Moto G vs iPhone 4 vs Lumia 920?

[skywalkerjedi95]

Hi everyone! I needed some help from all the wise Macrumors users here. I currently have an 8GB iPhone 4 that I'm having trouble with because of lack of storage space. Even with the bare minimum of apps I have to run PhoneClean every week just so there are a few megabytes left on there. I'm passing my iPhone 4 to my mom and was wondering what budget smartphone I should go for. As much as I'd like to go for obvious champions like the Nexus 5 my budget is $200 which I know is extremely low for an off-contract smartphone but I'm a broke student what can I say.

I see 16GB iPhone 4 units going for about $170 on eBay which would work great for me and I'd prefer it but I'm nervous because the iPhone 4 is much older hardware already so I think its not really futureproof. Gazelle's eBay store has Lumia 920 units for about $170 as well and I was considering it since it was rated as an excellent phone and Windows Phone as a platform is started to get more major apps as of late. The other day I saw a review of the Moto G and was really amazed by the great value of the phone especially with its hardware. Its a nice mostly stock Android experience on better hardware than my iPhone 4 for $200. I once had an Android phone and it was a Samsung Intercept a really horrible budget Android device and it kind of made me hate Android for awhile but I think I'd love Android on a smoother and more powerful handset. Most of my services are Google except for some friends I use iMessage/Facetime with.

So what do you guys think for a broke student? Stay in the walled garden with an old handset? Go for the Lumia 920? Try out life with Android on the Moto G? I'd really appreciate all of your advice. I don't want to be stuck on a BB Curve 8320 forever lol.

 

[Jschultz]

Hi everyone! I needed some help from all the wise Macrumors users here. I currently have an 8GB iPhone 4 that I'm having trouble with because of lack of storage space. Even with the bare minimum of apps I have to run PhoneClean every week just so there are a few megabytes left on there. I'm passing my iPhone 4 to my mom and was wondering what budget smartphone I should go for. As much as I'd like to go for obvious champions like the Nexus 5 my budget is $200 which I know is extremely low for an off-contract smartphone but I'm a broke student what can I say.

I see 16GB iPhone 4 units going for about $170 on eBay which would work great for me and I'd prefer it but I'm nervous because the iPhone 4 is much older hardware already so I think its not really futureproof. Gazelle's eBay store has Lumia 920 units for about $170 as well and I was considering it since it was rated as an excellent phone and Windows Phone as a platform is started to get more major apps as of late. The other day I saw a review of the Moto G and was really amazed by the great value of the phone especially with its hardware. Its a nice mostly stock Android experience on better hardware than my iPhone 4 for $200. I once had an Android phone and it was a Samsung Intercept a really horrible budget Android device and it kind of made me hate Android for awhile but I think I'd love Android on a smoother and more powerful handset. Most of my services are Google except for some friends I use iMessage/Facetime with.

So what do you guys think for a broke student? Stay in the walled garden with an old handset? Go for the Lumia 920? Try out life with Android on the Moto G? I'd really appreciate all of your advice. I don't want to be stuck on a BB Curve 8320 forever lol.

If you have desire to stick with the iOS platform, I'd at least try to find a 4S, since that's dual core and has a better camera. I have an N5 and came from an iPhone 4 on iOS 7, which is an absolutely woeful experience. I think iOS7 is definitely great for those who like it; my wife has an iPhone 5S which absolutely flies on iOS7.

I think the Moto G is a crazy good deal - and for 16GB, it's only $199. I don't have any experiences with windows phones, so can't offer you advice there.

 

[laserfox]

I have a lumia 920 so I might be a bit biased. Things to look out for:
The 920 is much heavier than the iPhone. Thicker too. You get a larger screen that works great in direct sunlight and with gloves on too. Live tiles are nice departure from iOS static icons but Windows Phone lacks a notification center. Personally i dont need a NC but folks who are used to it on other platforms might find live tiles aren't enough.

Windows phone has less apps than iOS. What apps are your must haves? Check windowsphone.com and see if they are available. Read some reviews to see it they are of good quality.

The Lumia 920 has a great camera! Sturdy build quality. I have my phone for 1year now and i still love it. I haven't needed to upgrade yet because it still runs butter smooth, has decent battery life and gets all updates released by MS/Nokia.

 

[Vetvito]

920 is way over priced for what you get. If you want to try a Lumia, get a 520 for a heck of lot less than the 920.

Or just get the Moto G.

 

[hashholly]

920 is way over priced for what you get. If you want to try a Lumia, get a 520 for a heck of lot less than the 920.

Or just get the Moto G.

