Motorola Moto G04s review
The Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that packs a punch with its sleek design and impressive specs. Priced around €120 in Germany, this device offers great value for its price. With a 6.56" LCD display, 50MP main camera, and 5000mAh battery, the Moto G04s promises to deliver seamless performance. We'll take an in-depth look at its features, design, and overall user experience to see if it's worth considering for your next smartphone upgrade.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that boasts a sleek design and impressive specs for its price tag of around €120 in Germany. In this review, we'll take a closer look at the build quality and design of this device. Upon first glance, the Moto G04s looks like any other mid-range smartphone on the market. However, upon closer inspection, you'll notice that the phone's body is made entirely of plastic, with a glossy finish that picks up fingerprints easily. This is not ideal for a device that promises to deliver high-quality visuals. The Motorola logo in the middle of the back panel adds a touch of sophistication, but it's ultimately overshadowed by the overall plasticky feel of the phone. The Moto G04s features a single 50-megapixel camera on the back, which is a decent effort considering the price point. However, the camera lens itself is barely noticeable, measuring only half a millimeter in thickness. This design choice raises questions about the phone's durability and potential for damage. The Moto G04s boasts a 6.56-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, which can be reduced to 60Hz or set to auto mode. While this is an impressive feat at this price point, the screen's brightness leaves much to be desired, especially in sunny conditions. The overall build quality of the Moto G04s feels flimsy and cheap, with a chunky bezel around the edges that gives it an outdated look. The phone's plastic body is prone to scratches and fingerprints, which can detract from its otherwise attractive design. In conclusion, while the Motorola Moto G04s offers impressive specs at an affordable price point, its build quality and design fall short of expectations. A more premium feel would be expected in this price range, but unfortunately, that's not what you get with this device.
Battery Life
One of the notable aspects of the Motorola Moto G04s is its battery life. This smartphone comes equipped with a large 5,000mAh battery, which should provide users with a decent amount of power to get through the day and into the next. In my experience, the Moto G04s' battery has been able to last for a couple of days on moderate use, although it's worth noting that more demanding activities like gaming or video streaming may require more frequent charging. On average, you can expect around 2-3 hours of screen time per charge cycle, which is respectable considering the phone's budget price point. However, it's disappointing to note that the Moto G04s only comes with a 10W charging adapter, which is one of the slowest I've seen in recent smartphones. It takes around 2 full hours to fully recharge the battery using this charger, which may be frustrating for users who need a quick top-up. Additionally, it's worth mentioning that the Moto G04s does not support wireless charging or reverse wireless charging, which is another feature that's becoming increasingly common in mid-range and high-end smartphones. Overall, while the battery life of the Moto G04s is decent, it's not particularly exceptional, especially considering the compromises made with regards to charging speed.
Display
The Motorola Moto G04s boasts a 6.56-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, which can also trim down to 60Hz or auto mode. While it's bright enough for sunny conditions, fingerprints are easily visible on the screen, which is somewhat disappointing. In terms of video quality, the display resolution is 720x600 at 12 pixels, resulting in mediocre video playback. Black levels aren't particularly impressive either, making them appear more like dark gray. This might be acceptable for casual YouTube and Instagram reel watching, but it's not ideal. The screen also features a relatively large bezel on all sides, with the bottom one being particularly chunky. The audio experience is decent, with a headphone jack on top and a USB Type-C charging port at the bottom. However, the loudspeaker quality isn't exceptional, lacking significant bass. In terms of display performance for its price range, the Moto G04s is somewhat average. While it gets the job done, it's not particularly impressive in this area. For those seeking better display quality, other options might be worth considering. Nonetheless, the Moto G04s remains a budget-friendly smartphone that still manages to deliver some essential features and performance. For its price point, the Motorola Moto G04s' display is somewhat average, offering acceptable performance for casual use but falling short in terms of video quality and overall visual experience.
