Motorola has been one of the finest operators in the inexpensive phone market for years, but its most recent product is going to put that reputation to the test. Why? Because the Motorola Moto G04 costs just £89!
Surely not even a firm like Moto can produce something respectable when dealing with such severe budgetary constraints? I test the G04 to see if there are any true deals.
Design & Build
- Simple, smart design
- Side mounted fingerprint sensor
- Not waterproof
It wouldn’t be fair to expect a phone at this price to be held together by gaffer tape and elastic bands, so it’s all the more unexpected that the Moto G04 feels solidly built. The look is simple but sophisticated, with clean lines and no indication that this is a low-cost device.
Yes, the rear panel is thin plastic, but that’s good because the frosted matt texture gives it a nice look, and since most phones end up in cases anyway, who cares what material is used on the back?
The only disruption to the screen is a raised camera module that houses the main lens and a big flash, which I will discuss later in the review.
On the flanks are the necessary power and volume controls, all of which have gentle but distinct clicks when pressed. There’s no mush here. The power button also functions as a fingerprint sensor, which proved to be quick and reliable during my time with the device. You may also unlock the G04 with facial recognition using the front-facing camera located at the top of the 6.6-inch display.
Thin bezels around the panel allow for an 89.5% screen-to-body ratio, keeping the size down, while the screen ratio of 20:9 provides a tall but not overbalanced sensation.
The top edge features a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the bottom houses a USB-C charging connector, microphone, and a single speaker. All of this results in dimensions of 163.49 x 74.53 x 7.99mm and a weight of 179g, which fits well in the hand.
Obviously, at this price, there are a few omissions, such as no waterproofing (Moto claims the phone is water resistant, in the sense that it can probably withstand water being spilled on it, but no immersions), no NFC (so no Google Pay capabilities), and only support for up to 4G network connections.
To be honest, all of these limitations are acceptable, especially given the price on the box. The Moto G04 is available in three colours: Concord Black, Sea Green, and Satin Blue.
Screen & Speakers
- 6.6-inch IPS LCD
- 90Hz refresh rate
- Single speaker with Dolby Atmos support
- 3.5mm headphone jack
The Moto G04 is built on a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display, which is also rather good. Running at a resolution of 1612 x 720 (269 ppi), it does not provide the complete 1080p experience seen on higher-priced competitors, but it does not have to be.
The demands of big panels necessitate a higher-end processor to perform all of the graphics, so Moto made the right decision here. Performance is more important than appearance. Let’s face it, it’s worked on the iPhone SE for years, with the 2022 model featuring a 750p display and costing roughly five times as much as the Moto G04.
A 90Hz refresh rate is a surprise at this price
Details are sharp, and colors are adequate, although a touch washed out in the case of reds, but not to the point of dissatisfaction. It still looks excellent, and not like a low-cost phone. According to Motorola, the panel can reach a maximum brightness of 537 nits in normal mode. I tested it at roughly 320 nits, which is adequate for indoor use on less bright days, but you may struggle to see the panel if summer is in full swing.
A 90Hz refresh rate is surprising at this pricing and should result in smooth, judder-free scrolling. However, the limited RAM allotment is most likely to blame for the less-than-buttery appearance of image-heavy pages, such as the Google News feed on the left side of the Home Screen.
The Moto G04 has a single speaker on its bottom edge. It produces somewhat thin audio, with frequencies becoming a little congested at higher levels. It’s absolutely suitable for YouTube videos, albeit the music does not seem balanced. Motorola claims that the speaker supports Dolby Atmos, but I believe it’s a little ambitious for such a low-cost gadget with only one output.
If you prefer to make use of speakers or headphones, then you can either plug them into the 3.5mm headphone jack or connect wirelessly through the Bluetooth 5.0 capabilities of the handset.
Specs & Performance
- Unisoc T606 processor
- 4/64GB
- microSD card support up to 1TB
You would anticipate things to fall apart in terms of performance, so it’s a pleasant surprise that the Moto G04 is well-equipped, as long as you’re realistic. The smartphone is powered by a UniSoc T606 octa-core CPU with two A75 1.6GHz and six A55 1.6GHz cores, as well as an ARM Mali-G57 MP1 GPU.
When I initially switched on the smartphone, applications took a while to load and transition between, which made me concerned. However, following the first boot-up stutters, performance improved to the point where everything ran flawlessly. It’s not the quickest smartphone on the market, but the slightly sluggish components are certainly tolerable rather than aggravating.
It may take longer than usual to render images once they have been shot, maybe due to the model’s limited RAM allotment. 4GB is insufficient these days, however Motorola does sell an 8GB version in some places, so check listings if you’re considering purchasing one.
