Exactly. I reviewed the phone as well (the European version) and the one that's for sale on this side of the ocean hasn't got a charger at all in the box. I just used another charger that I have to charge the phone and charge times were pretty normal: around 2,5 hours from zero to full.
AT would maybe consider a disclaimer that chargers can differ per country or region and that can infuence the outcome of this particular test immensely. AT has got a worldwide audience and a lot of the potential buyers of this phone reading the review here might be from another part of the world. That's something for AT to consider, I guess.
TLDR; tested it as well, there was no charger included, charges normally with another charger.
I agree. Charge time comparison should be done with the same charger or better with 2 or 3 chargers. Chargers for smarphone are universal, all devices connect to micro-usb chargers with 5V. At home we have more chargers for more smartphone and we do not matter which charger we are using. So create a table showing a charging time when using 0.5A, 1A charger, 2A charger. Some smartphone like Moto G 2014, limit input current, so it worth using until 1.5 A charger, more current is not used.
To be clear here, the purpose is to test the charge time of the phone in its default configuration. It's not to compare just the chargers, but the entire package.
You've got a point; anyone who is buying this as their first Android (upgrading from an old Nokia), will most probably use the included charger and it was right to include the charge time using the 'package' the user would most probably use. However, since this is a case where the charger is to blame for the slow charging speeds, it would have been useful to include another result with another high powered charger, which would confirm that the phone IS capable of higher charging speeds if another charger is used and how much time could probably be saved by using a high powered charger.
Do you have a Quick charge 2.0 charger? The Motorola Turbo Charger? Just curious to see whether it works, because iirc QC 2.0 support was mentioned somewhere.
There is a mistake, the Moto E is not $109, it's actually $120 for the slow Snapdragon 200 version, and a not-so-cheap $150 for the Snadpragon 400 version. It's funny how the author can't think of competition when you have devices from Xiaomi and Meizu (among tens if not hundred others) that deliver better value for the money.
The number of markets that you can purchase Xiaomi phones in is extremely small, you can count them on one hand. Also I apologize about the pricing error. There have been a few sales on it recently and for whatever reason I noted the price as $109. That being said, it does drop below Motorola's price very often. For example, it's currently available in India on Flipkart for $127 USD. India does happen to be an Xiaomi market and so I would definitely urge buyers there to check out their devices as well. But that's not an option for most buyers.
Thanks for the reply, Brandon! I agree that you can get the phone cheaper on sales and I wouldn't argue against the Moto E being an overall good value for the money, but it's also true that you can buy said Xiaomi phones (or many others for that matter, I don't want this to sound like an ad) from retailers like Pandawill.com, Coolicool.com, or others that ship internationally for free. And the user who said that Xiaomi starts at 170 euro, may want to pay a visit and see that prices on those sites start at around $120, not 170 euro.
Buying goods internationally is always more hassle. First off, there's customs fees that may increase the total cost quite significantly. On top of that there's always a concern regarding warranty because if the OEM has no presence in your country, you may have to ship it to another country that increases waiting time and may even cost you.
Any front camera samples? Did you try charging it using a Quick-Charge 2 charger; or even another normal charger with a high amp rating? How good (or bad) is multitasking on the phone due to only 1GB RAM?
The original release of Lollipop has some memory issues of its own, but I never felt like there were problems with multitasking due to the limited amount of memory. There's definitely more app reloading than on the Nexus 6 but it's not a big deal.
It's funny that we're talking about a PHONE having "ONLY" 1GiB RAM, when I vividly remember that being a shit-hot amount of RAM for your desktop PC.
That aside, I don't see Moto E as a hardcore multitasking phone anyway, it's just a decent phone with a reasonable set of specs for someone who isn't that hardcore of a smartphone user.
Times change :) When it comes to PC's I think 4GB RAM is the minimum that should come with a new PC, anyone planning on multitasking needs more. When it comes to laptops like the Surface and MBP, they should be including 8GB atleast: the iGPU uses a portion and that reduces things even further.
No, times have changed yet again. A PC should have 1 GB at the very least, with 4 GB being a good amount. Most of these kinds of computers have SSDs, which are a lot faster with their page files. You can swap without too much delay, so you don't actually need much RAM. I've been surprised at how well the 1GB Stream 7 performs, despite Windows 8 taking up about a gigabyte on boot.
(If you use Chrome heavily, tack on an extra 2 GB. All those tabs really add up.)
Charge time does not really compensate at all for short battery life if one wants to be free and about for an average day without constantly scanning for charging opportunities. Having gone from the lousy S3 to the great Note 4 I know this very well, it makes a gigantic difference in the quality of experience. With the S3 the battery low noise was a constant presence and many days of the year I had no battery at inopportune times. Carrying a spare battery is an awkward solution compared to base strong battery life.
Sure its subjective, but relative to other options on the market, I think a lot will agree this is an ugly smartphone.
But yes let's focus on the minority that thinks its a good looking phone and ignore the overwhelming majority that don't and call it a moot point, I'm sure there's plenty of Walter Whites out there that loved the look of the Aztek as well...
It looks very similar to the rest of Moto's lineup... You think the Moto X & G are fugly too? How many people have you polled to determine the majority definitely agrees with you?
