The Critics Really Like Google's New Discount Smartphone, The Moto G

Google's Motorola unit was so excited about its new phone, it was released in the U.S. early.

The Moto G was originally supposed to arrive stateside in January 2014 after the company rolled it out in Europe and other regions.

At $179, the Moto G is regarded as the cheaper cousin of the Moto X, priced at $220.

Praising features like the high-def display and the powerful operating system, reviewers feel this is another excellent addition to Google's growing line of smartphones.

See what else the critics had to say below.

Jamie Rigg, Engadget:

Screen resolution often takes a hit in the name of cost savings, but not so on the Moto G. A respectable 720p resolution is spread lovingly across the 4.5-inch LCD display, working out to a screen density of 329 pixels per inch. Numbers aren't everything, though. What's the point of all those pixels if they're dull and off-tone? Fortunately, we don't have any such gripes with the Moto G's screen. Colors are intense; whites are white; and blacks are, well, actually black -- we had to double-check the spec sheet to make sure we hadn't misread AMOLED for LCD.

Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch:

The Moto G isn't a $600 superphone, but the times you're aware of that while using it are surprisingly rare. It moves around the OS smoothly and quickly, for instance. Likewise, it quickly calls up Google Now and delivers speech recognition with the same accuracy and speed as its more expensive cousins. The only place I noticed some lag and slowdown was in the browser, where image-heavy content can cause some stuttering, but only in extreme cases: even photo heavy Tumblr's, which are otherwise pretty sleek, behaved well.

Alex Dobie, Android Central:

Motorola has launched a full complement of accessories alongside the Moto G. There's a wide range of brightly-colored, replaceable back panels to add a splash of color to the device, as well as more traditional bumpers in various colors to protect the phone from knocks and scrapes. And if you're carrying the Moto G loose in a bag there's an official flip cover to keep the screen protected. These come with a built-in magnet to automatically power the screen on when opened.