New Moto E: Spicing Up Budget with Bands

Motorola today launches an updated Moto E in Australia, adding customisable colour bands, as well as support for 4G bands to boot.

The 2015 version of the Moto E is no more expensive though, with an 8GB variant to sell for $249 MSRP — and probably a little cheaper in-store. This is great price for a phone sporting a 4.5-inch screen and Google’s Android Lollipop.

The colourful Motorola Bands are a simple but welcome touch of customisation. Motorola has been working hard to bring personalised handset designs to its more expensive models, and while you don’t get the same numbers options you would if you bought the more expensive Moto X, the Bands should be a good way to express yourself and make sure your phone isn’t just another black phone.

Hardware-wise, the Moto E is a good mix of components for the price. There’s a quad-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB RAM. We’ve come across this combination a number of times before and it is more than adequate for most smartphone tasks.

At 12.3mm, the Moto E is still a chunky monkey, much like the original Moto E. Not that this should be a massive deal breaker, but it might be one of those elements that gives away the Moto E as a cheaper model (but only if you’re trying to pass it off as a more expensive one!).

All in all, the Moto E looks like a great phone if you want to save money in the long run. The cost to buy it outright and add a cheaper SIM-only plan will dwarf the expense of picking up an iPhone (or similar) on a 2-year plan.

Joseph Hanlon

Editorial Director | X | LinkedIn

Joe Hanlon has been immersed in mobile phones, plans and the internet for over a decade, having written for publications like CNET, Techradar, Gizmodo and Lifehacker. He steers the editorial ship and makes sure that we are always serving up the most useful guides and recommendations. If you ever bump into Joe on the street, don't be afraid to ask for a phone recommendation. It's embarrassing how much he enjoys talking about this stuff. He also loves listening to podcasts, so feel free to email Joe with recommendations.

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