While many of us are caught up with chasing after high-end flagships, the reality is that you don't need to spend a fortune on Samsung, LG, or HTC phone to get a high quality Android experience. Continuing the tradition that started with 2013's original Moto G, the new Moto G4 Plus is very affordable, but at the same time offers many of the same high-quality features you'd expect from a much more expensive device. As you can imagine, it's one device that Samsung and other competitors hopes stays under most consumers' radar.
What exactly does the Moto G4 Plus bring to the table? Let's take a closer look.
This sponsored post is brought to you by Motorola.
Design
At first glance, the new Moto G4 Plus retains a lot of the design language of its predecessors. There are a few minor aesthetic changes, but for the most part, the line of Moto G4 Plus features a design that is largely reminiscent of previous Motorola smartphones.
The Moto G4 Plus comes with an all plastic build, and despite appearances, the frame is plastic, albeit with a metallic finish. While this might not have the premium feeling you'd get from a metallic or glass build, the trade for plastic results in an extremely sturdy and durable built. It doesn't feel hollow, rattle, or creak in any way, and is a very solid phone overall. This is something that Motorola has always done a good job with, and its great to see this continue to be offered with the Moto G4 Plus.
On the back is the signature Motorola dimple, and the back cover has a nice texture to it, that helps a lot with the grip. However, the smooth finish of the sides does result in the phone being a touch slippery, but not enough to be a cause for concern. The back is also removable, and gives you access to the SIM card slot and the dedicated microSD card slot. While the back cover is removable, the battery is not.
The power button and volume rocker are found on the right side. The power button comes with a textured pattern that makes it easy to differentiate from the volume rocker. The buttons don't provide a lot of tactile feedback, which isn't really a big deal, but it is something to keep in mind. The headphone jack and the microUSB port are at the top and bottom respectively.
Display
Unlike previous generations of the Moto G, the IPS LCD display of the Moto G4 Plus has been bumped up to 5.5-inches, with resolution getting a boost to Full HD as well, resulting in a pixel density of 401 ppi.
The larger display and higher resolution allows for a more enjoyable experience when reading text, watching videos, and playing games. While the display might not be perfect, especially in a world of QHD offering, it does look sharp and offers good viewing angles. Additionally, the display is vibrant enough for the colors to not appear washed out. All in all, for the price, there's not much to complain about.
Performance
Under the hood, the Moto G4 Plus comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, clocked at 1.5 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 405 GPU and 2 GB, 3 GB, or 4 GB of RAM, depending on which storage option you opt for.
You won't see record-breaking results when running benchmark tests, but as far as real world performance is concerned, everything is fast and responsive. Apps launch quickly, multi-tasking is smooth, and the device can handle gaming without much of a hitch.
Hardware
The Moto G4 Plus is available with 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB in built-in storage options, and as mentioned, this also dictates how much RAM you will be getting. There is also expandable storage via microSD card, up to an additional 256 GB. While there are versions of the device, depending on the market, that feature dual SIM capabilities, you will still get a dedicated microSD card slot, so the great news is that users won't have to make the choice between dual SIM support and expandable storage, which is often the case with other affordable smartphones out there.
The Moto G4 Plus comes with a single front-facing speaker above the display, and is a part of the earpiece. There is no stereo sound to be had, but the single speaker does sound pretty good, and is capable of getting decently sound without sounding tinny or distorted.
Also up front is a fingerprint scanner placed below the display. The fingerprint sensor is as fast and accurate as expected, and is comparable in quality to the scanners found with more high-end smartphones as well. Keep in mind that the scanner doesn't double as home button, but it can be used to help reveal your navigation keys when running a fullscreen app.
Keep in mind that the Moto G4 Plus is not water resistant this time around. While you will get some form of splash protection, that should keep it safe from a simple splash of water or a sprinkle of rain, these phones aren't IP-certified, and will not survive being submerged in the water.
The Moto G4 Plus comes with a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery, which has become the standard size for a lot of current generation smartphones. The battery has been pretty good, and the device can provide a full day of use with average usage that involves sending and receiving messages, browsing the web, checking social media, watching a few videos and playing games for a little while.