Camera
The Motorola Moto G04s has a single camera setup on the back, featuring a 50-megapixel main camera that can shoot videos at 1080p and 30 FPS. While it's not the most impressive camera setup in its price range, it gets the job done for basic snapshots during the day. Camera performance is decent, but not outstanding. Pictures often look oversaturated and very bright, with a lack of detail level. The portraits taken with the main camera are vivid, but suffer from poor white balance in the background. There's no macro or ultra-wide-angle shooter on this camera, which might be a disappointment for some users. However, the selfie cam is a different story. It has a good background blur effect and manages to take decent portraits, even if it makes the subject look pale. The portrait mode works well, but the main camera struggles with white balance and detail. One of the few positive aspects of the camera is its ability to record videos at 1080p and 30 FPS. It's not the most impressive feature, but it gets the job done for casual video recording. The lack of optical image stabilization (OIS) on the main camera is also a notable absence. This can lead to blurry or shaky photos in low-light conditions. In terms of modes, the camera app offers some basic features like portrait shots, night mode, QR code scanning, and timelapse videos. However, it's not the most extensive feature set we've seen on a mid-range smartphone. Overall, while the Motorola Moto G04s camera is decent for casual use, it's not the strongest aspect of this phone. It's good enough for basic snapshots during the day, but may struggle in low-light conditions or when trying to take high-quality photos.
Price and Value
The Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that can be purchased for around €120 in Germany. This price point makes it an attractive option for those looking for a budget-friendly device without compromising on essential features. One of the standout aspects of the Moto G04s is its value proposition. Considering its price, this phone offers a respectable set of specifications and features. The device comes with a 6.5-inch LCD display, a 50-megapixel primary camera, and a 5000mAh battery that can easily last through the weekend. The phone's design is also worth mentioning, as it features a sleek plastic body with a Gorilla Glass 3 front panel. Although the build quality may not be as premium as some other smartphones in this price range, it still looks decent and feels solid in the hand. In terms of value, the Moto G04s delivers. It's not a flagship device by any means, but for €120, you get a smartphone that can handle your daily tasks without breaking a sweat. The camera performance is good enough for basic snapshots during the day, although it may struggle in low-light conditions or when taking more complex photos. While there are certainly some compromises to be made at this price point, the Moto G04s still manages to provide a decent overall experience. If you're looking for an affordable smartphone that won't break the bank, the G04s is definitely worth considering. Just don't expect too much from its camera or gaming performance. The Motorola Moto G04s offers excellent value for money at its price point of €120. It's a budget-friendly device that still manages to deliver on essential features like a good display, decent cameras, and a large battery. While it may not be the best smartphone in this category, it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for an affordable option without sacrificing too much quality.
Performance
The Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that promises a smooth performance experience. In our hands-on test, we were able to determine whether this budget-friendly device lives up to its expectations. Firstly, the phone runs on Android 14, which is decent for a device in this price range. The system's internal storage of 64GB, however, leaves much to be desired, with only 51GB available for user content after accounting for the operating system and pre-installed apps. Expanding storage via an SD card helps alleviate some of this issue. Gaming performance was somewhat disappointing on the Moto G04s. While daily tasks like launching apps and browsing the web were handled swiftly, more demanding games saw significant lag and heat buildup. The phone's inability to handle high graphic settings in popular titles means gamers may need to compromise on visual quality or settle for lower graphics settings. The absence of a game booster also limits the gaming experience, as users are unable to optimize their gameplay for better performance. In terms of camera capabilities, the single 50MP main camera struggles with image detail and can appear oversaturated in bright conditions. While it can capture decent videos at 1080P/30FPS, its limitations make it less suitable for capturing high-quality content. The Motorola Moto G04s's performance is average, making it a passable choice for casual users who prioritize budget over power. However, gamers and those requiring advanced camera capabilities may want to look elsewhere in the market.
Pros
1. The phone comes in a few different colors, including shimmery Green, Blue, and Black.
2. It has a 6.56-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate.
3. The battery life is good, with a large 5,000mAh battery that can easily get you through the whole weekend.
4. The phone has Android 14 with Dolby Atmos sound settings.
5. You can expand storage by an extra SD card using one of two SIM card slots.
6. Face detection works well and quickly unlocks the phone.
7. Gaming is possible, although not at high graphic settings.
8. Camera can record videos in 1080P with 30 FPS.
Cons
1. The camera quality isn't great, with oversaturated pictures and poor detail level.
2. There's no Optical image stabilization on the main camera.
3. No Wireless or reverse wireless charging is available.
4. Charging speed is slow at 10W.
5. Storage capacity is limited to 64GB, of which 11GB are already used by the system.
6. Fingerprint sensor doesn't work well and requires multiple tries to unlock the phone.
7. The display shows a lot of fingerprints, making it not very nice to have.
8. Audio quality isn't great, with poor bass and no game booster for improved gaming experience.