I happen to like how it looks, actually Moto's rounded plastic phones are some of the few I would dare use without a case... Both because they seem more resilient than metal ones and because the customization aspect makes it more unique.
I remember noticing a lip on the Moto X that actually lifted the screen by a mm when face down sans case, not sure if that's standard, but that and lack of a camera hump also make it easier to go case-less.
For reference I like the new SGS6 (tho I still dislike the home button) and Sony's Z line, I could take or leave the One design (poor ergos), and I thought older SGS with plastic imitating other materials was chintzy.
At the end of the day I care more about a phone's features, performance, and ergonomics than it's looks tho. None of them are *that* striking or stylish.
Its been shown whether subconsciously or not, the more symmetrical a face is, the more pleasing it is to the eye.
The rounded and concave edges just make it look like a cheap toy, too much round around the sharp angles of the rectangular screen and the asymmetrical nature of the speakers and cameras don't do it any favors either.
Our NAND tests are being moved to Androbench 4. The writing of this review took place over a longer period than I had anticipated, which is why there are a few things like the usage of the older NAND bench and the GS6 not showing up in the charts. In future reviews the Nexus 6 should have up to date storage performance benchmarks done on 5.1.
That's a really bad mistake I commonly make. Thank you for pointing it out. Also the Moto E should be on the basemark chart, it might have glitched out and not regenerated or something. Let me take a look at it.
Overpriced when comparing with Chinese phones that have way better parts for the same price. The only reason Moto charge as much as it does with the the X, G, E and speciality phones is because it is the only American Android phone and if you want to buy American you have to pay the premium.
> Overpriced when comparing with Chinese phones that have way better parts for the same price.
And which phones would that be? At least there're no brand phones at that price tag with this (hardware) feature set and then we haven't even talked about software yet; it's close to impossible to find a phone which is available with (mostly unadultered) Lollipop and given that many or even most vendors in this price segment do not even care to offer *any* updates that's a major factor for any sane person. Also Motorola is one of the few companies which allow for easy rooting and even bootloader unlocking -- that's no small feat.
I totally agree with Brandon that the only reasonable price/performance competition can be found in the Windows Phone camp.
Aha, I can't find it for less than $132 (the 1GB/8GB version). Here in Europe the cheapest price is 40€ more expensive then the Moto E 2nd Gen LTE. Also MIUI v6 is based on KitKat and 32bit so not really interesting.
Not sure why the slightly xenophobic tinge is necessary... It might be designed in the US but I'm pretty sure no Moto phone is made there anymore (they closed the Texas assembly plant no?) and Moto's parent company is Chinese anyway (unless Lenovo decided to move).
Moto has better distribution than Xiaomi etc, particularly within regions that Anandtech's readership is at, get over it. That isn't even saying much considering how woeful Moto's distribution and site are, but it's still a fact. I'd actually love to see some Xiaomi reviews but if I can't easily buy one it's pointless.
Nothing against them, I've got a pair of Xiaomi Pistons that are some of the best IEM I've tried under $70, if not the best (and they were $25).
I just picked up the LTE version of this phone for my mother on Verizon Wireless (and yes, I am 100% sure it is the 2015 model). It comes setup for pre-pay plans and has a bargain basement price of $69 (at Walmart no less). I even read on XDA of a few people being able to add it to their post paid Verizon plans simply by calling Verizon.
For THAT price, its a freakn' sweet phone and its a huge upgrade over my mom's something LG with Android 2.6 3G (it was soo old.. and it was only a year old.. not even worth looking up the model # lol).
While the camera performance is pretty meh, I really don't see how you can complain about 802.11n being a downside. AC wireless is nowhere near ubiquitous and N is surely fast enough for low end users. AC is decidedly a high end feature in phones and even computers these days. Most users of this phone probably still have wireless G in their homes or coffee shop hotspots which I would argue is still plenty of speed for a phone with a low end mobile chipset.
Problem is what is the price, and two, it's a 5 inch phone. It was made to compete with the Moto G, not the Moto E.
Currently I find WP to be great at first, but after a few days of trying again WP with the Lumia 635, it just flat out tries to annoy me. Today's annoyance is opening up the weather app goes to the store telling me there is a pending update. Then it disappears to the home screen. Before that when I told it to update all apps, it updates 16 out of 26. Why does the next 10 have to have me tell it again to download and install? After the update it took two tries to open the weather app as it keeps crashing to the home screen. The camera on it works good for pictures, but is utterly useless at night for video. Why can't they allow exp control for video? Also learned they won't issue GDR1 or 2 updates for WP8.1 since it will go to WP10. Too bad the latest build is a buggy mess.
You seem to have a defective Lumia 635, get it replaced, never seen or used such a buggy Lumia, Even the old and humble Lumia 520 performs much better than what you describe.
I bought this phone about two weeks ago from Best Buy - it's $79.99 for the Verizon one with NO contract. Not $120, not $150. $80 bucks. I can buy six of these for the same price as a new galaxy.
The size of the phone is perfect, the screen is very nice, and due to the low resolution (compared to flagship phones), the battery actually lasts a really long time. Charging is fast and mine did come with a charger.
I've already recommended this phone to several family members and friends who are sick of 2 year contracts, gigantic phones that don't fit in your pocket, etc. Yes the camera sucks, no it doesn't beat a flagship in bench tests. But I don't run benchmarks, I have maybe 5-6 apps open at once and it has never slowed down or locked up on me.
