Motorola Moto E6 Plus, analysis: review with characteristics and opinion

Motorola Moto E6 Plus, analysis: review with characteristics and opinion

Not everyone can afford or wants to invest in an expensive phone. So it is necessary for the market to offer options in the entry range. And one of the historical manufacturers of mobile telephony, Motorola, is a specialist in offering us very complete devices at a really reasonable price. A good example is the new Motorola Moto E6 Plus, a basic terminal but with a 6.1-inch screen, a dual camera system on the back and some unexpected surprises .

We met it at the IFA in Berlin and it is now available in Spain. I've been able to spend a few days testing the Motorola Moto E6 Plus to see what it offers and how it works . We will always bear in mind that we are talking about a device whose price starts from 140 euros. But is this model worth it compared to others in the competition? Let's check it out.

Motorola Moto E6 Plus datasheet

screen6.1-inch IPS panel, HD + resolution (1,560 x 720 pixels), 19.5: 9
Main chamberDouble sensor:

13 MP main, f / 2.0 aperture, 1.12 µmn pixels, AF

Depth sensor with 2 MP

LED Flash, HD Video

Camera for selfies8 MP, f / 2.2, 1.12 µm pixels, HD video
Internal memory32 or 64 GB
ExtensionmicroSD up to 512GB
Processor and RAMMediaTek Helio P22 (Octa Core 2.0 GHz), 2 or 4 GB of RAM
BatteryReplaceable 3,000 mAh, 5W micro USB 2.0 charger
Operating systemAndroid 9 Pie
Connections4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi 802.11n, GPS, 3.5mm Jack
SIMMicro + Nano SIM
DesignPlastic back shell, colors: black and cherry
Dimensions155.6 x 73 x 8.6 mm, 149.7 grams
Featured FeaturesFingerprint reader

Facial recognition

FM Radio

Release dateAvailable
Price2 GB + 32 GB: 140 euros

4 GB + 64 GB: 160 euros

Radical change in design to become fashionable

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus rear

The Motorola Moto E6 Plus has little or nothing to do at the design level with its predecessor. The only similar thing that we are going to find is the design of the back, which is again made of plastic with a mirror finish . It is a very attractive finish, but quite dirty, since the tracks are very marked.

In this model, the characteristic circular frame for the rear cameras disappears , placing them in a much more common position. Specifically, they are in the upper left and in a vertical position. Thus, in the center, only the fingerprint reader remains, which, yes, is still under the Motorola logo. And that, by the way, works pretty fast.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus without cover

But what is most striking about the back cover of the Motorola Moto E6 Plus is not its brightness. The most striking thing is that it is a removable casing , something that we have not seen for quite some time.

When we open it we will have access to the battery. But not only that, also the memory and SIM cards will have to be placed by removing this cover . All a flashback to the past that I have had these days with the Moto E6 Plus.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus frames

The removable casing also covers the frame area, not just the back. On the right side of the terminal (looking at the mobile from the front) we have the power buttons (with rough texture to find it easily) and volume. The opposite end is "bare" since it does not have any buttons.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus jack

In the upper frame we find a 3.5 mm jack connector for the headphones, although the mobile does not include them in its box. Finally, in the lower area we have a Micro USB connector for charging and a speaker.

Simple display with modern design

The Motorola Moto E6 Plus is equipped with a 6.1-inch IPS panel with HD + resolution of 1,560 x 720 pixels . It has a 19.5: 9 aspect ratio, as the front camera is positioned in a small drop-shaped notch in the central area of ​​the screen.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus with video

By having an IPS panel, the screen offers quite vivid colors and has very good viewing angles . Generally speaking, it offers a good viewing experience, with a good level of brightness even outdoors.

The only "but" that we can find is that the maximum resolution at which we can reproduce the videos will be 720p . But this is quite common in mobiles in this price range.

Very tight performance and battery that delivers

Although I know that we are facing an entry-level mobile, the truth is that I expected a somewhat higher performance. The Motorola Moto E6 Plus is equipped with a MediaTek Helio P22 processor . It is a chip with eight cores that operate at 2 GHz.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus performance test

This is not a top processor, but neither is it the worst in the market. I think the lack of performance of the model I have tested is due to the RAM. We have two models of the device for sale: one with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage; and another with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage . I have tried the first one and I think that those 2 GB of RAM greatly limit the capabilities of the mobile.

You have the results of the most common tests in the capture on these lines. Geekbench is not compatible with this mobile, so I have not been able to run it. But leaving aside the tests, the lack of performance is noticeable in the normal use of the device . We have regular stops when scrolling and an evident lag even when moving through the operating system interface (and that comes with pure Android).

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus with game

Interestingly, that lack of performance is less apparent in games . I have been able to take some games to Brawl Stars or Mario Kart Tour without too many problems beyond a specific drop in fps. I have also been able to play more demanding games, such as Call of Duty Mobile, although, of course, the game is set to low mode.

And if we talk about performance, we cannot put autonomy aside. The Motorola Moto E6 Plus is equipped with a 3,000 mAh battery . According to the manufacturer, it should handle a busy day without problems.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus charging connector

During the test I can tell you that the device has given me an average of 8 hours of screen with full charge . I have had no problem getting to the end of the day with regular use (we mean a little browsing, checking email and social networks, watching a video, listening to some music and taking a photo).

And thank goodness that it offers a more than decent autonomy, because the load is really slow. The terminal has a Micro USB connector and a 5W charger. This means that we need almost 4 hours to go from 0 to 100% battery .

