Moto G4 And Moto G4 Plus Review: Quality, Budget Android Handsets

Name: Moto G4
Brand: Moto

by Chris Goetting, Brittany Goetting — Monday, August 22, 2016, 11:15 AM EDT

Moto G4: Look and Feel

Page 2: Moto G4: Look and Feel

The Moto G4 and G4 Plus are very similar in appearance. Both phones feature a 5.5” 1080p IPS LCD capacitive touch displays and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The bezels are relatively narrow and the phones bear a 71.2% screen-to-body ratio. The top of the phone includes the earpiece speaker grill, light sensor, and front-facing 5MP f/2.2, auto-HDR camera. Below the screen on both bezels is a microphone, however the G4 Plus also features a square fingerprint reader.

Left: Moto G4 - Right: Moto G4 Plus

The back side of the phone sports a removable and replaceable plastic backing. It is textured with tiny dimples and feels rather woven and rubbery in texture. The camera bump is located up top and centered. On the G4, this is a 13MP camera and dual flash system. On the G4 Plus, the camera is upgraded to 16MP and has an added laser autofocus system. Both cameras incorporate geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, and panorama. Below the camera is the trademark Motorola dimple. The backing is otherwise devoid of any branding and is fairly clean and simple in appearance.

Along the right side of the devices is the power button and volume rocker. The power button is ridged in order to provide a textural difference between it and the volume keys. The left side is completely clear of any features.

The top bows out slightly to accommodate the 3.5mm headphone jack in the center. The bottom sports the micro USB charging port and a small groove to assist in removing the back plate. The back plate fastens securely and snugly but is also easily removed thanks to its flexibility and use of sixteen small clip attach points.

Overall, the G4’s do not stray much from Motorola’s established design language. Since the original Moto X, this has meant a subtly curved back, front facing speakers, and centered rear camera. They are comfortable to hold and the textured back helps improve grip, unlike some slippery glass-backed phones we've come accustomed to.