Honestly if you're looking to save money and not have a laptop jammed into your pocket, take a look at this. The only reason I didn't get the Moto E last year was it didn't have 4G and we don't know how long until the 2015 Moto G comes out. 80 bucks no contract is pretty hard to beat.
No contract does not mean Unlocked, it is still a Verizon locked phone and that is why you are getting for a lower price. As long as people keep buying locked phones from Carriers they cannot and should not complain about software updates. You become a carrier slave and slaves don't ask.
I'm pretty sure all Verizon phones on LTE come unlocked. It sucks because some bands that it would normally access will probably require hacking (whenever that might happen), but all of my Verizon LTE phones are unlocked by default.
I picked one up for my mother, only $69 at Walmart (Verizon LTE prepay). The only REAL downside is you cannot unlock the bootloader using Moto's official tool (and that's why my mother got the phone lol).
Xiaomi Redmi 2, Lenovo A6000 Plus and Micromax Canvas Spark are three better options than Moto E, Lenovo is already widespread in many countries and Xiaomi already caters to the largest smartphones markets that is China, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. In 2015, Xiaomi will enter Russia and Brazil which is Hugo Barra's home market.
I have considered the pricing from Flipkart for the above phones but the pricing is nearly the same for these in all the countries in which they are sold officially by the manufacturers.
Software updates: Xiaomi has excellent software support, they provide software updates and even small bug fixes in between for all their phones, even the low end $100 phones. Infact their Developer ROM is updated every week. Apart from that Xiaomi is the only company who listens and replies to complaints via facebook, twitter, G+ etc. Xiaomi Devs and even the head Hugo Barra listen and reply to comments, no company is such consumer focused and that is the reason why they have millions of fans with Zero Dollar marketing budget.
Service centres: Xiaomi has more service centres than Motorola in India, Xiaomi has exclusive service centres too along with tie-up with 3rd parties/outsourced whereas Motorola relies only on outsourced service centres. Lenovo and Motorola are neck and neck with both sharing the same service centres in most places.
Microsoft/nokia Lumia, Samsung and LG have better service than the above brands but that is expected.
That said, Redmi and Xiaomi series are different with regard to SW update mechanisms. Redmi doesn't get update on a weekly basis. It's not that I need weekly update for my Redmi, but I'd like to clarify the things.
Btw, I've been using Redmi for past 15 months. It's a solid phone given its pricing of USD 130.
Also, the Verizon-locked Moto E seems to be only usable with Verizon's monthly prepaid smartphone plans that start at $45 per month. That's not a horrible deal for those that want unlimited talk/text and a little data, but many budget buyers (like me) want pay-as-you-go and the option to use an MVNO (like Page Plus).
Don't all companies have to unlock phones these days once you're not in a contract though? I personally use the month to month for $45, but figured if they ever scrapped it or raised the price I'd move to an MVNO.
Also, I recently received a MS Nokia Lumia 635 from my work - that's another real nice cheap phone IMO. Was originally going to get one for my personal but went with the Moto E when I saw the price. Everyone complains about it at work (they all use Iphones) but I think it's great for what its intended purpose is i.e. make calls, read emails, read news, weather, etc. I dunno maybe I'm just getting old (get off my lawn) but the prices and specs of top end phones these days are so overkill. Having a 2560p 6.5" screen and then needing a 300g battery to power it? No thanks....
Several people on XDA forums have been able to contact Verizon and get the phone added to their postpay plan. I would have gone that route myself if I could have unlocked the bootloader (but you can't with Moto's tools).
All Verizon LTE phones should come unlocked, but I have no other carriers to try my mothers Moto E on (that would get reception no less).
Can't comment on android headsets but the sound quality through $10 earbuds is fine. Sounds the exact same as my previous phones playing FLAC files.
Playing music without headphones is alright, it's definitely loud enough for most uses; I play music on it after most leave my office and can hear it probably 50-75 feet away. There's roughly 0.0% bass as expected....played some Omni Trio drum and bass and it was like listening to half the song ;) But that's a given for any cell phone speaker really. Playing rock music FLAC files sounded as good as I could ask for from a cell phone.
The issue I had with a previous motorola droid was there was a lot of line hiss. i.e., if you were in the quiet portion of a song, you can hear a background hiss (sounds like when you're on a phone call and no one is talking)
It's sometimes tricky to notice because the internal amp would shut off when music is paused. and usually people are listening to their phone in a place where there is some background noise.
Just checked with some live concert soundboards - between songs it's pretty much silent and I didn't hear any hiss at volume levels that are comfortable to listen to.
I'm curious - is lack of 5 GHz WiFi (n or ac) really that much of a problem in an ultra-low-cost phone?
I understand it would be great for future-proofing, but how often are people looking at ultra-low-end phones going to have 5 GHz 802.11n, much less ac? Or the high-enough-speed internet to notice the difference?
Is this the first Lenovo-fied Moto device since the acquisition? The specs and price are very underwhelming when similar low-end devices from Lenovo and Xiaomi have 720p displays, more RAM and faster SoCs. 1 GB RAM is a nightmare on Android because apps get killed and have to reload often. That's really annoying for web browsers because the content has to be downloaded again instead of being cached.
