Let's
not beat around the bush. Moto E is a phenomenal smartphone. No, it
doesn't dazzle like iPhone 5S or packs in a gazillion features like
Galaxy S5. But it doesn't have to. With a price of Rs 7,000, it needs to
just provide basic but hassle-free smartphone experience to people who
don't want to or can't splurge more than Rs 10,000 on a phone. And Moto E
does exactly that. Not only does it offer a good smartphone experience
but in some cases does so in a way that puts it ahead of more expensive
devices.
Yes, there are a few misses in Moto E. We will tell you where it falls short and where it excels in this review, but if you are in a hurry to get the device, you can go ahead and pull the trigger. Moto E is worth its price.
With this out, let's take a better look at Moto E and what makes it such an appealing deal.
Build and design
Last year when Motorola rebooted its smartphone business with Moto X, a premium phone, it probably decided to use a similar design in all its phones. Moto X had rounded edges, a curved back cover stylishly carved on the top, the primary camera topped with a round glass cover, a metal ring around the camera and the Motorola logo under the camera. Moto G, launched a few months after Moto X, had the same design even though its finish and build quality was more mainstream.
Moto E continues the tradition. It looks similar to Moto X and Moto G. However, Moto E is also an unmistakably budget phone, in both design specifications and build quality.
At its thickest point, Moto E measures 12.3mm, which makes it chubby compared to lean and sleek Moto X and stocky Moto G. It also weighs 142 grams, which is on the heavier side for a phone with 4.3-inch screen. The build quality doesn't match what Moto G or Moto X offer. But see all of it in the context. For its price, Moto E is mighty nice. The plastic back cover, which can be removed to access sim and microSD card slots (but not battery), has matte finish and feels soft to touch. This makes Moto E a better device compared to phones that use cheap glossy plastic.
The overall build quality is a step up from what other companies offer in phones priced below Rs 10,000. The screen on Moto E is covered with tough glass - Gorilla Glass version 3, to be precise - something that is a rarity on mainstream and budget phones. The Gorilla Glass gives the phone a solid feel. Though it is not slim and light, the compact size, curved back cover and rounded edges make Moto E a phone that is easy to handle and use.
Display
Good screens are expensive and companies often put cheap screens in budget phones. Motorola reverses the trend and equips Moto E with a screen that is really good, considering the low price of the device. The 4.3-inch screen in Moto E has resolution of 540x960pixels (540P). It is not as sharp as 720P or 1080P screens in more expensive, but unless you stare at it from close, the text and images on Moto E screen look clear enough. It also displays rich colours and has decent viewing angles. Movies on the device are enjoyable because the image doesn't get distorted much if you tilt or move your head while watching them.
Unless you try to read an article under direct sunlight, you will be satisfied with the brightness of Moto E screen.
Software
Moto E is powered by Android 4.4.2 aka KitKat. This is the latest version of Android. Unlike other companies, Motorola is also promising to update Moto E to the next major version of Android.
Punit Soni, Motorola's vice president for products, told TOI that the company would like to support the device for at least 18 months with software updates. But even if that doesn't happen, he promised, Motorola would update Moto E to the next version of Android.
Since last year, Motorola uses almost an unmodified version of Android in its devices. This makes a Moto device like Moto E similar to a Nexus phone. The launcher and lock screens are more or less same. Google Now, the virtual assistant built into Android, works without any fuss. And so do the Android keyboard and Voice search. The on-screen buttons - Home, Back and Multitasking - work the way they do on Nexus devices.
This is different (in a good way) compared to what other manufacturers offer by modifying the user interface, feature set, navigation buttons and other aspects of Android in their phones.
Yes, there are a few misses in Moto E. We will tell you where it falls short and where it excels in this review, but if you are in a hurry to get the device, you can go ahead and pull the trigger. Moto E is worth its price.
With this out, let's take a better look at Moto E and what makes it such an appealing deal.
Build and design
Last year when Motorola rebooted its smartphone business with Moto X, a premium phone, it probably decided to use a similar design in all its phones. Moto X had rounded edges, a curved back cover stylishly carved on the top, the primary camera topped with a round glass cover, a metal ring around the camera and the Motorola logo under the camera. Moto G, launched a few months after Moto X, had the same design even though its finish and build quality was more mainstream.
Moto E continues the tradition. It looks similar to Moto X and Moto G. However, Moto E is also an unmistakably budget phone, in both design specifications and build quality.
At its thickest point, Moto E measures 12.3mm, which makes it chubby compared to lean and sleek Moto X and stocky Moto G. It also weighs 142 grams, which is on the heavier side for a phone with 4.3-inch screen. The build quality doesn't match what Moto G or Moto X offer. But see all of it in the context. For its price, Moto E is mighty nice. The plastic back cover, which can be removed to access sim and microSD card slots (but not battery), has matte finish and feels soft to touch. This makes Moto E a better device compared to phones that use cheap glossy plastic.
The overall build quality is a step up from what other companies offer in phones priced below Rs 10,000. The screen on Moto E is covered with tough glass - Gorilla Glass version 3, to be precise - something that is a rarity on mainstream and budget phones. The Gorilla Glass gives the phone a solid feel. Though it is not slim and light, the compact size, curved back cover and rounded edges make Moto E a phone that is easy to handle and use.
Display
Good screens are expensive and companies often put cheap screens in budget phones. Motorola reverses the trend and equips Moto E with a screen that is really good, considering the low price of the device. The 4.3-inch screen in Moto E has resolution of 540x960pixels (540P). It is not as sharp as 720P or 1080P screens in more expensive, but unless you stare at it from close, the text and images on Moto E screen look clear enough. It also displays rich colours and has decent viewing angles. Movies on the device are enjoyable because the image doesn't get distorted much if you tilt or move your head while watching them.
Unless you try to read an article under direct sunlight, you will be satisfied with the brightness of Moto E screen.
Software
Moto E is powered by Android 4.4.2 aka KitKat. This is the latest version of Android. Unlike other companies, Motorola is also promising to update Moto E to the next major version of Android.
Punit Soni, Motorola's vice president for products, told TOI that the company would like to support the device for at least 18 months with software updates. But even if that doesn't happen, he promised, Motorola would update Moto E to the next version of Android.
Since last year, Motorola uses almost an unmodified version of Android in its devices. This makes a Moto device like Moto E similar to a Nexus phone. The launcher and lock screens are more or less same. Google Now, the virtual assistant built into Android, works without any fuss. And so do the Android keyboard and Voice search. The on-screen buttons - Home, Back and Multitasking - work the way they do on Nexus devices.
This is different (in a good way) compared to what other manufacturers offer by modifying the user interface, feature set, navigation buttons and other aspects of Android in their phones.
No comments:
Post a Comment