To say the Moto G has been highly anticipated is probably an understatement. The Verge does a pretty good job here of deconstructing what Motorola has had to let go of to meet its low-to-mid price point. This is a shot against the bows of Samsung's older offerings for sure, but I'm still not sure it's enough on its own to move data-light phone users over to expensive data plans.

The Moto G doesn’t have to contend with the type of premium devices that meet my standards, though, and compared to the (admittedly fun) clear plastic shelled Asha phones like the 503, uninspiring Firefox OS phones like the ZTE Open, and Nokia’s low-end Windows Phones, the Moto G looks truly premium, even if it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.
Motorola has taken a leap in the right direction here, bringing aspirational qualities to a new price range, but it hasn't performed a miracle. Instead, it’s boiled down the elements of great design to sell it to the masses. And there’s nothing wrong with that.