Xiaomi have really upped their game recently. Flagships have always had weekly MIUI updates but now the budget line (Redmi 1S/2/Note) are also on a weekly schedule for the developer ROM. Better late than never.
As for hardware support, that's a big issue because Xiaomi officially doesn't sell outside of China and some APAC countries. You won't have a physical repair depot to turn to if you buy from an online reseller.
Great review. You just confirmed what I have been experiencing since I got my Moto E LTE when they first came out. Some of the initial reviews said the screen was dim and poor quality, but I have not found that to be the case, and your test backs that up. Being a recent college grad still looking for work in my field, in addition to a tech enthusiast, this phone was the best option for my budget. It works well enough that I don't mind waiting, for a long time if necessary, for that killer phone that I would actually feel is worth paying several hundred dollars for. Nothing fits that description yet IMO. One thing that I would love to see added to future reviews is network throughput speeds through a VPN. I use OpenVPN all the time for both remote file access/music streaming, and also for security on open WiFi. The OpenVPN connect client recently added support for ARMv8 crypto instructions, so it would be nice to see how everything stacks up when the speed of the internet connection is not a bottleneck. Maybe test over mobile data and WiFi? The WiFi link speed might still be the limiting factor, but if the rest of the soc is working too, such as streaming HD video, the extra efficiency from ARMv8 might be quantifiable. Qualitative differences in the video could show up as well. Maybe a battery rundown test while streaming over the VPN might show some major differences as well?
Moto E 2nd generation has good upgrades DDR3, 8GB internal, 4.5 inch IPS, 2300 mAh, Android 5.0, front camera and 3G/4G are most welcomed.
The removable bezel is a bit scary everytime it is plucked out. The battery takes a bit loger time to recharge. Besides these two, I love Moto e's performance.
Out of curiosity, did you test NFC performance? I ask because the arstechnica review indicates that there is no NFC capability present in this device. Likewise the specs listed on motorola.com say "NFC - No" While I'm hopeful you have some information regarding activating this hidden feature, I'm guessing this was just an error.
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zepi - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
How much does a 1A or 2A rated charger drop the charging times?I think it is a bit silly to compare chargers instead of phones.
arnoudw - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Exactly. I reviewed the phone as well (the European version) and the one that's for sale on this side of the ocean hasn't got a charger at all in the box. I just used another charger that I have to charge the phone and charge times were pretty normal: around 2,5 hours from zero to full.AT would maybe consider a disclaimer that chargers can differ per country or region and that can infuence the outcome of this particular test immensely. AT has got a worldwide audience and a lot of the potential buyers of this phone reading the review here might be from another part of the world. That's something for AT to consider, I guess.
TLDR; tested it as well, there was no charger included, charges normally with another charger.
sovking - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I agree. Charge time comparison should be done with the same charger or better with 2 or 3 chargers.Chargers for smarphone are universal, all devices connect to micro-usb chargers with 5V. At home we have more chargers for more smartphone and we do not matter which charger we are using.
So create a table showing a charging time when using 0.5A, 1A charger, 2A charger.
Some smartphone like Moto G 2014, limit input current, so it worth using until 1.5 A charger, more current is not used.
Ryan Smith - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
To be clear here, the purpose is to test the charge time of the phone in its default configuration. It's not to compare just the chargers, but the entire package.hans_ober - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
You've got a point; anyone who is buying this as their first Android (upgrading from an old Nokia), will most probably use the included charger and it was right to include the charge time using the 'package' the user would most probably use. However, since this is a case where the charger is to blame for the slow charging speeds, it would have been useful to include another result with another high powered charger, which would confirm that the phone IS capable of higher charging speeds if another charger is used and how much time could probably be saved by using a high powered charger.hans_ober - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
Do you have a Quick charge 2.0 charger? The Motorola Turbo Charger? Just curious to see whether it works, because iirc QC 2.0 support was mentioned somewhere.victorson - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
There is a mistake, the Moto E is not $109, it's actually $120 for the slow Snapdragon 200 version, and a not-so-cheap $150 for the Snadpragon 400 version. It's funny how the author can't think of competition when you have devices from Xiaomi and Meizu (among tens if not hundred others) that deliver better value for the money.close - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
In EU the Moto E LTE is ~130E while the cheapest Xiaomi starts at ~170E. I wouldn't think twice.Brandon Chester - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
The number of markets that you can purchase Xiaomi phones in is extremely small, you can count them on one hand. Also I apologize about the pricing error. There have been a few sales on it recently and for whatever reason I noted the price as $109. That being said, it does drop below Motorola's price very often. For example, it's currently available in India on Flipkart for $127 USD. India does happen to be an Xiaomi market and so I would definitely urge buyers there to check out their devices as well. But that's not an option for most buyers.victorson - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Thanks for the reply, Brandon! I agree that you can get the phone cheaper on sales and I wouldn't argue against the Moto E being an overall good value for the money, but it's also true that you can buy said Xiaomi phones (or many others for that matter, I don't want this to sound like an ad) from retailers like Pandawill.com, Coolicool.com, or others that ship internationally for free. And the user who said that Xiaomi starts at 170 euro, may want to pay a visit and see that prices on those sites start at around $120, not 170 euro.Kristian Vättö - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Buying goods internationally is always more hassle. First off, there's customs fees that may increase the total cost quite significantly. On top of that there's always a concern regarding warranty because if the OEM has no presence in your country, you may have to ship it to another country that increases waiting time and may even cost you.erikiksaz - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I was under the impression that xiaomi phones don't have all the proper bands for T-mobile. Is this not true?hans_ober - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Any front camera samples?Did you try charging it using a Quick-Charge 2 charger; or even another normal charger with a high amp rating?
