Motorola has launched a 4G update to its bargain-basement Moto E Android smartphone, which is faster but more expensive than its predecessor.
The Moto E was launched last year providing a solid, basic Android smartphone for under £90. The new Moto E launches with 4G and faster quad-core processor, but costs £109.
The new Moto E has larger 4.5-inch qHD display, a front-facing camera for selfies and a 5-megapixel rear camera, with auto-focus. The smartphone also runs Google’s latest Android 5 Lollipopsoftware, but without the usual modifications that manufacturers such as Samsung make to the standard Android OS.
“We don’t see any reason to hide or slow down Android – the world’s best mobile operating system. There’s no bloatware or skins to slow things down,” said Seang Chau of Motorola’s software engineering team. “That allows us to update the software as quickly as possible.”
The new Moto E weighs 145g and has 8GB or 16GB of storage with a microSD card slot accessible from under a removable, customisable coloured band. The battery is not removable, however.
Motorola claims the low-cost smartphone will last a full day’s mixed use on a single charge and includes features such as a scratch-resistant face and a water-resistant coating often found on smartphones costing twice the price.
Motorola gained momentum with its original budget smartphone, the Moto G, which secured the company a 6% share of the smartphone market in the UK in the first quarter of 2014 from prior, negligible levels. The Moto E followed the Moto G but cost around £40 less, with software features and a frustration-free interface that set it well ahead of its similarly priced competition.
Available in the UK from the 26 February, the Moto E builds on a solid foundation. But its increased price could reduce its appeal for the budget-conscious with intense competition from Microsoft, Chinese and local smartphone manufacturers in India, the UK and other emerging markets.
Now owned by China’s Lenovo, recent revelations that its parent company installed malware on its PCs could damage consumer confidence in Motorola, which is branded as “a Lenovo company”.
