Big, luxurious and cheap. The Moto G6 Plus smartphone lives above its means when you consider what you get in return for its modest price. For less than 300 euros, the Android device has a lot to offer.
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Price € 279,-Colors Blue, silver
OS Android 8.0 (Oreo)
Screen 5.9 inch LCD (2160x1080)
Processor 2.2GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 630)
RAM 4GB
Storage 64 GB (expandable with memory card)
Battery 3,300mAh
Camera 12 and 5 megapixel dualcam (rear), 8 megapixel (front)
Connectivity 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, GPS
Format 16 x 7.6 x 0.8 cm
Weight 167 grams
Other fingerprint scanner, dualsim, usb-c, headphone port
Website www.motorola.com 9 Score 90
- Pros
- Price to quality ratio
- Luxury design
- Battery life
- SIM cards and memory card
- Negatives
- Case needed
Motorola Moto G6 Plus offer at Aldi
From September 26, 2019, the Moto G6 Plus will be available at Aldi for € 179. A great deal for this smartphone. Please note, however, that the device is now somewhat outdated and will not receive an update to the most recent Android version: Android 10. If you want a more future-proof smartphone, it pays to invest a little extra in the Motorola Moto G7.
Recently I tested the Moto G6 smartphone, which is a few tens cheaper than this Moto G6 Plus. In the review I already hinted a bit that the Plus version was a better choice than the regular G6. For just a few bucks more, the Moto G6 Plus offers more storage memory (64GB instead of 32GB), a bigger battery, a better screen, the smartphone is a bit faster and the camera just a bit better.
Striking about both G6 smartphones is that they look very luxurious, thanks to a beautiful design and a rounded glass back. The dual camera does protrude a lot from this back, more than with the regular G6. In addition, the device feels very fragile because of the glass and it is full of fingerprints in no time. So a case is really necessary. Fortunately, there is a (simple) cover in the box.
Added value
The Moto G6 Plus is a bit bigger than the regular G6. That may be a concern for some. The smartphone has a slightly larger size because it contains a different screen panel, which offers better quality and is slightly larger: a diameter of 5.9 inches (15 centimeters). That seems bigger than it is, because Motorola has opted for a screen ratio of 1 by 2, making the device less wide. The screen edges are also pleasantly thin. Despite this, the G6 Plus is quite large, but don't let this put you off in your choice between the G6 and G6 Plus. You get used to it. In addition, the larger (better) screen and the other extras are really of great added value.
The full-HD screen panel is therefore larger, but also better. Colors and contrast come out just a little better and the screen brightness is fine. That brightness was a minus of the Moto G6.
The extra storage capacity is a nice bonus, but this can be expanded with a memory card on both smartphones. It is nice that you can also insert a second SIM card in addition to a memory card. In most cases it's either-or. The battery life remains about the same, despite the slightly larger battery: a day or two. The faster specs and the larger screen need a little more energy.
Of course, the Plus also scores better in the benchmarks, due to the faster specs: a Snapdragon 630 with 6GB of RAM. The processor is not a powerhouse and in practice you do not notice a lot of speed difference, but for heavier apps and future updates it can certainly be of added value.
Camera
Of course you can't buy a smartphone for 300 euros with a camera that comes with the best three: the Huawei P20 Pro, iPhone X and test winner Samsung Galaxy S9+. The dualcam of the Moto G6 Plus has a slightly better sensor, which can better handle more difficult lighting conditions. For example, low light, or a lot of backlight thanks to a better dynamic range.
Motorola also has a good camera app, with functions such as crops, portrait photos and spot color. All three of which require dual cameras to work. Strangely enough, a zoom function is missing.
Android 8
Furthermore, the Moto G6 Plus is the same as the Moto G6. The device runs on the recent Android 8, which has a very minimal skin from Motorola. That is very nice and the apps that Motorola itself adds are not annoying, only the Microsoft apps are superfluous. Still, the company has been overtaken in software by the new Android competitor Nokia, which sells smartphones with Android One: an Android version without bloatware with direct updates from Google itself.
Motorola has been overtaken in software by the new Android competitor Nokia.Alternatives
If the Moto G6 Plus is really too big for you, then the regular Moto G6 is of course an affordable alternative. The aforementioned Nokias are also worth considering, thanks to Android One, such as the cheaper Nokia 6.1 or the more expensive Nokia 7 Plus. The Huawei P Smart and Huawei P20 Lite are also interesting alternatives if you are looking for a good camera and better design. Only the software on these devices is very messy.
Conclusion
The Moto G6 Plus is a smartphone that you can use with confidence for the next two years, provided you put a case on the smartphone, because the device feels very fragile. For 300 euros you get excellent specifications, a good screen, great camera... There is so little to criticize that this is the ultimate smartphone for anyone who finds a good price-quality ratio important.
