Interested in knowing the differences between Moto G4 vs G4 Plus vs G4 Play? Then keep reading this post for more information.
Motorola might not be the main player in the smartphone game in recent days. However, at a time, this company was at the pinnacle of producing high-end smartphones. And, among them, the Motorola Moto G4 series was one of the most popular series of them all. In this renowned series, there were 3 smartphones, which are Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus, and Moto G4 Play.
But what are the differences among these 3 models of Motorola smartphones? Technically, all these phones look almost identical and come with almost similar specifications. Still, there are a few key distinctions that exist, though. And, we will be talking about those in this post.
So, let’s begin…
Comparison between Moto G4 vs G4 Plus vs G4 Play
Release Date
All of these devices are 4G ready. And, they were released back in 2016. However, not all of these were released in the same month. Rather, both the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus were released in May 2016. Whereas the Moto G4 Play was released in August 2016. Also, the Moto G4 Play has several versions based on the country of release.
Design and Body
Once again, in this case, the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus come with the same dimensions, which is 153 x 76.6 x 9.8 mm. But the Moto G4 Play comes with a dimension of 144.4 x 72 x 9.9 mm. That means the Moto G4 Play is a bit smaller compared to the other 2 options.
Additionally, it is also a lighter phone as it weighs just 137 grams. On the other side, the other 2 Moto G4 models weigh about 155 grams. So, if you are looking for a smaller and lighter Moto G4, then you should go with the Moto G4 Play.
Software
All three of these models come with Android Marshmallow (6.0.1) by default. But, like any other Android smartphone, these are also upgradable. The Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Play are upgradable to Android Nougat (7.0). Conversely, the Moto G4 Plus is upgradable to Android Oreo (8.0). So, if you want to experience the latest Android version, you need to go with the Moto G4 Plus.
Display
We have told you earlier that both the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus has a similar dimension. That means these two also have the same screen size. Both these smartphones come with a 5.5 inches display, 1080 x 1920 (1080p) screen resolution, 71.2% screen to body ratio, 401 PPI pixel density, etc.
On the contrary, you will get a 5-inch display on the Moto G4 Play. It also has a 66.3% screen to body ratio, 294 PPI density, 1280 x 720 (720p) screen resolution, etc. On top of these, all these smartphones have an aspect ratio of 16:9 and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. But, these feature plastic back and plastic frame, which makes them lighter.
Camera
The camera is one of the most important categories when it comes to choosing smartphones. In this section, we will be describing all the ins and outs of the camera specification of these 3 Motorola phones. So, here we go…
Main Camera
Each of these models comes with different camera specifications. For example, the Moto G4 comes with a 13 MP camera with an aperture of f/2.0. It has Dual-LED flash, HDR, and so on.
But the Moto G4 Play comes with a primary camera of 8 MP and f/2.2 aperture. And this one doesn’t feature DUAL-LED flash.
Lastly, the Moto G4 Plus features a 16 MP camera with an aperture of f/2.0. It also features HDR, Laser Autofocus, and more.
All 3 of these devices can record up to 1080p videos at 30 FPS with the main camera. So, you can see that these phones have various dissimilarities on the camera specifications.
In our opinion, the Moto G4 Plus comes with the best camera specs. And, the Moto G4 Play comes with the lowest specs of them all. As usual, the Moto G4 comes in the middle when it comes to the primary camera.
Selfie Camera
When it comes to the selfie camera, all of the 3 Moto G4 smartphones are integrated with a 5 MP camera with an aperture of f/2.2. Plus, the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus have Auto-HDR in the front camera, but the G4 Play lacks this awesome feature.
Storage Capacity
If we are talking about the external storage capacity, then all these variations of the Motorola Moto G4 have an external micro SD card slot. That means you will be able to expand the memory or storage space of your phone by adding a third-party micro SD card.
