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Motorola Moto E (2020)
Motorola Moto E (2020)
Motorola Moto E (2020)
Motorola Moto E (2020)
Motorola Moto E (2020)
...


7/10
Informr score
The Motorola Moto E (2020) currently has an Informr score of 7 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 5 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Sturdy build
  • Decent audio
  • Inexpensive
  • Fingerprint scanner

What's bad

  • Micro USB charger
  • Poor camera quality
  • Not enough RAM

The Motorola Moto E looks as stylish as they come but looks can be deceiving. On the outside it, resembles a high-end phone. However, when you look inside, its budget roots might surprise you.

Design

Made of fairly sturdy feeling plastic, the phone’s rounded edges and a streamlined design make it attractive with a shine that mimics glass. However, reviewers are torn on the lightweight plastic. On one side, it’s light enough to hold with one hand. But reviewers also thought it felt cheap. While the plastic is shiny, reviewers didn’t complain about it being slippery.

The Verge notes, “The all-plastic design feels lighter in your hand than it should.”

Display

The 6.2-inch display is almost too big for the phone’s capabilities. It has good color accuracy but whether that’s going to shine at 720p is subjective. The glass on the front is strengthened a-Si glass, but again made reviewers wonder why Motorola put all that effort into a lackluster display. You also have to make sure to keep a head-on view of the screen as reviews found its viewing angles limited.

Tom’s Guide sums up opinions well, saying, “The Moto E's 6.2-inch HD+ display is a bit of a disappointment, and not because it's an LCD panel. That's the trade-off you make with cheaper phones.”

Performance

So long as you’re doing everyday tasks -- such as scrolling through social media or casual gaming -- the phone performs fine. However, as more apps are opened its lack of RAM slows things down to a crawl.

Software & Storage

The phone comes equipped with Android 10 and offers 32GB of internal storage. Fortunately, it includes the option for a microSD card should you need more space.

Cameras

Picture quality is decent when it comes to natural or well-lit captures. But reviewers argued that the triple camera with its 2MP depth lens doesn’t really seem to add anything extra. Some reviewers also felt some of the detail in the pictures was lost. When moving indoors or into low light situations, reviewers found performance dismal at best with muddy and murky photos that lacked detail or focus.

PC Magazine notes, “Low-light performance with the rear lens is poor, with noise and muted colors in most of our test shots. There's also some unnatural blurring around eyeglasses and other objects in the foreground, and lens flare in all photos.”

Battery Life

When reviewers tested the battery life by streaming HD video over Wi-Fi until the phone died it didn’t do too poorly. But the Moto E also didn’t astonish either. The phone also doesn’t offer a quick charge option, so you’ll be stuck waiting for the full charge cycle. You’ll want to charge overnight when possible.

Audio

Audio was one of the handful of ways the Moto G E impressed reviewers. While not offering stereo sound, the single speaker located on the lower end of the phone managed to produce pretty good sound quality. Reviewers noted it was powerful enough to fill a room and offer audible changes in bass and treble.

Specs at a Glance

  • Sturdy plastic with a glass-like shine
  • 6.2-inch LCD with strengthened a-Si glass
  • Snapdragon 632 processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • Android 10
  • 32GB of internal storage with microSD slot
  • 13MP/2MP rear-facing camera
  • 5MP front-facing selfie camera
  • 3,550mAh battery

Bottom Line

There’s nothing wrong with the phone except that it fails to stand out. Reviewers noted many similarly priced phones offer some stand out feature -- be that a camera, performance, or design traits -- which might make them a better option depending on your needs.  Speaking from a budget perspective and depending on how you use your smartphone this could be the best phone you’ve ever had. But if you’re used to bells and whistles, you might want to pause before this purchase.

CNN says, “As far as [low-priced] smartphones are concerned, we think the Moto E offers the best bang for your buck. It's a big display that offers quality good enough for most tasks, and its handling of tasks [is] quite fast for a mid-range device.”

PC Magazine notes, “With an attractive design, long battery life, and solid performance for the price, the [inexpensive] Motorola Moto E is one of the best affordable phones you can buy.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
1.8 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.8 GHz
6.2"
Screen Size
Screen Size
6.2"
13+ MP, f/2.0
Camera
Camera
13+ MP, f/2.0
3550 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


The Wirecutter
The Wirecutter

This model offers a bright, vibrant, 6.3-inch 1080p display, as well as two good cameras, solid build quality, and software updates through late 2021. But it doesn’t work on Verizon or other carriers that use CDMA network technology.

- Andrew Cunningham, Nick Guy, The Wirecutter
Android Police
Android Police

I'm pretty pleased with what you can get from Motorola here for $150. Outside the camera performance, I never felt like I was using a budget phone in normal day-to-day use, and it delivers a surprisingly good overall experience. That said, there's also a lot to complain about with the new Moto E. Mi...

- Ryne Hager, Android Police
Digital Trends
Digital Trends

The Motorola Moto E is far from perfect, but for $150, it’s best option. It offers a relatively modern design, solid performance, and more, and if you’re buying on a budget, performance is one of the most important things to consider.

- Christian de Looper, Digital Trends
The Verge
The Verge

That “good from a distance” approach applies to a lot of the 2020 Moto E — it’s a phone that looks a lot like a premium smartphone, but up close, the illusion doesn’t quite hold up. The all-plastic design feels lighter in your hand than it should, the camera is outclassed, and the performance is ave...

- Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge
Tom's Guide
Tom's Guide

The Moto E gives you a basic smartphone for $149 that’s capable of taking good photos. But if you can spend a little extra, opt for the Moto G Fast or Moto G Power instead, as they deliver better value.

- Philip Michaels, Tom's Guide


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


The Moto E (2020) price will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. You can compare Motorola Moto E (2020) prices from around the web here on The Informr.


Motorola backs up the Moto E (2020) with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Moto E (2020) has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
6.2"

The Motorola Moto E (2020)'s screen size is 6.2 inches with 720 x 1520 pixels resolution.

Processor
1.8 GHz

There is a Qualcomm SDM632 Snapdragon 632 (14 nm) Octa-core 1.8 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system (OS).

Camera
13+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 13+ MP, f/2.0 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 5+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
32 GB

Internal memory is 32 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 512 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
3550mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol), 3550 mAh battery.

Moto E (2020) Specs

Overview
Release Date June 12, 2020
Regions Available USA, Canada
Operating System Android 10

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm SDM632 Snapdragon 632 (14 nm) Octa-core 1.8 GHz
Internal Storage 32 GB
RAM 2 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.72 W/kg
Body: 1.39 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support Unknown
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 512 GB)
NFC No
Data Tethering Compatibility No
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
13+ Megapixels, f/2.0
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, Multi-shot, Panorama, Self-timer, Smile detection, 2nd camera feature (2 MP, F2.2, Depth), HDR, Slow motion recording, Time lapse mode
Video Recording Formats
MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 60 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Aperture F2.0
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 30 fps
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 720 x 1520 pixels
Pixel Density 271 pixels
Size 6.2 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touchscreen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol)
Battery Capacity 3550 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 660 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Unknown
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Unknown
Standby Time Unknown
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Midnight Blue
Dimensions [H x W x D] 15.977 x 7.656 x 0.865 cm (6.3 x 3 x 0.3 in)
Weight 185 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
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