Our Moto E4 vs Moto E4 Plus vs Moto G5 vs Moto G5 Plus comparison takes a closer look at Lenovo’s upcoming budget E-series smartphones, offering different specs and sizes. How do they compare to each other, and should you pay a bit more for the brilliant Moto G5 or G5 Plus instead?
Although the Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus haven’t officially launched just yet, Lenovo’s latest affordable mobile phones have already leaked online.
Expected to be released in the UK in summer 2017, the new E-series handsets offer a basic smartphone experience on a tight budget. But what’s the difference between the E4 and E4 Plus and which is best suited to your needs?
Of course, Lenovo also offers the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, which are an affordable way to enjoy more premium features at a low cost. The Moto G5 and G5 Plus boast improved specs compared with the E4 and E4 Plus, but you’ll need to pay up a little extra for the G-series handsets.
So, should you wait for an E-series blower, or dive in with a G-series Moto handset right now? Here’s all you need to know. And check out our guide to the best budget phones in 2017 for alternative suggestions.
Moto E4 vs E4 Plus vs G5 vs G5 Plus: Specs
| Phone | Moto E4 | Moto E4 Plus | Moto G5 | Moto G5 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 5-inches | 5.5-inches | 5-inches | 5.2-inches |
| Screen resolution | 1280×720 | 1280×720 | 1920×1080 | 1920×1080 |
| Fingerprint sensor? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Processor | MediaTek MT6737M | MediaTek MT6737M | Snapdragon 430 | Snapdragon 625 |
| Memory | 2GB | 2/3GB | 2/3GB | 3GB |
| Battery | 2800mAh | 5000mAh | 2800mAh | 3000mAh |
| OS | Android 7.0 | Android 7.0 | Android 7.0 | Android 7.0 |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB | 16GB | 32GB |
| microSD? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear camera | 8MP | 13MP | 13MP | 12MP |
| Front camera | 5MP | 5MP | 5MP | 5MP |
| 4G support? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Moto E4 vs E4 Plus vs G5 vs G5 Plus: Design
As you can probably ascertain from the names of these phones, the Moto E4 Plus is a bigger version of the standard E4 phone, while the G5 Plus is a jump in size over the G5.
However, while both the Moto E4 and G5 are 5-inches in size, the Plus models differ. The Moto G5 Plus is only marginally bigger than the standard handsets at 5.2-inches, so is still pleasingly compact and quite easy to use one-handed. Meanwhile the new Moto E4 Plus is the biggest blower here at 5.5-inches. Good news if you’re after a spacious screen, although not so easy to handle with a single mitt.
Thankfully the latest version of the Moto assistant comes with a nifty one-handed mode, which can shrink your desktops and apps. Check out our Moto G5 and G5 Plus tips and tricks guide for more info.
All four phones boast metal construction, for a more premium look and feel despite the low asking prices. We’ve been particularly impressed by the rugged nature of the Moto G handsets, so expect the new Moto E handsets to be just as resistant to scuffs and scratches.
None of these Moto handsets are water resistant, as you might expect given the affordable cost.
Moto E4 vs E4 Plus vs G5 vs G5 Plus: Screen and media
One of the clearest differences between these handsets comes with the display tech on board.
All four phones sport an IPS screen, between 5 and 5.5-inches in size (as you can see in our handy specs table). The Moto G5 and G5 Plus boast great viewing angles with minimal colour distortion, a strong overall brightness and effortless legibility in direct sunlight. They aren’t the most vivid panels around, but you can expect quite realistic image reproduction. Impressive indeed for the asking price.
While we’re yet to clap eyes on the Moto E4 and E4 Plus’ displays, you can once again expect them to come packing IPS screens. We’re expecting solid visuals, as with the G Series handsets. However, the E4 and E4 Plus both drop the resolution from Full HD 1080p to 720p HD. In other words, images aren’t as sharp.
This will have the biggest impact on the E4 Plus, with its spacious 5.5-inch panel. You can expect to see individual pixels if you look close, while high def videos won’t appear as crisp and detailed. Still, if you want something to watch downloaded shows on a budget, the E4 Plus will still be up to the task.
Any of these affordable Moto phones boast expandable storage, so you can carry around a rather large media collection wherever you roam. That’s handy if you don’t want to stream your music and movies over the web, which requires a constant connection and can really eat away at your data allowance.