How good (or bad) is multitasking on the phone due to only 1GB RAM?
Brandon Chester - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
The original release of Lollipop has some memory issues of its own, but I never felt like there were problems with multitasking due to the limited amount of memory. There's definitely more app reloading than on the Nexus 6 but it's not a big deal.hans_ober - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Thanks, aren't you guys gonna share front camera sample pics?It might not be great, but I was curious to see how good/bad it is.
piroroadkill - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
It's funny that we're talking about a PHONE having "ONLY" 1GiB RAM, when I vividly remember that being a shit-hot amount of RAM for your desktop PC.That aside, I don't see Moto E as a hardcore multitasking phone anyway, it's just a decent phone with a reasonable set of specs for someone who isn't that hardcore of a smartphone user.
hans_ober - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Times change :) When it comes to PC's I think 4GB RAM is the minimum that should come with a new PC, anyone planning on multitasking needs more. When it comes to laptops like the Surface and MBP, they should be including 8GB atleast: the iGPU uses a portion and that reduces things even further.mkozakewich - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
No, times have changed yet again. A PC should have 1 GB at the very least, with 4 GB being a good amount. Most of these kinds of computers have SSDs, which are a lot faster with their page files. You can swap without too much delay, so you don't actually need much RAM. I've been surprised at how well the 1GB Stream 7 performs, despite Windows 8 taking up about a gigabyte on boot.(If you use Chrome heavily, tack on an extra 2 GB. All those tabs really add up.)
hans_ober - Friday, April 24, 2015 - link
Don't page file read/writes have a negative impact on the life of SSD's?blzd - Thursday, April 23, 2015 - link
My desktop PC has never gone above 6 GB of RAM usage, that's while playing a Shadows of Mordor while streaming twitch and Spotify in the background.personne - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Charge time does not really compensate at all for short battery life if one wants to be free and about for an average day without constantly scanning for charging opportunities. Having gone from the lousy S3 to the great Note 4 I know this very well, it makes a gigantic difference in the quality of experience. With the S3 the battery low noise was a constant presence and many days of the year I had no battery at inopportune times. Carrying a spare battery is an awkward solution compared to base strong battery life.personne - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
(I get the feeling people who think fast charging is a replacement for battery life spend their days in short trips between their desk and car.)Taylenism - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Does the phone support DC-HSPA+?Taylenism - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
(The LTE version I mean)Brandon Chester - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Yes it does.chizow - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I guess all the memes about how all smartphones look the same isn't true; Motorola gives us proof it is still possible to make an ugly smartphone.LukaP - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Subjective, so a moot point. I think the HTC One is ugly. So what. Different tasteschizow - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Sure its subjective, but relative to other options on the market, I think a lot will agree this is an ugly smartphone.But yes let's focus on the minority that thinks its a good looking phone and ignore the overwhelming majority that don't and call it a moot point, I'm sure there's plenty of Walter Whites out there that loved the look of the Aztek as well...
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a6357/bob-...
kmmatney - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Looks just about like any other phone to me...chizow - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I guess to some, it's rectangular like every smartphone right? Didn't Apple try to patent the rectangular phone? :)Impulses - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
It looks very similar to the rest of Moto's lineup... You think the Moto X & G are fugly too? How many people have you polled to determine the majority definitely agrees with you?I happen to like how it looks, actually Moto's rounded plastic phones are some of the few I would dare use without a case... Both because they seem more resilient than metal ones and because the customization aspect makes it more unique.
I remember noticing a lip on the Moto X that actually lifted the screen by a mm when face down sans case, not sure if that's standard, but that and lack of a camera hump also make it easier to go case-less.
For reference I like the new SGS6 (tho I still dislike the home button) and Sony's Z line, I could take or leave the One design (poor ergos), and I thought older SGS with plastic imitating other materials was chintzy.
At the end of the day I care more about a phone's features, performance, and ergonomics than it's looks tho. None of them are *that* striking or stylish.
chizow - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Sure, here you go, the same tenets apply to smartphones as they do to people's faces:https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=symmetrical+f...
Its been shown whether subconsciously or not, the more symmetrical a face is, the more pleasing it is to the eye.
