You can buy the $199 Moto G4 and G4 Plus in the US on July 12

by NATT GARUN

Just in time before your summer vacation, Motorola has announced that US customers can soon buy its new budget Moto G4 smartphone for $199.

The phone comes unlocked so you can use it with any carrier within the states or internationally. It comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display and a 13-megapixel camera. You can also opt for the $249 Moto G Plus version, which bumps camera specs up to 16 megapixels and 32GB of internal memory versus 16GB in the cheaper model.

Fun tidbit: On Motorola’s blog post about the announcement, it also includes an infographic on what Americans think an “unlocked phone” means – 23 percent from a sample size of 1,000 (i.e. 1 in four participants) thought an unlocked phone is a phone without a passcode. Whoops. Not totally wrong though.

The phones will be available on July 12 through popular online retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and of course, Motorola. Some of the retailers are also running promotions to knock off anywhere between $25 to $50 at launch, so act quick if you’re planning to buy the phone anyway.

Smartphones should focus on meaningful technology that prioritizes the things people really care about, like capturing great pictures, having all-day battery life or being able to switch carriers when and if needed.

But according to a new survey we conducted among U.S. smartphone users, there are common misperceptions about another meaningful feature of a smartphone -- being unlocked. The majority of people we surveyed are confused about what a universally unlocked phone offers or even what, exactly, an unlocked phone is, so we created a handy infographic to explain it.

The fourth-generation Moto G is universally unlocked in the U.S., so it works on both GSM and CDMA networks and is not tied to a carrier or plan, giving you the most choice possible. No matter where life takes you - whether you want to switch carriers or travel internationally - simply insert the SIM card of your choice and activate your plan. Moto G⁴ lets you keep your options open and focus on what matters.

In the U.S., the new Moto G⁴ will be available starting at $199.99 and Moto G⁴ Plus will be available starting at $249.99 beginning July 12 at Amazon.com, Best Buy, BrandsMart, B&H, Car Toys, Fry’s, MicroCenter, Motorola.com, Sam’s Club and Walmart.com. Pre-orders begin today on motorola.com on June 28, 2016. Moto G⁴ and Moto G⁴ Plus will be available at Republic Wireless beginning July 28.