Motorola's Moto E6 is a $150 phone that feels like a $150 phone
Motorola's latest phone delivers a 5.5-inch display and a headphone jack on a tight budget.
As Samsung , Apple , Google and others prep their next high-end flagship phones , Motorola is bringing out something for those on a budget. At $150, the Lenovo-owned company's new Moto E6 won't rival those aforementioned brands on power, but it does offer decent specs and hardware for those seeking a cheaper device.
With a plastic body, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset and 2GB of RAM, this phone is the successor to the Moto E5 and is a tier below Motorola's own G7 line (which also includes affordable phones but at a slightly more expensive, midrange price than the E6). The Moto E6 also has a 5.5-inch HD display and a removable 3,000-mAh battery that Motorola says should be able to last over a full day. Like other Moto phones, it has a nano-coating for splash and rain protection as well.
A 13-megapixel camera can be found on the rear, with a 5-megapixel sensor around the front for selfies. The modest 16GB of built-in storage can be expanded via microSD card. And while the E6 gets points for a 3.5mm headphone jack, it still relies on micro-USB for charging as opposed to the increasingly more common USB-C.
Motorola's $150 Moto E6 has a 13-megapixel rear camera.
One other thing to keep in mind: the phone ships with Android 9 Pie, but Motorola says it will not be upgrading it with the upcoming Android Q due to be released by Google later this year. This is a major drag if you want to keep your phone up-to-date in the latest software features.
During my brief time with the phone, it felt, well, like an $150 phone. The screen was good for its price point, but there was some noticeable lag scrolling through the menu pages and home screens. The camera took its time opening and taking some pictures, too. For those looking for an inexpensive phone, a secondary device or a phone for younger users, this would be a good option to consider. But we'll need to put it through some more testing to know for sure.
The E6 will first be available at Verizon Thursday before heading to other carriers later on.