The Moto G4 is a line of Android smartphones manufactured by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the successor to the third-generation Moto G, and was first released in Brazil and India on May 17, 2016, with other markets following.[1]

Moto G4
Moto G4 Plus XT1641 (Latin American model). The phone shown above in the image has a protection foil applied on the display.
BrandMotorola
ManufacturerMotorola Mobility
TypeSmartphone (G4 Play)
Phablet (G4 and G4 Plus)
SloganNever miss out on what matters most
SeriesMoto
First releasedMay 17, 2016 (2016-05-17)
PredecessorMoto G (3rd generation)
SuccessorMoto G5
RelatedMoto E3 Power
Moto Z
Form factorSlate
DimensionsG4 Play: 144.4 mm (5.69 in) H
72 mm (2.8 in) W
9.9 mm (0.39 in) D G4, G4 Plus: 153 mm (6.0 in) H
76.6 mm (3.02 in) W
9.8 mm (0.39 in) D
WeightG4 Play: 137 g (4.8 oz)
G4, G4 Plus: 155 g (5.5 oz)
Operating systemOriginal: Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow"
Current: Android 7.0 "Nougat" (8.1 "Oreo" on G4 Plus)
System-on-chip
CPU
  • 1.2 GHz (Moto G4 Play)
  • 4x1.5 GHz 4x1.2 GHz 64-bit (Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus)
GPU
Memory
  • 1 or 2 GB (Moto G4 Play)
  • 2 or 3 GB (Moto G4)
  • 2, 3 or 4 GB (Moto G4 Plus)
Storage
  • 8 or 16 GB (Moto G4 Play)
  • 16 or 32 GB (Moto G4)
  • 16, 32 or 64 GB (Moto G4 Plus)
All 3 models are expandable via microSD card slot
Removable storagemicroSDXC up to 128 GB
Battery
  • 2800 mAh Li-po removable (Moto G4 Play)
  • 3000 mAh Li-ion non-removable (Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus)
Rear camera13 MP (16 MP on Moto G4 Plus), f2.0 aperture, dual CCT dual tone flash, 1080p video recording @ 30fps, and slow motion record
Front camera5 MP, f2.2
DisplayG4 Play: 5.0" (127 mm) 1280 x 720 (294 ppi) 720p
G4, G4 Plus: 5.5" (140 mm) 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi) 1080p with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
SoundFront-ported loud speaker, 2-Mics
ConnectivityMicro USB, 3.5 mm headset jack
CodenameG4 Play: harpia
G4/G4 Plus: athene
Development statusDiscontinued
Websitewww.motorola.com/us/smartphones-moto-g-family

In comparison to the previous single Moto G models, the G4 fragmented the line into three models, with the base model joined by the Moto G4 Play and the Moto G4 Plus with an upgraded camera and a fingerprint reader.

Specifications

edit
 
Moto G4 Plus Camera 16 MP dual-pixel

The Moto G4's hardware design was refreshed featuring a "water repellent nano-coating" on the motherboard and a camera protrusion. However, unlike the previous generation Moto G3, the Moto G4 Plus does not feature IPX7 certification. The G4 was available in black and white-colored versions, with different rear-cover and accent-colors available for custom order via MotoMaker. The G4 has a removable back cover which exposes SIM card slots and a MicroSD card slot. The G4 includes a 5.5-inch 1080p display, an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 system-on-chip, and 2/3 GB of RAM. The Moto G4 includes either 16 or 32 GB of internal storage expandable via MicroSD. It has a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Moto G4 also supports 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity and an FM radio receiver.[2][3]

The device shipped with Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow".[3] Motorola stated that the Moto G4 line would receive occasional security patches.[4] On December 29, 2016, Motorola began rolling out an update to Android 7.0 "Nougat".[5] In September 2017, Motorola stated that the Moto G4 Plus would receive an update to Android 8.1 "Oreo" although no estimated date was given. An Android 8.1 update was released in February 2019.[6]

Alternative Android-ROMs

edit

Official alternative Android-ROMs[7] for all three G4 models were released by LineageOS, and their support originally was set to end[8] with the final version 14.1 (corresponds to Android 7.1) in September 2018. However, several new unofficial community releases were released afterwards.

On April 1, 2021, the G4 Play was added back[9] to the officially supported list of devices offering an update to Lineage 17.1 (Android 10).

