Mobile Technology

Motorola's latest phones offer Android at even more affordable prices

Motorola's latest phones offer Android at even more affordable prices
The new phones are the latest in a long line of budget handsets from Motorola
The new phones are the latest in a long line of budget handsets from Motorola
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The new phones are the latest in a long line of budget handsets from Motorola
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The new phones are the latest in a long line of budget handsets from Motorola
The Moto G Fast is more expensive, with a 6.4-inch display
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The Moto G Fast is more expensive, with a 6.4-inch display
The Moto E is cheaper, with a 6.2-inch screen and less powerful internals
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The Moto E is cheaper, with a 6.2-inch screen and less powerful internals
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Even for a smartphone brand known for its low prices, Motorola has outdone itself with its two latest handsets – the US$199.99 Moto G Fast and the $149.99 Moto E, available to buy from June 12, with pre-orders open now.

The specs are slightly better than you might expect for those prices. The bigger, more expensive Moto G Fast comes with a 6.4-inch, 720 x 1,560 pixel LCD display, a Snapdragon 665 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage (which you can expand with a memory card, fortunately).

Around the back of the phone is a triple-lens 16 MP + 8 MP ultrawide + 2 MP macro camera, and you get an 8 MP selfie camera on the front. That's all powered by a 4,000 mAh battery which Motorola is promising will last for two days between charges.

Save yourself $50 with the Moto E and you get a 6.2-inch, 720 x 1,560 pixel LCD display, a Snapdragon 632 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage (again, you can pop in a memory card to add some extra space for apps and files).

The rear camera is a dual-lens 13 MP + 2 MP depth affair, with a 5 MP selfie camera sitting on the front. The battery capacity is 3,550 mAh, and Motorola estimates you'll get the same two days of battery life from the Moto E.

That's quite a drop in specs – in the processor, RAM, camera, and screen size – to save yourself $50, but it might appeal to those looking to spend as little as possible. As you would expect, there's no waterproofing or wireless charging here, though both phones do have a 3.5-mm headphone jack.

One other small difference: the Moto G Fast uses a more modern USB-C port (and can charge more quickly), while the Moto E sticks to the older microUSB standard to cut costs. Both phones come with a bloat-free version of Android 10 on board.

There's no doubt that Motorola's naming strategy can be confusing – as can the way it varies which models are available in which regions – but you're now really spoiled for choice when it comes to basic but capable Android phones with a Moto badge on them. If your budget is particularly tight, the Moto G Fast and Moto E are definitely worth checking out.

Product pages: Moto G Fast, Moto E

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4 comments
4 comments
MarylandUSA
And they come with Android 10! Impressive value.
ljaques
Well, if they support USB OTG, I just may try out a Moto G Fast. Great price, good performance, solid manufacturer.
ARF!
wow, that E's specs are actually pretty pathetic generation-advancement wise. Don't get me wrong, I love my E6 Play, but paying $150 for that barely better E while I got my E6 Play just last March for only $109 (which came with a free 64GB mSD card & case to boot!) just makes the new E actually a ridiculously bad deal. it's just not even worth it in any way.
Dave X
When is Motorola going to make an Android smartphone with a screen under 6 inches---a smartphone that can compete with the iPhone SE in a similar screen size. When that happens, then I will consider purchasing a Motorola.