My mom has, and aunt had a Nokia 520 and both had issues. One had an issue with overheating, while the other phone continues to hae issues with the screen freezing. I ended up buying my mother a Moto G

 

[TacticalDesire]

Go for the Moto G or 920. The iPhone 4 is pretty slow at this point and on it's last legs.The Moto G or 920 will be much smoother and give a better experience.

 

[ChazUK]

I've found my iPhone 4 to be extremely slow on ios7. Laggy animations and slow load times on even basic functions (like the dialler) and my Moto G isinfinitely better than that. I'm not sure how your iOS7 experience has been on the 4 but I've been less than impressed with it.

I've had a Lumia 620 in the past and I'd even say that was better speed wise than the iPhone 4 on iOS7.

Go for the Lumia or a new Moto G if you can.

What are your real fears about Windows Phone or Android over the iPhone?

My final choice over those two would be the Motorola G (16gb if you can). The screen and performance of the device for the price is astounding IMO.

 

[Savor]

Moto G (16 GB) - $199

Get double storage for $20 more.

Might be the only budget phone worth getting.

In some ways, it might actually be better than the Nexus 4 which was sold for a bargain price of $299/$349 initially a year ago. Then a clearance sale of $100 bucks less for the non-LTE versions. Moto G seems to have a longer batt and the rear panel is removable and wont crack.

Josh Vergara of Android Authority is correct. Moto G is an every man and every woman's phone. Good price for things you really NEED vs WANTING some things you don't really need...

 

[skywalkerjedi95]

I've found my iPhone 4 to be extremely slow on ios7. Laggy animations and slow load times on even basic functions (like the dialler) and my Moto G isinfinitely better than that. I'm not sure how your iOS7 experience has been on the 4 but I've been less than impressed with it.

I've had a Lumia 620 in the past and I'd even say that was better speed wise than the iPhone 4 on iOS7.

Go for the Lumia or a new Moto G if you can.

What are your real fears about Windows Phone or Android over the iPhone?

My final choice over those two would be the Motorola G (16gb if you can). The screen and performance of the device for the price is astounding IMO.

Well I wouldn't have a problem with either OS honestly I'm just afraid of having cold feet. I'm concerned that if I get an Android handset it'll be great for a bit but will slowly have glitches and stutter until I have to root and overclock and put a lightweight ROM and a mess starts.

On the other hand with Windows Phone certain apps I use are missing. More apps I use are being added and I would get along fine if I had to switch to Windows Phone right now but I'd miss my Google services which I use a lot and I need like Google Voice and other Google services.

Honestly I was leaning towards the Moto G but I was undecided whether it would be better to get last years flagship or the new budget device to beat so I wanted to ask more tech inclined people who would understand my situation. Btw does anyone know if the Moto G has wireless tethering abilities like the Nexus line?

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Moto G (16 GB) - $199

Get double storage for $20 more.

Might be the only budget phone worth getting.

In some ways, it might actually be better than the Nexus 4 which was sold for a bargain price of $299/$349 initially a year ago. Then a clearance sale of $100 bucks less for the non-LTE versions. Moto G seems to have a longer batt and the rear panel is removable and wont crack.

Josh Vergara of Android Authority is correct. Moto G is an every man and every woman's phone. Good price for things you really NEED vs WANTING some things you don't really need...

I agree! I saw that review! I really like the phone but I'm just concerned over Android being unstable. Do any of you have problems? The last android handset I had was a horrible budget Samsung Intercept with Froyo I had to root it and overclock just to get it to barely work and even then I had to do a battery pull every time I got a call cause it would freeze. I wanna try to avoid that nightmare haha.

 

[ChazUK]

Btw does anyone know if the Moto G has wireless tethering abilities like the Nexus line?

Tethering works perfectly on my Moto G. I Bluetooth tether it to my iPad Mini all the time (far less battery consumption) and as we've only recently moved home I use mine as a hotspot for now due to the lack of home broadband at the moment.

The last android handset I had was a horrible budget Samsung Intercept with Froyo

Things have come on massively since the fays of FroYo when it comes to Android. You may be surprised just how much better things are since then.

The intercept on FroYo sounds like a foul experience compared to what we have now.

Looking forward to see what KitKat brings to the phone going forward but even now, I'm still amazed at what the G can pull off at the price.

 

[ozaz]

Well I wouldn't have a problem with either OS honestly I'm just afraid of having cold feet. I'm concerned that if I get an Android handset it'll be great for a bit but will slowly have glitches and stutter until I have to root and overclock and put a lightweight ROM and a mess starts.

On the other hand with Windows Phone certain apps I use are missing. More apps I use are being added and I would get along fine if I had to switch to Windows Phone right now but I'd miss my Google services which I use a lot and I need like Google Voice and other Google services.