With more intense usage, such as when playing a lot of games or taking a lot of pictures, the battery does run out pretty quickly though. However, the Moto G4 Plus does come with fast charging capabilities, so you will be able to get back to a full charge in a short amount of time.
Camera
The camera is another hardware feature that is better on the Moto G4 Plus when compared to the other devices in the Moto G4 series. The Moto G4 Plus comes with a 16 MP rear camera with a f/2.0 aperture, phase detection auto focus, and a laser auto focus system, along with a 5 MP front-facing shooter. However, there is no optical image stabilization available, which is unfortunate.
The Motorola camera app has also been improved significantly, with there being a shutter button now that makes taking pictures with one hand easier, and the app in general is simpler and easier to use. A swipe from the left side opens up a menu for basic camera settings, and a button on the upper right corner lets you quickly switch between photo and video, along with a few other modes like panorama and slow motion video. The most notable change with the camera app is the addition of a manual mode, which is something that was definitely long overdue.
As far as picture quality is concerned, it is actually really good. Granted, it's not going to stack up favorably against the high-end Samsung and LG flagships out there, but for a device that is so inexpensive, the camera is certainly capable of taking some nice looking shots. In good lighting conditions, you get shots with plenty of detail and vibrant colors, and the images are sharp, without looking over sharpened.
Dynamic range isn't the best, with the camera tending to crush shadows a little too much, but that is all taken care of with HDR. Using HDR mode tones down the shadows and highlights, and adds some more vibrancy to the image, without making it appear unnatural or fake.
In low-light conditions however, is where the camera falls apart extremely quickly. We expect some noise to be present in images taken in poorly-lit situations, but the grain is quite significant with the Moto G4 Plus. Highlights are also typically overexposed, there isn't a lot of detail to be had, and the camera also has trouble finding a point of focus in low light.
If you're looking for a really good low-light smartphone camera, the Moto G4 Plus is unfortunately not going to cut it, but in most other situations, this camera more than gets the job done. The 5 MP front-facing camera comes with a wide angle lens, and proves to be more than adequate to cover all your selfie taking needs.
Software
On the software side of things, the Moto G4 Plus is running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and this is as close to stock Android as you can get without it being a Nexus smartphone. There is virtually no bloatware to be found, and the software package isn't as packed with features as what may be found with the high-end Motorola offerings.
There are some features available though, such as Moto Actions, which lets you do things like turning the flashlight on with a chopping motion, flipping the phone over to silence it when it rings, or launching the camera with a twist of your wrist. A simpler version of Motorola's ambient display feature is also available, but with there being no sensors on the front, it is entirely contingent on motion.
You can't wave your hand over the display to wake up the phone, and it also doesn't continuously pulsate to indicate notifications. The only time it lights up is when you take the phone out of your pocket or pick it up from a table, or when you initially receive a notification. Other than these Motorola features, the software package is entirely stock Android, and sometimes, a clean and simple experience is all you need to keep things smooth and snappy.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution 401ppi |
| Processor | 1.5 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 |
| GPU | Adreno 405 |
| RAM | 2/3/4 GB |
| Storage | 16/32/64GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, up to 256 GB |
| Cameras | 16MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture 5MP front camera with f/2.2 aperture |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes |
| Battery | Non-removable 3000mAh battery |
| Software | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 153 x 76.6 x 7.9-9.8mm 155g |
Wrap up
The Moto G4 Plus is available for a starting price of just $200. This a heck of a deal for such a reasonably spec'd device and it can even be customized using the Moto Maker, letting you choose between different back cover, accent colors, and you can even add an optional engraving.
While there's certainly a place for higher end flagships like the Moto Z and the Galaxy line, the reality is that for many consumers a device like the Moto G4 Plus offers the perfect amount of punch while still being relatively easy on the wallet. Despite the attempts by many competitors to usurp Motorola in the sub-$250 price bracket, there are still few phones that offer the same level of durability, reliability, and reputation that you get with the Moto G4 Plus.
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