Skip to main content

Moto E6 hands-on review

The Moto E6 cuts too many features in its pursuit of value

moto e6 review 7
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Moto E6 hands-on
MSRP $149.00
“The Moto E6 lacks any standout feature, and Motorola sells a better phone for $50 more.”
Pros
  • Affordable
  • Clean Android software interface
  • Decent screen
Cons
  • Still no USB Type-C charging port, no NFC
  • Price is too close to the better value Moto G7 Play
  • Exclusive to Verizon for now
  • Won’t get Android Q

Unremarkable. That’s the first word that popped in my head when I saw and put my hands around Motorola’s latest phone, the Moto E6. That’s not a slight, because this $149 phone focuses on providing strong fundamentals for people looking to spend as little as possible on a smartphone. Unfortunately for the E6, there’s a problem.

Recommended Videos

You can buy a remarkable phone $50 more (or less, on sale): The Moto G7 Play. It has features missing from the new Moto E6 including a USB-C charging port and a fingerprint sensor. If you are strictly limited to $150 or less, however, the Moto E6 will satisfy.

Bare-bones design, 5.5-inch screen

Bare-bones is how I’d describe the Moto E6’s look. It has a speckled, textured back that’s made of polycarbonate and feels cheap. The plus side? It’s not glass, so it won’t shatter if you drop it.

A circular cutout exists in the center of the Moto logo, but there’s no fingerprint sensor. Instead, you’ll have to rely on Google’s Face Unlock to unlock the phone. That means entering passwords on all secure apps, as they don’t support Face Unlock. It’s a shame there’s no fingerprint sensor. Select models of the Moto E5 Play had one last year, and it was less than the Moto E6, and the $160 Nokia 3.1 Plus has one too. There’s no reason Motorola couldn’t have added one here.

Motorola hasn’t trimmed the bezels surrounding the screen. That makes the phone look dated. It’s a contrast with the $200 Moto G7 Play, which has a notch design, but slimmer bezels overall. The G7 Play looks contemporary. The Moto E6 does not.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 powers the Moto E6. That’s a problem.

The Moto E6 looks generic. It’s a slab, and there’s nothing distinct or unique about it. What’s positive? The textured power button on the right edge differentiates it from the volume rocker above. Oh, and there’s a headphone jack.

There’s a 5.5-inch screen on the Moto E6, and since most smartphones have screens larger than 6 inches, that must mean the Moto E6 is compact, right? Not necessarily. The Moto G7 Play is shorter, narrower, and thinner, despite having a larger 5.7-inch screen. Yep, the Moto E6 is larger than the Moto G7 Play. Still, most people should be able to use both phones with one hand.

The LCD screen looked dim in my time with the phone. It has an 18:9 aspect ratio, as well as 1440 x 720 resolution (296 pixels-per-inch), which is standard across most phones in this price range. From what I saw, it was fine for a budget phone, but I’ll need more time with the phone to reach a verdict.

Performance and software

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 with 2G of RAM powers the Moto E6. That’s concerning. I haven’t had a great time with phones using a Snapdragon 400-series processor; for example, the Snapdragon 439 in the Nokia 4.2 delivered frustrating performance. The Snapdragon 435 is a step behind the 439, so I’m expecting similar if not worse experience.

My initial impression wasn’t doom and gloom. Swiping around the Moto E6 felt smooth, and apps opened with reasonable speed.

Still, this is another reason why the Moto G7 Play is a better buy. Motorola made a point to differentiate the G7 series by upgrading them to Snapdragon 600-series chips, which deliver a significant boost in performance. If $50 is all that stands between a Snapdragon 435 and a 632 (the chip in the G7 Play), I’ll always pay up. It even comes with 32GB of storage, while the E6 only has 16GB (though there’s a MicroSD card slot in case you need more space).

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Moto E6 runs Android 9 Pie, and Motorola told Digital Trends it’s not “currently scheduled” for an update. It likely won’t receive Android 10 Q, which is set to launch at the end of August, and there’s little chance of seeing timely security updates. Such lackluster support is disappointing. The Moto G7 Play is at least set to receive Android Q.

Otherwise, the software experience is uncluttered and similar to stock Android. It has a few Motorola flourishes, along with Verizon bloatware, as it will launch as a Verizon-exclusive phone.

It’s worth noting there’s no NFC, so you can’t make contactless payments via Google Pay. It’s a shame, because there are budget phones that do offer the feature. The Nokia 3.1 Plus, for example, is a Cricket Wireless exclusive with NFC, and it costs just $10 more than the Moto E6. The Nokia 4.2 also has NFC, and it costs $189 (though doesn’t work on Sprint or Verizon). But Motorola has historically been shy about putting NFC in its North American devices, so it’s unsurprising.

