Microsoft Lumia 535 vs Motorola Moto G (2014): comparison of the value for money smartphones

Microsoft Lumia 535, the first non-Nokia branded Lumia smartphone had been the talk of the town even before its official launch, by virtue of its exclusive Microsoft branding and due to the fact that the device was largely expected to cater to smartphone buyers on shoestring budgets.

Now that the device has been released in multiple countries across the world, and is seemingly catering to the 'budget' smartphone buyers in these countries, it would be an exaggeration to state that the Lumia 535 is a clear winner in terms of offering value for money and decent technical specifications.

Lumia 535 comes under intense competition from already existing similar-range smartphones which have also been launched to offer their buyers affordability, decent hardware aspects and most importantly value for money.

One such device is Motorola's Moto G (2014) which takes over from its predecessor, the Moto G (2013) in terms of offering decent usability and value for money.

Let's take a look at how the Lumia 535 and the second-gen Motorola Moto G stack up against each other.

Microsoft Lumia 535 vs Motorola Moto G (2014)

Screen

Microsoft's Lumia 535 has a 5in display with resolution of 540 x 960 and pixel density of 220ppi. The touchscreen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.

On the other hand, Motorola's Moto G (2014) also incorporates an identical 5in screen that has resolutions of 720 x 1280 and pixel density of 294 ppi. Like the Lumia 535, Moto G's screen also contains Gorilla Glass 3 covering.

Both phones boast multitouch support and 16 million colours.

Comparing the above aspects, the Moto G emerges as the winner in terms of superior pixel density and better resolution which naturally leads to sharper images forming on the phone's display.

Hardware

The Lumia 535 is driven by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset clocked at 1.2GHz and supported by 1GB RAM.

Moto G (2014) boasts of a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, that like the Lumia 535, is clocked at 1.2GHz and has an identical 1GB RAM on board.

Both the devices have an identical Cortex A7 chipset.

From the above, it is evident that both the smartphones will provide for running of certain basic high-end games, though the Moto G has a fairly better Snapdragon 400 SoC.

In terms of connectivity, both the smartphones offer 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity options, which makes the battle even-steven as far as offering decent connectivity options is concerned.

Memory

Both the Xiaomi Redmi Note and Microsoft Lumia 535 feature 8GB internal storage as standard, but differ in expansion options.

Moto G's internal storage can be expanded up to 32GB, whereas Lumia 535 supports internal storage expansion up to 128GB via external MicroSD card, so it is clear who the storage space winner is here.

Camera

Lumia 535 features a 5MP autofocus rear camera that comes with LED flash and supports geo-tagging of images. The camera supports shooting 480p videos at 30 frames per second (fps).

The smartphone also features in identical 5MP front camera, which should give people obsessed with capturing selfies a lot to cheer about.

However, Moto G incorporates a comparatively superior 8MP front autofocus LED flash camera that also supports image geo-tagging, and offers additional features such as touch focus, face detection, HDR and panorama, which are not offered by the 5Mp rear camera of Lumia 535.

The 8MP camera in Moto G also supports shooting of 720p videos at 30 fps, which is also superior to that of the Lumia 535's camera.

A 2MP secondary snapper adorns the Moto G's front panel.

Lumia 535's 5MP camera should prove to be a hit among the 'selfie generation', but in terms of primary camera, the Moto G pips the Lumia 535 with its 8MP camera.

Battery

Motorola Moto G (2014) emerges as the clear winner, with its 2070 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery, in comparison to the 1905 Li-Ion battery offered by the Lumia 535.

Software

Lumia 535 runs Microsoft's popular Windows Phone 8.1 operating platform, straight out of the box, and also incorporates Lumia Denim. Buyers of Lumia 535 should notice Nokia-specific applications viz MixRadio and HERE Maps (online and offline) being embedded as default within their devices.

On the other hand, Moto G runs Google's Android 4.4.4 KitKat operating system, out of the box; the OS is upgradeable to the latest Android 5.0 (Lollipop) update.

Android 5.0 update has already started rolling out to users of certain second-gen Moto G smartphones.

The winner in this category will be a matter for user taste.

Release Date and Price

Both the Lumia 535 and Motorola Moto G (2014) have been released, and are available for purchase.

However, the Lumia 535 being a new launch is available for purchase only in a few countries of the world, in comparison to the more wider reach of the Moto G (2014).

The Lumia 535 has also been officially launched in India where the handset is priced at £95 (INR 9,199). The smartphone has also hit European shores, and is available for purchase in France, for a price of €109.

Lumia 535 is confirmed to have a sub £100 price-tag in the UK as well. Microsoft Great Britain has listed the budget smartphone on its portal, which means that an official launch in the country is imminent.

The second-gen Moto G is available to purchase in the UK for £144.99 (SIM-free dual-SIM variant).

In India, the Moto G is priced at INR 12,999 (£135).

Microsoft's Lumia 535 is the clear winner in terms of affordability, as indicated above, especially in countries like India and the United Kingdom, where low-cost devices are given priority over their flagship counterparts.

Both the Microsoft Lumia and Motorola Moto G (2014) provide the reliability factor as both the devices are manufactured by more reliable brands, in comparison to the cheap Chinese smartphones that rule the roost in various markets across the world.