The rounded and concave edges just make it look like a cheap toy, too much round around the sharp angles of the rectangular screen and the asymmetrical nature of the speakers and cameras don't do it any favors either.
blzd - Thursday, April 23, 2015 - link
Well that settles it. 100% Confirmed. Everyone agrees with you.lol please do the world a favor and delete your internet.
hans_ober - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
If it's anything, wide bezels make devices ugly.sonicmerlin - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
lol that was my first thought upon seeing the picture. It looks like a half-done prototype. The Lumias going for half the price look better.DabuXian - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Off topic, but why don't you update NAND performance of the Nexus 6? It's been vastly improved on Android 5.1.Brandon Chester - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Our NAND tests are being moved to Androbench 4. The writing of this review took place over a longer period than I had anticipated, which is why there are a few things like the usage of the older NAND bench and the GS6 not showing up in the charts. In future reviews the Nexus 6 should have up to date storage performance benchmarks done on 5.1.djvita - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
The graph for Basemark OS II battery score is missing the Moto E's score.whiteiphoneproblems - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
"The procedure for iOS is a bit different, and it involves signing into your iCloud account which I'm just a bit weary of..."Should be "...just a bit WARY of".
Also, I don't see the Moto E listed on the "Basemark OS II Battery Score" chart(?)
whiteiphoneproblems - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
(Apologies for x-post with the above)Brandon Chester - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
That's a really bad mistake I commonly make. Thank you for pointing it out. Also the Moto E should be on the basemark chart, it might have glitched out and not regenerated or something. Let me take a look at it.mayankleoboy1 - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I have the MotoE 1st gen. I have only 2 complaints:1. The internal storage is too low at 4gb. I cant install many apps.
2. The gallery app takes a long time to sharpen zoomed images.
PsychoPif - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I'm happy to see you got some Windows Phone in there. While there is newer alternatives at this price, it's nice to see the diversityPeichen - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Overpriced when comparing with Chinese phones that have way better parts for the same price. The only reason Moto charge as much as it does with the the X, G, E and speciality phones is because it is the only American Android phone and if you want to buy American you have to pay the premium.Daniel Egger - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
> Overpriced when comparing with Chinese phones that have way better parts for the same price.And which phones would that be? At least there're no brand phones at that price tag with this (hardware) feature set and then we haven't even talked about software yet; it's close to impossible to find a phone which is available with (mostly unadultered) Lollipop and given that many or even most vendors in this price segment do not even care to offer *any* updates that's a major factor for any sane person. Also Motorola is one of the few companies which allow for easy rooting and even bootloader unlocking -- that's no small feat.
I totally agree with Brandon that the only reasonable price/performance competition can be found in the Windows Phone camp.
Peichen - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Xiaomi Redmi 2 is $112 with Snapdragon 410, 1 or 2GB of RAM, 8 or 16GB of storage, 720p 4.7" screen, 8mp and 2mp camera and Android 5.0Daniel Egger - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Aha, I can't find it for less than $132 (the 1GB/8GB version). Here in Europe the cheapest price is 40€ more expensive then the Moto E 2nd Gen LTE. Also MIUI v6 is based on KitKat and 32bit so not really interesting.Impulses - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Not sure why the slightly xenophobic tinge is necessary... It might be designed in the US but I'm pretty sure no Moto phone is made there anymore (they closed the Texas assembly plant no?) and Moto's parent company is Chinese anyway (unless Lenovo decided to move).Moto has better distribution than Xiaomi etc, particularly within regions that Anandtech's readership is at, get over it. That isn't even saying much considering how woeful Moto's distribution and site are, but it's still a fact. I'd actually love to see some Xiaomi reviews but if I can't easily buy one it's pointless.
Nothing against them, I've got a pair of Xiaomi Pistons that are some of the best IEM I've tried under $70, if not the best (and they were $25).
blzd - Thursday, April 23, 2015 - link
If you actually try and buy an imported Chinese phone you end up paying a lot more then their MSRP, often more then double.Also who wants to use an Android interface that was never designed to be used with the English language?
RealTheXev - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
I just picked up the LTE version of this phone for my mother on Verizon Wireless (and yes, I am 100% sure it is the 2015 model). It comes setup for pre-pay plans and has a bargain basement price of $69 (at Walmart no less). I even read on XDA of a few people being able to add it to their post paid Verizon plans simply by calling Verizon.For THAT price, its a freakn' sweet phone and its a huge upgrade over my mom's something LG with Android 2.6 3G (it was soo old.. and it was only a year old.. not even worth looking up the model # lol).
Hubb1e - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
While the camera performance is pretty meh, I really don't see how you can complain about 802.11n being a downside. AC wireless is nowhere near ubiquitous and N is surely fast enough for low end users. AC is decidedly a high end feature in phones and even computers these days. Most users of this phone probably still have wireless G in their homes or coffee shop hotspots which I would argue is still plenty of speed for a phone with a low end mobile chipset.hans_ober - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Yeah, it makes more sense to upgrade the cameras to 8MP/2MP than to switch to 802.11ac.Olaf van der Spek - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
The E makes the much more expensive but slower G seem a bit expensive. Is Moto planning a new G?Cryio - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
"It wasn't that long ago that I recommended buyers looking for inexpensive smartphones avoid Android devices in favor of Windows Phone."" With Android Lollipop and new budget devices like the Moto E, my opinion about the quality of low end Android devices has changed."
While all these may be true, the Lumia 640 is a true challenger. There are still reaasons to recommend the 640 over this.
sprockkets - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Problem is what is the price, and two, it's a 5 inch phone. It was made to compete with the Moto G, not the Moto E.Currently I find WP to be great at first, but after a few days of trying again WP with the Lumia 635, it just flat out tries to annoy me. Today's annoyance is opening up the weather app goes to the store telling me there is a pending update. Then it disappears to the home screen. Before that when I told it to update all apps, it updates 16 out of 26. Why does the next 10 have to have me tell it again to download and install?
