Moto G4 Mini Review – The Value Champ?
We recently reviewed Lenovo’s excellent $249 Moto G4 Plus giving it high marks for usability and value. It’s sibling, the Moto G4, delivers similar performance at a lower price point. The Moto G4 can be had for as little as $149 from Amazon if you are willing to put up with lockscreen ads or $199 if you prefer your lockscreen to be commercial free. The Moto G4 is a fantastic value at either price. Keep reading to see how it stacks up against the Moto G4 Plus.
The Moto G4 and G4 Plus look almost identical – same 5.5 inch 1080p screen, same grippy back, same button configuration. The G4 Plus’ added fingerprint reader is the only external difference. This gives the G4 a cleaner look overall at the cost of some functionality.
Most of the differences between the two devices are spec sheet differences. The G4 Plus has up to 4 GB RAM and up to 64 GB storage. The G4 is limited to 2 GB RAM and 32 GB storage. Under the hood they share the same CPU and graphics processor. Real world usage showed little to no appreciable performance difference and the storage gap becomes less important when one considers the option to add a 128 GB microSD card(like the one we reviewed from samsung here -Dan) to either phone. The G4 also lacks laser auto-focus and has a 13 MP camera as opposed to the G4 Plus’ 16 MP shooter. Pictures looked similar, though, when taken under equal lighting conditions.
There’s little to separate the two phones in day-to-day use. Both are easy to recommend but the bang for buck that Lenovo has delivered with the G4 is astounding. At $149, the Moto G4 is almost a no-brainer purchase for anyone looking for a mid-range or backup phone. Lenovo is doing all the right things in this price segment. As a result the consumer wins.
