Moto E5, E5 Play & E5 Plus announced: Motorola's new budget-friendly phones

Last year’s Moto E4 and E4 Plus were great devices that grabbed lots of attention thanks to their affordable price tags. The smaller of the two was initially available for as low as $70, while the Plus model went for $180. Sure, the smartphones didn’t have flagship specs, but they still packed enough power under the hood for the average user.

At an event in Brazil, Motorola has now announced their successors, the Moto E5 and E5 Plus, joined by the more affordable Moto E5 Play. Here’s what these new cheap Moto handsets bring to the table.

Read: Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus, and Moto G6 Play launched in Brazil

Moto E5, E5 Play, and E5 Plus: Specs and features

The Moto E5 and E5 Plus have stopped by the FCC recently, revealing the chipsets they pack under the hood. And now Motorola has officially confirmed them: the Moto E5 comes with the Snapdragon 425 (like one version of its predecessor), while its bigger brother is powered by the beefier Snapdragon 430.

The smaller two devices (Moto E5 Play and Moto E5) feature 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, while the E5 Plus goes upscale with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, competing with the entry level version of the new Moto G6.

The Moto E5 features a 5.2-inch 1440 x 720 display (18:9), the E5 hits 5.7 inches at the same resolution, while the E5 Plus reaches a generous 6 inches. All three devices come with LCD displays — no OLED surprise here.

There’s some further differentiation in the camera department, with the entry-level E5 featuring a lowly 8MP 1.12-micro sensor, followed by 13MP on the E5 and 12MP (with larger, 1.25-micron pixels) on the Moto E5 Plus.

Battery capacity has always been one of the strongest features of the Moto E4 family, and the new generation does not disappoint in this regard. The E5 Play features a 2,800mAh unit, the E5 comes in at 4,000mAh, while the E5 Plus hits an impressive 5,000mAh. These phones will last you days.

There’s no water proofing, but Motorola said it coated the E4, E4 Play, and E4 Plus with a water-repellent coating. Your mileage may vary.

Other notable features include the rear-mounted fingerprint sensors and the fast charging batteries (over microUSB, as opposed to USB Type-C). Yes, there’s a headphone jack.

Moto E5, E5 Play, and E5 Plus: Design

The E5 and E5 Plus have smaller bezels than their predecessors and are also narrower, as well as taller thanks to their 18:9 displays. They feature fingerprint scanners on the back, as opposed to on the front like on the E4 Plus. It’s a more eye-catching, modern design compared to last year’s crop.

Moto E5 looks a lot like its bigger brother. It sports thinner bezels, Motorola’s branding below the display, and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The only design difference between the two seems to be at the back (camera), but it’s so minor that it’s almost hard to notice it.

All three Moto E5 models feature plastic constructions, instead of the glass backs of the Moto G6 series. The finish, which appears to mimic glass or polished metal, give the phone a pretty luxurious appearance, despite the plastic build.

Moto E5, E5 Play, and E5 Plus: Price and availability

There’s no precise word on what the Moto E5 and E5 Plus will cost in the United States, but we can get a good idea of what to expect by looking at their predecessors. The Moto E4 initially went for $130, but you were able to get it from Verizon for just $70. Its bigger brother was obviously more expensive, coming in at $180.

In Europe, the Moto E5 will cost around 150 euros, while the Moto E5 Plus will hit 170 euros. No release date has been specified yet, with availability set for a vague “following weeks.”

There you have it — these are the crucial details you need to know about the Moto E5, Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus. Share your thoughts on Motorola’s new smartphones in the comments below.