Best Motorola phones of all-time

We almost lost Motorola in 2013. But here we are in 2017 and the company is still in business. Motorola received a lifeline from Google four years ago because it was bleeding money by releasing way too many devices. Google revived the brand, and then it got passed off to Lenovo. There really hasn’t been a brand in the mobile industry like Motorola that’s underwent several pivots and rebrands. Somehow, though, it’s remained alive despite experiencing the hardest of times. That’s because people recognize the history of what Motorola’s hardware.

Check out our list of the best Motorola phones of all-time.

#5: Motorola Moto G — 2015

For years you could only get a passable experience from an Android device if you spent a lot of money. Motorola changed that with the Moto G in 2013. It was an inexpensive phone sold unlocked around the world. But it still wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience all the time. Then, in 2015, the series really hit a high.

The Moto G (2015) arrived with mid-range specifications but performance that really impressed. Motorola’s software engineers fine-tuned everything to make that Moto G run fast and smooth no matter what you threw its way.

It featured a 5-inch (1280×720) IPS LCD display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 with up to 2GB of RAM, up to 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, a 13MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera, a 2470mAh battery, and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop upgradeable to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The Moto G (2015) also felt and looked as good as it performed. A metal-looking plastic was used for the frame, and a rubber back provided above average grip. It was surprising that something so attractive cost just $179. Phones around that price, at the time, were downright awful. Every Android phone that wasn’t a flagship boasted a purely plastic design, a fuzzy and dim display, and a processor that was barely able to check Gmail. Motorola saw an opening to reinvigorate interest in the mid-range segment, and it succeeded.

Now many of the companies in the mobile industry do offer quality phones that aren’t carrying sky-high price tags. You can get a really good phone without spending $700 or more. Motorola is still dominating the sub-$300 field with phones like Moto G5 Plus and Moto E4. Then there are competitors like OnePlus who’ve noticed consumers are happy to have a few compromises to get a flagship for $399 or $499. All of this variety within the mobile industry was born out of the Moto G’s existence.

Motorola deserves credit, but the shift from flooding the market to focusing on a handful of devices was made by Google. The Mountain View-based company canned everything in Motorola’s pipeline and went back to the basics. So let’s not pat former Motorola executives or Lenovo’s mobile division on the back for the rise of the mid-range segment. We have Google to thank.