Motorola is on a launch spree and has been cementing its place in the budget segment since the beginning of 2024. It has made a new addition to its G-series called the Moto G04, starting at Rs 6,999 and going up till Rs 7,999 for the top-end model. Here’s our detailed review of the Moto G04, by the end of which, you can find out whether this device is for you or not.
Design & Display
Motorola has been focusing on the design language of its smartphones of late. It’s commitment towards creating a unique and premium design shows in the Moto G04 as well. The sea green shade we have with us has a shimmer to it and a matte finish that feels really impressive in hand.
The flat edges account for a good grip in the hand while the edges of the display are reachable easily as well. There’s a fingerprint sensor at the right side which works as it should without any major issues. The handset is also IP52 rated so some splashes shouldn’t harm the device.
The device has the Dolby Atmos branding at the top and it gets a single speaker compared to the stereo speaker setup on the Moto G24 Power which sits slightly above the Moto G04. At this price, we cannot complain because even the single bottom firing speaker sounds quite decent and is loud enough.
Overall, the handset feels lightweight in hand and definitely doesn’t look or feel like a device of its segment but one segment above.
As for the display, it’s a 6.56-inch LCD display that supports an HD+ Resolution (1612 x 720 pixels) and a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s an okay panel for the price with decent colours. It doesn’t get bright enough outdoors but indoors, it can provide an ideal experience for daily use. The 90Hz refresh is a cherry on top, resulting in smooth scrolling.
Performance & Software
The Moto G04 is powered by the Unisoc T606 Chipset and the 8/128 model we had for review handled RAM management in an average manner. The device is made for some of the most basic tasks you perform on a daily basis and for obvious reasons, you cannot expect it to handle intensive tasks.
One of the USPs of the device is that it comes with Android 14 out of the box. While it won’t get any major OS upgrades, which could have been a game changer, it’s appreciable that Motorola is finally giving some attention to the software.
It gets the regular Motorola MyUX features such as ambient display, gestures, a stock-Android like experience and more. The device did slow down at times where we could notice the animations stutter. However, for most of the part, it should be able to run basic processes with ease.
It comes with the January 2024 security patch out of the box which is again something we didn’t expect as brands do not pay much attention towards their budget devices usually, even in terms of security. Connectivity performance of the Moto G04 remained ideal during our review.
Read More: Moto G24 Power Review: Multimedia King At Budget?
Battery backup
The 5000mAh cell inside the Moto G04 can easily pump power for more than a day with moderate use, such as scrolling through social media, chatting, etc. The screen-on time can easily cross the 5-hour mark. The handset can usually take more than 1.5 hours to charge from 0 to 100 with 15W fast charging.
Cameras
The Moto G04 has a single 16MP camera at the back and a 5MP sensor at the front.
This rear camera performs fine in outdoor conditions. The dynamic range isn’t the best but the overall detailing and sharpness of the photo is on par. Even the colours are handled fine.
Similar is the situation indoors in terms of colours but the details and sharpness take a hit. As soon as the lighting drops further, the camera becomes barely usable as there’s a good amount of noise and the exposure levels are at their lowest. Night shots, even with Night mode enabled, look similar.
Selfies are average with colours but the noise in the shot and the softness of the photo make the experience feel below expectations.
