Moto E6 practical
MSRP $149.00
“The Moto E6 doesn’t have any standout features, and Motorola sells a better phone for $50 more.”
Avg
-
Affordable
-
Pure Android software interface
-
Decent screen
Against
-
Still no USB Type-C port for charging, no NFC
-
The price is too close to the better value Moto G7 Play
-
Exclusive to Verizon for now
-
I won’t get Android Q
Inconspicuous. That’s the first word that came to mind when I saw and got my hands on Motorola’s latest phone, the Moto E6. That’s not a complaint, as this $149 phone focuses on providing strong basics for people who want to spend as little as possible on a smartphone. Unfortunately for the E6, there is a problem.
Your can buy a great phone $50 more (or less, on sale): Moto G7 Play. It has features missing from the new Moto E6, including a USB-C charging port and a fingerprint sensor. However, if you’re strictly limited to $150 or less, the Moto E6 will satisfy you.
Bare design, 5.5 inch screen
The bare skin is how I would describe the Moto E6. It has a mottled, textured back that’s made of polycarbonate and feels cheap. The upside? It’s not glass, so it won’t break if you drop it.
A circular cutout exists in the center of the Moto logo, but there is no fingerprint sensor. Instead, you’ll have to rely on Google’s Face Unlock to unlock the phone. This means entering passwords on all secure apps because they don’t support face unlock. Too bad it doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor. Select Moto E5 Play models had one last year, and it was smaller than the Moto E6, and the $160 Nokia 3.1 Plus also has one. There’s no reason Motorola wouldn’t add it here.
Motorola did not shorten the frames around the screen. This makes the phone look outdated. That’s a contrast to the $200 Moto G7 Play, which has a notch design but thinner bezels overall. The G7 Play looks modern. The Moto E6 does not.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 powers the Moto E6. That’s the problem.
Moto E6 looks generic. It’s a record and there’s nothing special or unique about it. What is positive? A textured power button on the right edge differentiates it from the top volume rocker. Oh, and there’s a headphone jack.
The Moto E6 has a 5.5-inch screen, and since most smartphones have screens larger than 6 inches, that must mean the Moto E6 is compact, right? Not necessary. The Moto G7 Play is shorter, narrower and thinner, despite having a larger 5.7-inch screen. Yes, the Moto E6 is bigger than the Moto G7 Play. However, most people should be able to use both phones with one hand.
The LCD screen looked dim in my time with the phone. It has an 18:9 aspect ratio as well as a 1440 x 720 resolution (296 pixels per inch), which is standard for most phones in this price range. From what I saw, it was good for a budget phone, but I’ll need more time with the phone to make a decision.
Performance and software
Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 with 2G RAM powers the Moto E6. That’s worrying. I haven’t had a good time with phones using the Snapdragon 400 series processor; for example, the Snapdragon 439 in the Nokia 4.2 delivered frustrating performance. The Snapdragon 435 is a step behind the 439, so I expect a similar if not worse experience.
My first impression was not doom and gloom. Gliding on the Moto E6 was smooth, and apps opened at a reasonable speed.
Still, this is another reason why the Moto G7 Play is a better buy. Motorola has highlighted the difference between the G7 series by upgrading to Snapdragon 600 series chips, which bring a significant increase in performance. If $50 is all that stands between the Snapdragon 435 and the 632 (the chip in the G7 Play), I’ll always pay. It even comes with 32GB of storage, while the E6 only has 16GB (though there’s a MicroSD card slot in case you need more space).
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The Moto E6 runs Android 9 Pie, and Motorola told Digital Trends that the update is “not currently planned.” It likely won’t receive Android 10 Q, which is slated to launch at the end of August, and there’s little chance it’ll see timely security updates. Such weak support is disappointing. At least the Moto G7 Play is set to get Android Q.
Otherwise, the software experience is simple and similar to stock Android. It has a few Motorola flourishes, along with Verizon bloatware, since it will launch as a Verizon-exclusive phone.
It’s worth noting that there’s no NFC, so you can’t make contactless payments via Google Pay. It’s a shame, because there are cheap phones that offer this feature. The Nokia 3.1 Plus, for example, is exclusive to Cricket Wireless with NFC and costs just $10 more than the Moto E6. The Nokia 4.2 also has NFC, and costs $189 (though it doesn’t work on Sprint or Verizon). But Motorola has historically been shy about putting NFC in its North American devices, so this comes as no surprise.
Camera
The Moto E6 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, which is common for most budget phones. I didn’t get a chance to take many pictures with it, but the few pictures I did take were acceptable. The camera is packed with features like software-based Portrait mode, Manual mode, Spot Color (which lets you pick one color and turns the rest of the photo into black and white), Timelapse mode, and more.
There’s a 5-megapixel selfie camera on the front with an f/2.0 aperture, though I didn’t get a chance to try it out.
No USB-C, no water resistance
The Moto E6 has a removable 3000 mAh battery. This is unusual today, as many phones no longer allow users to remove the battery. Its capacity, typical for a phone of this price, should last the phone for a full day of use.
The lack of USB-C is disappointing.
USB-C is nowhere to be found and that’s a big disappointment. Instead, there is a micro USB port on the bottom. In last year’s review of the Moto E5 Play, Motorola told us that all of its 2019 phones would have a Type-C port. While the company kept its promise for the entire Moto G7 lineup this year, Motorola failed to provide support for the affordable Moto E6. The Nokia 3.1 Plus is again a similarly priced phone, but it has USB-C. If HMD can do it, so can Motorola.
Unsurprisingly, the Moto E6 isn’t waterproof – most phones in this price range aren’t – but Motorola says it has a waterproof design with a “P2i nano coating”, which should protect it from spills and rain.
Price and availability
The Moto E6 comes in star black or navy blue for $149. For now, it’s available exclusively on Verizon, but Motorola says it will be available on other carriers later this year. An unlocked model is also planned.
Looking at similarly priced options on Verizon, there’s the Samsung Galaxy J3 V 3rd Gen ($168) or the Alcatel Avalon V ($99). The Moto E6 is simply a better choice. Those phones run outdated Android software (version 8.0) and have pale interiors compared to Motorola’s phone.
If you’re on Verizon and want to shop through a carrier, keep in mind that you can buy the Moto G7 Play unlocked and activate it on Verizon. If you don’t want to buy it directly from Verizon, the Moto E6 is one of your better choices at this price point.
Wrap
Moto E6 is good. Good. That’s commendable, given its low price, but my gut tells me to ignore it and go for the Moto G7 Play — even if that means waiting for it to go on sale to hit the $150 price point (which already happened).
The Motorola G7 Play feels better in every way and you’ll be happier for it. But I’ll have to wait until I can use the Moto E6 for a longer period of time before I can make my final verdict.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn