Moto E4 Plus review

Motorola's E4 Plus is the latest phone from the company, packing a huge battery and trying to up the spec despite a low-end price.

Battery life is a big concern of almost everyone who wants to buy a new phone, and Motorola has packed this phone with a massive cell that should be able to last at least two days.

The Lenovo P2 – made by Motorola’s parent company – impressed us earlier this year with its two-day battery life, so we expect some big things from the new E4 Plus, which in some respects replaces that phone.

Given that its specs are limited in other areas, leaving the phone with less heavy lifting to do, we expect the Moto E4 Plus to do some fantastic things in the battery department, but do the rest of the components add up to make this a worthwhile phone?

Update: According to Motorola, the E4 Plus and E4 are among the few of its smartphones not to receive the anticipated upgrade to Android Oreo. Given that these are some of Moto's most affordable phones available, this is a disappointment to many who were hoping for it. But hey, Android Nougat isn't so bad.

Moto E4 Plus release date and price

• Out now in the US and UK, no word on Australian release
• Costs $179.99 or £159, making it a touch more expensive than the Moto E4 

The Moto E4 Plus is out now in the US and UK, so you can buy this phone for $179.99/£159 (around AU$240).

In the US the phone is available through Verizon or selected retailers SIM-free. In the UK you can buy it from Argos and a selection of other stores.

That price is a touch more expensive than the Moto E4, a phone which we liked enough to give four and a half stars and which is priced at $129/£129/AU$199, but the E4 Plus is not that much more money considering the slightly improved spec.

There’s no currently no scheduled Australian release date for the E4 Plus, but it's hard to say if it will stay that way considering the Moto E4 has finally released in the region.

Design

• Premium feel metal design, unlike the Moto E3
• Thicker and heavier than your average phone
• Curved and smooth back means it sits comfortably in the hand 

The Moto E4 Plus is encased in a full metal shell that gives it a premium feel many other affordable phones aren't able to replicate. It has a curved back, helping it sit in your hand comfortably too.

On the bottom of the phone there's a speaker and a micro USB port. On the top there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack if you want to use wired headsets for listening to music.

It may sit comfortably in your hand, but the Moto E4 Plus isn't very light – it weighs 198g – and it’s also quite thick at 9.6mm. That makes it chunkier than the 9.3mm-thick Moto E4, and it’s down to the much bigger battery that's been packed in.

You’ll likely notice this in your pocket more than the Moto E4 or Moto G5, which come in at 151g and 145g respectively.

That said, it doesn't make the E4 Plus ugly. Its metal shell leaves it looking good, and overall Motorola has managed to build in a bigger battery without compromising the design too much.

There’s no SIM slot on the metal outside of the phone – you pull off the back cover to insert your microSD card and SIM (you can’t remove the battery though). We found it to be particularly difficult to pull off, so swapping your SIM card or microSD may not be as easy as you’d hope for, although it’s unlikely you’d be doing so regularly.

There's also a fingerprint scanner below the screen, which we found to work well. You may find the sensor a little small  compared to those on some other devices, but it always picked up our fingerprint for a simple unlock.

Having a fingerprint sensor on a phone this cheap is a major plus, and you’ll likely appreciate it as a fast and simple way of unlocking your phone.

The design of the Moto E4 Plus certainly isn’t perfect, but considering the price point of this phone, and the fact that the earlier Moto E3 line came with a much uglier plastic shell design, this is a big improvement.

Display

• Large display with a HD resolution, but only 720p
• May prove too large for some, but it’s a bright and clear screen 

The Moto E4 Plus has a 5.5-inch HD (720p) display, which you may see as a low-resolution option. 

It does offer 267 pixels per inch though, which means you'll struggle to spot any pixelation in images unless you're looking closely.

It’s not, however, as high a resolution as previous Lenovo-built devices like the P2, Moto G5 or the Moto G5 Plus. If you’re looking for a higher resolution you may be able to get the Moto G4 or G4 Plus, which features a Full HD display, for a similar price.

During our usage though we found the Moto E4 Plus to have a bright and clear display that looks good for watching video, despite the lower resolution. If you’re not fussed about the higher resolution screen, this display will still allow you to comfortably use your apps and watch video.

Plus the lower resolution puts less of a strain on the battery, contributing to the excellent battery life of the Moto E4 Plus.

Thanks to Currys PC World Business for supplying our Moto E4 Plus unit