Make In India: Lenovo-Motorola starts making smartphones at Chennai plant

Text: Anupam Saxena, TOI Tech

Motorola just launched the third-generation Moto G upgrading it with some new hardware and software features retaining most key elements of the previous generation version.

The Moto G helped Motorola make a big comeback in emerging markets like India and ended up becoming the benchmark for budget Android devices. However, the landscape has changed considerably. Following the entry of Xiaomi and other Chinese handset brands, is now flooded with budget Android smartphones that offer better value for money.

Lenovo’s K3 Note and Micromax’s YU Yureka Plus are two of the most feature-rich smartphones available in the market at a price less than Rs 10,000. The phones offer big full-HD displays and 4G support. Motorola has priced the new Moto G a bit steeply at Rs 12,999. Does the Moto G command a premium over the other two phones?

Here’s a brief comparison...

Unlike the other two rivals, the Moto G (Gen 3) comes with a smaller 5-inch display. That’s also the reason why it sports smaller dimensions, and is the slimmest among the three.

On the other hand, YU Yureka Plus and Lenovo K3 Note sport almost identical dimensions though the Yureka Plus is slightly taller. The K3 Note’s design is more subtle while the YU Yureka Plus has corners that are more rounded and a chrome frame around the edges, making the design slightly fancy. The Moto G also features rounded corners but has two grilles at the front.

The three phones feature removable back covers that hide the two micro-sim card slots, a microSD card slot and removable batteries. The Moto G’s back cover sports a ribbed design that enhances the grip of the phone.

The power key and volume rocker are located at the right edge on the K3 Note and Moto G (Gen 3), and offer good tactile feedback. On the Yureka Plus, the volume rocker is on the left edge while the power key is on the right; both metallic keys offer good tactile feedback.

On the Yureka Plus and Moto G, the 3.5mm headset jack sits at the top while the micro-USB port is at the bottom. Both ports are at the top on the K3 Note. We prefer the micro-USB port’s placement at the bottom.

One big design feature that the Moto G has is the IPX7 rated body which means the phone can handle accidental immersion in 1meter of water for up to 30 minutes. This makes the new Moto G one of the cheapest water-resistant phones.

(Image: Moto G (Gen 3))

The Moto G(Gen 3) sports a 5-inch HD(720x1280p) display while the front of the other two phones is dominated by a 5.5-inch full-HD(1920x1080p) display.

The Yureka Plus and Moto G feature Gorilla Glass 3 protection to guard against scratches while the Lenovo K3 Note’s panel doesn’t come with additional protection.

The Lenovo K3 Note and Yureka Plus phones feature capacitive navigation keys but only the ones on the Yureka Plus are backlit, giving it an edge. The Moto G, on the other hand has on-screen soft keys. You can also choose to have on-screen navigation keys on the Yureka Plus.

The three phones offer wide viewing angles and text and graphics appear crisp and sharp. Text and images looked decent on the Moto G but not as sharp as how these look on full-HD displays of the other two phones. The

Yureka Plus has a slightly pinkish tone marking the warm colour temperature. We prefer the Lenovo K3 Note’s display.

(Image: Lenovo K3 Note)

The K3 Note runs Android 5.0 Lollipop and features Lenovo’s Vibe UI skin on top and comes with Lenovo’s utility apps. It also includes support for gestures like double tap to unlock.

The phone’s default UI is devoid of an app drawer and app icons and widgets are spread across the home screens. The unified home screen-app launcher style may come across as user-friendly to people who have not used an Android phone before.

YU Yuphoria runs Cyanogen OS 12, a custom aftermarket version of Android 5.0 Lollipop developed by Cyanogen. Cyanogen is known for its customisability, enhanced performance and additional features. The look and feel is very close to stock Android barring a few UI elements, although customization is possible via themes.

Moto G runs an almost stock version of Android complete with on-screen navigation controls. The interface is close to Google’s Nexus phones, complete with a Google Now launcher-like launcher, except that Motorola also includes some of its own system apps and support for gestures and ambient display.

You’ll like the YU Yureka Plus UI if you like the ability to customise your phone. If you like stock Android and want faster updates, the Moto G (Gen 3) is a better option.

(Image: Yu Yureka Plus)

Image by: yuplaygod.com

The Lenovo K3 Note phablet and the third-generation Moto G phones sport a 13MP rear camera(f2.0 aperture, 1080p compatible) with dual-LED flash and a 5MP front-facing camera.

YU Yureka Plus also features a 13MP rear camera (f2.2 aperture, 75.4 degree angle, capable of 1080p video capture) with Sony EXMOR CMOS sensor and a 5MP front camera with 71 degree field of view.

Although the three phones sport similar camera hardware in terms of megapixels, we found the quality of pictures on the Moto G (third-gen) and K3 Note slightly better.

(Image: Moto G (Gen 3))

If you’re looking for a feature-packed smartphone that offers smooth performance and don’t want to spend beyond Rs 10,000, the Lenovo K3 Note is a great option.

The YU Yureka Plus offers good customization options with Cyanogen OS and ticks all the right check boxes when it comes to features but the overall experience was not at par with the Lenovo K3 Note.

However, if you want a water-resistant phone that comes with stock-Android interface and a balanced user experience, the Moto G (Gen 3) could very well be the device of choice for you.

(Image: Moto G (Gen 3)

Make In India: Lenovo-Motorola starts making smartphones at Chennai plant

Lenovo, which also owns Motorola Mobility, has already started rolling out two of the 4G variant of Moto E smartphone from the plant.

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