Moto G 2 (2014): Software and Performance

Moto G 2 (2014): Software

The new Moto G runs on pure Android 4.4.4 KitKat, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system and with no custom interface to bog things down. It runs slick and smooth. Motorola has already confirmed that the new G will also be updated Android 5.0 L. It's the kind of commitment to keep things up-to-date you rarely see from phones in this price range and another reason why the Moto G is a desirable option.

There's a clear Nexus-style approach to apps, too. All of the key Google apps, such as the Chrome web browser, Google Drive, the now integrated Quickoffice and Google Play suite of apps, come pre-installed. Standard apps like Calendar, Calculator and Clock are there as well and it even includes an FM Radio app.

Motorola includes four of its own apps. These are apps you can live without, but if you do take advantage of them, they're simple to use and don't impact on the performance of the phone. They are all easily distinguishable from other apps thanks to their colourful, more triangular icons.

SEE ALSO: Android 4.4 tips and tricks

First up is Moto Alert, an app where you can send out emergency alerts to designated contact numbers from your list of contacts. There's even a big red button you can press and to alert contacts to your specific location. There's similar apps available on other Android phones, but it's very well explained and easy to set up here.

Motorola Assist has already appeared on previous Moto phones and essentially sets your phone up to work differently in different situations. So when you are driving in a car, it will read out texts. You can think of it a bit like an extension of Google Now. It uses GPS, Google location services, calendars and sensor data like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Motorola Connect is all about managing other Motorola devices like the Moto 360 and the new Power Pack Micro. Lastly, there's Motorola Migrate for copying content from an old phone, whether that's Android, iPhone or an old phone type. It's the kind of thing that often gets overlooked and is nice to have it there.

Moto G 2 (2014):: Performance

The new Moto G doesn't budge from the components used to deliver such an impressive performance in the original. There's still a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core CPU, the same processor found in more expensive phones like the HTC One Mini 2 and the Galaxy S5 Mini. It still has 1GB of RAM with the same Adreno 305 GPU to help out with gaming. 

For more expensive phones, the lack of any sort of upgrade would be held up as disappointing, however with the Moto G you have to view things differently. 

These specs still drive an impressive performance and the new Moto G performs well above the majority of phones at this price. Moving to a Snapdragon 801 processor or adding more RAM are features reserved for more expensive phones for a reason, and that’s to drive more demanding features. For what the Moto G offers, this is still more than enough.

Moving around homescreens has plenty of zip and launching apps is not a painfully slow process. Running multiple apps in the background doesn’t bring the Moto G down to its knees either. Gaming is an enjoyable experience as well. Running graphically demanding games like Real Racing 3 is no problem for the Moto G and there’s no sign of lag or a dramatic drop off in frame rates. 

The benchmarks back this up as well. The 1,140 multi-core score in Geekbench 3 is on par with the original Moto G (1155) and not far off the likes of the Galaxy S5 Mini (1,134) and the One Mini 2 (1,120), two phones that cost more than £300. The chip architecture might not have evolved, but combined with pure Android the Moto G 2 is still a slick performer.