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Moto E Review

2014-05-25
motorola moves to a different part of the alphabet that at first glance doesn't quite seem like the kind of device that a typical Western user would want essentially made to its retail value this phone packs far less than the typical power performers that we've become rather accustomed to but moto has made it clear that it's not necessarily a bashatt power that is the point here it's about an experience that is meant to last and is meant to be the most accessible package ever is it well let's find out because it's Joshua Vergara from Android Authority and this is the Moto e if there's one thing about this phone that is obvious from the get-go this is a moto device and you can tell just by the shape of it they're generally curved design all around that results in a pebble like design is now a common trope that was originally introduced in the Moto X only now it's a bit smaller but generally beefier in thickness and weight up front is the 4.3 inch screen a screen size many of us might look at as a bit of a throwback above and below it are the only main stylistic choices made in this device silver slits that house the phone and loud speakers coming around the sides you'll see that the button layout is only on the right side with the power and volume rockers underneath it and as far as the field goes on those buttons they are really squishy but at the very least I didn't have any problems with the responsiveness of these buttons the volume rockers are a little bit better when it comes to their press but the power button is what is the squishy is out of the three the soft touch back is removable and replaceable with a number of different coloured Motorola shells that of course will cost a little bit more money now they're not terribly tough to get off by any means and once you get that cover off you have access to the sim tray and of course the microSD card slot you can largely rest assured that this phone will withstand your lifestyle whatever it is as not only has the screen been made with Gorilla Glass 3 but the entire device has been rated to handle tumbles and splashes and be able to bounce right back things are generally really simplistic for the Moto e but what I really did think when I was using this phone was at its price it manages to not look like a feature phone and that is thanks to motos general style the 4.3 inch capacitive touchscreen comes with the Rezo solution of 960 by 540 and 256 pixels per inch the pixel density is actually the main draw here as the resolution is pretty much expected for a phone that is supposed to go to a lower spec overall the sharpness here however is higher than that of any other phone sporting the same size screen navigating through the interface and getting through websites posed no issues then and while the ultra colorful candy crush has definitely seen some better days it still is workable on this smaller screen as you will find is the case with this phone from here on out the Moto e is ultimately capable of being the lasting communication device it is meant to be only somewhat capable of tasks that require more than it is able to provide this is especially true considering the power package found within the Moto e just might be the first time many of you have heard of the Snapdragon 200 the dual-core 1.2 gigahertz processor backed by the audrina 302 and one gigabyte of ram as was somewhat demonstrated in our comparison to the Moto G the Moto e is simply just a slow device all-around far from the snappy experience that you would expect from higher rated Snapdragon processors that we've become accustomed to by now one gigabyte of ram also unfortunately doesn't feel like enough for any power users out there and eventually you will experience slowdown if you try to go too crazy expect either some force closes or the need to restart the phone if it tends to get too sluggish you will see more cut corners in the hardware aspect where plenty of concessions were made in order to ensure the low cost of this device one place that we have to tip the hat to though is definitely that front facing speaker it's not an incredible performer but just its placement is enough to truly set this phone apart from a vast majority of similarly priced offerings motorola also doesn't skimp out on the call quality as the same great sound comes through on either end of the call and in terms of phone networks this budget-priced phone made for the global stage sticks to HSDPA connectivity for work ibly fast mobile internet dual sim versions of this phone are available in certain markets making this one of the cheapest smart phones available that offers such a feature and as far as storage goes four gigabytes are found on board but you aren't able to expand it with a microSD card slot that can have cards of up to 32 gigabytes and capacity and you are going to need it though to install anything more than the bare essentials four gigabytes of space is simply not enough to handle a full suite of applications for even the slightly above average user not to mention any of your media that could take up space even quicker and finally in the power department this phone is touted to be capable of lasting all day with a 1980 milliamp hour unit now it should come as no surprise that this phone is actually not supposed to be able to take moderately heavy to heavy usage especially when it comes to media consumption so when you sort of change your perspective on the Moto e you realise that this is a phone that is supposed to be used primarily as a communication device and when you do it that way you do get some lasting longevity from this that kind of usage means sticking to primarily making phone calls working with SMS messages emails and doing some web browsing and if you do I have no doubt that it will last the full 12 hours and with power saving likely beyond the camera situation on the Moto e is well bleak at best as it is where the most corners were cut in the nut show there is a five megapixel shooter but no flash and it works with a fixed focus getting into the app first however we do find the same simplistic interface that moto generally sticks with HDR and panorama are available but those are the real only editions shooting is fairly fast but without the quality and the control it's a bit of a stale trade-off as such the quality of photos is dependent on your ability to really set up the scene fixed focus is the biggest attractor and thus requires you to be able to frame your scene to the best possible outcome anything close up will remain blurry while the lack of flash makes low light a fringe shooting opportunity at best ultimately the five megapixel shooter of the Moto e is a requirement for the smartphone experience and by far is not a defining feature of this budget smartphone and finally in software you do get Android 4.4.2 kitkat with the promise of timely updates from Motorola making this one of the easiest entry points for any new Android user you get what you would expect from the core experience though home screens app drawer notification drop-down and the quick settings and I have already mentioned the periodical force closes I can happen and the phone's own limitations especially in regards to low RAM and low storage but underneath the core surface are a few Motorola additions motorola assist does help in certain instances changing phone settings to cater to wear knows you are what a roll alert is an actual nice addition introduced in the Moto e that might just save you from predicaments it allows for emergency correspondence with any specific context of your choosing and includes a built-in alarm if things get really hairy and finally motorola migrate makes it easier for you to transition from past devices to your new Moto e the Moto e is able to boast that it has stock Android or at least comes really close to it and for that price having stock Android and the promise of timely updates does make that a feather in its cap unlocked the Moto e comes in at 129 dollars and is one of the lowest prices you can currently get for a smart phone the closest competitor is actually from Moto itself which is the Moto G and we already made a comparison video with it you can pay the $50 premium for the G for a better screen a better processing package that can yield a more reliable performance experience and still have the same good build quality and strong connectivity characteristic of Motorola devices and so there you have it the Moto e this is definitely a case where the phone falls in line with its retail value while for some people this phone will be considered a steal for others it is an indication of just what is missing in the experience and what we have to remember is that those are two different camps and this phone is trying to reach both groups of people and quite literally everyone else in between in plenty of places around the world to the Moto e will likely be considered the Gateway into the current world of smartphones on the other side of the spectrum people who might already have the means to buy higher to your devices we'll look to the Moto e as no more than a backup phone and you know what both sides make sense no matter where you stand on that spectrum what you get in the Moto e is a phone that excels at the bare essentials the core communication experience a sturdy build quality that can last and the battery power to help you stay in touch with all those who are important to you so if you know anybody in your life that still has not used Android or for that matter a smartphone the Moto e right here is probably the shallowest part of the pool so you can encourage them to just jump right in as always thank you guys very much for watching and hope you enjoyed this review of the Moto e yes it comes with a lot of limitations but you get what you pay for with that $129 price point and for a lot of people around the world this just might be the gateway into smartphones or 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