Motorola and Micromax have both recently launched competitively priced smartphones. Both of these devices mark the start of the next generation of smartphones.
The affordable smartphone segment has been getting more congested every day and Motorola and Micromax are the most recent to join the party. Homegrown smartphone maker Micromax has over the last year come into the big leagues, raising the quality of its smartphones, but it has had to deal with stiff competition from Motorola, which practically revolutionised the affordable smartphone segment. There are many other competitors and of course, Google played a big role, by optimising Android for such devices.
Nevertheless, two of the newest devices in the segment were launched a few days apart from each other. While Motorola launched the Moto G (2nd Gen), Micromax launched the Canvas Nitro yesterday. Before we begin the comparison, please note that we have reviewed neither device. We have received a lot of questions from readers about the two smartphones, which is why this is simply a first impressions comparison. So, let’s begin.
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Price
The specifications of these two smartphone should on paper not leave much room for comparison, but the primary reason for that is the price. While the new Moto G costs Rs. 12,999, the Canvas Nitro costs Rs. 12,990. This leaves no room in terms of the price. Both phones effectively cost the same, which means we have to look at what provides more value.
Specifications
Going simply by the specifications, the Canvas Nitro beats the new Moto G hands down, but if only the specifications could tell the entire story. As you can see above, both the devices have the same IPS display, but the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the Moto G makes the screen feel much more premium than the Canvas Nitro. Yes, the oleophobic coating provides protection against fingerprint smudges to the Nitro, but Gorilla Glass 3 would easily be the pick of the lot.
The MediaTek Tru Octa-Core (MT6592) does give the Nitro somewhat of an edge over the Snapdragon 400 but you have to consider the battery life here. The MT6592 is a battery hog, which we had seen earlier in the Canvas Knight, where the same chipset had been used. The older generation Moto G on the other hand had the same Snapdragon 400 and provided good battery life. Also, the Canvas Knight heated up a lot and quite easily, which many would consider a negative. Secondly, apps on the Play Store aren’t yet optimised for an octa-core processor, which means that like a Quad-HD display, an octa-core processor is also a gimmick at the moment. This doesn’t matter much though since the devices are priced the same.
Next, the second generation Moto G also feels much lighter than the Canvas Nitro and is easier to work with because of the curved back that gives it very thin edges. The faux-leather back on the Nitro doesn’t do much to add to its looks either, making the Moto G the better of the two in terms of looks. Also, the Nitro comes in two colours (Mystic Blue and Pristine White), while the Motorola sells changeable shells for the Moto G.
One thing the Nitro may have the edge in though is the UI. While the new Moto G presents stock Android UI, the Canvas Nitro combines stock Android with some useful widgets. This includes Micromax’s all-in-one camera widget and the new Quick Look screen. If you love the HTC Blinkfeed, then the Quick Look screen will be right up your alley. On the other hand, if you love stock Android, then the Moto G should be your pick.
The Canvas Nitro also does better than the Moto G on the camera front. The 8 MP shooter on the Moto G is quite standard and while the 13 MP shooter on the Nitro didn’t seem to be the best, but it still seems better than the new Moto G. Also, the selfie camera on the Nitro is better than that on the Motorola smartphone as well.
There are two other huge plus points to the Canvas Nitro though. With both phones running on KitKat, the 2 GB RAM on the Nitro promises better multi-tasking support than the 1 GB on the Moto G. Another benefit is that the Canvas Nitro has a removable battery. This is something that many users want in their smartphones, since removing the battery is often the only way to get out of a predicament during regular use.
Conclusion
Overall, while both phones present very good value, at first look, it is hard to pick one. The Moto G has its plus points, while the Canvas Nitro also scores some big victories. A verdict will only be possible once both the phones have been thoroughly reviewed (which will be done very soon). We wrote in the first impressions of the Canvas Nitro that this is perhaps the most competitively priced smartphone that Micromax has ever launched and while the phone does have its shortcomings, it presents a lot that a user may like. The Moto G (2nd Gen) on the other hand is an upgrade to Motorola's best selling smartphone ever and carries what has now become the company's trademark value for money smartphone monicker.
Buy Moto G (2nd Gen) from Flipkart at Rs 12,999/- only
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Prasid Banerjee
Trying to explain technology to my parents. Failing miserably. View Full Profile
