Smartphones remain one of the hottest and best items for the holidays. With a number of choices of around, it can be overwhelming to choose the right product. This time, we pit Motorola's Moto G against Samsung's Galaxy S4 Mini. Google acquired Motorola and the company has started its bid into the smartphone industry. Can it compete with major players like Samsung?

Motorola Moto G

Motorola's flagship phone Moto X got all the attention when it was released and there were already reports about a budget version of the device. Moto X features a range of customization configurations and other Android OS benefits. After some time, Motorola released Moto G. The device provides a good range of hardware and software specs. It should be enough to justify the "budget" classification without compromising quality.

The Moto G sports a 4.5-inch display offering a resolution of 720 x 1280. This gives a pixel density of 326ppi. While there are smartphones with higher resolution, the resolution of Moto G is still decent enough. The panel also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Users will not have to worry about scratches. Moto G packs on a Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, an Adreno 305 graphics chip, including 1GB RAM. People can choose from an 8GB or 16GB model. However, Motorola does not offer an expandable memory option. The device also comes with a 5MP camera, touch focus, face detection and LEG flash. The front camera shoots at 1.3MP.

Moto G runs on a 2,070 mAh battery. Motorola claimed it can last up to 24 hours of mixed usage. The device runs on Android 4.3. To prove the device can perform well despite its lower RAM and mid-range SOC, the handset actually made call 1.1 seconds faster compared to Samsung Galaxy S4. It also boots faster at 5.3 seconds ahead.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is also another mid-range phone that runs on Android 4.2, dual-core processor and features an 8MP camera. Similar to Moto G, it is a reliable handset for people looking for a functional phone within a budget range.

The device sports a 4.3-inch screen and measures 4.9-by-2.4-by-0.4-inch dimensions. However, people may be confused as it is not as small as it name implies. The S4 Mini shares a similar size to Apple's iPhone 5s although its screen is bigger. Because it is the mini version of the S4, it follows a similar design inspiration. The home buttons are on the same location complete with same rounded edges.

Samsung's TouchWiz interface comes with the Android 4.2 on the S4 Mini. It gives access to a multitude of apps and allows users to manage their programs better. Some apps include Group Play (for ad hoc media-sharing), Watch On for TV control, S Memo and S Voice. The overall performance and speed of the device depends on the carrier network. For instance, 3G speeds and other network issues can affect the loading of apps and other parts of the interface.

All in all the S4 Mini will not disappoint the users. The Moto G has an advantage over newer OS but S4 does not fall far behind.