Moto E (1st generation)

Moto E

Moto E
Codename	Condor
Manufacturer	Motorola Mobility
Slogan	Made to last. Priced for all
Compatible networks	2G/3G Global GSM Model: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
First released	May 13, 2014
Successor	Moto E (2nd generation)
Related	Moto G (1st generation) Moto X (1st generation)
Type	Smartphone
Dimensions	124.8 mm (4.91 in) H 64.8 mm (2.55 in) W 12.3 mm (0.48 in) D
Weight	142 g (5.0 oz)
Operating system	Android 4.4.4 "KitKat" upgradable to Android 5.1 "Lollipop"
System on chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200
CPU	1.2 GHz Dual-core Cortex A7
GPU	Adreno 302
Memory	1 GB RAM
Storage	4 GB (2.1 GB usable)
Removable storage	MicroSDHC (up to 32 GB)
Battery	1,980 mAh
Display	4.30 in (109 mm) diagonal LCD with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 540x960 px (256 ppi)
Rear camera	5 MP, fixed focus, no flash
Connectivity	GPS / GLONASS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, FM Radio, Micro USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Website	www.motorola.com/us/consumers/shop-all-mobile-phones/Moto-E/moto-e.html

The Moto E is an Android smartphone developed and manufactured by Motorola Mobility, released in the wake of its successful Moto G. The Moto E is an entry-level device that is intended to compete against feature phones by providing a durable, low-cost device for first-time smartphone owners or budget-minded consumers, with a particular emphasis on emerging markets.

The device was unveiled on May 13, 2014, and made available at online retailers in India and the United States the same day. In India, the release of the Moto E was met with similarly high demand to that of the Indian release of the Moto G, and crashed the website of Flipkart—the online retailer marketing the device in the country.^[1]

The Moto E was succeeded by the Moto E (2nd generation) in February 2015.

Development

The Moto E was designed to specifically compete against feature phones in emerging markets; according to Charlie Tritschler, Motorola's senior vice-president of products, the Moto E's goal is to "end the feature phone", and the device is primarily targeted towards "people who have been on the edge for a while but just didn’t think they could afford a smartphone."^[2] The Moto E carries on from the entry-level Moto G, which it released in late-2013; the Moto G was a major success for the company—who had been acquired by Google Inc. in 2012, and was in the process of being sold to Lenovo as of January 2014.^[3] In the first quarter of 2014, Motorola sold 6.5 million phones—a number led by strong sales of the Moto G, especially in markets such as the United Kingdom—where the company accounted for 6% of smartphone sales sold in the quarter, up from nearly 0.^[4][5]

However, sales of the Moto G was also notably large in the emerging market of India; Magnus Ahlqvist, vice president of Motorola's EMEA division, estimated that between 65 and 70% of users in India still used feature phones. In February 2014, Motorola had partnered with the online retailer Flipkart to be the exclusive retailer of the Moto G in India, marking its first release in the country since 2012. The website's original stock of 20,000 units sold out within hours, and it sold 247,000 Moto G units in just two months, ranking as the 12th highest-selling smartphone in the country for the first quarter of 2014.^[2][6][7]

Trischler noted that durability was a key selling point in emerging markets, specifically citing the device's use of Gorilla Glass 3, an anti-smudge screen coating, and a similar splashproof coating to the Moto G—which he also noted were attributes that are not normally seen in such low-end products. The company also emphasized its efforts to reduce the cost of constructing the phone—expanding upon those used by the Moto G. Tritschler stated that these measures must be designed "...[right] into the product; you can’t just cut the price."^[2] Overall, the Moto E is 40% cheaper than the Moto G.^[2][6] The version of Android shipped on the device, 4.4.2 "KitKat", contains a number of changes designed to optimize the operating system for low-end devices such as the Moto G and E. To emphasize the device's performance, Motorola argued in a demonstration that the Moto E was slightly faster than the high-end Samsung Galaxy S4 at performing basic tasks such as launching certain apps (such as the camera and web browser) and going back to the home screen from an app.^[8][9]

Release

The Moto E was unveiled on May 13, 2014. India was one of the first countries where the Moto E was released; the device was released exclusively by Flipkart, where it retailed for ₹6,999 (US$100) without a contract. Upon its launch at midnight local time, demand for the device was so high that the resulting surge in orders caused the website to crash.^[1][7] The device was also released online through Motorola's website in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The Moto E is to be released in other markets, such as Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Spain.^{[7][10][11][12]}

