The latest Moto G and Moto E-series smartphones are now official as Motorola introduced several Moto G6 and E5 models at affordable price points.
The Moto G and Moto E series are not about high-end phones but about affordability and they're among the company's most successful products. According to Motorola, the Moto G is its top-selling smartphone of all time.
Moto G and Moto E Series Smartphones
It all started five years ago when Motorola first set out to fill a gap by offering affordable smartphones that could still deliver a modern, quality experience.
"When we launched the first moto g, we launched a phone that would become the best-selling smartphone in Motorola history. We continued to push the boundaries of the value equation even further with the debut of the moto e, a smartphone that was fully loaded and fairly priced," says Motorola. "The moto g and moto e product families continued to offer the perfect combinations of features for consumers who didn't want to compromise on quality, style or experience."
The latest Moto G6 and Moto E5 continue the tradition of offering good quality at an affordable price point, while sporting a number of improvements and innovations. They now have better displays, smarter features, sleeker designs, and better power optimizations while still remaining in the $100-$300 price range. Google's Android 8.0 Oreo is also in the mix, out of the box.
Moto G6 And Moto G6 Play
For its best-selling line, Motorola has introduced a Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play. A Moto G6 Plus is also in the cards but will not make it in the United States. The Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play, meanwhile, sport similar designs -- tall displays with 18:9 aspect ratios, thin bezels, and curved edges on the back.
They both sport glass designs, with the Moto G6 Play featuring a polymer glass back while the regular Moto G6 gets Gorilla Glass. They share some specifications, but the standard Moto G6 is slightly better equipped.
The Moto G6 comes with a 5.7-inch full HD+ (2,160 x 1,080 pixels) display, a Snapdragon 450 processor, and two configurations -- 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, or 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.
Other specs include a front-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual rear cameras -- 5MP + 12MP -- and "advanced imaging software, including built-in face filters and an "active photo" mode. Of all the newly-announced Moto smartphones, the Moto G6 is the only one to sport USB Type-C.
The Moto G6 Play, meanwhile, has a 5.7-inch HD display (720p), which makes it less sharp than the Moto G6. This model also drops the dual camera setup, featuring only a 12-megapixel rear camera.
Available configurations include 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage, or 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Its strong point is in the battery department, however, as it is sporting a large 4,000 mAh unit that should offer a good performance on a single charge.
Moto E5 Series
The latest Moto E models include a Moto E5 Play, a Moto E5 Plus, and a standard Moto E5 that won't reach the United States. The phones don't offer high-end specs, but they aim to deliver a more than decent performance on a budget.
The Moto E5 Plus features a 6-inch HD screen (720p), a Snapdragon 435 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and a massive 5,000 mAh battery. In terms of design, it feels cheaper than the G6 (it actually is), sporting a polymer glass back.
The Moto E5 Play, meanwhile, is more basic, with a plastic build and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Other than that, the phone has a 5.2-inch HD display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a surprisingly small battery of just 2,800 mAh.
Moto G6 And Moto E5 Pricing And Availability
The Moto G6 will start at $249 and the Moto G6 Play will start at $199, but Motorola has yet to reveal pricing details for the Moto E5 line. The Moto E5 Play will likely start at around $100, but the Moto E5 Plus could get close to the price of the Moto G series.
Motorola's latest smartphones will hit the market in June at the latest, with the Moto G phones already available in select regions. The Moto G Plus, for instance, is already going on sale in Mexico and Brazil on Thursday, April 19. It will then reach Europe, Latin America, and some markets in Asia Pacific, but not North America.
The same regions will also get the Moto E5, which will not make it stateside. The Moto E5 Play will go on sale globally, while the Moto E5 Plus will be a U.S. exclusive.
