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Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) review

7.4/10 AVG.
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Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
...


7.4/10
Informr score
The Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) currently has an Informr score of 7.4 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 37 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Ability to personalize phone with interchangeable bands
  • Decent performance during daily tasks
  • Good battery life
  • 4G LTE connectivity

What's bad

  • Poor camera image quality
  • Low resolution display leads to some fuzziness
  • Only 8GB of space

Motorola follows up the success of their budget Moto E phone with an updated 2015 model. While it won't win any awards for best-looking smartphone, the 2015 Moto E did give experts the impression of "affordable but sturdy." It comes with an all-plastic build and interchangeable band wrapping around the rim, which hides the microSD and SIM slots. Users can customize their phone by choosing different band colors. Besides the aesthetic quality of the bands, experts add that it along with the matte back finish helped improved overall grip on the otherwise round phone. It's also a bit on the thick side at 0.5 inches but critics add that it didn't detract from its usability at all.

At 4.5 inches, the display on the 2015 Moto E is 0.2 inches larger than its predecessor though it does stick with the same 540p resolution. That means its pixel density is slight lower at 245ppi. While it wasn't generally an issue with critics they did notice some fuzziness and lack of fine detail on text and images. With that said they add that the quality of the display helped soften the blow as it provided them with good viewing angles, excellent brightness and vibrant colors. Androidpit adds that it is, "…perfectly sufficient for the casual user."

Another upgrade on the 2015 Moto E is its internal specs. It now comes with 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. While it is provided better performance than the older Moto E and Moto G, experts still warn that it is not a gaming powerhouse. Even on simpler games they experience some hiccups and, with 3D games, very noticeable lag. Still, they were able to perform more basic tasks with ease. It also comes with a mere 8GB of internal storage though it does have a microSD slot. In order to counter the more powerful processor, Motorola stuck a 2,390mAh battery in the second generation Moto E. In general, experts were able to get a full day's of use during moderate usage, but when 4G LTE is used the batteries drain fairly fast and last only 8-9 hours.

Perhaps the biggest letdown of the new Moto E is its camera. It keeps the same 5MP resolution and lack of LED flash though it replaced the fixed focus lens with an auto-focus one. That said, many experts didn't see too much of an improvement in picture quality. Images still lacked definition and detail even under optimal light conditions and, they add, colors looked artificial. When compared to the original Moto E, Ars Technica notes that it "…is a small improvement."

While there are some downsides to the Moto E (2015), reviewers still have no problem recommending it to the casual Android user. Pocket Lint states, "…the Moto E is brilliant for the price…for the money, there's arguably no better budget phone on the market."


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
1.2 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.2 GHz
4.5"
Screen Size
Screen Size
4.5"
5+ MP
Camera
Camera
5+ MP
2390 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Gadgets 360
Gadgets 360

The Moto E (Gen 2) improves upon its predecessor in more ways than one. We love the new design tweak in the form of 'bands' and the better battery performance. The inclusion of 4G connectivity on both these phones is a point in their favour, considering the 4G variant of the Motorola Moto E (Gen 2)...

- Ershad Kaleebullah, Gadgets 360
Digit
Digit

The Moto E 4g is definitely an improvement over the 3G variant, but it still can't match the competiton in terms of display and camera. If you need an inexpensive smartphone with very good battery life, then this one would make sense, but for everything else, you should look at the Xiaomi Redmi 2 an...

- Prasid Banerjee, Digit
GSMArena
GSMArena

The Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) is exactly what you'd expect from the sequel of the most popular budget phone for 2014. The new model gets a screen bump, major performance boost, better camera, double the storage, a bigger battery, a much better build quality and materials and, surprisingly, there is...

- GSMArena team, GSMArena
Digital Versus
Digital Versus

The Moto E 4G is a better deal than the first Moto E was when it came out. The addition of 4G connectivity, a decent chipset, Android 5.0 and a bigger screen with better picture quality all make it a better buy. Unfortunately, there's a lot of competition in this price range. If you can do without 4...

- Sofian Nouira, Digital Versus
Mobile Syrup
Mobile Syrup

The Moto E’s negatives are few, and don’t undermine the truly superlative nature of this product. As a first smartphone, it is a great choice, but its price affords it the versatility of being used in a number of different configurations. Because it can be so easily purchased outright, m...

- Daniel Bader, Mobile Syrup


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


The Moto E (2nd Gen) price will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. You can compare Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) prices from around the web here on The Informr.



Motorola backs up the Moto E (2nd Gen) with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Moto E (2nd Gen) has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.




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Quick view

Screen Size
4.5"

The Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)'s screen size is 4.5 inches with 540 x 960 pixels resolution.

Processor
1.2 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 Quad core 1.2 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 5.0 Lollipop (Update Available: 6.0 Marshmallow) operating system (OS).

Camera
5+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 5+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with VGA (640 x 480) resolution.

Storage
8 GB

Internal memory is 8 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC (up to 32 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
2390mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 2390 mAh battery. Motorola's performance ratings are 1999 minutes, 762 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Moto E (2nd Gen) Specs

Overview
Release Date February 25, 2015
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 5.0 Lollipop (Update Available: 6.0 Marshmallow)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 Quad core 1.2 GHz
Internal Storage 8 GB
RAM 1 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD No
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 1.52 W/kg
Body: 0.894 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Micro-SIM
variations
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC (up to 32 GB)
NFC No
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Zoom
4x digital
Flash
No
Additional Rear Camera Info
Multi-shot, Panorama, Self-timer, Slow motion video, Burst mode, HDR
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
HD (1280 x 720 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
VGA (640 x 480)+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 540 x 960 pixels
Pixel Density 245 pixels
Size 4.5 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 2390 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 784 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 762 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 1999 minutes
Standby Time Up to 12.5 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors White, Black
Dimensions [H x W x D] 13 x 6.7 x 1.2 cm (5.1 x 2.6 x 0.5 in)
Weight 145 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key Yes
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA): Motorola Moto E (2015)

3G version
Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Quad core 1.2 Ghz
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) Reviews
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