Skip to main content

Motorola Moto M Review

Motorola Moto M Review

Introduction

Believe it or not, Motorola hasn't changed much since it got acquired by Chinese giant Lenovo. It is still launching phones of all categories and is still selling them at reasonable prices. For instance, the Moto Z was a killer high-end when it launched, while the Moto G4, the Moto G4 Play, and the Moto G4 Plus are all good examples of how a budget smartphone should be made.

The Moto M is positioned somewhere between these two tiers. As an Android mid-range model, it checks all the right boxes – it has good specs, great design, and an affordable price. On paper, this sounds like а winning combination, but in real life, is the Moto M worth considering at all?

Armed with a decent amount of curiosity, we took it upon ourselves to find out!

Design

A sleek, well-built phone that feels like a more expensive device

It may look a bit generic in pictures, but in actuality, the Motorola M is a sleek, well-built device that feels quite pleasant in the hand. It's a solid metal-made handset that's not much larger than the Moto Z Play Droid, but is arguably more stylish thanks to the minimalistic and streamlined design. 


Size-wise, the Moto M is relatively compact for a 5.5-incher. It's no bigger than the Moto G4 or the OnePlus 3/3T, for example. With a depth of 0.31” (7.85mm), the handset is not very thin, but we have no qualms with how this one feels in hand. It's not a heavyweight trooper, either – it tips the scales at only 5.75 oz (163gr), which is lighter than the average weight of a 5.5-inch phone.

There are no navigation buttons at the front, only a Moto logo at the bottom will be reminding you what phone you're handling. In the meantime, the back of the phone doesn't even feature the signature Moto dimple – there's a circular fingerprint scanner at the rear instead. The “less is more” mantra is doing the Moto M a great service, and we really like how this one looks.

It's also worth noting that the Moto M is a splash-resistant device, which means that it will survive small splashes of water or a drizzle. Don't dunk it into the pool, though, as it's unlikely to survive the ordeal.

At the bottom of the device, one would find a reversible USB Type-C port – great! Immediately to the right of it we find a single loudspeaker. If you're looking for the 3.5mm audio jack, rest assured there is one, it's just at the top of the phone. 

Finally, the volume rocker and the power button provide very good clicky feedback; the textured pattern on the the power button provides a grippy feeling, which is something we like. 

All things considered, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that the Moto M is built and feels like a more expensive phone. Credit where it's due – no corners have been cut in terms of the handset's design

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Huawei Mate 9 review

POSITIVES Compact size for a large phone Porsche Design Mate 9 has a great display Excellent performance Feature-rich hardware Dual camera can take stunning photos Battery lasts for days EMUI 5 is a polished interface NEGATIVES Low-light camera could be better Porsche Design Mate 9 is expensive EMUI 5 still has a few quirks "Only" a Full HD screen on regular Mate 9 RATING Battery 9.5 Display 8.8 Camera 8.8 Performance 9.2 Software 8.8 Design 8.8 BOTTOM LINE The Mate 9 brings a familiar design with more powerful internals, a clever dual camera and a revamped software experience. The result is an excellent big-screen Android smartphone that is easily Huawei's best ever. 9 The spectacular  failure of the Galaxy Note 7  earlier this year has presented an opportunity for companies to create the best big-screen Android alter...
Post a Comment
Read more

Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 camera review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 camera review DPReview smartphone reviews are written with the needs of photographers in mind. We focus on camera features, performance, and image quality. Introduction It's been quite some time since Panasonic was a big name in the smartphone space, but the Lumix DMC-CM1, which was first announced at Photokina 2014, certainly is an appealing mobile device, especially to mobile photographers. That said, despite the CM1 having all the components and features of a smartphone, Panasonic describes it as a 'Communication Camera' in its marketing material. This does, to a degree, make sense. Looking at the CM1 and its spec sheet, it is quite hard to tell if this is a smartphone that puts a lot of emphasis on its camera or a digital camera with some bolted-on communication components.  The camera specification certainly goes way beyond current conventional smartphones. The CM1's 1-inch 20MP CM...
Post a Comment
Read more

Panasonic Lumix DC-GX850/GX800 review

Panasonic Lumix DC-GX850/GX800 review The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 (known as the GX800 and GF9 in some regions) is the brand’s most compact interchangeable lens camera (as of Spring 2017) and uses the same 16MP Four Thirds sensor as several of its siblings. Sold kitted with a 12-32mm collapsible zoom, stand-out features include a 180-degree flip-up touch LCD, Panasonic's excellent Depth-from-Defocus AF and 4K video capture. At its core the GX850 represents a combining of Panasonic's style-oriented GF-line with the ultra-compact-oriented GM-line and replaces both the GM5 and GF8. However, its most similar sibling currently on the market is the larger, EVF-sporting  GX85 . Key features: 16MP Four Thirds MOS sensor 4K/30/24p video capture 4K Photo mode for 8MP stills at 30 fps 5 fps bursts with continuous AF 3" 1.04M-dot touch LCD flips ups 180 degrees Wi-Fi Panasonic's core customer for this camera is the casual user seeking a carry-everywhere-cam fo...
Post a Comment
Read more