Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) Review

Motorola came back in the Philippines last July and it brought its famous smartphone line-up from budget to flagship. With vast competition among local smartphone brands, can Motorola make a dent, especially in the budget segment? Read on to find out if the Moto E is worth your buck.

What’s in the Box

Inside the neat packaging you’ll find the Motorola Moto E unit bundled with basic Motorola earphones, a Motorola wall charger, and three booklets for quick start, safety, and warranty.

The charger is rated at 5V=550mA, which is a bit low compared to most. There’s no data cable included for file transfer.

Design and Construction

The Moto E is designed like any other Motorola smartphones in the market today. It has rounded edges with a curved back, plus the iconic dimpled Motorola logo. Made out of matte polycarbonate, the device feels solid and sturdy in hand.

The front of the device is dominated by the Corning Gorilla Glass that shelters the 4.5” display and above it are multiple sensors, the VGA front-facing camera, and the grill for the earpiece that also doubles as the loudspeaker. Going to the right side of the device will show the power/lock button and the volume rocker whereas the left side is clean.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is situated on top while the micro-USB port is located at the bottom. At the back are the 5-megapixel shooter, the dimpled Motorola logo and two microphone pinholes, one beside the camera and another at the bottom edge.

While the back cover is not removable, meaning there’s no access to the battery, the frame can be swapped. The so-called band gives access to the micro-SIM and the microSD card slots. And as claimed by Motorola, the whole device is treated with a water-resistant coating.

Display

Its 4.5” IPS LCD has a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels. That results to a respectable 245ppi. It’s no match against higher resolution displays but is passable for a budget smartphone. Corning’s Gorilla Glass protects the display from scratches plus offers smoother finger swipes.

Viewing angles are wide thanks to its IPS panel. Colors are vibrant with suitable saturation to please the eye. The screen can get bright enough for outdoor use, and with the help of the less reflective glass, sunlight legibility is up to scratch.

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