Motorola started selling the GSM version of its budget Moto G earlier than expected and now the handset is up for pre-order on Amazon as well.

When it first announced its affordable Moto G, which sports a starting price of just $179 unlocked, Motorola said that the smartphone will reach the U.S. in early 2014, quite a while after launching in other parts of the world.

The company then changed its mind and earlier this week it started offering the unlocked GSM version of its Moto X in the U.S., with shipping set to start on Dec. 2. Amazon has now started taking pre-orders for the Moto G as well, listing a shipping date of Dec. 4.

The budget-friendly Moto G sports a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch (ppi). Under the hood, the smartphone packs a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz and paired with 1GB of RAM.

The handset is available in two storage configurations, 8GB and 16GB, which cost $179 and $199 outright, respectively. The Moto G doesn't have a microSD card slot, so you cannot expand the storage capacity any further. Other specs include a 5-megapixel rear camera with 720p video recording capabilities and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing shooter for self-shots and video calls.

The Moto G supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, packs a 2,070 mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box, though Motorola promised to update it to the latest Android 4.4 KitKat in January next year.

While the Moto G doesn't boast the advanced customization options of its Moto X sibling, it does allow for some personalization through colorful back shells and flip covers. Motorola has just started selling the accessories on its website, charging $14.99 for the back shells and $29.99 for the flip covers.

The new Motorola Moto G comes as a mid-range handset, offering some of the Moto X features at a much more affordable price tag. The 8GB model costs just $179 unlocked, while the 16GB version costs $199. Head here if you want to order the Moto G from Motorola, or here if you want to place your order with Amazon. The retailer is also offering free shipping with your order.