After the update it took two tries to open the weather app as it keeps crashing to the home screen.
The camera on it works good for pictures, but is utterly useless at night for video. Why can't they allow exp control for video?
Also learned they won't issue GDR1 or 2 updates for WP8.1 since it will go to WP10. Too bad the latest build is a buggy mess.
BMNify - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
You seem to have a defective Lumia 635, get it replaced, never seen or used such a buggy Lumia, Even the old and humble Lumia 520 performs much better than what you describe.Kakti - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I bought this phone about two weeks ago from Best Buy - it's $79.99 for the Verizon one with NO contract. Not $120, not $150. $80 bucks. I can buy six of these for the same price as a new galaxy.The size of the phone is perfect, the screen is very nice, and due to the low resolution (compared to flagship phones), the battery actually lasts a really long time. Charging is fast and mine did come with a charger.
I've already recommended this phone to several family members and friends who are sick of 2 year contracts, gigantic phones that don't fit in your pocket, etc. Yes the camera sucks, no it doesn't beat a flagship in bench tests. But I don't run benchmarks, I have maybe 5-6 apps open at once and it has never slowed down or locked up on me.
Honestly if you're looking to save money and not have a laptop jammed into your pocket, take a look at this. The only reason I didn't get the Moto E last year was it didn't have 4G and we don't know how long until the 2015 Moto G comes out. 80 bucks no contract is pretty hard to beat.
BMNify - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
No contract does not mean Unlocked, it is still a Verizon locked phone and that is why you are getting for a lower price. As long as people keep buying locked phones from Carriers they cannot and should not complain about software updates. You become a carrier slave and slaves don't ask.sonicmerlin - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
If it runs on Verizon's LTE then it comes unlocked.RealTheXev - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
I'm pretty sure all Verizon phones on LTE come unlocked. It sucks because some bands that it would normally access will probably require hacking (whenever that might happen), but all of my Verizon LTE phones are unlocked by default.RealTheXev - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
I picked one up for my mother, only $69 at Walmart (Verizon LTE prepay). The only REAL downside is you cannot unlock the bootloader using Moto's official tool (and that's why my mother got the phone lol).BMNify - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Xiaomi Redmi 2, Lenovo A6000 Plus and Micromax Canvas Spark are three better options than Moto E, Lenovo is already widespread in many countries and Xiaomi already caters to the largest smartphones markets that is China, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. In 2015, Xiaomi will enter Russia and Brazil which is Hugo Barra's home market.BMNify - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
I have considered the pricing from Flipkart for the above phones but the pricing is nearly the same for these in all the countries in which they are sold officially by the manufacturers.hans_ober - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Yeah, but how's the software support? Heard that Xiaomi/Lenovo have almost non-existent service centers in India.BMNify - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Software updates: Xiaomi has excellent software support, they provide software updates and even small bug fixes in between for all their phones, even the low end $100 phones. Infact their Developer ROM is updated every week. Apart from that Xiaomi is the only company who listens and replies to complaints via facebook, twitter, G+ etc. Xiaomi Devs and even the head Hugo Barra listen and reply to comments, no company is such consumer focused and that is the reason why they have millions of fans with Zero Dollar marketing budget.Service centres: Xiaomi has more service centres than Motorola in India, Xiaomi has exclusive service centres too along with tie-up with 3rd parties/outsourced whereas Motorola relies only on outsourced service centres. Lenovo and Motorola are neck and neck with both sharing the same service centres in most places.
Microsoft/nokia Lumia, Samsung and LG have better service than the above brands but that is expected.
loimlo - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
That said, Redmi and Xiaomi series are different with regard to SW update mechanisms. Redmi doesn't get update on a weekly basis. It's not that I need weekly update for my Redmi, but I'd like to clarify the things.Btw, I've been using Redmi for past 15 months. It's a solid phone given its pricing of USD 130.
Tyron - Saturday, March 12, 2016 - link
Lol redmi 2 or the Lenovo A6000 never got even Android 5.1 !!While Moto E2, 5.0-5.1-5.1.1-6.0
Motorola rocks (and lenovo sucks)
Thermogenic - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
The Microsoft Lumia 640(XL) looks to be a very solid competitor to the Moto E.der - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
50th comment woooStanand - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Also, the Verizon-locked Moto E seems to be only usable with Verizon's monthly prepaid smartphone plans that start at $45 per month. That's not a horrible deal for those that want unlimited talk/text and a little data, but many budget buyers (like me) want pay-as-you-go and the option to use an MVNO (like Page Plus).Kakti - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Don't all companies have to unlock phones these days once you're not in a contract though? I personally use the month to month for $45, but figured if they ever scrapped it or raised the price I'd move to an MVNO.Also, I recently received a MS Nokia Lumia 635 from my work - that's another real nice cheap phone IMO. Was originally going to get one for my personal but went with the Moto E when I saw the price. Everyone complains about it at work (they all use Iphones) but I think it's great for what its intended purpose is i.e. make calls, read emails, read news, weather, etc. I dunno maybe I'm just getting old (get off my lawn) but the prices and specs of top end phones these days are so overkill. Having a 2560p 6.5" screen and then needing a 300g battery to power it? No thanks....
