![]() ![]() ![]() Making a double-chopping motion turns their flashlights on and off. Twisting either phone twice, similar to turning a door handle, quickly loads up the camera from anywhere in the OS. Motorola's unique gestures, which made their debut on the original Moto X, once again make an appearance. But it's nice to see the company stick with that philosophy under Lenovo. None of this is new for Motorola it's been trying to deliver vanilla versions of Android since it was under Google. The phones are devoid of the junkware and sponsored apps you often find on budget devices. Motorola delivered a nearly stock OS on the G4 and G4 Plus, specifically Android 6.0.1. You won't be able to charge the phone when the dongle is plugged in, for example.) Software (Yes, the Moto Z comes with a dongle, but that comes with plenty of compromises. That's especially true for the Z Force, which is thick enough to fit a headphone jack. Someone should tell Motorola that these audio ports, which have been universally supported for decades, would be a nice addition to their flagship Moto Z lineup. One nice feature that I never thought I'd have to call out in 2016: Both phones have headphone jacks! For the uninformed, you use them to connect a wide variety of audio devices, including headphones. ![]() Now that Bluetooth speakers are cheap and small, I'd recommend just snagging one as an accessory. It's plenty loud, but it doesn't sound nearly as good as before. On the sound front, Motorola made the curious decision of replacing the last Moto G's solid stereo speakers with a single one. It's no wonder they're not Google Daydream ready (though nothing is stopping you from plugging them into a Google Cardboard headset). The big downside is that they're less capable when it comes to mobile VR. I didn't notice much of a difference between my iPhone 6S while reading long articles from Pocket and the New York Times app. Colors were bright and bold, even in direct sunlight, and viewing angles were surprisingly great. They're not quite as fancy as the quad HD displays we're seeing in some flagships, but they still pack in 401 pixels per inch, which is plenty sharp for typical usage. There's nothing budget about the 5.5-inch 1080p displays on the G4 and G4 Plus. Just don't go fully submerging them in anything. That means they should be fine during light rain or if you spill coffee on them. Instead, Motorola is calling them "water repellant," thanks to a "nano-coating" technology that protects them from spills. One unfortunate downgrade from last year: Neither phone is waterproof. The G4, on the other hand, has a 13-megapixel shooter without the added niceties. The G4 Plus also packs in a 16-megapixel rear camera with phase detection and laser autofocus. Plus? The most obvious difference is on its front, the fingerprint sensor, which sits right below the software home button. Given that they both share so much hardware, you're probably wondering what makes the G4 Plus, well. They come with 2GB of RAM though the 64GB G4 Plus gives you a luxurious 4GB of RAM. Both phones offer 16GB of storage by default, but you can bump up to 32GB with the G4 (a no-brainer $30 premium) or 64GB with the G4 Plus (for another $100). ![]() Powering all of this budget goodness are 1.5GHz Snapdragon 617 octa-core processors. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy. ![]()
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