Motorola Moto G04s review
The Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that offers decent performance at a price point of around €120 in Germany. The device comes in three colors: shimmery Green, Blue, and Black. In terms of design, the phone features a plastic back with a Motorola logo, a plastic frame, and a Gorilla Glass 3 front. The display is a 6.56-inch LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, which can be trimmed down to 60Hz or set to auto mode. While it's bright enough for sunny conditions, the screen shows a lot of fingerprints, which may not be ideal. Video quality on the device is decent, but not exceptional. The phone has a single 50MP camera on the back and a 5MP selfie camera. While the main camera can record videos in 1080P at 30FPS, it lacks optical image stabilization. The camera app offers some basic features like portrait mode, night mode, and more. However, the quality of photos is somewhat disappointing, with oversaturated colors and poor detail. Performance-wise, the phone runs on Android 14, which provides decent daily usage experience. However, gaming performance is not up to par, even at lower graphics settings. The device does get warm during long gaming sessions. Battery life is a highlight, with a large 5,000mAh battery that can easily last through the weekend. Charging speed, however, is somewhat slow at 10W. Overall, while the Moto G04s offers some decent features and performance for its price, it falls short in camera quality and gaming capabilities.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that boasts a sleek design and sturdy build quality. The device comes in several colors, including shimmery Green, blue, and black, making it a great option for those who want a phone that looks stylish without breaking the bank. The Moto G04s has a traditional red and blue box, which houses the phone in its see-through case. This cheap-looking case might not be the most premium feel, but it gets the job done. Upon closer inspection, the device's build quality reveals itself to be mostly plastic, with a plastic back featuring the Motorola logo in the middle. One of the standout features of the Moto G04s is its single camera on the backside, which measures just 50 megapixels. The camera module doesn't protrude significantly from the phone's surface, giving it a sleek look and feel. However, this might also make it harder to grip and handle. The Motorola logo and the branding on the rear of the device are well-executed, giving it a premium touch. However, the rest of the design is where the Moto G04s falls short in terms of build quality. The plastic back panel can feel flimsy at times, and there's an abundance of fingerprints on the display. The front of the phone features a 6.56-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. While this might seem impressive, the actual viewing experience leaves something to be desired. The screen is not too bright, making it difficult to use in direct sunlight, and it's also plagued by fingerprints. Overall, the Motorola Moto G04s has some design elements that are commendable, such as its compact size and weight. However, its build quality and display leave a lot to be desired. If you're looking for an affordable phone with good looks, the Moto G04s might not be your best bet.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Motorola Moto G04s is quite impressive. With a large 5,000mAh battery crammed inside, this phone will easily get you through the whole weekend and still have some juice left over for Sunday evening. In fact, I found that it can even last up to two full days with moderate use. However, the charging speed leaves something to be desired. The included 10W charger takes around 2 hours to fully charge the phone's battery, which is relatively slow compared to other smartphones in its price range. Unfortunately, there is no wireless or reverse wireless charging available on this device, so you'll have to rely on the traditional wired method. Despite the slow charging speed, I found that the Moto G04s' battery life is quite robust and can handle a mix of heavy usage, including gaming, social media scrolling, and streaming videos. However, it's worth noting that excessive gaming or video streaming may still drain the battery relatively quickly. Overall, the battery life of the Motorola Moto G04s is a major plus point for this device, making it suitable for users who need a phone to last all day without needing to be recharged mid-day.
Display
The Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that boasts a 6.56-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. On paper, this sounds like a great feature for smooth visuals and efficient battery life. However, in practice, the experience is somewhat mixed. While the display is bright enough to handle sunny conditions, it's not without its flaws. Fingerprints are easily visible on the screen, which can be distracting at times. The video quality is decent, with a resolution of 720x600 pixels and a pixel density that won't blow you away. However, the blacks aren't as dark as they could be, leading to an overall lackluster visual experience. The 90Hz refresh rate does help to make the display feel more responsive, but it's not always noticeable in everyday use. In certain situations, such as gaming or video streaming, the higher refresh rate can provide a slightly improved experience. However, this is largely dependent on the content being displayed and the system's ability to handle the increased workload. One of the most notable issues with the display is the presence of chunky bezels all around, which can be distracting at times. The bottom bezel is particularly large, which may take some getting used to for those who are accustomed to more modern designs. Overall, while the Motorola Moto G04s's display is not bad by any means, it falls short of being truly impressive. While it may be sufficient for basic use cases such as social media and browsing, it's not ideal for more demanding activities like gaming or watching high-quality videos. If you're looking for a budget smartphone with a standout display, you might want to consider other options in the same price range.
