Motorola Moto G Play (2024)

Motorola Moto G04 Smartphone Review – Motorola launched the Motorola Moto G04 smartphone in January 2024 with much fanfare and later went on sale the next month. The smartphone is already available globally, including in India and Europe, and it will expand to more countries in the coming weeks. This smartphone is designed for budget and yet it packs some modern hardware.

Motorola couldn’t bring 5G connectivity to the Moto G04 smartphone, which is not feasible for this price tag anyway. This Moto G04 is the updated version of the Motorola Moto G Play 2024 and both phones were launched in the same month. However, Motorola believes it can still provide a great experience for the user looking for a budget phone. So, let’s begin with a detailed review of the Motorola Moto G04 smartphone and see if this smartphone is worth purchasing.

Motorola Moto G04 Smartphone Review

Highlights

  1. The Motorola Moto G04 has a 6.56-inch IPS display with 90Hz high refresh rate support.
  2. The SoC inside the smartphone is the Unisoc T606 4G SoC with clock speeds capable of reaching up to 2×1.6 GHz.
  3. The smartphone comes with Android 14 OS with a stock interface for a clean Android experience.
  4. The Motorola Moto G04 has a 16MP rear camera with a 5MP selfie camera at the front.
  5. The smartphone is powered by a 5000 mAh battery with a 15W wired fast charger.

Design and Display

The Motorola Moto G04 follows the same design language that Motorola introduced in late 2023. You will find a flat side frame with flat edges that provide a solid grip and it won’t slip out of your hands easily. The rear panel is plain and simple with just the camera island at the top and the Motorola logo in the center. It just looks so elegant and you get a lot of color choices as well.

The smartphone is available in Concord Black, Sea Green, Satin Blue, and Sunrise Orange. The buttons are on the right while the USB-C connector, speaker, and mic are at the bottom. As for the display of the Motorola Moto G04, there’s a 6.56-inch IPS display with 90Hz high refresh rate support. This is an HD+ panel but it is color-accurate and looks quite pleasing to the eyes.

Memory and Internal

Motorola has equipped the Motorola Moto G04 with the 12nm Unisoc T606 4G SoC. This chipset is capable of reaching clock speeds of up to 2×1.6 GHz, so it has enough performance to run all your daily apps and other things you do on a smartphone smoothly and efficiently. For gaming, this chipset comes with the Mali-G57 MP1, which has the performance needed to run games like PUBG mobile, Summoners War, and even CODm at decent framerates.

But don’t expect high-end graphics as it’s not a gaming chipset but it can run them decently. Also, there’s no 5G connectivity option. This is an extremely budget smartphone, so a 5G option wasn’t possible anyway. For the software, the Motorola Moto G04 is running on Android 14 OS with a stock user interface for a clean Android experience. The inclusion of the latest Android 14 out of the box will certainly provide a better user experience.

For RAM and storage, the smartphone comes with up to 4GB to 8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. If you manage to fill up your internal storage, there’s nothing to worry about as the smartphone supports microSDXC storage expansion. The smartphone also has a headphone jack, which will further enhance the user experience of those who still use the wired headphones.

Camera

Motorola has equipped the Motorola Moto G04 with a 16MP camera at the rear that is capable of taking some great photos with good details, natural color tone, and a higher dynamic range. Even during the night, you will be glad to know that the smartphone will also impress you in this regard. That’s because it has night mode built into the camera app that will help in taking photos at night.

At the front of the Motorola Moto G04, there’s a 5MP sensor that can also capture some decent selfies with even skin tones and natural color temperatures. The details in the face are not as sharp as other smartphones but then again they also cost a lot more than it. As for video recording, the Motorola Moto G04 can shoot at a maximum of 1080p@30FPS from both the rear and selfie cameras.

Battery and Others

The Motorola Moto G04 has a huge 5000 mAh non-removable battery that can provide a record-breaking battery backup, that is with low to medium usage. The smartphone can easily last for 2 – 3 days on a single charge, which is something a lot of other smartphones will struggle to do. However, if you play a lot of games, then the battery will drain faster.

But the smartphone supports 15W wired fast charging. It can fully charge the smartphone in about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Also, the charger comes bundled in the box, so you don’t need to purchase it separately. Apart from that, the phone also has Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. The smartphone is available for purchase at  $144 (Rs 11,990 in India) approx.

Motorola Moto G04 Pros and Cons

Motorola Moto G14
Image – Motorola Moto G14

Motorola Moto G04 Specifications Detail

Down below you can see the full specifications of the Motorola Moto G04 smartphone.

SpecificationsMotorola Moto G04
Network2G, 3G, 4G
AnnouncedJanuary 2024
SIMDual SIM
Dimensions6.44 x 2.93 x 0.31 inches
Weight180 g
Size6.6 inches
DisplayIPS LCD
90Hz
20:9 ratio
~269 PPI density
Protection/OthersWater-repellent design
Resolution720 x 1612 pixels
OSAndroid 14
Chipset12nm – Unisoc T606
CPUOcta-core
2×1.6 GHz Cortex-A75
6×1.6 GHz Cortex-A55
GPUMali-G57 MP1
Card slotmicroSDXC (dedicated slot)
RAM4GB, 8GB
Internal64GB, 128GB
UFS 2.2
Camera16 MP (wide), PDAF
LED flash, HDR
Max – 1080p@30fps
Selfie5 MP (wide)
HDR
Max – 1080p@30fps
LoudspeakerYes
3.5mm jackYes
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE
GPSGPS, GALILEO, GLONASS
NFCYes (market/region dependent)
Infrared portNo
RadioNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0
SensorsSide-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity, compass
Battery5000 mAh
15W wired
ColorsConcord Black, Sea Green, Satin Blue, Sunrise Orange
Expected Price$144 (Rs 11,990 in India) approx
Disclaimer: We can not guarantee that the data available on this page is 100% correct.

Conclusion

The Motorola Moto G04 smartphone has become a hit after its launch, especially in India, thanks to some good features and hardware inside that is never found in this price range. It brings a great display with a decent refresh rate, chipset, and outstanding battery life. These features and performance set it a class apart from all the other smartphones in the same price category.

The camera or the chipset could have been better but at this price, there’s hardly anything to complain about. The Indian price of the smartphone is even cheaper than its European launch and that’s one of the reasons why it is becoming such a delight among budget users in India. On top of that, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack and support for expandable storage.

All these features also compensate for the lack of 5G connectivity, which would have certainly increased the cost of the smartphone. It is such a well-priced smartphone that there are no alternatives to this smartphone, none that can come close to matching its price and specs. Its closest competitor is the Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro, which costs more and comes with worse specs than others.

But if you are not a fan of Motorola, then the Xiaomi Poco M5 is the best alternative to this, even though it costs more and comes with worse specs. However, the final decision is up to you, so it is better to choose a smartphone based on your needs and requirements.

Sumit Pandit
Sumit Pandit is a senior news reporter for Oispice. He is an expert on smartphones, apps, gadgets, and the tech industry. He writes for different tech news and has an excellent ability to make complex matters easy to understand. Sumit can be reached on Twitter @sumitkrpandit or Email at sumitpandit@oispice.com.