Daring phones done dirt cheap: Moto X goes contract-free for $400, Moto G for $100

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 2 Jan 2014

Motorola’s smartphones just keep getting cheaper.

The flagship Moto X (pictured at left above) has received a permanent $100 price cut for the unlocked, contract-free version. The new price is $399 with 16 GB of storage, $449 with 32 GB of storage.

Meanwhile, Best Buy is selling the mid-range Moto G (pictured at right above) on Verizon reless for $100 without a contract. The phone was originally priced at $179.

As Motorola points out, some wireless carriers such as T-Mobile offer month-to-month or prepaid plans that are cheaper when you pay full price for the phone, so it’s possible to save money with an off-contract Moto X in the long run. Motorola also offers zero-interest financing plans if you’d rather pay off the phone over time instead of up-front.

moto x touchless controls

The Moto X’s touchless controls are NDERFU

The Moto X was ‘s favorite smartphone of 2013. though it doesn’t have the best tech specs, it makes up for the weaker hardware with useful features. For example, you can control the phone by voice without ever touching it, see notifications pop-up as you’re picking the phone up off the table. And unlike so many other Android hsets, the Moto X is bloatware-free, closely resembling ‘s Nexus devices. Ordering through Motorola’s website allows you to customize the phone’s colors, accents welcome message.

Unfortunately, none of those unique software features in the mid-range Moto G, but it’s still a solid Android phone with a clean version of Android on board. though the phone isn’t yet listed on Best Buy’s website, shoppers can order the phone in a store pick it up immediately if it’s in stock, according to the s Angeles es.

Keep in mind, however, that the Moto G doesn’t support 4G E networks, so Verizon users will be stuck with slower CDMA service. If you’re not already committed to Verizon, you may want to wait see if a similar deal comes along for T-Mobile or AT&T, as their HS+ coverage should provide faster speeds.