Moto G Fast and Moto E: Motorola just launched two new budget phones under $200
The Moto G Fast and Moto E are the latest affordable phones that bring solid features and a wallet-friendly price.
On the heels of launching the premium Motorola Edge Plus , Motorola on Friday announced two new budget phones that are under $200: the Moto G Fast and Moto E. The phones enter a crowded field of affordable phone competitors including the $399 iPhone SE and Samsung Galaxy A51, as well as lower-cost options such as the $150 Samsung Galaxy A01 and $180 LG K40.
Budget phones prices and specs compared
Phone | Price | Processor | Storage | RAM | Battery |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moto E | $150 | Snapdragon 632 | 32GB | 2GB | 3,550 mAh |
Samsung A01 | $150 | Snapdragon 439 | 16GB | 2GB | 3,000 mAh |
LG K40 (2019) | $180 | Snapdragon SDM450 | 16GB | 2GB | 3,000 mAh |
Moto G Fast | $200 | Snapdragon 665 | 32GB | 3GB | 4,000 mAh |
Moto G Power | $250 | Snapdragon 665 | 64GB | 4GB | 5,000 mAh |
Moto G Stylus | $300 | Snapdragon 665 | 128GB | 4GB | 4,000 mAh |
iPhone SE | $399 | A13 Bionic | 64GB | 3GB* | 1,821 mAh* |
Samsung A51 | $400 | Samsung Exynos 9611 | 128GB | 4GB | 4,000 mAh |
*Based on teardowns, unconfirmed by Apple.
The $200 Moto G Fast is the third and last G-series phone Motorola will release in the US this year. It joins the slightly costlier Moto G Stylus and Moto G Power . Despite being the most affordable Moto G phone, the G Fast has a similar hole-punch display, processor and overall fit and finish as the Stylus and Power.
The $150 Moto E represents the most affordable Motorola phone currently available. Unlike having a hole-punch notch found on the current G-line of phones, the Moto E features a teardrop notch and other hardware features found in 2019's excellent Moto G7.
The new Moto phones give users two more phone options that won't break their wallets. Motorola is committed to one major OS update with each phone and two years of bimonthly security updates. The Moto E and Moto G Fast are available for preorder now and will be available in stores June 12.
Moto G Fast is the new Moto G Play
Motorola's Moto G family of phones provides solid phones packed with well-considered features. The new Moto G Fast is no different. As the successor to the Moto G Play line, it has a striking finish, a 6.4-inch hole-punch display, a triple-rear camera and many of the same features as the Moto G Stylus and G Power, including a Snapdragon 665 processor, Android 10 and all of Moto's clever software shortcuts like twisting your wrist to open the camera.
But with the phone's low price, it does make some sacrifices. The display only has a resolution of 720P instead of the 1,080P displays found on the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus. The Moto G Fast has a smaller battery than the Moto G Power, as well as less RAM and half the storage. But these compromises aren't exactly negatives. It's important to remember that the Moto G Fast costs only $200. You can buy five of them for the price of an iPhone 11 Pro or seven of them for the price of a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.
Motorola named the phone "Fast" because its processor and RAM specs per dollar are better when compared to phones from the likes of LG and Samsung . But with 3GB of RAM, it actually has less memory than its G-siblings which each come packed with 4GB of RAM. (BTW, when you say the name out loud it sounds like you're saying, "Moto. Gee, fast!")
The Moto G Fast has a welcomed flashy appearance with an iridescent pearl white finish surrounded in chrome. It's definitely eye-catching and even the rear camera housing has a chrome accent.
It comes with 32GB of storage, with support for a microSD card up to 512GB. It has a water- and dust-resistant rating of IP52, which protects against splashes and light rain.
On the rear is a main 16-megapixel camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It's unclear if these are the exact same cameras found on the Moto G Power, but the specs are identical. That said, when I reviewed the Moto G Power, I found its cameras to be pretty average. In good light, photos were decent, but pictures taken indoors or in low light were soft and noisy. I look forward to testing out the phone for an in-depth review.
Moto E might be the best Android value for your dollar
If your phone budget is absolutely tight, there's the $150 Moto E. The phone is this affordable because it blends old features, like a teardrop notch display and last year's Snapdragon 632 processor.
But you're not exactly getting an obsolete phone. The Moto E has a modern body and sleek finish. On the back there are two cameras that include a 13-megapixel main shooter and a 2-megapixel depth camera. Essentially it uses both cameras to capture an image with the depth sensor helping isolate your subject from the background to create portrait-mode bokeh effects.
Like the Moto G Fast, the Moto E has an IP52 rating, a headphone jack, 32GB of storage and a microSD expansion slot. But the Moto E has just 2GB of RAM, a slightly smaller battery and display. Curiously instead of a USB-C port it has a Micro-USB port. Don't worry, I checked and it's still 2020.
Read a full comparison of the specs between the Moto G Fast, Moto E, Moto G Stylus and Moto G Power below, with the Galaxy A01 thrown in for good measure.
Moto E specs vs. Samsung Galaxy A01, Moto G Fast, Moto G Power, Moto G Stylus
Motorola Moto E | Samsung Galaxy A01 | Motorola Moto G Fast | Motorola Moto G Power | Motorola Moto G Stylus | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display size, resolution | 6.2-inch LCD; 1,520x720 pixels | 5.7-inch LCD; 1,520x720 pixels | 6.4-inch LCD; 1,560x720 pixels | 6.4-inch LCD; 2,300x1,080 pixels | 6.4-inch LCD; 2,300x1,080 pixels |
Pixel density | 271ppi | 295ppi | 268ppi | 399ppi | 399ppi |
Dimensions (Inches) | 6.29 x 3.01 x 0.34 in | 5.81 x 2.79 x 0.33 in | 6.37 x 2.98 x 0.36 in | 6.29 x 2.98 x 0.38 in | 6.24 x 2.98 x 0.36 in |
Dimensions (Millimeters) | 159.77 x 76.56 x 8.65 mm | 147.5 x 70.9 x 8.3 mm | 161.87 x 75.7 x 9.05 mm | 159.85 x 75.8 x 9.63 mm | 158.55 x 75.8 x 9.2 mm |
Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 6.52 oz; 185g | 5.32 oz; 151g | 6.68 oz; 189.4g | 7.01 oz; 199 g | 6.77 oz; 192 g |
Mobile software | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 |
Camera | 13-megapixel (standard), 2-megapixel (depth camera) | 13-megapixel (standard), 2-megapixel (depth sensing) | 16-megapixel wide-angle, 2-megapixel macro, 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle | 16-megapixel wide-angle, 2-megapixel macro, 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle | 48-megapixel wide-angle, 2-megapixel macro, 16-megapixel ultra-wide angle |
Front-facing camera | 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 8-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
Video capture | 1080p | 1080p | 4K | 4K | 4K |
Processor | Snapdragon 632 | Snapdragon 439 | Snapdragon 665 | Snapdragon 665 | Snapdragon 665 |
Storage | 32GB | 16GB | 32GB | 64GB | 128GB |
RAM | 2GB | 2GB | 3GB | 4GB | 4GB |
Expandable storage | Up to 512GB | Up to 512GB | Up to 512GB | Up to 512GB | Up to 512GB |
Battery | 3,550mAh | 3,000mAh | 4,000mAh | 5,000mAh | 4,000mAh |
Fingerprint sensor | Rear | No | Rear | Back | Back |
Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Headphone jack | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Special features | Stylus, Action Cam | ||||
Price off-contract (USD) | $150 | $150 | $200 | $250 | $300 |