RealTheXev - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
Several people on XDA forums have been able to contact Verizon and get the phone added to their postpay plan. I would have gone that route myself if I could have unlocked the bootloader (but you can't with Moto's tools).All Verizon LTE phones should come unlocked, but I have no other carriers to try my mothers Moto E on (that would get reception no less).
Gunbuster - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Would be nice to see a review of the new BLU Win JR LTESamus - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Super nice phone for $150. Probably the only android phone id recommend to people like my parents.grant3 - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Does this phone respond to 3-button android headset controls?What is the sound quality on music playback?
I'm disappointed that so much effort and detail was put into analyzing the display/software/etc. but there is nothing about the audio.
Kakti - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Can't comment on android headsets but the sound quality through $10 earbuds is fine. Sounds the exact same as my previous phones playing FLAC files.Playing music without headphones is alright, it's definitely loud enough for most uses; I play music on it after most leave my office and can hear it probably 50-75 feet away. There's roughly 0.0% bass as expected....played some Omni Trio drum and bass and it was like listening to half the song ;) But that's a given for any cell phone speaker really. Playing rock music FLAC files sounded as good as I could ask for from a cell phone.
grant3 - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
The issue I had with a previous motorola droid was there was a lot of line hiss. i.e., if you were in the quiet portion of a song, you can hear a background hiss (sounds like when you're on a phone call and no one is talking)It's sometimes tricky to notice because the internal amp would shut off when music is paused. and usually people are listening to their phone in a place where there is some background noise.
Kakti - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Just checked with some live concert soundboards - between songs it's pretty much silent and I didn't hear any hiss at volume levels that are comfortable to listen to.ASEdouardD - Thursday, May 7, 2015 - link
Why use FLAC files using $10 earbuds? I'd go high quality MP3.CharonPDX - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
I'm curious - is lack of 5 GHz WiFi (n or ac) really that much of a problem in an ultra-low-cost phone?I understand it would be great for future-proofing, but how often are people looking at ultra-low-end phones going to have 5 GHz 802.11n, much less ac? Or the high-enough-speed internet to notice the difference?
RealTheXev - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
In my mothers situation.. the fact it can even connect to the wifi is the only thing that matters. lol She will never notice the speed.serendip - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Is this the first Lenovo-fied Moto device since the acquisition? The specs and price are very underwhelming when similar low-end devices from Lenovo and Xiaomi have 720p displays, more RAM and faster SoCs. 1 GB RAM is a nightmare on Android because apps get killed and have to reload often. That's really annoying for web browsers because the content has to be downloaded again instead of being cached.serendip - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Xiaomi have really upped their game recently. Flagships have always had weekly MIUI updates but now the budget line (Redmi 1S/2/Note) are also on a weekly schedule for the developer ROM. Better late than never.As for hardware support, that's a big issue because Xiaomi officially doesn't sell outside of China and some APAC countries. You won't have a physical repair depot to turn to if you buy from an online reseller.
spiked_mistborn - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Great review. You just confirmed what I have been experiencing since I got my Moto E LTE when they first came out. Some of the initial reviews said the screen was dim and poor quality, but I have not found that to be the case, and your test backs that up. Being a recent college grad still looking for work in my field, in addition to a tech enthusiast, this phone was the best option for my budget. It works well enough that I don't mind waiting, for a long time if necessary, for that killer phone that I would actually feel is worth paying several hundred dollars for. Nothing fits that description yet IMO.One thing that I would love to see added to future reviews is network throughput speeds through a VPN. I use OpenVPN all the time for both remote file access/music streaming, and also for security on open WiFi. The OpenVPN connect client recently added support for ARMv8 crypto instructions, so it would be nice to see how everything stacks up when the speed of the internet connection is not a bottleneck. Maybe test over mobile data and WiFi? The WiFi link speed might still be the limiting factor, but if the rest of the soc is working too, such as streaming HD video, the extra efficiency from ARMv8 might be quantifiable. Qualitative differences in the video could show up as well. Maybe a battery rundown test while streaming over the VPN might show some major differences as well?
sonicmerlin - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Buy a phone used on eBay if you're on a budget. You can get last year's flagships for less than $200sonicmerlin - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
What's the speed difference between Cortex A7 and A53?sasidharkareti - Friday, April 24, 2015 - link
Moto E 2nd generation has good upgrades DDR3, 8GB internal, 4.5 inch IPS, 2300 mAh, Android 5.0, front camera and 3G/4G are most welcomed.The removable bezel is a bit scary everytime it is plucked out. The battery takes a bit loger time to recharge. Besides these two, I love Moto e's performance.
Harry_Wild - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
"802.11 b/g/n + BT 4.0, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, NFC"It has NFC but no "ac" for the Wi-Fi standard!
Maverick215 - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
Out of curiosity, did you test NFC performance? I ask because the arstechnica review indicates that there is no NFC capability present in this device. Likewise the specs listed on motorola.com say "NFC - No"While I'm hopeful you have some information regarding activating this hidden feature, I'm guessing this was just an error.
Jwraith15 - Sunday, September 27, 2015 - link
Bestbuy now has the Sprint Prepaid LTE VERSION for $39