Gaming was even doable, with Asphalt 9: Legends running without any obvious stuttering or crashes. During longer periods, the device became somewhat warmer, but not to the point where it was unpleasant or alarming. I wouldn’t recommend PUBG or similar games because the phone suffered more, but even performing well with Asphalt exceeded my expectations for performance on the Moto G04.
There is the option to use some of your onboard storage as virtual RAM, up to a maximum of 4GB, which is useful. You’ll need to calculate how much space you have available, since the 64GB storage provides around 58GB of useable disk capacity. This can be expanded by up to 1TB via a microSD card, however none of it can be utilized for the RAM Boost function.
Motorola Moto G04 benchmarks
Cameras
- 16Mp f/2.2 rear camera
- 5Mp f/2.2 front camera
- Average photos and videos
Motorola does not screw about with a slew of 2Mp worthless cameras to make things appear more amazing than they are; instead, there is a straightforward 16Mp f/2.2 shooter on the back and a 5Mp f/2.2 on the front. True, the flash on the back module is supposed to resemble a second lens, but in my opinion, this is simply a fine aesthetic option.
give the Moto G04 some decent light and you’ll be able to capture photos and videos that will be more than serviceable for social media posts
The images taken by the primary camera are respectable, and at times extremely good. They won’t mislead anybody into believing you’re using a Google Pixel 8 Pro, and they have no right to. In all honesty, it’s astonishing that the photographs are this good on such a low-cost phone.
However, if you provide the Moto G04 with adequate lighting, you will be able to record photographs and videos that are suitable for social media posts. Low light poses a more difficult challenge, but if you have a steady hand, you may still be able to produce good photographs.
The front camera has the poorer optics, requiring a lot of light to capture images you’ll want to utilize. I can’t stress this enough: if you buy less than £100 for a smartphone, you shouldn’t expect much in terms of camera quality. Motorola has done an excellent job delivering something as useful for basic photos as the G04.
Here’s a collection of images taken on the two cameras:
Battery Life & Charging
- 5000mAh battery
- Included 10W charger (supports up to 15W)
- Impressive battery life
One area where the Moto G04 excels is battery life. Most days, I used my phone for surfing, chatting, social networking, and the occasional game or two, so I had plenty of power by evening. If you aren’t a heavy user, this phone may easily last two days.
In our regular PCMark battery benchmark test, the Moto G04 scored an impressive 14 hours and 53 minutes, making it one of the best we’ve tested this year.
Charging durations cannot quite match the outstanding endurance, as the provided 10W charger and USB-C connection do not allow any type of rapid charging, with the phone moving from 0% to 7% in 15 minutes, 19% in 30 minutes, and a full charge taking roughly two and a half hours.
Wireless charging isn’t supported either, but that’s more thanfair enough for a phone at this price.
If you’re not a heavy user, then this is easily a two-day phone.
One thing to note is that Motorola includes the charger and cord in the package, which is a nice gesture given how much the G04 costs, especially since this isn’t the case for many far more costly smartphones on the market – even if it’s 5W less than the phone can take.
Software & Apps
- Android 14
- Initial bloat (but it can be removed easily)
- 2 years of security updates
Another good discovery is that Motorola has installed the newest Android 14 OS on the Moto G04. It all operates quite smoothly, which is a plus. As with many Motorola phones in recent years, the operating system is largely standard, with only a few Moto applications and features built in.
There is a tiny collection of third-party programs that must be installed as part of the setup process, but they may all be removed immediately. You are also requested to install more, but this time you may reject, which ends the nagging and allows you to use the phone.
Motorola has not verified that the G04 will receive any Android upgrades, so if you’re expecting for Android 16 or later, you may be disappointed; nevertheless, it will receive at least two years of security patches, allowing you to use it securely for a long.
Longer would certainly extend the G04’s longevity, but there is a cost to working on software updates that does not appear to benefit Motorola’s bank sheet.
Price & Availability
The Moto G04 is available from the Motorola site for £89/€129 as well as Amazon and Currys, but it doesn’t seem to be heading to the USA. At this price, there aren’t too many rivals that can compete.
Should you buy the Motorola Moto G04?
The Moto G04 is not for everyone, and it doesn’t try to be. The cameras are decent, as is the performance, but both are considerably above what you would expect from a phone this low-cost.
If you’re looking for a flagship killer, this isn’t it; but, if you need a phone for little children or older relatives, this is an excellent choice. Or perhaps something inexpensive to bring on vacation or to a festival where losing it will not be as disastrous as losing your regular phone.
It handles the essentials well, costs little, and appears sophisticated enough to make you believe the price was greater.
