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> I think iPhone performance has hit a point where one doesn't really feel the need to upgrade right away I have a cheap 2014 Motorola Moto G and I have the sa

> I think iPhone performance has hit a point where one doesn't really feel the need to upgrade right away I have a cheap 2014 Motorola Moto G and I have the same "problem". Yes, there are hundreds of modern phones out there which are several times faster and have way better hardware but the Moto G is fast enough for me. I usually just browse the web, type a few messages in Whatsapp, take a few pictures, ... and the phone does all of this well enough so that I just don't have any reason to invest 500+ Euro in a new phone. Another bonus is that if I accidentally drop my phone I can just buy a new one (or two) and it will still be cheaper than an iPhone or other similar phones.

nightski 11y ago
Agreed, this is the exact reason I went with a Moto G. It was under $200 and I tend to be very clumsy. It runs the latest nearly stock Andriod and is a very smooth experience. The only fault I can find is it's camera. So for someone who finds that very important this may not be an option.
- erics32 11y ago
  I'm in the same boat and bought a Moto G, but one major issue is the lack of gyroscope for google cardboard/vr use.
  - kuschku 11y ago
    Buy the Moto G 2014 – that has a gyroscope, and can be used with Google Cardboard. The 2015 and 2013 version don’t, though.
- kibwen 11y ago
  Fellow Moto G user, and I completely agree with this sentiment (along with the camera being meh). Remarkably the battery has held up very well with two years of use, part of me wonders if that's due to performance improvements in Android offsetting the natural wear (though every update seems to make the stock apps slower, with Maps being a particularly noticeable example).
- rosege 11y ago
  I had one - great phone for the price but I found the 1GB mem to be a real limitation - websites would reload if I switched to a dif app then back. I now have an Asus with 4GB - great phone too and also relatively cheap (about a yr old now)
  - bluefinity 11y ago
    The 16GB version of the current generation has 2GB memory. I got the 8GB (with 1GB memory) originally and ended up selling it and buying the higher-spec version. 2GB is just a much better experience under Android.
    - yoodenvranx 11y ago
      There is also a version with 16 gb storage and 1 gb RAM.
RivieraKid 11y ago
Yeah, I had a 1st gen Moto G, I think it had comparable value to expensive high-end phones (for people who're not int big screens). Now I have Nexus 5X, it costs less than half as much as top phones but I think it's actually better, at least for me - clean Android with timely updates, everything is smooth and fast, USB-C, good camera...
_delirium 11y ago
You might not even get a perceptual performance boost at all. I recently upgraded from a 2013 Moto G to a current-gen Nexus 5x and it feels about the same, maybe even slightly slower, in terms of latency for common tasks and how often it gets bogged down. I think part of the problem is that the new phone has a higher-res screen, which some apps (like Facebook) adapt to by shipping much larger icon sets, loading higher-res images and video, etc., which negates any performance improvements. The camera is definitely nicer, though.
- dingo_bat 11y ago
  I think that's a problem with the 5x though. I moved to an S7 edge recently and it is quite frankly so fast that I'm unable to use my old Moto G due to the excruciating slowness of the UI.
- secfirstmd 11y ago
  Dam, I was just about to do the exact same thing... Hmm, now i'm kind of out of options. As after Samsung Galaxy note experience, I said I'd never buy Samsung again.
  - semi-extrinsic 11y ago
    Typing this on a 3rd gen Moto G, it's also stock Android, cheap, fast and the "right" size. As in, big display, but I can still (just) hold it and type with one hand.
    - vetinari 11y ago
      Moto G still doesn't support 5 GHz wifi bands, though. Can be a bummer sometimes.
    - secfirstmd 11y ago
      Had one for quite awhile, and while I like the size, I find it very slow :(
- barrkel 11y ago
Vendan 11y ago
heh, I've got a really cheap android phone ($30~40 flat out, no contract, no plan). It doesn't have great specs, but after rooting it and installing a clean Cyanogen install on it, it feels faster then many $600 phones. I wish phones would stop coming with so much bloatware installed.
Balero 11y ago
I actually did this with my Moto just the other day. But they've stopped making the model I had!
freehunter 11y ago
I just upgraded to an iPhone 6s and now I have the opposite problem: the hardware is too fast, so fast that it replaced an ages-old pattern ingrained in my usage. I used to be able to tap the home button to turn on the screen, so I didn't have to go to the top of the phone for the power button. I could click the home button and move my finger before TouchID had a chance to notice. Now TouchID is so fast, it's unlocked the phone before the screen even turns on. It sounds like a minor complaint and I guess it is, but when I'm fumbling around in the dark and I want my flashlight, or when I'm trying to quickly take a picture, I don't want my phone to be unlocked. I just want my damn flashlight or camera, which are easier to access if the phone is locked. I'm actually considering going back to the 6 instead of the 6s just because I like that little delay in recognizing my fingerprint.

