Motorola Moto e: Best Budget Phone

Though it’s been mere months since Motorola released its budget-friendly handsets, the Moto G Power ($249.99) and Moto G Stylus ($299.99), the company is back with an even more affordable model. The Moto e is the company’s least expensive smartphone, with an attractive, durable design, a big display, and admirable performance for the price. Of course, Motorola makes some compromises to get the price this low, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Moto e is the best affordable phone we’ve tested so far this year, and it’s now our Editors’ Choice in that category.

- STEVEN WINKELMAN

DESIGN, DISPLAY, AND DURABILITY

In terms of design, the Moto e is a big departure from previous phones in the series, with a much more refined aesthetic. Available in blue or pink, it doesn’t look like a low-cost phone. It measures 6.3 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.6 ounces, making it nicely balanced and easy to hold in one hand.

The front of the phone is home to a 6.2-inch LCD with a 19:9 aspect ratio. It has a resolution of 1,520 by 720 pixels, for a density of 271ppi. It isn’t nearly as crisp as the 6.4-inch Moto G Power’s display (399ppi), but it’s bright and has excellent color accuracy. If you’re using the phone mostly to scan through social media and send texts, it’s totally fine.

A teardrop notch for the front-facing camera helps increase the screen-to-body ratio to 85 percent. Though the side bezels are still ample and the bottom bezel is downright chunky, they don’t look out of place.

The top of the phone is home to a headphone jack, while a speaker and a micro USB charging port sit on the bottom. On the left side is a hybrid SIM slot, and a volume rocker and textured power button are located on the right. The buttons are easy to recognize by touch, but small hands may have trouble reaching the volume controls.

Motorola Moto e

PROS Solid performance. Long battery life. Surprisingly good audio. Durable build.

CONS Mediocre camera performance. Screen could be sharper.