Motorola e40: The budget smartphone category in India is extremely competitive with smartphones touting great performance and features but at a price no heavier than a brick. Amidst all of this abundance, Motorola quietly has developed a niche for people who want close-to-stock Android in a clean, hassle-free package.
The sub-₹10,000 Motorola e40 is made to deliver a smooth experience, and provide some decent hardware with a clean user interface to let users do their job.
So is the Moto e40 worth your money or is it yet another face in the budget crowd?
Design and Display: Useful and Sleek
The Motorola e40 doesn’t look cheap even though it is priced as such. It has a textured plastic back embossed with a subtle wave pattern, that helps with grip and keeps it fingerprints free.
The phone is available in two understated but beautiful colors — Carbon Gray and Pink Clay.
On the front, you get a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD display. At 90Hz, it’s got smoother scrolling and transitions than most phones at this price.
Resolution is only 720p, so you won’t be getting razor-sharp text, but colors are fairly natural, and it’s bright enough to use indoors.
Performance: Fine for every day use
The phone is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T700 processor along with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage (expandable up to 1TB through microSD card).
Although Unisoc’s not a name that many will recognize like MediaTek or Qualcomm, the T700 covers the basics surprisingly well — calls, messaging, social media apps and even casual gaming.
Apps are quick to open and multitasking is mostly seamless so long as you don’t push it too over its limit. It provides excellent consistent performance for a phone in this price range, and is particularly ideal for an undemanding user.
Software – A Clean and Near Stock Android
And this is where the Motorola e40 really excels. The phone runs Android 11 with Moto’s My UX, which means no bloatware and no ads. It’s smooth, responsive and clean – something many higher priced phones still don’t get right.
And Moto quality of life features like chop for flashlight or twist to launch camera exist here and work as smoothly as before, without ever feeling gimmicky.
Camera: Practical, Not Polished
The e40 has a triple rear camera setup including ones with:
48MP main sensor
2MP macro sensor
2MP depth sensor
Main sensor achieves good photos with nice color in good light. For the price, dynamic range and level of detail are fine. However, the macro and depth sensors are hardly useful and are something closer to filler specs.
The front camera, which offers 8MP, takes good selfies, especially during the day. It is equipped with portrait mode and face beauty features but you can also expect some noise in the images in low light conditions.
All-Day Battery Life
The Moto e40’s other strong suit is its 5000mAh battery. With light to moderate use, you can easily push it to a day and a half. Even at the heaviest of usage, you will get through a full day.
Charging is capped at 10W, though, so charging from empty to full takes around 2.5 hours. No USB-C fast charging here — just a plain old micro-USB port, and it feels as dated in 2024 as it did in 2018.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Display is smooth at 90Hz
Clean, stripped-down, bloat-free Android interface
Good enough 48MP main for the price
Solid battery life (5000mAh)
Expandable storage up to 1TB
Decent construction for the price
Cons
HD+ resolution, not Full HD
It has slow charging rate (10W only)
Outdated micro-USB port
Weak macro and depth cameras
Under-display fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted only)
Motorola e40 Final Verdict
The Motorola e40 isn’t a phone that will scream for attention with its specs. Instead, it subtly zeroes in on core fundamentals — a brisk(er) experience, uncluttered software, decent battery life and a passable screen.
The the e40 is perfect for those tired of bloated UIs and unwanted advertisements.
If you’re a student, senior or first-time smartphone user searching for something reliable, the e40 should really be on your shortlist.
It’s also a reminder that even on budget phones, the fundamentals can fall into place — when the user truly comes first.