A Great Entry-level Smartphone

The Moto G4 Play may come up packing largely the same collection of hardware as its yr old predecessor, however the phone's new $150 toll tag blows abroad the contest in the same mode as previous Moto One thousand devices

One of the few areas where Motorola seemed to have adapted downwards in the G4 Play is the camera, downgrading the megapixel count from thirteen to 8. However in spite of this change, the G4 Play'south camera is still first-class thanks to outstanding image processing from Motorola. OEMs likewise often utilize the stock image processing in entry-level handsets, simply Motorola has tweaked the software to give the G4 Play a photographic camera that's just as good as its predecessor. At the price, in that location is simply no competition.

The use of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 SoC is familiar, and performance is decent for a budget smartphone. The existent story here is the increase in base specifications from one to two GB of RAM, and from 8 to 16 GB of storage. Both of these changes make a real difference to the usability of the Moto G4 Play, and change the value proposition entirely. Buyers no longer have to fork out an extra $40 simply to get an acceptable amount of storage.

The G4 Play also includes a decent range of other hardware, including a wide range of LTE bands, dual-SIM functionality plus a microSD menu slot, a removable battery, and a respectable 720p display. Y'all won't be diddled abroad with the G4 Play's brandish, and the resolution hasn't inverse since the early on days of the Moto G line, simply improvements to effulgence and contrast are ever welcome.

Motorola has crammed a larger battery into the G4 Play's smaller, lighter body, which results in improved battery life. The Moto Yard 2022 had respectable battery life, though the improvements transform this budget device into a telephone that can be used all day.

I haven't talked much about the software side of the G4 Play, and that's because information technology essentially runs stock Android half dozen.0 with only a few customizations. I like the addition of glance notifications, and I always appreciate the visual style and bloatware free experience provided by unmodified Android.

Sure, not everything most the G4 Play is groovy. The uninspired plastic pattern goes in stark dissimilarity to some of the attractive metal bodies I've seen in entry-level devices from Chinese OEMs. The handset still lacks v.0 GHz Wi-Fi, which is a disappointment, and Motorola'south camera app is simply horrible. Also, don't count on fast security updates for this device, although Motorola has promised an update to Android seven.0 in the near time to come.

But it'southward definitely worth overlooking these pocket-size issues when the Moto G4 Play is available for just $150, or as depression as $100 if yous're willing to put up with ads from Amazon (ugh). Final year, the same selection of hardware would have cost you lot $220, which highlights Motorola's insane ability to cut costs and produce some other extremely compelling handset on a tight upkeep.

Shopping shortcuts:

  • Motorola Moto G4 Play on Amazon
  • Motorola Moto G4 Play on Newegg

All in all, the Motorola Moto G4 Play is a great entry-level smartphone.

Pros: First-class value. Fantastic entry-level camera. Improved battery life. Runs well-nigh-stock Android complimentary of unnecessary bloatware. 16 GB of storage is now standard.

Cons: Banal plastic design looks and feels inexpensive. Terrible photographic camera app.