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The smartphone market moves fast, and what the Moto G4 Plus offers today for £185 ($250, around AU$325) would have been positively astounding at this price point just a couple of years ago.
The 5.5-inch 1080p screen is great, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 with 2GB of RAM is enough for most tasks, the 3,000mAh battery lasts well, the 16MP camera is fantastic, and it runs almost-stock Android Nougat.
We liked
The main camera is a real high point for the G4 Plus, and is capable of capturing some impressive shots if you take your time. It falls down a little when you're trying to capture spontaneous moments, but you will not find a better camera in a phone at this price.
A few handy features on top of Android Nougat don't detract from the stock Android feel and the silky performance of this phone, and the complete lack of bloatware is refreshing.
The display is big at 5.5 inches, with a decent Full HD resolution. It handles anything you throw at it, displaying good colours at a decent level of brightness. For reading, watching movies, or gaming, the Moto G4 display is a pleasure to use.
We disliked
You can't get away from the plastic body and the dull design, even with Moto Maker's customization options. It's a definite improvement over previous releases in the series, but it's still chunky plastic compared to the rest of the field.
The fingerprint sensor works well, but the lack of NFC limits its abilities, and it's 'home button' placement, despite it not actually being a home button, is slightly annoying.
If I had to pick a single weak link it would probably be the speaker. Motorola obviously had to compromise somewhere to keep the price down, and it looks like it was here. At higher volumes the sound quality is really poor.
Verdict
Lenovo has seamlessly continued Motorola's good work, refining this popular budget range and elevating expectations about what you can reasonably expect in a relatively cheap Android phone.
The gap between the Moto G4 Plus and the latest batch of Android flagships is not as wide as I expected. It's a pleasurable device to use, and it represents good value for money.
If you've been looking for something with a big screen and a good camera, and you can stretch beyond the bottom tier, the Moto G4 Plus is definitely a good buy. Bargain hunters, however, might have trouble looking past the cheaper, but very similar Moto G4.
First reviewed: June 2016
