Lenovo-owned Motorola launched its Moto E (2nd Gen) successor dubbed the Moto E3 Power in India today at Rs. 7999, exclusively on Flipkart. As the name suggests, the company is touting it to be long lasting battery device, which can also quick charge for 5 hours of power in just 15 minutes. We went hands on with the device and here are our first impressions.
Upfront, the Moto E3 Power packs a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) IPS display which is slightly glossy, so attracts fingerprints easily, but having said that the viewing angles and brightness levels are great for any condition indoor or outdoor.
One of the USP of Moto E3 Power is its advanced nano-coating technology. It can handle accidental spills, splashes or light rain. But Motorola still doesn’t advise you to put it in deep water, or expose it to pressurized water, or any other liquids. The company says it is a water-resistant device and not a waterproof device.
The back of Moto E3 sports similar design as the Moto G4 series of devices. It also features similar matte finished textured back and Motorola’s signature ‘M’ logo dimple below the camera. The back panel is removable and underneath there are two Micro-SIM card slots and a dedicated microSD card slot.
Above the display sits the 5-megapixel front facing camera and earpiece grill along with two sensors – proximity and ambient light sensor. The three touch buttons – Back, Home and Recents – sit within the display.
The 3.5mm audio jack sits on the top edge. The Micro-USB charging / data syncing port is at the bottom. The power and volume keys are on the right side and offer good tactile feedback. The left side has nothing.
The Moto E3 is powered by a 64-bit 1.0 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735p processor coupled with 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box. Motorola has a history of seeding updates quicker than everyone, so the 7.0 Nougat should also be made available soon.
On camera front, the Moto E3 packs an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and a secondary 5-megapixel front-facing camera. We cannot comment on the quality of these two as yet, but from the brief amount of time spent with the device, we feel that the two cameras can do good job in daylight at least. Motorola this time around have added quite a few new features like the beauty, panorama, live filters etc. to the stock app, so that’s a nice addition have.
The Moto E3 Power is a dual-SIM (Micro-SIM) device and supports 4G VoLTE. It also has a dedicated microSD card slot, so you have the option of putting in two Micro-SIM cards along with a microSD card for expandability up to additional 32GB.
The handset is backed by a 3500mAh removable battery with 10w rapid charger, which company claims can get you 5 hours of power in just 15 minutes. We did try the charging and it seemed quick.
The Moto E3 power is a slightly bulky device with 9.55mm thickness and weighs 153.5gms. The handset measures 143.8 X 71.6 X 9.55mm.
Overall, the Moto E3 Power appears an impressive all-rounder handset that will further take forward the popularity of Moto E 1st and 2nd Gen devices. It feels like a solid compact device with elegant looks, but there is fierce competition in this price segment and it will be really difficult for Motorola to handle competition, especially when it is an online-only device. But jumping to a conclusion would not be ideal as of now, so wait until our full review of the Moto E3 Power is out. Do stay tuned and keep reading.