Second-gen Moto G now available from Staples for $250 [Update: AWS bands supported]

Motorola’s second-generation Moto G is now available, unlocked, for $249.95 from Staples Canada.

The 5-inch slate shares similar internals to its 4.5-inch predecessor, but comes with an upgraded 8MP rear camera, dual front-facing speakers and a more vivid LCD panel.

While the new Moto G does come unlocked, it lacks LTE connectivity, and will only work on the incumbents’ 3G networks, so WIND, Videotron and Mobilicity users are out of luck. Update: We’ve confirmed that the unlocked new Moto will indeed support AWS bands over 3G, so WIND, Videotron and Mobilicity users are in luck.

And while it does come with a microSD slot, internal storage is limited to 8GB. In other words, this is more of a lateral move than an upgrade for many Moto G owners.

The new Moto G is undoubtedly still a very competitive handset for the price, but offerings from Samsung, HTC, Sony and others, most of which offer LTE, mean Motorola may need to roll out a revised version of the device soon.

Full specs below.

• Operating system: Android 4.4.4 KitKat
• Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 processor with 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU
• Capacity: ROM 8GB, MicroSD Card Slot
• Display: 5″ 720p HD
• Connectivity: Wifi 802.11 b/g/n, BT 4.0LE, USB centered at bottom, 3.5mm Headset Jack
• Camera: Rear camera: 8 MP AF,Front Camera: 2 MP
• Battery: 2070 mAh
• Audio: 2 Speakers: front-facing, 2 Mics
• Networks: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• Dimensions: Width: 72.4 mm, Height: 140.8 mm, Curve: 6.0-11.0mm, Weight: 144 grams

Update: We’ve confirmed with Motorola Canada that the unlocked new Moto G does support AWS bands, so good news for WIND Mobile, Mobilicity and Videotron users.

[source]Staples[/source]