Camera

The Moto E6 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, which is par for the course on most low-end phones. I didn’t have the chance to snap many pictures with it, but the few images I took were at least acceptable. The camera is packed with features like a software-based Portrait Mode, Manual mode, Spot Color (which lets you pick one color and makes the rest of the photo black and white), Timelapse mode, and more.

Around front is a 5-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture, though I didn’t get a chance to test it.

No USB-C, no water resistance

The Moto E6 has a removable 3,000mAh battery. That’s unusual today, as many phones no longer let users remove the battery. Its capacity, which is typical for a phone of this price, should pull the phone through a full day of use.

The lack of USB-C is disappointing.

USB-C is nowhere to be found, and that’s a big disappointment. Instead, there’s a Micro USB port on the bottom. In last year’s Moto E5 Play review, Motorola told us all its 2019 phones will have a Type-C port. While the company kept its promise for the full Moto G7 range this year, Motorola has failed to bring support to the affordable Moto E6. The Nokia 3.1 Plus yet again is a similarly priced phone, but it has USB-C. If HMD can do it, then so can Motorola.

Unsurprisingly, the Moto E6 is not water-resistant — most phones in this price range aren’t — but Motorola says it has a water repellent design with “P2i nano coating,” which should keep it safe from spills and the rain.

Price and availability

The Moto E6 comes in starry black or navy blue and is priced at $149. It’s available exclusively on Verizon for now, but Motorola says it will be available on other carriers later this year. An unlocked model is planned, too.

Looking at similarly priced options on Verizon, there’s the Samsung Galaxy J3 V 3rd Gen ($168), or the Alcatel Avalon V ($99). The Moto E6 is easily the better choice. Those phones are running dated Android software (version 8.0) and have lackluster internals compared to Motorola’s phone.

If you’re on Verizon and you want to buy through the carrier, keep in mind you can buy the Moto G7 Play unlocked and activate it on Verizon. If you don’t want to buy it straight from Verizon, the Moto E6 is one of your better choices at this price.

Wrap-up

The Moto E6 is fine. Just fine. That’s praise, given its low price, but my gut says to overlook it and go for the Moto G7 Play — even if it means waiting for it to go on sale to match the $150 price tag (which has already happened).

Motorola’s G7 Play seems better in every single way, and you’ll be happier for it. But I’ll need to wait until I can use the Moto E6 for a prolonged period before I can reach my final verdict.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
Apple says iPhone 16e users don’t care about MagSafe — they’re probably right
A group of iPhone 16e phones arranged in a pattern.

The iPhone 16e launches today, and the first reviews are starting to appear online. One review that caught my attention was from John Gruber at Daring Fireball. The lengthy review has some information he picked up from Apple officials on why the company elected not to include MagSafe for wireless charging on the iPhone 16e. The reason is almost certainly on the mark and isn't all about saving money.

As we’ve already noted, Apple’s latest budget phone shares many features with the iPhone 16. However, the iPhone 16e is priced $200 lower. As a result, some features present in the iPhone 16 are omitted from the iPhone 16e, with MagSafe being one of them.

Read more
Early tests confirm Apple’s new chip significantly boosts iPhone 16e battery life
A press image of the iPhone 16e.

The iPhone 16e will launch officially tomorrow, February 27. Today, the results from the first tests of Apple’s all-new C1 modem for this budget phone have been released, and the news is promising.

Chinese review site Geekerwan conducted various 5G tests on the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem, which is noteworthy because it is Apple’s first modem for the iPhone. The tests revealed that the iPhone 16e’s speeds and reliability matched those of the iPhone 16, which is equipped with a Qualcomm modem. Perhaps even more impressively, Geekerwan found that the C1 modem consumed much less power than its competitor.

Read more
Is the Apple iPhone 16e waterproof?
Hand holding iPhone 16e.

Apple's all-new iPhone 16e, its new $599 successor to the iPhone SE line, sports a series of changes, including an OLED panel and Face ID instead of the SE's Touch ID Home button. Its bezels are more prominent, and it comes in two different matte finishes: black and white. It's a svelte new phone that you'll likely gravitate to if you want something a bit lower-priced.

One major consideration you may want to keep in mind however, is its water resistance. With flagship iPhones featuring high levels of protection against water and dust, it makes sense to question whether the affordable iPhone 16e includes the same level of durability. With that in mind, is the iPhone 16e safe to take around water?
Is the iPhone 16e waterproof?

Read more