That time isn’t yet so long past as to become entirely forgotten when just the treat of using a landline phone used to give young children a sense of thrill and adventure. The time when only richer ones in the neighbourhood could or would install a telephone at home.
And now, the time is such that those who cannot even read properly own mobile phones. And the mobile companies have already started envisioning the time when there would be a smartphone in every Indian’s hand.
Moving forward on the trail of such a vision, Motorola recently launched a device that is ‘Made to Last, priced for All.’ Yes, as the tagline suggests, it’s a device that’s sturdy, durable, and provides a good smartphone experience at a price that is highly affordable.
Motorola is a brand that hadn’t seen much success in the rise of the smartphone era. But lately, devices like Moto G and Moto X paved the road for the brand’s revival. And with their latest affordable smartphone, Moto E, Motorola looks all set to move further in the brand’s efforts towards resurgence and regaining of their lost market share.
Very briefly put, Moto E is a good smartphone, at a great price. For a budget buyer desirous of moving up from a feature phone, Moto E makes available a good quality smartphone, at a price that might be considered too less to buy even a good feature phone.
Let’s take a quick look at what Moto E offers:
Display: Moto E has 4.3″ Capacitive screen display. That is, in size the screen is bigger than iPhone’s screen, but smaller than high-end phones from Samsung, HTC etc. The resolution of the display cannot compare to high-end phones though. Moto E has 540 x 960 qHD resolution and a pixel density of 256 ppi. However, the contrast and color output of the display is quite nice. When I checked it out, I found it much, much better than other lower range smartphones that I have come across as yet. And the sensitivity of the screen is quite good too.
Speed and Power: Moto E has a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 A7 processor and 1 GB of RAM. The processor can’t be said to be the latest or the best, but 1 GB or RAM is good enough. And the combination is powerful enough to smoothly handle all common smartphone needs like web surfing, messaging, using various apps and playing most games. And to power it all, Moto E is equipped with a 1980 mAh Li-Ion battery which can give upto 24 hours of mixed usage.
Storage: Like most mid-range smartphones in market today, Moto E has 4 GB of internal storage. That is a little disappointing. This 4 GB of space includes the space taken up by the operating system and pre-installed apps. So the space to install more apps actually reduces significantly. The storage can be expanded upto 32 GB using a microSD card. While this can provide ample space for storing of media, users might still have to pick and choose apps to fit into the limited internal storage because not all apps can be moved to the SD card.
Software and Features of Mote E: One of the best things, and indeed, the highlight of Moto E is that it comes with the latest Android version installed. Yes, Moto E has Android KitKat 4.4! And not just that, Moto E also comes with the guarantee of upgrading to the next version of Android.
If I remember correctly, it has pure Android, that is, no bloated skin added to it. Its features include Google Voice for voice commands, Moto Alert that can send emergency messages along with location details to chosen contacts, Motorola Assist that can automate various functions, for example automatically put the phone to mute when it notices a meeting scheduled in calendar.
Durability: The display of Moto E is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to provide scratch resistance to the screen. The device also has splash guard to make it water resistant. That is, it can stay safe in a drizzle or splash of water. However, don’t take that as it being water proof. A drenching in pouring rain or a dip into the pool might still not be a good idea. It also has an anti smudge coating.
Looks: Moto E has a big and bright screen and a sturdy built. It has an ergonomic design with a slight curve to make it fit more easily in the palm while using its various features like watching video, texting etc. It is available in Black and White colours. However, to provide more variety, Motorola has made available more than 20 covers or ‘Motorola Shells‘ as they are called in various vibrant colours and designs.
Dual SIM: Yes, Moto E has dual SIM capacity to make it easy for the users to better manage their calling and data usage costs.
Camera: Moto E does not have any front camera. The rear camera is 5 MP. Camera features include one tap capture, 4X digital zoom, burst shot, Auto HDR, Panorama shot and tap to focus.
Availability and Price of Moto E: Moto E is available exclusively on Flipkart and is priced at Rs. 6,999.
Here are the main specifications of Moto E:
Model Name: Moto E
Model ID: XT1022
Dimensions: 64.8×124.8×12.3 mm, Weight: 142 g
SIM: Micro SIM, Dual SIM, GSM + GSM, (Dual Standby)
OS: Android v4.4 (KitKat)
Processor: 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, Dual Core
Graphics: Adreno 302, 400 MHz Single
Display: 4.3 Inches, qHD, 960 x 540 Pixels resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Camera: 5 Megapixel (rear), no front camera, no flash
Battery: Li-Ion, 1980 mAh
RAM: 1 GB
Internal Storage: 4 GB
Expandable Storage: microSD, upto 32 GB
Internet: Android browser, Email, Google Play
Connectivity: 3G, Wifi, USB, USB Tethering, Wi-fi Hotspot, Bluetooth
Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, with Google Maps
Multimedia: Music Player supporting MP3, Video Player, FM Radio
Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor
Important Apps: Google Play Store, Gmail, YouTube, Google Chrome, Motorola Assist, Motorola Migrate
Price: Rs. 6,999
Availability: Available at Flipkart
As one can judge by the above mentioned specifications, the phone is well equipped to meet all the basic smartphone needs of a user. Of course, its hardware cannot compare to current high-end phones. But for its price range, Moto E is an excellent option. In fact, many people are not hesitating to call it the best smartphone at this price. Its lack of the front camera and having just 4 Gb of internal storage is a little disappointing. But its advantages like big display, sturdy built, latest Android version, with a guaranteed upgrading to the next version, and its low price definitely do make it an excellent buy. Maybe that’s why the device earned such a high and instant demand that it went out of stock within 16 hours of its launch!
