For years, the Moto G series from Motorola has been the best smartphone for those who want to sit on the front row for a dime. However, the sixth generation has more competition than ever, will the Moto G6 remain the best mid-range among smartphones?
Motorola Moto G6
Price € 240,-Colors Blue, silver
OS Android 8.0 (Oreo)
Screen 5.7 inch LCD (2160x1080)
Processor 1.8GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 450)
RAM 4GB
Storage 32 GB (expandable with memory card)
Battery 3,000 mAh
Camera 12 and 5 megapixel dualcam (rear), 8 megapixel (front)
Connectivity 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, GPS
Format 15.4 x 7.2 x 0.8 cm
Weight 167 grams
Other fingerprint scanner, dualsim, usb-c, headphone port
Website www.motorola.com 7 Score 70
- Pros
- Price to quality ratio
- Luxury design
- Battery life
- SIM cards and memory card
- Negatives
- Case needed
- Loses compared to Moto G6 Plus
- Screen brightness
When you look at the specifications, it is clear that you get value for money with the Moto G6: a large screen, large battery, dualcam, fingerprint scanner and 32GB storage that you can expand with a memory card (and a second SIM card) if desired. And that for about 240 euros. The smartphone is powerful enough for basic tasks, especially because Android is delivered relatively clean, so you lose little system capacity on heavy skins and bloatware. This hardware is housed in a glass housing that is rounded at the back. It is a bit reminiscent of the luxury Samsung Galaxy smartphones. But it is a true fingerprint magnet, which actually feels too fragile to take on the road without a case. Fortunately, you will find a simple transparent cover in the box of the Moto G6.
At the back you will even find a dual camera. However, it is not very nicely finished in the housing. Although it is recognizable in a round disc, it does protrude very much from the housing. In short, the Moto G6 is not made to be used without a case. That much is clear.
android
One of the reasons why Motorola has been the best choice for those looking for an affordable smartphone for years is the software policy. Motos got a better update policy that much more expensive competitors and Android is left fairly intact. No heavy skin and little bloatware ensures that your device continues to work quickly for a long time. With the Moto G6, Motorola is in any case clear: you will receive Android updates for two years (until 2020) and security updates until 2021. The skin also remains minimalistic and apart from some Microsoft bloatware, the number of unnecessary pre-installed apps is not so bad. Of course, the G6 runs on a recent Android version (8.0, Oreo).
Motorola has added some tricks to its Android skin, such as operation with special movements: just shake and the flashlight turns on, turn and the camera is ready for action. You'll find this in the dedicated Moto app, which also includes night mode (which makes the screen use darker colors in the evenings) and the storage management assistant. Pretty handy.
In short, the G6 has its sheep on dry land in terms of software. However, the company has been knocked off the throne. Google introduced Android One last year. These devices run a completely clean version of the latest Android version, which receives the updates from Google itself, making support faster and (possibly) longer. Frankly, this is more pleasant than the tricks that Motorola adds. Especially the resurrected competitor Nokia is betting on Android One. Nokia also releases very good devices in the same price range (the Nokia 5.1 and 6.1), but with Android One. This puts Nokia on edge.
Specifications
Since Android does not weigh too heavily on the system, everything runs smoothly. However, the heaviest game apps will cause some delay. The Snapdragon 450 is certainly not the most powerful processor, but not unusual for this price range. The 4GB of RAM is enough. The battery capacity of 3,000 mAh is a bit ordinary, but because the processor does not count most 'HPs' and the software shell does not weigh too much, the battery life is very pleasant: a day or two.
32GB of storage is a lot. However, if that is not enough, you can add a memory card. In addition to a memory card, the Moto G6 can also handle a second SIM card. You don't see that often.
Big screen
The Moto G6 is quite large, which is thanks to a 5.7 inch screen. That is converted to a screen diameter of 14.5 centimeters. To keep the net size somewhat within limits, the smartphone is equipped with an alternative screen ratio of 1 by 2 and the screen edges have remained fairly thin. The fingerprint scanner is on the front, which is nice. Motorola has also kept this scanner as thin as possible, so as not to let the format get out of hand. Ultimately, the smartphone is about the same size as most top smartphones.
The screen quality is adequate. Colors come out beautifully and thanks to the full HD resolution, everything looks sharp. However, the brightness falls a bit short, which is a disadvantage in full sunlight. White areas are also a bit gray.
Camera
More often there are smartphones in the editorial office, which also have a double camera in the same price range. Often this is purely to give the marketing department of the smartphone brand some ammunition. However, the Moto G6 has quite a few functions that the dual camera uses: such as a portrait function that blurs the back, or the foreground. You can also crop or take a photo with a spot color, making the photo colorless, except for one selected color. There was no optical zoom function.
Advanced photographers can still tinker with the advanced settings and Snapchat-like filters (which also work with video) will also be interesting for some. The options are extensive and the quality of the lenses is quite nice, but don't always expect beautiful photos. Strong backlight or low light... You do notice that the lens quickly struggles.
The biggest competitor for the Moto G6 is the Moto G6 Plus. Competition
As I mentioned, Motorola has more competition than ever. Nokias are excellent alternatives and are winning in software thanks to Android One. However, the biggest competitor for the Moto G6 is the Moto G6 Plus. This device comes with more storage, better (and slightly larger) screen, slightly faster processor and better camera. And that for just a few bucks more. An investment that really pays off. The Huawei P20 Lite is about the same price and offers a slightly better camera and a nicer finish, but the Huawei does not manage to keep up in the other areas.
Conclusion
The Moto G6 once again offers great value for money. The design has been improved, making it more like the most expensive smartphones. The Moto G6 is very good, but not recommended? Why not? Because the Moto G6 Plus has a lot more to offer for a little more money.
