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The Motorola Moto E14 is an entry-level Android smartphone running Android 14 Go Edition software. If you do not remember what Android Go is all about, it is a stripped down version of Android OS that is optimized for smoother running on entry-level smartphones.
At just £70, the Motorola Moto E14 may be cheap, but it arrives in the market with a range of features that punch above its price point. They include a 90Hz display, Gorilla Glass protection, some water and dust protection, as well as fast charging. Let me walk you through these features that make it stand out at the entry-level.
Motorola Moto E14
- 90 Hz refresh rate
- Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- IP52 dust and splash resistance
- 15W charging
- Android Go Edition
- Specs of Motorola Moto E14
- Price and Markets
90 Hz refresh rate
At this price point, it is more common to find displays with good old 60 Hz refresh rate. The E14 bucks that trend and shows up with a 90 Hz refresh rate. I do wish that the display resolution was bumped up to 1080p, but that just might be asking for too much.
Gorilla Glass 3 protection
But that display has another bonus feature that sets it above it peers – Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Once upon a time, Corning’s Gorilla Glass protection was the exclusive preserve of premium flagship phones. Now, we are seeing it in mid-range phones and a very small catalogue of entry-level phones. The display of Motorola Moto E14 comes with this layer of protection, and that is a good thing. To be sure, Gorilla Glass 3’s forte is scratch resistance, not drop resistance. As such, it is more likely to survive scrapes with keys and other materials than survive a drop to the hard floor.
IP52 dust and splash resistance
Again, getting an entry-level A droid smartphone with some level of suat and water resistance is novel. An IP52 rating means that the Moto E14 is protected from light dust and light water sprays. That’s better than no protection at all. Just remember not to expose it to strong sprays of water and front drop it inside water.
15W charging
I’d have been okay with 10W charging in a device like the Motorola Moto E14, so you can imagine that finding it supports 15W fast charging is a bonus point. But Motorola then proceeded to make things complicated by including only a 10W charging brick in the box. Which means that using that charger, the Moto E14 will charge only at 10W speed. To enjoy the full charging capacity of the phone, you have to buy a compatible 15W charger. Bummer.
Android Go Edition
Having Android Go Edition running in the Motorola Moto E14 means that this cheap phone runs smoother. The operating system and Android Go apps are all optimized to make your user experience smoother and more enjoyable. Do note that you might have issues running some apps that were not designed for Android Go phones. Thankfully, there are not a lot of them. But it is good to bear that in mind. For example, I know people who have had issues running some of their bank apps on Android Go phones.
The above features put the Motorola Moto E14 above its peers and make it an exciting smartphone to consider, if you are hunting for a £70 smartphone. Of course, at heart, it is still an entry-level Android phone and you have to remember that, so you don’t get carried away.
Do note that the Moto E14 does not have a fingerprint scanner, which is no shock. Perhaps in the future, all entry-level Android smartphones will have one. For now, it isn’t a given. Having examined the featured that make this smartphone exceptional, let’s see what the rest of the specs sheet is like.
Specs of Motorola Moto E14
- Processor: UNISOC T606 processor with 2xA75 1.6 GHz + 6xA55 1.6 GHz octa-core CPU,
- GPU: Arm Mali-G57 MP1 650 MHz
- RAM: 2 GB RAM
- Operating System: Android ™ 14 (Go edition)
- Internal Storage: 64 GB built-in
- External Storage: up to 1 TB microSD card expandable UFS 2.2
- Sensors: Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer
- Virtual RAM (RAM Boost): 4 GB
- Security: Face unlock
- Battery Size: 5000 mAh
- Battery Charging: 15W fast charging
- Display Size: 6.56”
- Resolution: HD+ (1612 x 720 p), 269 ppi
- Aspect Ratio: 20:9
- Screen to Body Ratio: Active Area-Touch Panel (AA-TP): 89.50%, Active Area-Body (AA-Body): 84.97%
- Display Technology: IPS LCD
- Refresh Rate: 90 Hz
- Protection: Corning ® Gorilla ® Glass 3
- Dimensions: 163.49 x 74.53 x 7.99 mm
- Weight: 178.8 g
- Colors: Pastel Green, Graphite Gray, Pastel Purple
- Ports: 3.5 mm headset jack & Type-C port (USB 2.0)
- Water Protection: IP52 water-repellent design
- Rear Camera: 13 MP (f/2.2, 1.12 µm), PDAF, FHD (1080p @ 30fps)
- Front Camera: 5 MP (f/2.2, 1.12 µm), FHD (1080p @ 30fps)
- Single speaker with Dolby Atmos ®
- Headphone Jack: 3.5mm headset jack
- Voice Control: Google Assistant
- Networks + Bands: 4G bands: LTE 1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41. 3G bands: 1/5/8. 2G bands: 3/5/8
- Bluetooth Technology: Bluetooth ® 5.0
- NFC: No
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz. Wi-Fi hotspot
- Location Services: GPS, A-GPS, LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, Galileo
- SIM Card: Dual SIM (2 nano SIM)
As you can see from the specs sheet, a UNISOC T606 processor powers Motorola Moto E14, placing it firmly in entry-level territory. So does the 2GB RAM. But then, with Android Go Edition inside, this will make for a more bearable user experience. Google says that Android Go makes entry-level Android phones run 30% faster and smoother, as well as improve multitasking.
