Review: Motorola Moto E
Screen
The Moto E's screen is impressive for this class of device. It measures 4.3 inches and rates qHD (960 x 540) resolution. Most other devices in this class are still rocking 800 x 480 or even 480 x 320 screens, so the Moto E outclasses the competition in this regard. The LCD panel looks very good when viewed straight-on. Text and images are mostly sharp, colors are bright, and there are no visible pixels. If you move the phone close to your eyes (we're talking inches, not feet), things start to lose a little definition. I was able to use it outdoors without problem. Tilting it side-to-side reveals noticeable brightness drop-off, which means viewing angles aren't all that great. Still, for what it is, the E's screen is very good. (Interestingly, the screen reflects a noticeable grid-like pattern under certain light. According to Motorola, the grid is the touch-screen layer. It's mostly only visible with the screen off, but can still be spied at certain angles with the screen on. It's not terribly noticeable, but we thought it was worth mentioning.)
Signal
We tested the Moto E on AT&T's network, though the E is not yet officially being sold by any U.S. carrier yet. One major feature the E lacks is LTE 4G. The E is limited to HSPA+ at 21 Mbps, which, on AT&T's network, registers as "H" in the signal bar on the top of the screen. That said, the E connected to AT&T's network just fine. I didn't have any trouble making phone calls no matter where I took the phone. The phone didn't drop any calls, nor did it miss any. Data speeds were OK, but definitely not great for anyone accustomed to LTE. Downloads were generally under 3 Mbps, with uploads in the sub-1 Mbps range. Data sessions truly slowed to a crawl in poor coverage areas. I found the E adequate for social networking and light browsing, but stick to Wi-Fi if you have app updates waiting in the Play Store or want to watch some YouTube videos.
Sound
I was mostly pleased with the Moto E's call quality. Calls made through the earpiece sounded warm and were loud enough to hear most of the time. I noticed some scratchiness here and there, but it was never enough to be bothersome. The speakerphone loses some quality and was more apt to let interference through. Voices coming through the speaker sound more scratchy. Volume is acceptable via the speakerphone, but it could be better. People I spoke to through the E said I sounded pretty good. The ringers and alerts are almost always loud enough to get your attention, and the vibrate alert provides a good buzz.
Battery
The smaller, lower-resolution display and the lack of LTE give the Moto E an edge in the battery department. Standby times are flat-out ridiculous, and even on days during which I used the E heavily, it managed to last until bedtime. The Moto E should get all but the most intense users through a full day with no problem. Charging once daily is sufficient.
Hands-On: Motorola Moto E
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Motorola Moto E (GSM, 1st gen.)
