The original was launched way back in November 2013. The Moto G was a game changer, offering unbeatable performance at a rock bottom price. But by the time we've got to the 4th gen Moto G4 Plus, it's lost that first mover advantage.
The Moto G4 Plus is immediately recognisable as close relative to the other Moto Gs. The iconic Motorola logo and dimple on the back is still there. But it's lost its curves. The back is flimsy and quickly collects shiny finger smudges.
On the design front, most other budget phones have moved on from the plastic look to a pale silver and gold, looking more expensive than they are. Compared with that, the Moto G4 Plus looks dull. You'll probably find back covers easily enough, but the full customisablity experience offered in the US isn't available in India.
Recent versions of the Moto G have been waterproof and this feature has been heavily promoted in the past. With the new model, that's gone.
What we do have now is a fingerprint sensor on what could have been a Home button but which, to one's surprise, isn't.
The Moto G4 Plus seems to have done a better-than-usual job with its 16MP rear camera. It's a big difference from the earlier Moto G3, in case anyone thinks of upgrading. It isn't stellar in low light, but it really isn't horribly noise filled, as others are.
As for the rest of the specs on the Moto G4 Plus, they're not outstanding, but they certainly are very workable. The phone works on Android Marshmallow with nothing to disturb it. So, it's clean and works smoothly. But there are smoother performers in this price bracket. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 3 is one of these.
Similarly, the 5.5-inch 1080p display is good, but not great. The 3,000mAh supports quick charging. The Moto G4 Plus is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor and it comes with 2GB of RAM with 16GB storage or 3GB for a variant with 32GB storage. Both have dual micro SIMs that support 4G. The price tags are Rs 13,499 and 14,499.
mala.bhargava@gmail.com
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
