Motorola Moto E (2020) review: Great value at $ 150
"The Motorola Moto E isn't perfect, but it's the best option for $ 150."
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Relatively modern design
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Good value for the price
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Clean software experience
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Camera could be better
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Ad is not great
Motorola has long been a point of contact for inexpensive phones. The Moto E was first launched in 2014 and quickly became a fan favorite for those looking for a decent phone for around $ 150. Six years later, the company continues the tradition with a new Moto E model that features a relatively modern design, mid-range specifications, and more.
While the Moto E has remained a great option over the years, a lot of competition has emerged. Is the new Moto E still competing with the best phones under $ 200?
Design and display
Edge-to-edge displays have found their way to some of the cheapest phones – and the Moto E jumps on that train. The device has a small chin at the bottom and a drop notch at the top, but still looks good for a phone in this price range.
The display is 6.2 inches and the bezels are relatively narrow. This is good news – it means the phone looks modern despite its price range.
The back of the phone also looks good. The phone is mostly made of plastic, and while it doesn't feel as high-quality as more expensive devices, it doesn't feel too cheap either. There is a fingerprint sensor under the Motorola logo and a vertically aligned camera array on the back of the phone.
On the edges of the phone you'll get a fairly normal setup, including a volume rocker and a power button on the right, and a SIM / MicroSD card slot on the right. There is also a headphone jack at the top. This is good news for those who still use wired headphones.
You can find a micro USB port below, which is a little frustrating. The Moto E is a budget phone, but it is 2020, and USB-C should be the standard for all phones by now.
The Moto E's display is roughly what you'd expect from a $ 150 phone in 2020. It has a resolution of 720p and an LCD display. So don't expect much. It also seems to be a little different than the display of the new Moto G Fast, as it can't get quite as bright. If you are outdoors and in direct sunlight, you may have trouble seeing the display clearly.
Performance and battery life
Under the hood, the Moto E offers a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor with 2 GB RAM. I have found that although it is not necessarily suitable for heavy multitasking or intensive mobile gaming, it definitely does the job for everyday use and clearly outperforms the competition in this price range.
In general, most users are more than satisfied with the performance of this device. If you switch between multiple apps at the same time, you may have to deal with slowdowns and jumps in the software. However, these usually resolved themselves quickly, and the device was still more than usable. The same applies to Chrome tabs. Simply surfing the web is perfectly fine, but anything that is heavier and you should consider a more powerful phone.
Basic mobile games are also possible on this phone, but don't expect much more than the basics. Call of Duty: Mobile was playable, although it wasn't the smoothest experience. The Moto G Fast or if possible the Moto G Power offers better performance.
If you are serious about mobile games, you want a phone with at least a Snapdragon 7xx series SoC or an iPhone. Budget phones are surpassed. This is not necessarily a problem that only occurs with the Moto E, but a compromise that all inexpensive phones make to get a lower price.
Benchmarks confirm decent performance for the price. The phone scored 118,004 points at AnTuTu, which is not a bad thing. For comparison: the Moto G7 Play scored 98,111 points last year, while the more powerful Google Pixel 3a scored 157,902 points. The Moto G Fast, which is $ 50 more expensive, reached 161,672.
The phone's battery capacity is 3,550 mAh, and we've found that it works just fine in everyday use. The battery should get you through a day of normal use, but heavy users may need to charge the device before the end of the day. Don't expect the next day to go too far. The phone does not offer wireless charging or fast charging. So you need to familiarize yourself with nightly charging or when you work at a desk while you are working.
camera
The 2020 Moto E offers a dual sensor camera, although one of these sensors is a 2 megapixel lens that is only used to capture depth information. The other sensor is a 13 megapixel lens with an aperture of 1: 2.0 and is generally fine. But only good.
In well-lit environments, the Moto E can take decent photos with monochrome rendering and depth of field. While photos weren't incredibly detailed, for most uses this won't be a big deal.
Of course, you are not always in a well-lit environment. If you are not, you are more or less unlucky. While more expensive phones take better and better photos in low light conditions, there is no significant night mode on this phone. As a result, poorly lit photos either look noisy or you cannot see the subject at all.
There is a 5 megapixel selfie camera on the front that does the job if need be. Like the rear-facing camera, it doesn't work in low light and is definitely prone to unnaturally bright colors in some situations. Nevertheless, it can be used for most social media posts.
The Moto E is a budget phone and has a budget camera. It works in most situations, but don't expect incredible photos and don't expect to be able to use it in low light.
software
The software experience on modern Motorola phones is great. With the Moto G Fast and Moto E, the company has renamed its Android skin to My UX. Other than a name change, nothing else is different – you still get the best experience with just a few small changes that frankly make the experience better.
Perhaps the best thing about My UX compared to standard Android are the moto actions, which allow you to control certain aspects of the phone software with gestures. For example, you can take a screenshot with three fingers or turn on the flashlight with a hacking motion. It's a nice touch.
My UX is based on Android 10, and Motorola was pretty good at providing software updates. Given that it's a budget phone, updates may not be updated as quickly as you want. The Moto G7, for example, only got Android 10 in May 2020.
Price, guarantee and availability
The Moto E is available directly on the Motorola website for $ 150. This is a great price for this phone. If you can stretch your budget a bit, it's worth considering the Moto G Fast, or if you can stretch the Moto G Power even more.
The Moto E comes with a one-year limited warranty that only covers manufacturer's defects. It is worth buying a protective case to protect the device
Our opinion
The Motorola Moto E is far from perfect, but the best option for $ 150. It offers a relatively modern design, solid performance, and more. When shopping on a budget, performance is one of the most important things to consider.
Is there a better alternative?
If you are willing to spend more money, there are definitely better options. The $ 200 Moto G Fast is a solid phone with better performance and much better battery life. If you can double your budget to $ 300, you should consider the Samsung Galaxy A51 or the Google Pixel 3a. The Google Pixel 3a in particular is an excellent phone with an incredible camera.
How long it will take?
When used easily, the Moto E should last about two years. The performance of the phone will deteriorate over time. Therefore, do not expect smooth experience for the entire two-year period. In addition, the phone is not waterproof. Therefore, do not take it near the bath or pool.
Should you buy one?
Yes, if you need a phone for $ 150 or less. If you can stretch your budget a little, it is worth spending the extra money.
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