Motorola Moto G04 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Motorola Moto G4 is a budget-friendly smartphone that packs a punch with its impressive features. With a vibrant 5.5-inch Full HD display, snappy performance powered by an octa-core processor, and the added convenience of a fingerprint sensor, this device offers excellent value for its price. While the plastic build may not feel premium, it ensures durability for everyday use. The Moto G4 comes in multiple variants, including the Moto G4 Plus with enhanced camera capabilities and more RAM. Priced competitively at £169, the Moto G4 is a solid choice for users seeking a reliable and functional smartphone without breaking the bank.

Design and Build Quality

The design of the Motorola Moto G4 is functional and durable, with a simple plastic build and a metal frame providing a sturdy construction. The phone's physical appearance is straightforward with clean lines and a no-frills approach. The materials used are of good quality, ensuring durability and robustness in daily use. Despite its larger form factor, the Moto G4 is comfortable to hold with a good grip, although one-handed usability may be a bit challenging for some users. The back panel offers customization options with interchangeable backplates, allowing users to personalize their device. The finishing touches on the phone are neat, and the buttons and controls are well-placed for easy access. Overall, the Moto G4 strikes a balance between sleek design and practicality, offering a premium look and feel at an affordable price point.

Display

The Motorola Moto G4 offers a 5.5-inch Full HD display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, ensuring durability against scratches and minor impacts. The LCD technology used in the screen provides good color accuracy and vibrancy, making content visually appealing. The brightness levels are adequate for indoor use, but outdoor visibility may be slightly compromised in bright sunlight. The touch responsiveness is smooth and fluid, enhancing the overall user experience. With a pixel density that results in crisp and clear images, the Moto G4 display is well-suited for daily tasks and multimedia consumption. Additionally, the viewing angles are decent, allowing for comfortable viewing from various positions. The screen-to-body ratio is optimized, although the bezels are slightly noticeable. Overall, the display of the Motorola Moto G4 offers a balance of quality and functionality for its price point.

Performance

The Motorola Moto G4 excels in chipset performance, with its 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor and 550 MHz Adreno 405 GPU delivering impressive CPU benchmarks and GPU benchmarks. When it comes to gaming performance, the Moto G4 offers decent gaming capabilities and a satisfactory gaming experience, although the graphics scores may not be top-tier. In terms of multitasking performance, the Moto G4 provides smooth user experience with lag-free performance, thanks to its system optimization and efficient thermal management. App loading speeds are commendable, showcasing the processor efficiency and GPU efficiency of the device. Benchmark tests reveal solid performance metrics, with synthetic benchmarks and gaming benchmarks reflecting the overall performance analysis of the Moto G4.

Software and User Interface

The Motorola Moto G4 runs on the Android operating system, providing users with a familiar and user-friendly interface. It comes with near-stock Android experience, meaning minimal bloatware or unnecessary pre-installed apps that often clutter the phone. This clean software approach allows for smoother performance and more customization options for users to personalize their device as they see fit. The Moto G4's operating system version ensures that users have access to the latest features and security updates from Google, enhancing the overall user experience. Whether you are a tech-savvy user who enjoys tweaking settings or a casual user looking for a straightforward interface, the Moto G4's software caters to a wide range of preferences.

Camera

The Motorola Moto G04 comes equipped with a 16MP rear camera that provides decent image quality for daylight photography. The camera features an f/2.0 aperture, which allows for good low-light sensitivity and helps in capturing sharp images with natural colors. With its standard focal length and sensor size, the Moto G04 performs well in outdoor photography, delivering images with adequate sharpness and dynamic range. The camera also offers basic features like HDR, panorama mode, and portrait mode, catering to users looking to enhance their photography experience. In terms of video recording, the Moto G04 supports 4K video capture and provides video stabilization for smooth footage. Additionally, the phone offers options for slow-motion video, time-lapse, and various video formats, adding versatility to its video recording capabilities.

Battery Life

The Motorola Moto G4 boasts a respectable battery capacity, offering decent battery life for day-to-day use. The device features optimization features to enhance power efficiency, helping to prolong battery endurance. While it may lack advanced charging technologies like wireless charging, the phone supports fast charging for quick top-ups. Users can expect a satisfactory screen-on time and standby time from the Moto G4, with reliable battery performance overall. The battery management system ensures optimal battery usage and health, though some may find the charging speed and efficiency to be average. Overall, the Moto G4 provides a good balance between battery backup and usability.

Connectivity and Networking

The Motorola Moto G4 offers a range of connectivity options to cater to various user needs. It supports 4G LTE for fast data speeds and network compatibility with major carriers. The device features Wi-Fi for wireless internet connectivity, supporting modern Wi-Fi standards for a stable connection. Bluetooth is available on the Moto G4, although the specific version is not specified. For convenient data transfer and charging, the phone is equipped with a USB-C port. Users can utilize the mobile hotspot feature to share their internet connection with other devices. Additionally, the Moto G4 supports GPS for accurate navigation. The phone also comes with dual SIM capabilities, allowing users to manage two phone numbers on one device. NFC technology is not mentioned as a feature, and wireless charging is not supported on the Moto G4.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When comparing the Motorola Moto G4 to related gadgets in the market, it stands out as a strong contender in the budget smartphone segment. In terms of performance, the Moto G4 features a 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 550 MHz Adreno 405 GPU, offering snappy responsiveness. However, when compared to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 with its higher-performing Snapdragon 625 processor, the Moto G4 falls slightly behind in processing power.

In terms of display quality, the Moto G4's 5.5-inch Full HD screen with Gorilla Glass 3 coating competes well with devices like the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime and the Huawei Honor 6X, offering a crisp viewing experience. However, the camera performance of the Moto G4, especially the 16MP rear camera, lags behind competitors like the Xiaomi Mi A1 and the Moto G5 Plus, which offer better image quality.

While the Moto G4 Plus includes a fingerprint sensor for added security and convenience, its plastic build may feel less premium compared to metal-bodied devices like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and the Honor 6X. Additionally, the battery life of the Moto G4 Plus is comparable to devices like the Moto G5 Plus, providing decent usage time but falling short of the endurance offered by the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4's larger battery capacity.

Overall, the Motorola Moto G4 offers a good balance of features and affordability, positioning itself as a competitive option in the mid-range smartphone market.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Motorola Moto G4 is a solid budget smartphone that offers great value for its price. With a large and vibrant display, water-resistant design, and smooth performance, it caters to the everyday needs of most users. While the camera performance and battery life may not be top-tier, the overall package of the Moto G4 is impressive. The addition of features like a fingerprint sensor in the Moto G4 Plus variant enhances the user experience further. If you're looking for a reliable and functional Android device without breaking the bank, the Moto G4 is definitely worth considering.