As far as personal preference is concerned, I am glad to see a punch hole, not the ugly waterdrop notch, for the selfie camera of the Motorola Moto E14. Phone brands really should get rid of all kinds of notches. They belong in the past. Punch holes are simply more elegant.
Price and Markets
Motorola Moto E14 is available in the UK for £70. It is available in three colorways: Pastel Green, Graphite Gray, and Pastel Purple. I am convinced that this is one of the best smartphones that £70 can buy today. If you are in the UK and looking for the best possible cheap smartphone to buy, you will be hard-pressed to find anything better than Motorola Moto E14.
It is also listed as available in Europe, though pricing isn’t published yet. At this time, there is no information on whether it will be sold in the United States, but I shall keep my eyes open and update this page should I find any updates.
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
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Are you one of those who complain about poor cameras on budget devices? Have you read gadget reviews in which the reviewer scores a budget device low because the camera doesn’t take stunning shots? To be honest, you should not be surprised. Budget phones are the wrong places to look for quality cameras.
For one, low-cost phones lack the advanced camera sensors found on high-end smartphones. Those advanced sensors cost more money than basic ones do. They also lack the processing power ( CPU and GPU ) required to utilize those advanced sensors. Again, those more powerful processors cost more money. To top it up, budget phones also lack the advanced lenses that high-end camera phones have. Of course, more advanced lenses cost more money. All of these extra expenses stack up and remove great cameras from within reach of budget smartphones. All you are left with are poor cameras.
- Budget Phones And Poor Cameras Are A Pair
- Ignore The Megapixel Ratings
- All The Best cameras Are On Flagships
- But What If…
Budget Phones And Poor Cameras Are A Pair
Whether it is on smartphones or on drones or manned aircraft or on security towers, great cameras and budget do not mix. Wherever you see an outstanding camera, you are looking at something that has cost money to produce. It is like expecting a high octane performance engine in a budget city car. If you find one in there, it is placed there at great, extra cost.
Ignore The Megapixel Ratings
We have known for years that a camera’s quality is not all about its megapixels rating. There are a handful of factors that contribute to the quality of photos that a camera produces. As such, you can have an 8 megapixel camera on a $250 budget smartphone and an 8 megapixel camera on a $1200 flagship. But the camera in the flagship will produce much better images than the one in the budget phone ever can. It is more than the megapixels .
All The Best cameras Are On Flagships
Have you ever – at any point in time since smartphones were invented – found the best cameras on any device that is not a flagship? Run your web searches. Since the garden of Eden, every list of the best camera phones year after year have always featured the most expensive phones.
But What If…
But what if one manufacturer were to produce a phone that has budget specifications in every other area and then include a flagship grade camera on it? It would cost a bit more than the average budget phone. Perhaps its price would cross over into mid-tier territory. But I am wondering..a performance camera would require a really good processor too. Those glorious photos tend to be heavy too and will require lots of internal storage. Sigh. The price is going up gradually; right? Perhaps cloud storage can be used?
Anyway, you get the picture; right? Stop expecting anything other than poor cameras on low-cost smartphones. It costs quite a bit to produce a well refined camera that produces stunning photographs. Yes, once in a while, one phone brand or the other manages to squeeze a great camera into an upper mid-range smartphone. That is doable and happens.
But one you drop down into low-cost or entry-level territory, out goes any chances of having a great camera. This is not to say that entry-level phone cameras are so poor that they are useless. Not at all; you can take fairly good and usable photos with them (here is a video tutorial on how to take better photos with your phone camera ), but you will be able to take much better photos with the cameras in high-end phones.
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