But, there are a few distinctions when it comes to the internal storage in all of these. First of all, the Moto G4 is available in 2 variations regarding the internal storage. You can get it as a 16 GB or a 32 GB internal version.
In contrast, the Moto G4 Plus is available in 3 versions. You can choose from a 16 GB, or a 32 GB, or a 64 GB internal storage version of the Moto G4 Plus. But the Moto G4 Play is only available in 8 GB and 16 GB versions in terms of the internal storage.
Once again, you can see that the Moto G4 Play has the lowest of specs when it is about the internal storage. So, you can seek the other 2 versions, if you are looking for higher internal storage capacity.
Hardware Specifications
This section is dedicated to the description of the configurations of these 3 Motorola devices. So, let’s get to it…
CPU and Chipset
Both the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus is packed with the same processor and chipset. You are getting the ‘Qualcomm MSM8952 Snapdragon 617 ‘chipset and an Octa-Core CPU (4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 and 4×1.5 GHz Cortex-A53) in these two smartphones.
That being said, the Moto G4 Play is powered by the ‘Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410’ chipset. And, it is integrated with a Quad-Core CPU (Cortex A53 @ 1.2 GHz clock speed). You can see that the Moto G4 Play has the least powerful CPU from these 3 smartphones.
GPU
The Moto G4 Play also comes with a lower-end GPU compared to the other two. It has Adreno 306 smartphone GPU. On the flip side, you will be getting the Adreno 405 GPU on both the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus.
RAM
In regards to RAM, all of these 3 models differ a lot. So, we will be specifying their RAM specs individually. First off, the Moto G4 comes with only 2 GB RAM. Whereas there are 3 versions of the Moto G4 Plus in terms of RAM that are 2 GB, 3 GB, and 4 GB. Finally, you can purchase the Moto G4 Play with either 1 GB or 2 GB RAM.
Battery and Charging
Here, the Moto G4 Play has a removable Li-Po battery of 2800 mAh. But, the other two Motorola Moto G phones don’t have a removable battery. So, the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus is powered by a 3000 mAh non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery.
Also, these 2 models feature 15 Watts fast charging, while the other one doesn’t. So, if you want a smartphone with a removable battery, then you should go with the G4 Play. But, if you are looking for better and higher battery backup, you should choose the Moto G4 or the Moto G4 Plus.
Miscellaneous Features
Bluetooth & Wi-Fi
All these devices come with Bluetooth 4.1 version. However, only the Moto G4 is implemented with dual-band Wi-Fi, while the other two lack this feature.
USB Ports
There are no dissimilarities in the USB connectivity of these 3 devices. These come with both USB on-the-go/OTG and microUSB 2.0 connectivity.
Sensors
The 3 of these Motorola devices have the accelerometer sensor. But, both the Moto G4 Plus and G4 Play has the proximity sensor, but the Moto G4 doesn’t have it. On the other end of the spectrum, both Moto G4 and the G4 Plus has built-in Gyro sensors. But the Moto G4 Play lacks the Gyro sensor.
Colors
All 3 of the Moto G4 smartphones are available in 2 colors that are Black and White.
Security Features
Both the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Play don’t have any special security features. But, the Moto G4 Plus has a front-mounted fingerprint sensor. So, if you are on the hunt for a device with an additional layer of security, you can go with the Moto G4 Plus.
Closing Thoughts
So, we have come to the conclusion of the post. Above, we have tried to portray all the key contrasts between Moto G4 vs. G4 Plus vs. G4 Play in an easy to understand way. We hope, this will clear up all the confusion and questions about the differences between these Motorola Moto G4 series smartphones
Even though these phones came out in 2016, they were changing the shape of the future world of smartphones. Because of the innovation from Motorola, we are seeing many new advanced, high-end, and futuristic smartphones recently. So, if you are a fan of Motorola, we hope you have enjoyed this comparison post.
Now, which one is your pick between these 3 options? Do let us know in the comment section below!
