Motorola Moto G04 review: Solid build and reliable performance

After launching the budget Moto G24 Power in February, Motorola has launched another affordable handset Moto G04 in India.

The company is offering the device in two configurations— 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage— with prices starting at Rs 6,999.

I used the device for nearly a week and here are my thoughts on the latest offering from Motorola.

Design, build quality and display

The new Moto G04 features several design elements of Moto G24 Power. The company calls it gravity design language. The back panel is made of 3D PMMA (Poly methyl methacrylate), a synthetic resin. It has a glossy finish and does an amazing job of repelling fingerprint smudges on the rear side.

Though the material used for the back cover and frame is plastic-based, the build quality is superior compared to most of the phones under Rs 15,000.

Motorola Moto G04 series.

This review unit is the sea green variant. It looks lovely in the sunlight. The company also offers the device in other colours -- concord black, satin blue and sunrise orange.

It also has IP52 certification, meaning the device survives accidental water splashes and even a few minutes of light rain. Don't forget to dry the wet phone with a cloth before charging it.

On the front, the company has incorporated a Panda glass shield, which is good enough to protect the display from scratches.

Additionally, Motorola is offering a free cover case with the Moto G04. It can safeguard the phone from getting physically damaged during accidental drops. Also, the cover is thoughtfully designed with thick edges, which protrude a bit across the frame. This protects the display from cracking when it drops front-facing on a flat surface.

Motorola Moto G04 series.

Motorola Moto G04 sports a 6.6-inch HD+(1612 x 720p) display with 20:9 aspect ratio. The display quality is good. It supports 90Hz refresh rate to ensure a smooth browsing experience.

It can offer peak brightness of up to 537 nits. It is good enough to read messages or consume multimedia content outdoors, but under the shade. Under direct sunlight, one has to hold the device a little closer to the face.

It also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which by the way works flawlessly. It is better than the face photo-based security feature, as it works only in a well-lit environment.

It also features a triple-slot tray (two for nano SIMs and a microSD card), and a 3.5mm audio jack, which has become a rare feature in phones.

Performance

The new Motorola phone houses a 12nm class Unisoc T606 octa-core processor with Mali G57 MP1 GPU, 4GB / 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 64GB / 128GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable up to 1TB with microSD).

Our review unit has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. In terms of day-to-day usage such as loading apps, operating a camera, watching video content on YouTube, messaging, and answering calls, the phone manages worked smoothly.

Motorola Moto G04 series.

Also, it supports the RAM Boost feature, which allows the owners to double up the RAM capacity. I was able to increase device's physical memory to 16GB. With this feature turned on, the phone becomes a bit faster in terms of loading apps and switching between apps will be smoother and there will be less lag.

Motorola's new budget phone supports simple board games, Angry Birds, Candy Crush and other popular small games that don't need too much power. But, don't expect a smooth gaming experience when playing games such as Asphalt 9: Legends. The hardware is not made to support such graphics-rich titles.

The new Moto G04 runs on the latest Android 14-based MyUX. It is clean and comes with just core Google apps and a handful of Motorola and third-party apps.

The company promises to offer two years of security software support, but the device won't get the next major Android 15 update.

It houses a 5,000mAh non-removable cell. The Moto G04 consistently delivers one and a half days of battery life under normal usage.

If fully dependent on cellular data, the Moto G04, like any other phone, drains a bit faster. But, the device can still be able to last a full day.

The company offers a 10W charger with the retail box. But, it should be noted that the device supports a faster 15W charger too.

Motorola's Moto G04 is 4G phone and supports Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi (2x2 MIMO).

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

Photography

The new Moto G04 houses a single main 16MP (f/2.2) camera on the back. The company says the camera is backed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to ensure the photos look natural and sharp. But, in reality, it is a hit-and-miss. It works great in the sunlight, but not in the night.

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

As you can see in photo samples, the Moto G04 manages to get nice photos of the flowers with near-accurate colours. Also, it gets minute details clearly on the frame.

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

During the night, it's a different story. The phone struggles to balance the light coming from the street lamps. To be fair, it is the best you can expect from a budget phone costing less than Rs 8,000.

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

Though it doesn't support wide-angle mode, the phone can accommodate a wide area of the landscape in the photo.

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

It houses a 5MP front camera for selfies and video chatting. It does a decent job with selfies in the sunlight.

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

Both the front and the back cameras can record 1080p full HD video. The video quality is good.

Motorola Moto G04 camera's photo sample.

Final thoughts

If I have to pick one standout feature that impressed me the most is the build quality. In key aspects such as performance and display, it just works without many issues. With a full charge, it can easily last for more than a day under normal usage.

In terms of photography, it does a decent job of taking good photos in the natural sunlight.

Motorola Moto G04 series.

Considering its overall features and price, Moto G04 is best suited for senior citizens who want a decent phone to use WhatsApp and consume content on OTT platforms such as YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video.

Motorola Moto G04 is available in two configurations— 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage— for Rs 6,999 and Rs 7,999, respectively.

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