Moto G4 And Moto G4 Plus Review: Quality, Budget Android Handsets
Introducing the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus
Motorola recently launched two new flagship Droid offerings, the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. We really liked them for their ultra-premium design, strong performance, and innovative Moto Mods add-on features. However, Moto is also ushering in a refresh of their more mainstream, cost-effective Moto G family as well.
We last looked at the Moto G in 2014. We weren't blown away by performance, however, we were impressed how much the device managed to offer for just $149. The Moto G delivered Android’s core experience with good enough web browsing and general productivity performance to stand above other budget smartphones at the time. For once, “budget” did not mean a laggy experience with shoddy build quality. So what does the Moto G family stand for now, four generations later with the Moto G4?
Since its acquisition by Lenovo, Moto has introduced an even more budget-conscious Moto E line. The Moto G4, nevertheless still aims to be the a more mainstream, cost-efficient smartphone series. The high-end Moto Z is in its own right an exceptional flagship quality phone. The Moto G4, however, continues to be a bread and butter phone targeted at driving Moto’s sales worldwide.
Lenovo sent us two variants: a regular Moto G4 and and a Moto G4 Plus. Both configurations are built around a octacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor with Adreno 405 GPU, a 1080p FHD LCD protected by Gorilla Glass 3, a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboPower charging support, and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Our regular Moto G4 has 2GB of RAM, a 13MP f/2.0 rear camera, 5MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, and its storage upgraded to 32GB. Our Moto G4 Plus has 4GB of RAM, a 16MP f/2.0 rear camera with laser and phase detect auto-focus, the same 5MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, and a healthy 64GB of storage.
Neither Moto G4 is out to claim top marks on any benchmark; it is not what they are designed for. Moto developed these devices to be dependable and affordable phones for everyday usage. Let's take a look and see if Motorola has succeeded in this regard and how the new Moto G holds up to some of today's best mainstream Android handsets...
We last looked at the Moto G in 2014. We weren't blown away by performance, however, we were impressed how much the device managed to offer for just $149. The Moto G delivered Android’s core experience with good enough web browsing and general productivity performance to stand above other budget smartphones at the time. For once, “budget” did not mean a laggy experience with shoddy build quality. So what does the Moto G family stand for now, four generations later with the Moto G4?
Since its acquisition by Lenovo, Moto has introduced an even more budget-conscious Moto E line. The Moto G4, nevertheless still aims to be the a more mainstream, cost-efficient smartphone series. The high-end Moto Z is in its own right an exceptional flagship quality phone. The Moto G4, however, continues to be a bread and butter phone targeted at driving Moto’s sales worldwide.
Lenovo sent us two variants: a regular Moto G4 and and a Moto G4 Plus. Both configurations are built around a octacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor with Adreno 405 GPU, a 1080p FHD LCD protected by Gorilla Glass 3, a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboPower charging support, and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Our regular Moto G4 has 2GB of RAM, a 13MP f/2.0 rear camera, 5MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, and its storage upgraded to 32GB. Our Moto G4 Plus has 4GB of RAM, a 16MP f/2.0 rear camera with laser and phase detect auto-focus, the same 5MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, and a healthy 64GB of storage.
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| Moto G4 | Moto G4 Plus | |
| Dimensions | Height: 153 mm, Width: 76.6 mm, Depth: 7.9 to 9.8 mm, Weight: 155 g | |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 up to 1.5GHz octo-core CPU with Adreno 405 GPU | |
| Software | Android Marshmallow with Moto enhancements (Moto Display, Moto Actions, Moto Voice) | |
| Display | 5.5” Full HD LED display (1080p [1920x1080] / 401 ppi) | |
| Storage (ROM) | Options: 16 GB, 32 GB, microSD card support up to 128GB | Options: 16 GB, 64 GB, microSD card support up to 128GB |
| Memory (RAM) | 2 GB | Options: 2 GB, 4 GB, dependent on storage capacity |
| Rear Camera | 13 MP with: f / 2.0 aperture, color balancing dual LED flash, professional mode, quick capture, best shot, 4X digital zoom, burst mode, and auto-HDR | 16 MP with: f / 2.0 aperture, laser auto-focus, phase detect auto-focus (PDAF), color balancing dual LED flash, professional mode, quick capture, best shot, 4X digital zoom, burst mode, and auto-HDR |
| Front Camera | 5 MP with f / 2.2 aperture, wide field of view, and extra flash | |
| Video Capture | 1080p full HD video, 30fps; Slow Motion Video | |
| Battery | 3000 mAh, up to 40 hours mixed usage1 | |
| Turbo Charging | Up to 6 hrs of power in 15 minutes charging (TurboPower Charger included only with Moto G4 Plus) |
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| Colors | Base Color: Black or White Moto Make: Choose from a variety of materials, colors, accents, and more |
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| SIM | Micro-SIM, nano-SIM with included adaptor (available in select regions) | |
| Audio | Front-ported loudspeaker, 2-mics | |
| Water-Repellent | Water repellent nano-coating | |
| NFC | No | |
| Connectivity | Micro USB, 3.5mm headset jack | |
| Authentication | N/A | Fingerprint reader |
| Price: |
Moto G4 - $149 - $199 Unlocked, Moto G4 Plus $249 - $299 Unlocked | |
Neither Moto G4 is out to claim top marks on any benchmark; it is not what they are designed for. Moto developed these devices to be dependable and affordable phones for everyday usage. Let's take a look and see if Motorola has succeeded in this regard and how the new Moto G holds up to some of today's best mainstream Android handsets...
