Motorola's Moto G lands on Amazon

Motorola's Moto G.

(Credit: Andrew Hoyle/CNET)

Motorola surprised the smartphone world by launching its new Moto G cell phone on it Web site months early. Now, the device can also be bought on Amazon.

The e-commerce giant began selling both the 8GB and 16GB versions of the smartphone on Friday. The prices are the same as Motorola, which has the 8GB going for $179 and the 16GB at $199. Amazon says that the device will start shipping on December 4, while Motorola will begin shipping on December 2.

Related stories

• 'Touchless' Chrome's here: Prepare for more search shouting
• iPhone 5S or Galaxy S4 owner? What's your problem?
• Surprise! The $179 Moto G hits the US early
• Take a Moto X, please: Amazon drops price to a penny
• Verizon first in line for Moto X's KitKat update

The Moto G is a less expensive version of Motorola's Moto X. The Moto X, which launched only in the US earlier this year, stands out to customers because they can tweak how the device looks with different colors and accents.

The Moto G is being launched around the world, which could mean it'll sell better than its costlier predecessor. It has nearly an identical design to the Moto X and also offers a host of colors, a 720p 4.5-inch display, and the Android Jellybean operating system.

Initially, Motorola said it was planning to launch the Moto G in the US in January. However, the company surprised users bydebuting the device in the US this week. In an interview, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside told CNET that early demand for the phone has been strong overseas and the company was able to ramp up the manufacturing process faster than anticipated.