Review: Moto G4 Plus is the new affordable Android champ

With a 5.5-inch bright-looking display the Moto G4 Plus is ideal for watching movies and gaming.

Click here for enlarge

Though they were very popular as affordable Android phones, the Moto G series of smartphones were in need of a refresh. The latest addition to the series will finally silence the spec sheet fanatics as well. Priced at Rs.13,499 for the 16GB+2GB RAM variant and Rs.14,999 for the 32GB+3GB RAM variant, the new smartphone has the mettle to take on the noisy Chinese neighbours.

Design: Bigger but lighter

While the phone scores in comfort, Motorola has let go of a few useful features such as the water-proof capability in the Moto G4 Plus.

At 153mm and 9.8mm, the Moto G4 plus is taller and sleeker, respectively, than its predecessors. Yet it tips the scales at exactly 155g, like its predecessors. It is impressive considering the fact that an average 5.5-inch smartphone weighs around 170g. The other notable design overhaul in the Moto G4 Plus is the phone’s flatter back. While it doesn’t snuggle in the hands as naturally as the curved back in the Moto G 3rd Gen did, it still feels comfy due to the laser-etched, fabric-like texture on it. The side panel has been beefed with chamfered metal frame. While the phone scores in comfort, Motorola has let go of a few useful features such as the water-proof capability. The phone is splash-resistant, though. Also, the front panel looks a bit different. One of the front-facing speakers has been replaced by a fingerprint sensor, which almost looks like a home button, like in iPhones. The fingerprint sensor is spot on in terms of accuracy and allows users to instantly unlock their phone. The camera module is a bit protruded and prone to scratches.

Display: Big and bright screen

The phone comes with a layer of the scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 3.

The Moto G4 Plus packs in a 5.5-inch bright-looking display with 1920x1080p resolution. It comes with a layer of the scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 3. Colours look rich without feeling overwhelming. This makes it ideal for watching movies and gaming. The display handles ambient light well, hence it doesn’t look washed out in bright light. Also, Motorola has added a colour mode where you can switch between the more natural looking normal and the slightly warmer vibrant mode. This kind of feature is quite common in phones based on custom UIs. But we are seeing this for the first time in a Motorola device.

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Software: Clean and clutter-free

The Moto G4 Plus runs the latest 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) version of Android with a near stock version of Android. This means you won’t have to put up with the unnecessary features and apps seen in custom UIs (user interface). Customizations are limited but there are some cool gesture features. For example, you can switch on the camera by a shake and twist of the wrist. Placing the phone face down upon receiving a call can put the phone on silent, while picking up the phone can turn off the ring and put the phone on vibration. Another notable attribute of the phone’s interface is that you can use any app in landscape mode by simply holding the phone sideways, like in a tablet.

Performance: Powerful multi-tasker

Motorola has Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor to drive the phone. It belongs to the same series as the Snapdragon 615 and 616 processors, which are used in several high-quality budget and mid-range smartphones. Combined with 3GB RAM, the processor handles almost all tasks and games smoothly. The smartphone offers 32GB of internal storage and supports up to 128GB micro SD cards. It’s a dual SIM device like most Moto G phones. However, only one of the SIM slots support 4G networks.

The 3,000MAh battery is the highest in any Moto G phone yet. Even after using it for half a day, we had over 50% battery remaining, which is impressive for a big screen phone.

Camera: Brilliant in daytime

Click here for enlarge

Click here for enlarge

The 16-megapixel camera is a big step-up over its predecessors not just in terms of the number of megapixels, but also in terms of features. The camera now supports touch to focus. You may not need it as the laser focus locks focus on objects almost instantly. You can also slide the on-screen control to manually lighten or darken your photos. The picture quality is good, particularly in bright outdoor conditions. Colours looks vibrant, finer details are captured well. Pictures taken in low light without flash look noisy. The ones with flash look a bit colourless but there is less noise in them. The 5-megapixel front camera can take great looking selfies in bright light.

Verdict

Moto G4 Plus impresses with its sleek design, light form factor, clutter-free UI, good camera and smooth performance. You can also consider the Lenovo Zuk Z1 for its highly customisable UI, higher internal storage and bigger battery.

Abhijit Ahaskar

Topics: Moto GMoto G4 plusAndroid marshmallowMoto G4 Plus reviewSmartphone review