Camera
The Motorola Moto G04s boasts a single 50-megapixel camera on the backside, which can shoot videos in 1080p at 30 FPS. While it's not bad for its price point, the camera performance is somewhat average. In good lighting conditions, the camera produces decent shots with minimal noise and acceptable detail levels. However, when you venture into darker areas or try to capture fast-paced scenes, the results are subpar. The lack of optical image stabilization is a notable drawback, leading to blurry photos and shaky videos. The selfie cam on the Moto G04s is marginally better than the main camera. It has a 5-megapixel sensor that can shoot videos in 1080p at 30 FPS, but it excels in portrait mode. The background blur effect is quite good, making the subject stand out nicely. However, the white balance in the background can be off, resulting in an unnatural color tone. One of the most disappointing aspects of the camera on the Moto G04s is its lackluster performance in low-light conditions. Images are often overexposed, and the detail level is compromised. Portrait shots with the main camera look vibrant but lack a proper white balance, making them appear unnatural. The camera app itself offers some basic features like portrait mode, night mode, QR code scanning, and timelapse videos. However, these functions don't quite live up to their potential due to the limitations of the hardware. Overall, while the Motorola Moto G04s's camera is not a disaster, it's certainly not impressive either. If you're looking for a phone with a decent camera for casual use, the Moto G04s might suffice. However, if you're an avid photographer or want better image quality, there are other options in this price range that would be more suitable. While the camera on the Motorola Moto G04s is not terrible, it's average at best. The lack of optical image stabilization and decent performance in low-light conditions hold it back from being a standout feature.
Price and Value
Priced around €120 in Germany, the Motorola Moto G04s is an affordable smartphone that offers decent features for its price. While it may not be a powerhouse device, it's a great option for those who want a reliable phone without breaking the bank. The Moto G04s comes in three colors - shimmering green, blue, and black - each of which has its own charm. The design is plastic, with a single camera on the backside that doesn't protrude much. The 6.56-inch LCD display features a 90Hz refresh rate, which can be trimmed down to 60Hz or set to auto mode. One of the standout features of the Moto G04s is its battery life. With a 5,000mAh battery, it's easy to get through an entire weekend without needing to recharge. However, charging speed is slow, taking about two hours to reach full capacity with a 10W charger. In terms of value, the Moto G04s offers a good balance between features and price. It comes with Android 14, 64GB of internal storage (with around 51GB available for use), and a fingerprint sensor on the side button. However, the phone can get warm during gaming sessions, and there's no game booster to enhance performance. Overall, the Moto G04s is a solid budget smartphone that provides decent features without being too expensive. While it may not be perfect, its value proposition makes it an attractive option for those who want a reliable phone at an affordable price.
Performance
The Motorola Moto G04s is an entry-level smartphone that offers decent performance for its price range. Powered by Android 14, this phone provides smooth day-to-day usage with fast app launching and multitasking capabilities. In our tests, the Moto G04s handled everyday tasks like social media browsing, email checking, and streaming videos without any significant issues. However, when it comes to gaming, the performance takes a hit. The single camera setup on the back can record 1080P videos at 30 FPS, but the graphics performance is mediocre. You might need to stick to medium or low graphic settings for smooth gaming experience. One of the major drawbacks we noticed was the phone's tendency to heat up during intense usage, such as gaming or video streaming. This could lead to a decrease in overall performance and battery life. Additionally, there's no game booster feature available on this phone, which means you won't get an enhanced gaming experience. In terms of storage, the Moto G04s comes with 64GB internal storage, out of which around 11GB is occupied by the system. This leaves only 51GB for your files and apps. However, you can expand it using a microSD card, offering more flexibility. The phone's performance issues are somewhat mitigated by its large 5,000mAh battery, which should last through an entire weekend with ease. Despite the slower charging speed of 10W, this phone still manages to hold its own in terms of battery life. Overall, while the Motorola Moto G04s offers decent performance for casual users, it falls short when it comes to gaming and demanding tasks.
Pros
1. The Motorola Moto G04s has a large 5,000mAh battery that will easily get you through the whole weekend and still have some battery life left on Sunday evening.
2. The smartphone comes with Dolby Atmos sound settings for an immersive audio experience.
3. The camera can record videos in 1080P at 30 FPS, making it good enough for basic snapshots during the day.
4. The face detection feature works well and is a convenient way to unlock your phone.
Cons
1. The smartphone has only 64GB of internal storage, with 11GB already used up by the system, leaving you with only 51GB for apps, games, and pictures.
2. The charging speed is slow, taking about 2 hours to fully charge the battery using a 10W charging cable.
3. The camera quality is not great, with oversaturated pictures and poor detail level.
4. The gaming performance is average, with some delay when opening apps and tabs, and no way to boost the gaming experience.