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Motorola's newest low-cost phone is a mixed bag with a 90Hz screen, 3.5mm jack, and Android 11

Published: May 04, 2022, 2:51 AM

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Motorola's newest low-cost phone is a mixed bag with a 90Hz screen, 3.5mm jack, and Android 11

Focused first and foremost on expanding the very successful Moto G mid-range family... with too many new models to keep track of and secondly on getting back in the flagship game, Motorola left the entry-level Moto E lineup without new additions since November.

Six months is an eternity for the Lenovo-owned brand, but now the wait is over and an almost surprisingly refined Moto E32 can already be purchased in a number of major European markets. In some of these countries, the low to mid-end 6.5-inch handset is available for a measly €149, while others have it listed at a slightly higher but still extremely affordable €179.

A big battery, a decidedly sleek design, and a very pleasant surprise

If the history of such devices as the Moto E30, E40, or E20 is any indication, the E32 is unlikely to ever be released stateside, so there's really no point converting those price tags into US dollars. The $200 Moto G Power (2022) is probably the closest thing our American readers can get to a Moto E32 equivalent, as both budget-friendly phones happen to pack the same hefty 5,000mAh battery while also supporting 90Hz screen refresh rate technology.

The display resolution is identical as well, at a humble 1600 x 720 pixels, but the Moto E32 seemingly comes with a far more modest triple camera system on its back consisting of a 16MP primary shooter and a pair of 2MP sensors tasked with handling depth and macro photography (presumably, not very well).

Circling back to the surprisingly refined E32 design, that's actually not a true statement if we consider the phone's detailed and high-quality leaks of the last few weeks. We've known for a little while that we would deal with a looker (by sub-€200 standards, anyway), and lo and behold, the phone with the "best design" (in its class) is now out and about, squeezing the aforementioned 5,000mAh cell into a far lighter and thinner body than that of the 2022 G Power.

We're talking an 8.49mm waist and 184 grams of polished plastic available in Misty Silver and Slate Grey colors with a centered hole punch, razor-thin top and side bezels, an understandably thick chin, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and surprise, surprise, a 3.5mm headphone jack.

That's right, it turns out that the reports of good ol' jack's death were greatly exaggerated, at least as far as this specific Motorola model is concerned. Your wired headphones don't need to go to the recycle bin... just yet, unless of course, you've already switched to a trendy pair of true wireless earbuds.

A lot of pros... and a lot of cons

Powered by a little-known Unisoc T606 processor that's also found inside the likes of the Nokia G21 and Samsung Galaxy A03, the Moto E32 comes in a single 64GB storage configuration equipped with a plentiful 4 gigs of RAM. Of course, a microSD card slot is also present to allow digital hoarders to easily add up to a full 1TB of space, and a handy and modern USB Type-C port supports a theoretical maximum of 18W charging speeds.

Unfortunately, the actual power brick included as standard with the E32 can only deliver 10W speeds, but at least you get a charger in the box, which is something much pricier devices can no longer offer.

While the IP52 water and dust resistance is probably the last thing we can add to this phone's list of strengths, its weaknesses are also rounded up with the final addition of Android 11. It's certainly disappointing to see an older OS version installed on a new handset out the box, especially when you remember the Moto G22 made its official debut running Android 12 a full two months ago.

At the end of the day, you'll obviously have to decide for yourselves if the strong points outweigh the flaws here or the other way around.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.