Moto E4 vs E4 Plus vs G5 vs G5 Plus: Features and OS
Impressively, all of these Moto handsets pack a fingerprint sensor. This can be used to unlock your phone quickly, easily and securely; no more annoying PINs or passwords. The Moto E series mobiles are two of the most affordable smartphones around to pack a scanner, adding even greater value for money.
There’s no difference when it comes to the operating system either. The Moto G5, G5 Plus, E4 and E4 Plus all run Android Nougat, in a refreshingly vanilla form. That means Lenovo hasn’t slathered a heavy overlay on the top of Google’s OS to give it a unique look and feel. You just get pure Android, with a couple of bonus features on top.
For instance, a variety of gesture controls allow you to quickly mute an incoming call, load the camera with a flick of your wrist and even shrink the size of your apps and desktops for easier one-handed use.
Moto E4 vs E4 Plus vs G5 vs G5 Plus: Performance and battery life
The Moto E4 and E4 Plus offer quite basic performance with their Mediatek chipsets. Android should run smoothly enough, but you’re likely to experience the occasional pause and stutter when loading and playing around with apps. We’ll be testing in full for our in-depth Moto E series reviews, of course.
Bump up your budget to the Moto G series and you can expect improved performance, from one of two Qualcomm chipsets. The Moto G5 packs a Snapdragon 430 processor, which offers decent everyday performance on a budget. Most games run with a smooth frame rate, as does pretty much every app. You get a choice of 2 or 3GB of RAM as well. We’d recommend stumping up for the latter, to ensure your mobile grows old gracefully.
Meanwhile the Moto G5 Plus boasts the best performance of this round-up, thanks to its Snapdragon 625 chipset backed by 3GB of RAM. Out of these four Moto mobiles, the G5 Plus will almost certainly stand the test of time with the best results.
As for battery life, the Moto G5 Plus trumps the Moto G5, offering close to two days of life compared with the standard model’s 24 hours. That said, the Moto E4 Plus is said to offer a super-generous 5000mAh cell, similar to the Lenovo P2. This mega-battery should offer close to three days of life per charge, beating the competition with ease – providing those leaks are on the money, of course.
Out of these four phones, only the Moto G5 Plus’ battery is non-removable. Still, all of these Motos offer Turbo Charge tech for less time at the plug, while none have the new Type-C USB port.
Moto E4 vs E4 Plus vs G5 vs G5 Plus: Cameras
The Moto G5 certainly punches above its weight when it comes to camera function. The 13-megapixel rear snapper is a highlight of the phone, offering good-looking photos with minimal effort, even in more challenging conditions. Full HD video results are just as impressive and you get features like slow motion video built in.
Of course, if you’re after one of the best budget mobile cameras around, we’d suggest the Moto G5 Plus. This 12-megapixel rear camera boasts an f/1.7 aperture lens with Dual Pixel autofocus, just like the full-priced Samsung Galaxy S7. This means it’s fast to focus and can capture good-looking photos even at night. It’s a definite step up from the G5, in pretty much every way.
Check out our Moto G5 camera review and Moto G5 Plus camera review for our full test results and samples of these smart snappers.
So far we don’t know much about the Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus’ camera tech, beyond the megapixel count.
The Moto E4 Plus sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera, just like the standard G5. In fact, we reckon it might be pretty much the same snapper. You should be able to shoot Full HD footage, although the EIS might not be as strong thanks to the more basic chipset.
Meanwhile the basic Moto E4 has an 8-megapixel rear camera, capturing the least detail of any phone in this round-up. You should still be able to capture HD video however. Around the front is another 5-megapixel shooter.
Stay tuned for our in-depth Moto E4 and E4 Plus camera reviews.
Moto E4 vs E4 Plus vs G5 vs G5 Plus: UK price and availability
Pricing for the Moto G phones and suggested pricing for the upcoming Moto E phones is as follows.
Moto E4 – Leaked from €150 (£129)
Moto E4 Plus – Leaked from €190 (£159)
Moto G5 – From £159
Moto G5 Plus – From £249
You can buy the Moto G5 and G5 Plus right now in the UK, but the Moto E4 and E4 Plus won’t be released until summer 2017. Stay tuned for up to date info.