Motorola Moto E vs. Samsung Galaxy S6: Here's what that high-end premium gets you

[Scorpus]

If you’re currently in the market for the best smartphone going around, the Samsung Galaxy S6 should be close to, if not at the top of your shopping list. Unfortunately it’s not exactly the most budget friendly device; at over $550 unlocked and off-contract, it’s the sort of product that’s restricted to people with a fair chunk of disposable income.

On the other end of the spectrum sits the second-generation Moto E, an entry-level handset from Motorola that can readily be found for under $100. It may not have all the bells and whistles of the Galaxy S6, but it costs just a fraction of the price and promises to be a capable performer for day to day tasks.

So what does a $100 smartphone get you in comparison to an expensive flagship? Is the 2015 Moto E just as usable in day to day activities as the Galaxy S6, or is the extra cost of Samsung’s leading smartphone more than justified?

Read the complete review.

 

[dexterkarthik]

Finally a comparison that makes my job easy to get people to understand why a $100 device would suffice most

 

[Keydric]

I currently have a Galaxy S4, an iPhone 4, and the Moto E. The S4 is great, but now just a toy for the kids. The iPhone is another toy.

I use my Moto E as my personal and work device since I can have a stock Android device updated with the current OS, its fast, and it just works great. I can sideload apps as needed, the SD slot is handy, and Motorola added just the minor touches that I actually like (shake the phone and the camera turns on). The fact that I can bypass those if wanted is also nice. I bought mine from Cricket (AT&T) for $79 and I only pay $35/month no contract, unlimited everything .

 

[noel24]

I like those kind of comparison tests between David and Goliath, although as usual with phone test I went straight for battery life test and I found none? Other than that, E makes a perfect everyday workhorse for work or active lifestyle that one wouldn't mind to get dirty or scratched, perfect for every pocket and one handed operation. S6 is more of a three set suit wearing playboy, stirr, God forbid shake.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

98% of people who buy the the high end stuff do so for bragging rights and bling, nothing else.

 

[noel24]

98% of people who buy the the high end stuff do so for bragging rights and bling, nothing else.

Cannot agree. More like 97%. In reality, few % will choose it because they've heard it's got superior specs, better camera, faster GPS, less reliability problems and generally better build quality and when they walk into BestBuy they got enamoured with screen quality. That is except Apple clients, they are bling-bling sheep.

 

[Kibaruk]

How about a Moto G vs a Flagship? I bet the comparisson would be awesome.

A mid range vs a high end.

 

[Xabi Granja]

Finally a comparison that makes my job easy to get people to understand why a $100 device would suffice most

Makes me happy to read this article just 12h after I ordered the Moto E Now I can point all my friends to Techspot and end their constant questioning about why I just bought a budget phone.

 

[Kibaruk]

Makes me happy to read this article just 12h after I ordered the Moto E Now I can point all my friends to Techspot and end their constant questioning about why I just bought a budget phone.

I'm not sure the big differences a Moto E vs G has, but the G is awesome and cheap, don't know how much awesomer and expensiver than the E, but I absolutely love that phone.

 

[Brodo Laggins]

I'm done with the whole waste your money on a flagship, just to have it replaced by a new flagship 6-9 months later.

Last summer, waiting for the invite for the OnePlus One, hearing good things about a mid range device called the Huawei Mate2, I bought one as a joke. Big phones don't bother me and it was depth & width the same as my Note1, and only just under 1/2 inch taller. Had no expectation of it, because it was a snapdragon 400, 2gb ram, 32gb storage, expandable with microSD, 720p screen, JB4.3. Boy was I shocked how well it worked. Smooth, flawless, snappy, clear & bright screen. (just this year it got 5.1LL)

The problem with these overpriced flagships is the bulk of the population that uses smartphones, will never come close to maxing out the performance of the hardware, since the apps that run on them, work on a wide range of different versions of Android. From 3.x to 5.x The software can't take advantage of the hardware (save for some high end 3D games). Plus, most people run one app at a time (more memory helps). People don't really multi task in the traditional "windows" sense. (I run a couple apps split screen on my 6.1" screen Mate2).

I think they are reaching the "Moore's Law" of smartphones. Faster and faster processors, more and more megapixel cameras are not needed. Until people figure that out, the manufacturers will continue to push them out, sideways updates to current devices, charging higher and higher prices. We need true innovation, something to take us to the next level. Say something like a device with a flexible screen, closed, a 4-5" smartphone, but opened up an 8-10" Phablet.

 

[aionaddict]

Makes me happy to read this article just 12h after I ordered the Moto E Now I can point all my friends to Techspot and end their constant questioning about why I just bought a budget phone.

I'm not sure the big differences a Moto E vs G has, but the G is awesome and cheap, don't know how much awesomer and expensiver than the E, but I absolutely love that phone.

The new Moto E is actually faster than the 2014 Moto G, but there is a new version of Moto G that just came out. The specs are pretty similar though the 2015 Moto G adds a larger screen and a far better camera. It is also close to double the price of the E. I personally prefer smaller phones regardless of the price.

 

[hemedans]

I like those kind of comparison tests between David and Goliath, although as usual with phone test I went straight for battery life test and I found none? Other than that, E makes a perfect everyday workhorse for work or active lifestyle that one wouldn't mind to get dirty or scratched, perfect for every pocket and one handed operation. S6 is more of a three set suit wearing playboy, stirr, God forbid shake.

moto e has better battery life than s6. check gsmarena they have best battery life reviews

 

[Amy Grant]

So how is the phone call experience? Sound quality? Connection quality with car Bluetooth? Nice article but seems to focus on games and aps when most of us use a cell phone to communicate.... Messaging? Email? Contact management? Speaker quality?