Moto G launches early in U.S., available for $179 with no contract

Not wanting to miss out on the holiday shopping season, Motorola on Tuesday launched the Moto G in the U.S. two months earlier than it originally said it would.

The Moto G is the latest device by the Google-owned phone maker, and it starts at $179 without any phone subsidies. Despite its low cost, the device still packs a punch when it comes to features.

The low-cost phone comes with a 4.5-inch 720p HD screen, a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a battery built to last all day. Motorola powers the Moto G with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and said the device will upgrade to 4.4 KitKat early next year.

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The device was announced earlier this month in Sao Paulo, where Motorola said it would be first rolled out to Brazil and other countries where carriers do not typically subsidize the price of smartphones.

Starting Tuesday, U.S. customers can purchase the GSM version of the Moto G, which will work with AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks. The phone starts at $179 for an 8-gigabyte version and it is also available for $199 with 16 GB of storage. The phone comes unlocked and with no SIM card. It will begin shipping by Dec. 2.

The phone is a good option for users who don’t like signing carrier contracts. It’s also a good choice for users who like changing smartphones often and do not like to wait until their carrier offers them a device upgrade.

Motorola said users who want to purchase the Moto G through a carrier will have the option to do so in January.

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