nightski 11y ago

Agreed, this is the exact reason I went with a Moto G. It was under $200 and I tend to be very clumsy. It runs the latest nearly stock Andriod and is a very smooth experience. The only fault I can find is it's camera. So for someone who finds that very important this may not be an option.

erics32 11y ago
I'm in the same boat and bought a Moto G, but one major issue is the lack of gyroscope for google cardboard/vr use.
- kuschku 11y ago
  Buy the Moto G 2014 – that has a gyroscope, and can be used with Google Cardboard. The 2015 and 2013 version don’t, though.
kibwen 11y ago
Fellow Moto G user, and I completely agree with this sentiment (along with the camera being meh). Remarkably the battery has held up very well with two years of use, part of me wonders if that's due to performance improvements in Android offsetting the natural wear (though every update seems to make the stock apps slower, with Maps being a particularly noticeable example).
rosege 11y ago
I had one - great phone for the price but I found the 1GB mem to be a real limitation - websites would reload if I switched to a dif app then back. I now have an Asus with 4GB - great phone too and also relatively cheap (about a yr old now)
- bluefinity 11y ago
  The 16GB version of the current generation has 2GB memory. I got the 8GB (with 1GB memory) originally and ended up selling it and buying the higher-spec version. 2GB is just a much better experience under Android.
  - yoodenvranx 11y ago
    There is also a version with 16 gb storage and 1 gb RAM.

RivieraKid 11y ago

Yeah, I had a 1st gen Moto G, I think it had comparable value to expensive high-end phones (for people who're not int big screens). Now I have Nexus 5X, it costs less than half as much as top phones but I think it's actually better, at least for me - clean Android with timely updates, everything is smooth and fast, USB-C, good camera...

_delirium 11y ago

You might not even get a perceptual performance boost at all. I recently upgraded from a 2013 Moto G to a current-gen Nexus 5x and it feels about the same, maybe even slightly slower, in terms of latency for common tasks and how often it gets bogged down. I think part of the problem is that the new phone has a higher-res screen, which some apps (like Facebook) adapt to by shipping much larger icon sets, loading higher-res images and video, etc., which negates any performance improvements. The camera is definitely nicer, though.

dingo_bat 11y ago
I think that's a problem with the 5x though. I moved to an S7 edge recently and it is quite frankly so fast that I'm unable to use my old Moto G due to the excruciating slowness of the UI.
secfirstmd 11y ago
Dam, I was just about to do the exact same thing... Hmm, now i'm kind of out of options. As after Samsung Galaxy note experience, I said I'd never buy Samsung again.
- semi-extrinsic 11y ago
  Typing this on a 3rd gen Moto G, it's also stock Android, cheap, fast and the "right" size. As in, big display, but I can still (just) hold it and type with one hand.
  - vetinari 11y ago
    Moto G still doesn't support 5 GHz wifi bands, though. Can be a bummer sometimes.
  - secfirstmd 11y ago
    Had one for quite awhile, and while I like the size, I find it very slow :(
barrkel 11y ago

Vendan 11y ago

heh, I've got a really cheap android phone ($30~40 flat out, no contract, no plan). It doesn't have great specs, but after rooting it and installing a clean Cyanogen install on it, it feels faster then many $600 phones. I wish phones would stop coming with so much bloatware installed.

Balero 11y ago

I actually did this with my Moto just the other day. But they've stopped making the model I had!

freehunter 11y ago

I just upgraded to an iPhone 6s and now I have the opposite problem: the hardware is too fast, so fast that it replaced an ages-old pattern ingrained in my usage. I used to be able to tap the home button to turn on the screen, so I didn't have to go to the top of the phone for the power button. I could click the home button and move my finger before TouchID had a chance to notice. Now TouchID is so fast, it's unlocked the phone before the screen even turns on. It sounds like a minor complaint and I guess it is, but when I'm fumbling around in the dark and I want my flashlight, or when I'm trying to quickly take a picture, I don't want my phone to be unlocked. I just want my damn flashlight or camera, which are easier to access if the phone is locked. I'm actually considering going back to the 6 instead of the 6s just because I like that little delay in recognizing my fingerprint.