A port of postmarketOS for the G4 Play exists under the code name motorola-harpia.[10]

Models E4

edit

The Moto G4 is available in a standard model, as well as the Moto G4 Play and Moto G4 Plus. The Play is a low-end model with reduced specifications, as well as an 8-megapixel camera and 720p display. The Plus model is a high-end version that features a 16-megapixel camera with dual-tone flash and infrared auto-focus, as well as an integrated fingerprint reader, up to 4 GB of RAM, and up to 64 GB of internal storage.[1][3]

The G4 and G4 Play were also sold as part of Amazon.com's Prime Exclusive program, which offered a discounted version of the phone to Amazon Prime subscribers, subsidized by the display of personalized advertising on the lock screen. Due to this, the Prime Exclusive models of the device are ineligible for Motorola's bootloader unlocking program.[11][12][13]

Model comparison

edit
Stat Moto G4 Play[14] Moto G4[15] Moto G4 Plus[16]
Model XT1604 (Europe[17]) XT1607 (USA[14])
XT1609 (Verizon[14])
XT1625 (USA,[15] India[18])
XT1622 (Europe)
XT1640 (Brazil)
XT1641 (Canada, Mexico)
XT1642 (Spain, Australia)[19]
XT1643 (India)
XT1644 (Canada,[20] USA,[16] India,[21] Europe)
Processor Snapdragon 410 at 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 617 at 1.5 GHz
Processor Cores 4 cores 8 cores (4x 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53,
4x 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 )
GPU Adreno 306 GPU Adreno 405 GPU
RAM 1 GB 2 GB 2, 3 or 4 GB
Storage 16 or 32 GB 16, 32, or 64 GB
WiFi/Bluetooth 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth LE 4.1
802.11 b/g/n (2.4+5 GHz)
Bluetooth LE 4.2
Display Resolution HD (1280 x 720) Full HD (1920 x 1080)
Display Size 5", 294 ppi 5.5", 401 ppi
Rear Camera 8 MP ( CMOS ) f/2.2

1080p30 video

13 MP ( CMOS ) f/2.0

1080p30 video w/ slow-motion

16 MP ( OmniVision - OV16860 - PureCel ) [22]

f/2.0
PDAF and laser autofocus
1080p30 video w/ slow-motion

Front camera 5 MP f/2.2 5 MP ( OmniVision - OV5693 - CMOS BSI ) [22]

f/2.2
720p30 video

Sensor Proximity

Light
Accelerometer

Proximity,

Light
Accelerometer

NFC Yes[17] No
Battery 2800 mAh removable 3000 mAh non-removable
w/ TurboPower charging[23]
Fingerprint reader No Yes

Reception

edit

The Moto G4 was lauded as a top budget smartphone, with Android Central concluding that it "represents the ideal experience for an inexpensive Android phone and is a fantastic value."[24] CNET called the G4 an "unbeatable bargain."[25] Others noticed that, unlike the third-generation Moto G, the price of the G4 did not make it much cheaper than more powerful phones.[26]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "New Moto G lineup brings 1080p and fingerprint sensors to mid-range phones". Ars Technica. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Moto G4 Play review: The best $150 you can spend on a modern Android smartphone". ZDNet. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  3. ^ a b c "Lenovo fragments Moto G into three models, because it has no idea what we want". The Verge. Vox Media. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  4. ^ Amadeo, Ron (2016-07-26). "Motorola confirms that it will not commit to monthly security patches". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  5. ^ "Android 7.0 Nougat update starts hitting Motorola Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  6. ^ Vasile, Cosmin (10 February 2019). "Android 8.1 Oreo finally arrives for the Moto G4 Plus in the U.S." PhoneArena. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  7. ^ "Info about athene". LineageOS.
  8. ^ "LineageOS drops support for multiple devices due to inactive maintainers". xda-developers. 27 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Changelog 25 - Exemplary Eleven, Ravishing Recorder, Captivating Calendar, Beaming Backup". LineageOS.
  10. ^ "Motorola Moto G4 Play (motorola-harpia)". Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Moto G4 Play joins Amazon's ad-injected Prime phone deals". Engadget. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  12. ^ "Motorola confirms the bootloader on the Amazon Prime Exclusive Moto G4 can't be unlocked". Android Police. 2016-07-20. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  13. ^ Dolcourt, Jessica (20 July 2016). "Amazon's $150 Moto G4 is an even better deal than the original (hands-on)". CNET. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  14. ^ a b c "Moto G Play - Unlocked Android Smartphone". Motorola - Unlocked Android Smartphones. Motorola Mobility LLC. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  15. ^ a b "Moto G - Unlocked Android Smartphone". Motorola - Unlocked Android Smartphones. Motorola Mobility LLC. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Moto G Plus - Unlocked Android Smartphone". Motorola - Unlocked Android Smartphones. Motorola Mobility LLC. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  17. ^ a b "Moto G Play - Android Smartphone". Motorola. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  18. ^ "motorola IN - Android™ cellphones & modular smartphones". www.motorola.in. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  19. ^ "motorola AU - unlocked cell phones and modular smartphones". www.motorola.com.au. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  20. ^ "Moto G Plus - Motorola". 16 December 2017. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Moto G Plus | Motorola". www.motorola.in. Archived from the original on 2016-05-18.
  22. ^ a b "Motorola Moto G4 Plus - Specifications".
  23. ^ "Moto G Plus - Unlocked Android Smartphone | Motorola". Motorola. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  24. ^ Martonik, Andrew. "The Best Cheap Android Smartphones of 2017". Android Central. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  25. ^ Hoyle, Andrew (27 July 2016). "Motorola Moto G4 review". CNet. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  26. ^ Gibbs, Samuel (17 June 2016). "Moto G4 and G4 Plus review: great phone, no longer quite so budget". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2017.