Honestly I was leaning towards the Moto G but I was undecided whether it would be better to get last years flagship or the new budget device to beat so I wanted to ask more tech inclined people who would understand my situation. Btw does anyone know if the Moto G has wireless tethering abilities like the Nexus line?

Moto g more likely to see android updates than used htc and samsung android phones.

I would have suggested considering a budget windows phone, but given that google services are very important to you, it seems like 16gb moto g is made for you.

 

[Twixt]

Simple scenario: you go for moto G and sell your iphone 4 right after to cash 150 usd

More complex: in case you have some feature phone in stock so as to manage handover, sell your iphone 4 for 150 usd, put your 200 usd on top and buy a nexus 5

 

[skywalkerjedi95]

Tethering works perfectly on my Moto G. I Bluetooth tether it to my iPad Mini all the time (far less battery consumption) and as we've only recently moved home I use mine as a hotspot for now due to the lack of home broadband at the moment.

Image




Things have come on massively since the fays of FroYo when it comes to Android. You may be surprised just how much better things are since then.

The intercept on FroYo sounds like a foul experience compared to what we have now.

Looking forward to see what KitKat brings to the phone going forward but even now, I'm still amazed at what the G can pull off at the price.

That's awesome! What carrier do you use? Getting good HSPA+ speeds? I was on AT&T GoPhone service with my iPhone and got good speeds and signal (well for 3G I guess). I was unsure about Android but I think I'm going to go with the 16GB Moto G and see how everything goes!

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Simple scenario: you go for moto G and sell your iphone 4 right after to cash 150 usd

More complex: in case you have some feature phone in stock so as to manage handover, sell your iphone 4 for 150 usd, put your 200 usd on top and buy a nexus 5

I think I will go for the Moto G like a lot of you suggested cause it looks like a great device with more power and much better battery life. I would sell my iPhone 4 and pile that on what I saved to get the Nexus 5 cause I know its a beast and a great value but my mom needs a phone so I'm passing down the iPhone 4 to her cause she wouldn't be needed all the extra horsepower in a phone anyways.

 

[Savor]

If Nexus 4's initial price was a gateway drug to stock Android and HTC One was a gateway drug to Android for many iPhone fanatics looking for excellent design and build quality, then Moto G is the gateway drug to Android for the every man and woman.

It wont hurt the wallet so much. I've seen speed test between the Moto G vs Nexus 5, and the Snapdragon 400 can holds its own on everyday speed test over a near 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 800. There are cheaper phones found in Asia. One of the most affordable Androids from a reputable brand is the Lenovo A369i for less than $100 here in Manila. It has Jelly Bean 4.2 but the specs dont even compare to a Moto G for double the price even if it does have an expandable memory slot and removable battery. And Lenovo phones doesnt upgrade Android often if at all. At least with Moto G, you get KitKat guaranteed next year and a phone that can go nearly toe-to-toe vs the Nexus 4 in real life usage which was Google's flagship just a year ago.

I would order a Moto G in a heartbeat. Midrange specs for a lower end price. My only qualm with it is the non-expandable 16 GB. And no OTG. I just got my $2.50 OTG cable yesterday and it works flawlessly on the One. I can live with the so-so camera as I dont take alot of pix on my phone anyway and I can live with the Adreno 305 GPU as most games I play are not generally graphic-intensive.

Moto G looks to be an excellent gateway drug to Android and bargain hunters that dont need all the bells & whistles. This is just the beginning of a price war. Prices will continue to decrease with specs that were near top of the line just 18 months prior. Next year, alot of excellent phones will cost under $130-150.

 

[NathanA]

Tethering works perfectly on my Moto G.

I see that you are from the UK. I am still trying to find someone who has purchased a Moto G in the US who can either confirm or disprove the rumor that the tethering/hotspot feature has been disabled for US purchasers: http://www.fonearena.com/blog/88246/does-the-moto-g-lack-the-wifi-hotspot-feature.html -- I am hoping that the Motorola rep on Twitter was simply misinformed, but I have yet to run across any Moto G users in the US who have tried to tether their phone!

My only qualm with it is the non-expandable 16 GB. And no OTG.

Reading the Moto G forum over at XDA-Developers would inform you that the Moto G absolutely does support OTG. Not sure where you read that it doesn't. Now, if you are trying to use USB Mass Storage via OTG, apparently the stock firmware has problems with filesystems other than FAT32. The more interesting bit that I've come across is that not only does it support OTG, but the stock firmware also supports standard USB Audio DACs, which few Android phones with OTG do!

-- Nathan

 

[JaySoul]

I'd go for the Moto G.

