Motorola has been going through some pretty intense changes, acquired by Google in 2012 and then more recently by Lenovo (although Google kept the patents it was after). Still, the company continues to push new devices out to market, and by the looks of it, the smartphone maker is quite focused on the budget-friendly segment.
Last year Motorola lifted the veil on the Moto G – a “no-compromise” device designed to fit the budget market without feeling like a cheap device. To some extent, Motorola managed to deliver a great user experience with the G, and the handset became one of the most popular entry-level smartphones around.
However, the story doesn’t end here, as earlier this week Motorola has made two new budget-friendly smartphones official. These are the Moto E, and the 4G LTE-enabled Moto G variant. Both smartphones seem to aim at delivering great value for money, and today we’re going to take a closer look at what they have to offer.
Motorola Moto E Overview
While the Moto E has just been made official, the smartphone in question has actually been the subject of a handful of leaks and rumors throughout the past several weeks. Nevertheless, the time for rumors has come to an end, and the Moto E is as real as it can get.
The gadget features a 4.3 inch display with a resolution of 540 x 960, and while the resolution seems to be sub-par, given the small dimensions of the screen, the pixel density clocks in at 256 pixels per inch. That’s quite respectable, and it should be sufficient for a budget-friendly handset.
Under the hood the Moto E packs a Snapdragon 200 SoC boasting a dual-core Cortex A7 CPU running at 1.2 GHz and an Adreno 302 graphics chip clocked at 400 MHz. The device takes advantage of 1 GB of RAM and features 4 GB of on-board storage, of which only 2.2 GB are available to the user. That sounds extremely low for today’s standards, but on the bright side, the Moto E does feature a microSD card slot.
The smartphone is also equipped with a 5 MP main camera with 480 x 854 @ 30fps video recording capabilities, but there’s no flash to be found. Clearly, the smartphone’s main shooter is not its strongest selling point, but at least it’s not missing completely.
The gadget is 3G enabled, it runs on Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, it boasts GPS, Bluetooth and FM Radio. It’s also being powered by a 1,980 mAh battery which promises a full day of usage, and according to Motorola, the Moto E will be offered in single or dual-SIM flavors.
In terms of looks, the Moto E borrows basic design cues from both the Moto X and the Moto G, delivering a curvy back panel and rounded corners. The handset will feature interchangeable back panels / shells, which will be offered in a total of nine colors. The handset is 12.3 mm thick and weighs 140 grams.
It all sounds pretty alright, but the price is what makes the Moto E stand out from the crowd. The handset is expected to hit the market in over 40 countries and 80 carriers world-wide, including the U.S. where the smartphone is already available for pre-order at the killer price of $129! The handset will also be retailed in the U.K. starting with May 19 at the price of £89. In India, local retailer Flipkart will launch the device for 6999 rupees (or roughly $117).
Moto G LTE Overview
Of course, Motorola unveiled not one, but two brand new low-end smartphones earlier this week. The second smartphone is the 4G LTE Moto G spin-off, and much like the E and the non-LTE G before it, the newer model also comes at a friendly price.
Spec-wise, the handset in question hasn’t changed much. In fact, the device features the same hardware specifications as the non-LTE counterpart, save a couple of important additions. As such, the G LTE packs a 4.5 inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 and a pixel density of 326 ppi, a Qualcomm MSM8226 Snapdragon 400 dual-core Cortex-A7 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, an Adreno 305 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. The device retains the same 5 MP – 1.3 MP camera configuration, it runs on Android 4.4 and packs a 2,070 mAh battery.
Aside from these features (and unlike the ongoing Moto G), the new variant is LTE-enabled, and despite the fact that the LTE band selection has not been revealed, the handset is expected to be launched in over 40 countries.
More so, unlike the original model, the G LTE also packs a microSD card slot, allowing the user to expand the available 8 GB / 16 GB of on-board storage by up to an additional 32 GB.
The Moto G LTE is expected to hit the market at the price of $219 off-contract, while the ongoing non-LTE Moto G will continue to be retailed at the price of $179.
In conclusion, Motorola seems to be concentrating its forces on the budget-friendly market, and with the addition of the Moto E and Moto G LTE to its lineup, the company is bound to turn a profit.
Would any of The Diplomat’s readers be interested in purchasing one smartphone or the other? Do you consider that Moto E and Moto G LTE are offering a good balance between price and performance? As always, the comment section below is at your disposal.
Vlad Andrici is editor for gforgames.com and writes about technology issues. Follow Vlad on Google Plus.