Lenovo is not killing off Motorola's best-selling smartphone (Updated)
Update: Tuesday, 1:44 p.m. ET: Motorola has clarified that it is not killing off the Moto G and E devices; Xudong's statement was misinterpreted. A Motorola spokesperson provided the following statement to Mashable:
"Moto will be our innovative trendsetting brand. Vibe will be our mass-market challenger brand. The brands will overlap in some price points and key geographies, but with different brand identities, features experiences and designs. The product brands are meant to be complementary and address multiple target audiences and ends of the product price spectrum."
The original story follows below.
On the heels of learning that Lenovo will remove the Motorola name from all its new smartphones, the company has confirmed it will stop developing and selling the Moto G, Motorola's best-selling smartphone to date.
Chen Xudong, senior vice president and president of Lenovo's mobile division, told Chinese news website Sina that Motorola's budget smartphones — the Moto G and Moto E — will be replaced by the company's own budget-conscious Vibe-branded smartphones.
Moving forward, the company will focus on positioning Moto-branded smartphones as high-end flagship devices.
See also: 10 ways to squeeze more battery life from your Android phone
Lenovo's decision to axe the Moto G and Moto E lineups is interesting because they have proven to be massive hits with cash-strapped consumers, particularly in developing regions such as India and Brazil.
When the Moto E was released, Mashable called it the best budget smartphone. The phone, which starts at $120 for a 3G model and $150 for a 4G LTE model, the was praised for its pure Android experience, long battery life and sturdy plastic build. Similarly, the third-gen Moto G, which starts at $180, was also an excellent sub-$200 phone with a water-resistant design and capable cameras.
Image: Miles Goscha/Mashable
Xudong also confirmed the company's upcoming flagship smartphones will all feature fingerprint scanners to better compete with rival phones. The lack of a fingerprint sensor on Motorola's flagship Moto X Pure Edition was one thing that kept it from truly outshining competing devices. (Even the sub-$400 OnePlus 2 has a fingerprint scanner.)
Additionally, all Lenovo smartphones (Moto and Vibe) will have screens of at least 5-inches. The Moto E has a 4.5-inch screen and the Moto G has a 5-inch screen.
Lenovo's Vibe smartphones aren't bad; the newest one focuses on helping you take better selfies in the dark. But they don't run a stock version of Android without any bloatware apps pre-installed, something that made the Moto G and Moto E so attractive.
BONUS: Motorola Moto G (2015) review
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
