Motorola Moto G4 Plus first impressions: a specification boaster

Motorola had launched the 4th generation devices (Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus) of their famous G series of smartphones earlier this month. We managed to lay our hands on the 3 GB/32 GB variant of the Moto G4 Plus. Concerning specifications, this smartphone features a full HD display, powered by 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor. It comes with a 5.5-inch screen. It comes in two options - 16 GB storage with 2 GB RAM, and 32 GB storage with 3 GB RAM. It runs on stock Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 and packs a 3,000 mAh battery which supports fast charging as well.

Moto G4 Plus secondary camera and fingerprint sensor

The smartphone features a display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It has three on-screen buttons for Menu, Home, and Back. There is a fingerprint sensor in place of the usual Home button. This has resulted in a wastage of space at the bottom. To the left of the fingerprint module lies the primary microphone. Additionally, there is a 5 MP front facing camera lens located above the display, to the right of the earpiece grille (of which speaker is a part). In between the earpiece and the camera lies the infrared blaster.

The smartphone has high-end hardware that includes 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor coupled with Adreno 405 GPU, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal memory, a 16 MP rear camera with PDAF and dual LED flash located just below the camera lens. The camera and the flash are enclosed in a vertical oval shaped metal ring. Below the flash is the famous dimple with the Motorola logo on it. On the rear, the secondary noise-cancellation microphone is located to the left of the camera module.

The right side of the device features the power key (located on the top) and the volume rocker key (located below it). The left side of the device is kept bare.

The 3.5 mm headset jack is at the top in the center. The micro USB port is at the bottom center.

Removing the rear polycarbonate cover reveals the SIM tray. There are two SIM slots, along with a slot for microSD card for expanding the memory storage by up to 128 GB. The device supports 4G LTE.

This is the first device from this manufacturer to feature a fingerprint sensor. What is strange is its shape and placement. It is placed under a square area, thus leaving lesser room to swipe the finger (or the thumb). Also, it does not double up as a Home button, which takes some getting used to.

When seen from the front, the side frame gives a hint of metal. There are no sharp edges and corners, and this makes the smartphone easier to carry around.

Stay tuned for a detailed review of the device. Subscribe to our feed, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Google+ to get notified as soon as the review is published.