The launch of the Moto G5 brought another compelling option to the increasingly crowded field for budget phones. But with Motorola's bargain-basement Moto E phone having gone two years without a new version, Motorola's missing the kind of low-priced phone aimed at enticing first-time smartphone shoppers.
That may be about to change. Writing for Venture Beat, Evan Blass has a scoop on Motorola's plans for a new entry-level smartphone. And based on the rumored specs, this could be the phone that fills the $100-$200 gap left by the lack of Moto E updates.
The new phone will reportedly be called the Moto C, and it will be available in standard and Plus versions, though both models are expected to have the same 5-inch display and ship with Android Nougat. The specs relayed to Blass from someone briefed on Motorola's plans won't set hearts racing, but they do sound like the kind of device meant to appeal to shoppers who don't want to break the bank on a smartphone.
The Moto C will come in two variations, one a 3G phone and the other a 4G device. Both will reportedly run on quad-core MediaTek CPUs, with a 32-bit 1.3GHz processor powering the 3G Moto C and a 64-bit 1.1GHz CPU inside the 4G version. Look for the phones to come in 8G and 16GB capacities, with the 4G Moto C presumably getting the bigger storage.
Other than those differences, it sounds like the specs on both Moto C versions will be similar. The phones will have 1GB of RAM, 854 x 480 resolution, and a 2350 mAh battery. The Moto C will have a 5-megapixel rear camera along with a 2-MP shooter up front, according to Blass.
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The Moto C Plus should spruce up those specs ever so slightly. It'll have the same 32-bit 1.3GHz CPU as the 3G Moto C, but it could have up to 2GB of RAM depending on which region Motorola releases the phone. The C Plus bumps the resolution to 1280 x 720 and the front camera to 8-MP. (It will still feature a 2-MP selfie cam.) It will likely offer 16GB of storage.
The most compelling feature of the Moto C Plus could be its battery, which will reportedly be a 4000 mAh power pack. If that's the case, it would make the Moto C Plus another budget smartphone that doesn't skimp on battery life to offer a lower price tag.
Speaking of price, that's one of the key details missing from the Moto C report. We also don't know when and where the phones will be available. But given the specs and the Moto G5 Plus's appeal in the mid-tier market, you can probably expect a fairly low price tag for the C and C Plus should they make it to the U.S.
