Motorola Moto E Smartphone Review

Motorola can be regarded as one of the legends in the industry and it was heartening to see the company having another go in the mobile space. With Moto G the company managed to resurface in the market and with Moto E the company has made connectivity affordable, thereby giving it a wider reach.

It may be affordable but not at all cheap: Motorola has done its homework before bringing out the Moto E to India before any other market. The company has managed to pack all the necessary features at an attractive price point without compromising on its quality and experience. The phone sports a 4.3 inch 1280x720 pixels HD display and runs on the latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS with promised regular updates in the future, something that not many offer. The phone has all the ingredients to become a regular phone for any consumer and with options like Corning Glass 3 display, it can weather all kinds of conditions unscathed. The phone’s built with minimal fuss and with its round edges, it might feel slightly bulkier but it’s fairly easy to handle thanks to its size. The rear panel is made of matte finish and the cover has some creaks on the edges which feel prominent while holding it.

Ticks all the boxes: With a HD display at 4.3 inches, the colors are really bright and vibrant but then you do come through some really poor viewing angles aspect with Moto E. The company has managed to keep physical buttons off the phone that works in offering better display real estate with slim bezels. With 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 CPU and 1 GB RAM, the phone offers performance that matches any device in the mid-range. No lags, no heating and stability that have been beyond phone makers in this space have become a reality. We tried basic as well big-sized demanding games like Subway Surfer and Asphalt 8; Airborne and the results were more than encouraging. Motorola claims, Moto E is meant to last the mile or day if we can rephrase that and it sure seems like they have put their coins in the right hat. We ran our usual video playback test on the device and it lasted us for over 8 hours and with normal usage we managed to take the phone over the day’s mark without any major concessions.

Clunky camera, the sore sight: After all the boasting, you might want to consider some of the chinks that Moto E does manage to facilitate which at this price hardly comes as a surprise. The phone is fitted with a 5 MP rear camera sans flash and no front camera either. The snapper features touch-focus option only and in our experience the resulting pictures from such devices are not worth talking about. Same is the case with the Moto E’s camera that is nowhere near its competition but we might want to cut some slack on that. No focus, no clarity, high-level noise are the images that Moto E offers. The phone comes with 4 GB internal storage (with limited app storage), expandable up to 32 GB and even 64 GB as well. Connectivity wise, you get Wi-Fi, GPS and dual-SIM support. Motorola has added some of its features like Moto Alert and other voice-control capabilities.

Bottomline: Motorola has managed to replicate its Moto G formula at a lower price point. Quality display, smooth performance and long battery make it a compelling buy but if clicking photos is also part of your profile then this is not the one.

Price: Rs. 6,999

Key Specs: 4.3 inch HD display, Android 4.4 KitKat OS, 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 CPU, 1 GB RAM, 5 MP rear camera, dual-SIM, 1800 mAh battery

Pros: Bright HD display, Android 4.4 KitKat at this price, Smooth performer, priced well

Cons: No USB OTG, mediocre camera, limited app installation space

— S. Aadeetya