 

[Savor]

I see that you are from the UK. I am still trying to find someone who has purchased a Moto G in the US who can either confirm or disprove the rumor that the tethering/hotspot feature has been disabled for US purchasers: http://www.fonearena.com/blog/88246/does-the-moto-g-lack-the-wifi-hotspot-feature.html -- I am hoping that the Motorola rep on Twitter was simply misinformed, but I have yet to run across any Moto G users in the US who have tried to tether their phone!


Reading the Moto G forum over at XDA-Developers would inform you that the Moto G absolutely does support OTG. Not sure where you read that it doesn't. Now, if you are trying to use USB Mass Storage via OTG, apparently the stock firmware has problems with filesystems other than FAT32. The more interesting bit that I've come across is that not only does it support OTG, but the stock firmware also supports standard USB Audio DACs, which few Android phones with OTG do!

-- Nathan

Great info! Thx brother!

Now I want it more as a solid backup phone or even a nice Christmas gift for my Wife.

Moto G - simply the best bang for your buck Android out there right now. Forget lower end models from Lenovo, Huawei, or even more reputable brands like Samsung, HTC, Sony, or LG. I still see phones from 2012 like the LG Optimus L5 cost as much as the Moto G! Moto G is the real deal for that price!

 

[tbayrgs]

Tethering works perfectly on my Moto G. I Bluetooth tether it to my iPad Mini all the time (far less battery consumption) and as we've only recently moved home I use mine as a hotspot for now due to the lack of home broadband at the moment.

Image




Things have come on massively since the fays of FroYo when it comes to Android. You may be surprised just how much better things are since then.

The intercept on FroYo sounds like a foul experience compared to what we have now.

Looking forward to see what KitKat brings to the phone going forward but even now, I'm still amazed at what the G can pull off at the price.

Chaz--I thought I had a bad gadget habit, you have me beat easy. I blink and miss that you've changed handsets once again. Last time I checked, I thought you were using a GPE converted HTC One.

I used to bounce between a handful of site for device reviews/hands-on but realize I can save some time and just come check out your opinion on your latest device.

 

[tbayrgs]

<snip>

So what do you guys think for a broke student? Stay in the walled garden with an old handset? Go for the Lumia 920? Try out life with Android on the Moto G? I'd really appreciate all of your advice. I don't want to be stuck on a BB Curve 8320 forever lol.

I'll just add my voice to the many others here recommending the Moto G. Considering you rely heavily on Google services, really a no-brainer at your budget. Choosing older hardware will just lead to problems sooner.

If you do want to try out Windows Phone, I'll also second the previous recommendation for the Lumia 520 (since you're considering the 920, I'm assuming you're on AT&T). The online Microsoft store currently has them for $59.99 and Amazon has 'em for $69.99. Not high end specs but reviews are generally pretty good, offer great bang for the buck.

 

[ChazUK]

Chaz--I thought I had a bad gadget habit, you have me beat easy. I blink and miss that you've changed handsets once again. Last time I checked, I thought you were using a GPE converted HTC One.

I used to bounce between a handful of site for device reviews/hands-on but realize I can save some time and just come check out your opinion on your latest device.

I still have the HTC One but for some reason I'm enamoured by really cheap but decent hardware.

My last big low-end Android love was my ZTE Blade. The dev community kept that one going for years and the way I see the Moto G, it could become the ZTE Blade of the modern age.

I can see devs and ROM flashers loving the thing too.

I now await the next impulse buy...... iPad mini retina and Moto G before XMAS has exhausted all of the presents my wife was going to get me.

 

[tbayrgs]

I now await the next impulse buy...... iPad mini retina and Moto G before XMAS has exhausted all of the presents my wife was going to get me.

I hear ya--mine where the new LG G Pad GPE and a new 15" MBP.

 

[ChazUK]

I hear ya--mine where the new LG G Pad GPE and a new 15" MBP.

You know how to make this man jealous!

 

[iSheep5S]

I'll throw in another Moto G recommendation from an actual owner.

Top class screen, fast with no lag, a joy to use and no bloatware.

I got rid of my iPhone 5. The battery on the Moto G is better too. Hard to find a reason to get an iPhone again. Although for reason of just a change i probably will at a later date.

Android has came a long way.

 

[ozaz]

I got rid of my iPhone 5. The battery on the Moto G is better too. Hard to find a reason to get an iPhone again.

I'm surprised to hear the battery is better.
I assume the quality of the photos must be quite a big downgrade from iPhone 5 to Moto G?

 

[iSheep5S]

Not really. Better screen and it geekbenches faster. The camera isn't quite as good as the iPhone 5. But freedom to do as I please makes up for that. Plus I use a real camera often.