Motorola Moto E6 Budget Phone Offers A Slice Of Android Pie And A Removable Battery

Let's face it; not everyone needs to buy a flagship smartphone these days to check their email or browse the internet. Even "value-laden" flagships like the OnePlus 7 Pro start at $669. For those that can get by with much less, Motorola continues to crank out budget phones that can be had for well below $200. 

The company's latest entry-level device is the sixth generation Moto E smartphone, aptly named the Moto E6. Given its low price, you won't find fancy aluminum or steel construction, but instead a highly durable plastic chassis that is splash resistant.

When it comes to the display, there’s a 5.5-inch LCD with a lowly resolution of 1440x720 (18:9 ratio). Likewise, you'll find a miserly octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 SoC that is paired with just 2GB of RAM. Only 16GB of onboard storage is included, but Motorola thankfully includes a microSD slot that will allow you to inexpensively add up to an additional 256GB of storage.

Interestingly, battery capacity is actually down compared to its predecessor, coming in at 3000 mAh versus 4000 mAh for the Moto E6. However, the big news is that the battery is actually -- wait for it -- removable. That's something you almost never see in a modern smartphone, so we'll let Motorola get a pass for skimping on the battery capacity this time around.

Charging is unfortunately still handled by a microUSB port on the bottom of the smartphone, which is a head scratcher given that USB-C has been the standard for years for charging smartphones. On the other hand, Motorola at least includes a 3.5mm headphone jack which is preferable in this price class (and absolutely necessary given the lack of a USB-C port). Out back, you'll find a 13MP camera which is vastly improved over the camera in the Moto E5. Motorola says that it has improved low-light performance thanks to a smaller aperture and larger pixels. A 5MP camera is retained on the front for selfie duties.

The Moto E6 comes from the factory loaded with Android Pie, and will be available this summer priced at $149 unlocked.