Google Play edition Moto G launches for $179 — still cheap, but with pure Android

What’s better than a cheap-yet-capable Android phone? One that’s cheap — but running pure Android.

Google quietly launched a Google Play edition of Motorola’s Moto G today, which starts at the same $179 you’d pay elsewhere but runs a completely stock version of Android.

For $179, you’ll get a Google Play Moto G with 8GB of storage. But really, you should just spend the extra $20 to get a more usable 16GB of storage. While it’s not as powerful and feature-rich as the Moto X, the Moto G could be a useful phone for casual smartphone needs or if you just need something use for development testing.

The Google Play Moto G will ship with Android 4.4 “KitKat,” and like other Google Play-edition phones, it will receive Android updates promptly after they’re released. Other Moto G owners will have to wait until Motorola and their carrier approve Android updates.

This special Moto G will work on AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s networks. Though Motorola premiered the Moto G internationally, it’s unclear when the Google Play version of the phone will hit other countries.