Cameras according to the price of the mobile

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus cameras

Relax, I had not forgotten the photographic section. The rear camera of the Motorola Moto E6 Plus is made up of a double sensor. On the one hand we have a main sensor with 13 megapixels, f / 2.0 aperture, 1.12 µm pixels and autofocus system .

This is accompanied by a depth sensor with only 2 megapixels of resolution . As you can imagine, its function is to provide the desired bokeh effect. This set is capable of recording video with HD resolution of 720 x 1,080 pixels.

Completing the photographic section of the Moto E6 Plus we have a front camera with an 8 megapixel sensor, f / 2.0 aperture and 1.12 µm pixels . It offers video recording with the same resolution as the rear one, as well as Portrait mode and the usual beauty filters.

Camera App

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus camera app

Before looking at the quality of the photos the device takes, I always like to take a quick look at the Camera app. After all, a good application for taking photos is essential to have a good user experience.

Taking the mobile horizontally, in the part closest to the right hand we have three large buttons: shooting, camera change and access to the Gallery. Here we have direct access to the most common modes: Automatic, Panoramic, Video, Portrait and Beauty mode.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus zoom camera app

If we look at the main screen of the app, we have two other controls at the top and bottom right. One is a magnifying glass. When pressed, a slider appears that allows us to zoom . If we click on it again, we return to the usual view. The other button is Google Lens.

As for the rest of the options, we have them placed on the far left of the application. Here we see a shortcut to HDR, image format and flash. We also have a small button with three points, located at the top, which opens up some more options.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus app camera settings

The truth does not offer us too many options. We can only choose the size of the photo, the sound of the shutter, activate an anti-flicker system, activate or deactivate the AI, the timer and little else.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus app camera exposure

By the way, something that I found curious is that when you press on the screen to focus on a specific object, a small slider appears to change the exposure .

Picture quality

Having seen the application, check how well the photographic section of the Moto E6 Plus performs. But first we must not forget that we are facing a device with a price of 140 euros.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus photo day

That said, the rear camera offers an acceptable result as long as the lighting conditions are good . Of course, the results are somewhat irregular. The same can be a photo with very saturated colors and somewhat burned, than others with flatter colors and somewhat underexposed.

It has surprised me for good that the focus is quite fast . It is something that in low budget terminals is not usually common, since they tend to offer a somewhat erratic approach.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus HDR photo

The HDR system does a good job when it comes to an image with highlights and shadows, bringing out more detail in both. However, I liked it less when it came to capturing the light of sunsets or cloudy skies. On the other hand, when activating HDR we obtain an excessively high image processing speed .

This slow processing is also noticeable when we take a photo in Portrait mode or when we apply the beauty filter . In both cases, it is difficult for the mobile to save the photo, giving the feeling that something strange is happening.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus portrait mode photo

And speaking of Portrait mode, the Moto E6 Plus offers the option to change the amount of blur to our liking . If we go over the blur we will get a fairly artificial image, as is usual. But if we do not abuse the blur, the result is not bad, with some failure in the cropping.

It is when night falls that the Moto E6 Plus camera suffers greatly . The rapidity of focus that had surprised me during the day disappears. In addition, the noise is excessive and the camera application takes a long time to process the images. But of course, we cannot ask a mobile of this price to be good at night photography. Not even a lot of high-end mobiles are.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus front camera photo

With the front camera it happens more or less the same as with the main one. We still have a very overexposed photo that we have a more than decent photo. This happens especially when we have very intense light or a very clear sky.

In general, if we look for a place with good lighting, our selfies will have an acceptable quality . By the way, the front camera also offers a Portrait mode. It is not too precise, but it is appreciated that a mobile of this price offers this possibility.

We have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus photo portrait and beauty front camera

We also have a special mode that applies the usual beauty filters . It is quite successful, noticing the effect somewhat less than in other mobiles that come from China. Finally, comment that, although it is obvious, when it gets dark the results of the front camera plummet.

Gallery of photos taken with the Motorola Moto E6 Plus

Conclusions and price

A user looking for a terminal in this price range surely knows that he will get a device with certain limitations. Even so, it seems incredible to me what a mobile that does not reach 150 euros is capable of offering today.

The Motorola Moto E6 Plus is a simple device, but with an attractive and modern design . It has a relatively large screen and it offers good performance. The decision to include a removable battery in the middle of 2019 may be a bit strange, but perhaps for some users it makes sense. Imagine a professional who spends all day outside and does not have access to plugs to charge his mobile. Carrying a second battery and being able to change it in a few seconds can be tremendously useful.

On the other hand, the cameras behave quite well when the light is good . Yes, we will have to be patient with the processing and we may have to repeat a photo due to the irregularity that we have mentioned, but it is something acceptable in a terminal of this price.

we have tested Motorola Moto E6 Plus final

Taking into account that the autonomy offered by the terminal is quite good (although the load is eternal), the worst that we find in this device is its performance . The Motorola Moto E6 Plus comes with Android 9 Pie stock , that is, without any customization, which makes me even more surprised by this lack of performance in some moments. I am sure it is due to the 2 GB of RAM, so I advise you to go directly for the superior model . For an almost ridiculous price difference we will get a device with double the RAM and double the internal storage.

The Motorola Moto E6 Plus is now available in Spain with an official price that starts at 140 euros (model with 2 GB of RAM + 32 GB of storage). The most powerful model, with 4 GB + 64 GB, has an official price of 160 euros . However, at the time of writing, both are on sale and can be had for 120 and 135 euros respectively.