Motorola has been a strong contender in the Android mid-range for many years now, originally their g line was the mainstay of the mid-tier. Now Motorola has added the One line to provide more options to those looking at the affordable end of the spectrum.
Motorola has taken the wraps off their latest entrants in both the g and One device category; say hello to the Motorola g8 Plus and the One Macro.
Motorola g8 Plus
The g8 Plus continues the legacy of the g line with solid specs, quality build, a decent triple rear camera set up and competitive pricing. The 6.3″ FHD device has a Snapdragon 665 SOC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, a generous 4000 mAh battery, NFC, fingerprint sensor, USB-C charging and honestly nothing that feels like a compromise to far.
The g8 Plus will launch in Australia on October 31 for $499 AUD via the Motorola online store or in-store and online at Officeworks, The Good Guys, and Mobileciti. Check out the full specs below.
| Key Specifications: | Moto G8 Plus |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 2019 |
| Screen size | 6.3-inch |
| Screen technology | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2,280 x 1,080 |
| PPI | 400 |
| Rear camera |
|
| Rear aperture |
|
| Front camera | 25MP |
| Front aperture | f/2.0 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 665 |
| Core config | 8 x 2.0 GHz |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, up to 512 GB |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh |
| Battery removable | — |
| Connector | USB-C |
| Headphone Port | Yes |
| Headphone Location | Top |
| Speaker Configuration | Stereo |
| WIFI standards | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth standards |
|
| NFC | Yes |
| Location |
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| Android OS | Android 9.0 |
| Vendor skin | Moto Stock |
| Dimensions | 158.35 x 75.83 x 9.09 mm |
| Weight | 188g |
| Colours | Cosmic Blue |
Motorola One Macro
The One Macro is another in Motorola’s niche devices combining the simplicity and purity of Google’s Android One ecosystem with a camera experienced intended to focus on ………….. macro photography!.
The 6.2 HD device is packing more modest specs including a MediaTek Helio P70 octacore processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, the same 4000 mAh battery, USB-C and a macro focused triple rear camera set up.
The One Macro goes on sale today for $299 AUD from Motorola online store and selected retailers including Officeworks, The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, and Mobileciti. Check out the full specs below.
| Key Specifications: | Moto One Macro |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 2019 |
| Screen size | 6.2-inch |
| Screen technology | LCD |
| Resolution | 1,520 x 720 |
| PPI | 270 |
| Rear camera |
|
| Rear aperture |
|
| Front camera | 8MP |
| Front aperture | f/2.2 |
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio P70 |
| Core config | 8 x 2.0 GHz |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, upto 512 GB |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh |
| Battery removable | — |
| Connector | USB-C |
| Headphone Port | Yes |
| Headphone Location | Top |
| Speaker Configuration | Mono |
| WIFI standards | 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth standards | 4.2 |
| NFC | — |
| Location |
|
| Android OS | Android 9.0 |
| Vendor skin | Android One |
| Dimensions | 157.6 x 75.41 x 8.99mm |
| Weight | 186g |
| Colours | Ultra Violet |
Both devices are coming with a two year guarantee for OS updates and three years for Android Security updates. Google is going to continue to let Motorola slightly modify Android One to bring features such as their signature ‘chop chop’ action to the Android One line.
With both devices offering affordable price points offering a real value choice for consumers who don’t want to buy a $1200 phone but still want to get guaranteed OS and security updates. Obviously the g8 Plus is the higher end device and if your budget stretches an extra $200 that would likely be the better device, especially with Google Pay support included.
We’ll be getting a few devices in for a quick hands on and will let you know what we think.
The G8 Plus sounds like a beast!
The G8 Plus looks pretty darn enticing.
Not a fan of the rear camera housing though. I much prefer the traditional Motorola round housing. But that’s just a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent phone (pending reviews).
How regular are security updates in Motorola’s G-line? Every month, couple of months, or are they tardy?
The software updates and fairly clean Android is the main selling point of these devices in my opinion. The hardware specs are underwhelming for the G8 Plus when compared to how aggressive competition is right now. OLED and 6-8GB RAM and 128GB of storage is the new ~$500 expectation these days. I think the G8 Plus is ~$100 overpriced, but that’s just me 🙂 On the other hand, the One Macro sits better at $299, but competition is fierce from the Chinese. Cheers EDIT: I’m not sure if this is an error on Motorola’s website, but the One Macro is… Read more »
Thanks, we will ask about Band 28.
The One Macro now lists Band 28 on the specifications on their website. It was most likely an error which was corrected.
Cheers