Motorola recently launched the 3rd Generation Moto G smartphone. The Moto G 3rd Gen houses the snapdragon 410 64 bit quad core processor and is running Lollipop with dual SIM 4G LTE support. There are other smartphones available in the market using the 410 chipset, cost wise the Moto G 3rd gen is Pricey.
Moto G3 Unboxing
Inside the box you will find the G3 handset, standard quality earphone, data cable, travel charger (5V ~ 1.15A) with 2 USB ports, user manual / warranty card in English and Hindi language options. SAR Head – 0.93 W/kg, Body – 1.38 W/kg.
Design and Display
Design wise the Moto G3 looks similar like its predecessor with some minor changes. The handset has got a curvy design, bulky in center and slimmer towards the edges. When compared with previous Moto G generations this one is more slimmer towards the edges.
Weight with battery is 154 grams and dimensions are 72.59 x 141.81 x 11.28 (mm). Build quality is very good and handset looks and feels tough. The back panel has got a classy look thanks to the grey metallic strip (on the black color version). The back cover also got the slanting line texture that helps give a very good grip feels like rubber and looks really cool.
The power button and volume rocker are placed on the right side. 3.5mm audio jack is on the top and on the bottom side there is a micro USB port. There are dual mics for noise cancellation. This is a dual SIM handset there are two micro SIM slots, the back panel is removable, you can access the SIM slot + micro SD card slot.
The back cover come with a special lock with rubber borders that keep the SIMs and micro SD in place and also seals the area making the SIM slots and micro SD slot waterproof. The handset is water resistant IPX7 certified. There is gap near the power button (check video review) but not a big issue it will still be water resistant – even the micro USB port is exposed. When placing the back cover make sure to follow the instructions as mentioned – you need to press the two points near the camera module (check video) this is to prevent the water from entering the back area.
This handset sports a 5 inch screen with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution. The screen comes with corning gorilla glass 3 protection. Colour reproduction, viewing angles and touch response are great.
There is no LED notification but you will not miss that thanks to Moto display that automatically switches on the screen showing the notifications when you pick up the phone. Native video calling is not supported. The Moto G 3rd gen comes loaded with accelerometer, light, proximity and magnetic sensors.
Memory, Storage and OS
Moto G3 is available with 1GB RAM / 8GB storage and 2GB RAM / 16GB storage. The retail unit I bought is with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. You will get around 1GB free RAM and about 11GB free space on the first boot.
OTG is supported; you will need to download a file explorer app as the same does not come pre-installed. Apps by default will get installed on the internal storage, but there is option to move to SD card (for selected apps).
This handset though houses a 64 bit hardware it is running a 32 bit Android Lollipop 5.1.1.
Performance
The Moto G3 is powered by qualcomm snapdragon 410 quad core processor (64 bit) coupled with Adreno 306 GPU. Performance is smooth, did not find the handset lagging and handset heat buildup is well under control.
Benchmark
| Benchmark App | Score |
| Quadrant | 15634 |
| Antutu (32 bit) | 1st – 23360 , 2nd – 23612 |
| Nenamark 2 | 55.8fps |
| Multi touch | 10 point |
Gaming
I played Asphalt 8, that got installed on the internal storage. Game was playable in high visual quality mode, though there was a very mild lag (hardly noticeable). In medium quality mode the game play is even more smoother.
Camera
This handset comes with 13MP AF camera on the rear and a 5MP camera on the front. Rear camera can shoot FHD videos at 30fps and Slow Motion videos at 720p resolution. Camera supports HDR, night mode and panorama.
The Moto G 3rd Gen camera is disappointing, well the quality is above average, however the issue is with the camera app. First of all when clicking still images, it is not able to focus close up objects at the same distance that other smartphones can easily focus – this means you will need to move a little away from the subject to get a proper focus.
The second issue is when recording videos. I shot the sample FHD videos (check sample below), while recording auto focus did not work, tap to focus option is also not available, if you tap the screen it will click the image (you can click still images while the video is being recorded).
Now if you are specially looking for a better camera the Moto G3 still needs some more improvement. The good part is that it is software related and can be fixed. Front camera quality looks really good, good for selfies.
Others
Sound is loud, no issues with in-call quality. 4G, 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth worked well. The handset can play FHD videos with ease.
Battery
Moto G 3rd Gen comes loaded with 2470 mAh battery. Backup is pretty good you can expect about 4 to 6 hours of continuous moderate to heavy usage.
| Performance | Time | Battery drop % | Battery Max Temp |
| Benchmark | 14 Minutes | 4% | 38 degree |
| Gaming (Asphalt 8) | 21 Minutes | 8% | 40 degree |
| FHD movie play with full brightness + Wi-Fi on | 36 minutes | 10% | 38 degree |
| Wall Charge (on standby) | 2 hours 45 minutes | 19% to 100% (wall charge) | 36 degree |
Verdict
The Moto G3 or the G 3rd Gen is using the well known Snapdragon 410 chipset. Unfortunately not fully utilizing the 64 bit architecture as is it running 32 bit android lollipop 5.1.1. But the performance is still good and handset does not heat up much.
The camera app needs to be improved as the output is disappointing. Build quality is excellent and the battery backup is pretty good.
Moto G 3rd Gen is pricey there are other handsets using snapdragon 410 or powerful chipset for a much lower price. Nevertheless if you are looking for brand, the Moto G3 is good option.
The Moto G with 1GB RAM + 8GB is available for ₹11,999 and the with 2GB RAM + 16GB storage for ₹12,999.
Image Gallery
Rear Camera Sample
Front Camera Sample
Moto G3 video review