Moto Z2 Play comes with a 3000 mAh battery too, plus gets you up to eight hours of power in 15 minutes with TurboPower charging. The same goes for Moto G6.

But Moto doesn’t stop there. Moto E4 Plus actually comes with a 5000 mAh battery, which could last you two full days on a single charge.

What is an unlocked phone?

If a phone is unlocked, it means you can bring it to any carrier. In the past, phones were locked to only one network and people could get trapped with a contract, plan and/or carrier they were unhappy with, all because they were unable to move their phone anywhere else. Short of purchasing a new phone, you were kind of stuck.

Unlocked cell phones: what’s the deal?

Full carrier compliance rules came into effect in 2015, where carriers had to unlock a phone when requested unless the phone in question was connected to an account with an outstanding balance. For prepaid carriers, the carrier had to allow a phone to be unlocked one year after it was first activated.

That’s great, but what about the hassle of trying to get a phone unlocked? We think it makes more sense to just get an unlocked phone right from the start and bring it anywhere you want on your own terms.

Are Motorola phones unlocked?

Unlocked Motorola cell phones let you switch carriers and always bring your phone with you. In this way, Moto’s supporting choice and encouraging a more competitive playing field in the mobile industry.

The best budget Android phone today? It’s probably a Motorola.

We love Moto G6, Moto Z2 Play and Moto X4. We also think Moto E4 and E4 Plus are great phones that do everything a smartphone needs to do, for less. Take a look at what Motorola cell phones we’ve got in the Ting Shop and see how they compare in terms of specs to the latest from Google and Samsung. The truth is, Moto phones have impressive specs and are reasonably priced. You don’t need the flashiest gadget to get a great camera, a big battery and an unlocked device.

Have you purchased a Moto in the last couple years? Were you impressed? Let us know in the comments.