Motorola Moto E (Gen 2) First Look: This Entry-level Smartphone Just Misses Greatness

Motorola released the first-generation Moto E in May last year and it ended being the most successful entry-level handset in India. It was a revolutionary device, thanks to its performance, simple design, and most importantly, a budget price of Rs. 6,999.

Now, Motorola is once again making noise with the second-generation Moto E, which went on sale in India just a short while ago. Well we knew it was coming, and now here it is the revamped version of the Moto E, with a slightly larger display, a quad-core processor and much more.

The Moto E (Gen 2) is an upgrade to the original Moto E. It adds a few improvements without upping the retail price. Although the new Moto E comes with a bigger screen and improved processor, this one device from Motorola has unfortunately failed to live up to our expectations.

PROS

• Feels great to hold
• Large Battery Pack
• MicroSD
• Dual SIM
• Water-resistant Design
• Android 5.0 Lollipop OS

CONS

• Poor Display
• Average Processor
• Not so good Front Camera
• Missing 4G LTE Connectivity
• Non-removable Back Cover
• Non-removable Battery

GizBot went hands-on with the Motorola Moto E (Gen 2) at the recently held event in Delhi. Here are our first impressions

Motorola Moto E (Gen 2) First Look: Form Factor, Design, Display and Operating System

The original version of the Moto E was praised for its fantastic design, and the same can be said about the new Moto E. The Moto E (Gen 2) has a large screen, but still compact enough to be manageable. It's comfortable to hold, doesn't feel slippery at all - an accusation we could level at the Xiaomi Redmi 1S.

The curved, smooth rear back feels really good in your hand. We loved the idea of having an interchangeable back covers as it offered a way to customise the device in a more personal manner. The sheer thinness of the device makes it pretty comfortable to hold, too. It's a fairly heavy handset at 145 grams, which is slightly heftier than we originally thought. But that's O.K.

It's nice to see a bigger 4.5-inch qHD screen but it's a shame the screen resolution didn't make the leap too. With a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels, it's sub- HD (720p), which made us a little disappointed. Viewing angles are a disappointment, too. However, the contract ratio seemed to be fairly decent.

The Moto E (Gen 2) runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. One of the best things about the Moto E (Gen 2) is its user interface (UI). It's very close to the Nexus device. The manufacturer has not added any messy layer on top of Android. With the latest software on board, everything just looks almost perfect.

Motorola Moto E (Gen 2) First Look: Processor, RAM and Connectivity

The 1.2GHz quad-core processor (Snapdragon) will surely improve multitasking when compared to its predecessor; it is supported by 1GB of RAM. It comes as little surprise to find that the new Moto E feels completely smooth in general use. We noticed no lag or hitching while browsing the web. The device comes with 8GB of on-board storage (but, oddly no 16GB in-built storage).

There's no 4G support available, which is indeed a big disappointment. In comparison, the Lenovo A6000 (now available at Rs. 6,999) offers 4G LTE connectivity. Plus, it comes with a Snapdragon 410 (64-bit) processor, which does make this bad boy much better in terms of the overall value.

Motorola Moto E (Gen 2) First Look: Camera and Video

The 5-megaapixel camera isn't a huge surprise. It has an aperture of f2.2. The 5MP shooter on the back is more or less what you'd expect in this price range. The images are sharp, in certain conditions. For instance, the camera performed way better in perfect light settings. What's good about the new Moto E is it is faster at taking a shot, just like the second-generation Moto G ( 2014). To be honest, the picture quality is fairly decent for the price you pay. There's a VGA-quality front facing shooter. It produces below average details, even in the perfect lighting conditions.

In terms of video capture, you can shoot video in 720p HD (unfortunately, you're not allowed to record 1080p video). The footage we got wasn't too pleasing. Meanwhile, the camera settings on the new Moto E are accessed by swiping from the left to right and here you will find Auto HDR, flash, panorama and the video recording options.

Motorola Moto E (Gen 2) First Look: Battery and Early Verdict

We're excited about the new Moto E's battery life. It has a got a bigger 2,390mAh non-removable battery. Motorola claims the battery should last a full day.

The Moto E (Gen 2) is slightly improved over its predecessor. It's a solid entry-level handset that will get most jobs done easily. But the question is: has Motorola done enough? In some aspects, the new Moto E easily wins over the likes of Huawei Holly in respect of the built quality. However, its new 4.5-inch display still has sub-HD screen resolution. The absence of 4G LTE connectivity is yet another hiccup. Overall, the Moto E (Gen 2) is a major disappointment.