Specifications

The Moto E's build and design is similar to that of the Moto G, with a "splashproof" coating, curved backing, and a front-mounted speaker below the screen. The device is available in either black or white front colors, and has an interchangeable rear cover with different color options. It features a 4.3 inches (11 cm) IPS qHD display, coated with Gorilla Glass 3. The device uses a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, and includes 1 GB of RAM. The Moto E has 4 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 32 GB with a MicroSDHC card. The Moto E only supports up to 3G connectivity, and is available in a dual SIM model in selected markets. The device includes a non-removable 1980 mAh battery, which Motorola touted as having "all-day" battery life. The Moto E features a 5-megapixel rear-facing fixed-focus camera; the device does not include a flash or a front-facing camera.^[2][13][14]

The Moto E ships with a stock version of Android 4.4 "KitKat". Several Motorola-specific apps are included, including Assist, as introduced by the Moto X, which automatically enable or disable certain modes, such as silencing the ringer or auto replying to text messages, depending on certain scenarios—such as when a user is in a meeting as determined by their calendar, or driving.^[15] The Moto E also includes a new "Alert" app, which allows users to notify others of their location. Motorola has committed to upgrading the Moto E to the next major release of Android following its release.^[2][13][14] Motorola released the Android 5.1 Lollipop update for the Moto E in July 2015.

Reception

Vlad Savov of The Verge praised the design of the Moto E for not appearing "downmarket" and for having adequate performance, but still noting that the device's camera was not as good as those on other smartphones. He went on to say that "a market populated by the likes of the Galaxy Fame and Galaxy Young—both of which are stuck on Android 4.1 with little hope of an upgrade—hadn't seen anything like the quick and well-made G before. Or since, for that matter."^[16] Chris Velazco of Engadget was relatively positive, noting that the Moto E was well-designed and still carried the trademark cues of Motorola's recent products, while praising its vivid display, along with its sufficient performance, battery life, and nearly stock Android software. In conclusion, it was felt that "for all its minor shortcomings, the Moto E still represents a level of power and quality that's become even more accessible to people the world over, and that's something worth celebrating. If all you need is a smartphone that can take you to Facebook, capture fodder for Instagram or fire off missives on Twitter (or WhatsApp or Weibo), the Moto E will make a worthy sidekick. Not every important device has to be a flashy flagship." However, the device was still panned for its small amount of internal storage, and for lacking a camera flash or front-facing camera.^[17]

References

1. Singhal, Nidhi (14 May 2014). "Flipkart server crashes as Motorola Moto E goes on sale". Business Today. Retrieved Jun 10, 2014.
2. "Motorola launches £89 Moto E – its bargain basement smartphone". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
3. "Google sells Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91 billion". The Verge. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
4. "Moto G resurrects Motorola in UK market". CNET. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
5. "Motorola ships 6.5 million phones in 2014 thanks to Moto G.". CNET. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
6. "Motorola aims for Indian buyers with super-cheap Rs 6,999 Moto E". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
7. "Motorola to Sell the Moto E Low-Priced Smartphone First in India". IndiaRealTime. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
8. "KitKat's 'Project Svelte' could signal the end of Android fragmentation". TechRadar. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
9. "Motorola launches the $129 Moto E, a durable and affordable Android smartphone". Engadget. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
10. "Motorola's Moto E Smartphone Brings Down Flipkart". IndiaRealTime. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
11. "Motorola Moto E release date, news and features". TechRadar. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
12. Pratap, Ketan (13 May 2014). "Moto E Launch Day: Flipkart Offers 50 Percent Discount on Covers and More". NDTV. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
13. Sarov, Vlad (13 May 2014). "Motorola adds LTE to Moto G, introduces an even cheaper Moto E". The Verge. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
14. "Hands on: Motorola Moto E review A dinky dialler that's got a lot to shout about". TechRadar. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
15. "Moto X review". The Verge. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
16. Byford, Sam (2013-09-30). "The Moto E is shockingly cheap and surprisingly good". The Verge. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
17. Velazco, Chris. "Moto E review: Where very good meets very cheap". Engadget. Retrieved 7 November 2014.

External links

• Official website