Moto E13 Review: Filling the void

Smartphones are getting more and more expensive every year and there is no stopping it. With the rising cost of components, coupled with most major brands focusing more on high-end smartphones, there is a void in the entry-level segment in India. Motorola, which had a busy 2022 by launching several G-series and E-series phones in India, is trying to fill that void with the launch of the Moto E13.

The Moto E13 is the company’s most affordable phone to date in India. It aims to get the basics right while offering an affordable price. Should the Moto E13 be considered if your budget is below Rs. 10,000? Here is our opinion to help you decide.

Moto E13 Price in India

The Moto E13 was launched in India with 2GB RAM and 64GB storage, priced at Rs. 6,999. There is also a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage option, priced at Rs. 7,999 Motorola sent us the latest variant for this review.

Moto E13 design and display

The Moto E13 follows the flat frame design trend that most smartphones tend to sport these days. The frame, like the curved back panel, is made of plastic. Motorola tried to give the phone a premium look with a gradient frosted finish, which I really liked. I have the Aurora Green color, but if you want a more classic look there are also Cosmic Black and Creamy White color options.

The phone is also quite light in the hand at under 180g. It’s not the thinnest phone on the market, but at 8.47mm I wouldn’t complain. That thickness also means there’s room for a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge and a big battery.

On the front, the Moto E13 sports a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution (1600 x 720 pixels) and 60Hz refresh rate, which is pretty standard for smartphones in this price range. . Screen brightness should not be a problem when using the phone indoors, but should be maximized when using it outdoors and in sunlight. Fortunately, the ambient light sensor does a fairly good job of automatically adjusting the brightness as needed.

The colors reproduced by the Moto E13’s screen are obviously not as rich or vivid as on AMOLED panels, but they are usable. The device also has WideVine L3 certification for SD video playback from streaming apps such as Netflix. There’s a single bottom-firing speaker, which is quite loud. Considering the phone is aimed at buyers who are either first-time smartphone users or ex-users of feature phones, the E13 should be good enough for basic media consumption.

The Moto E13’s chin bezel is quite chunky

The Moto E13 has an IP52 rating for basic resistance to splashing water and dust. There’s no fingerprint scanner, which can be found in alternatives like the Redmi A1+.

Moto E13 specs and software

The Moto E13 is powered by a UniSoc T606 chipset. The 12nm SoC is paired with up to 4GB of RAM, but does not support 5G networks. There’s a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging via a USB Type-C port. The phone offers connectivity features such as Bluetooth 5.0, dual band Wi-Fi, FM radio, 3.5mm headphone jack and a dual SIM tray. There is a slot for a microSD card, which can expand the internal storage up to 1TB.

There is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the Moto E13

In terms of software, the Moto E13 runs on Android 13 (Go Edition) out of the box. There is the MyUx skin on Android. Motorola is known for offering a clean software experience with MyUx which adds enough customization and personalization options. There is support for a few Moto gestures for flash and screenshots.

The phone doesn’t offer the full suite of options you get in other Motorola handsets that run the standard version of Android, but the important privacy-centric features provided by Google in Android 13 are available. You get visual indicators for the camera and microphone indicator at the top right of the screen, whenever an app is using them. You are also alerted when an app is using location in the background.

The Moto E13 comes with a few third-party apps pre-installed such as ShareChat and Moj, which is not common on other Motorola phones. You can uninstall these apps if you want.

Moto E13 performance and battery life

When it comes to handling day-to-day tasks, the Moto E13 does a good job. The 4GB version we tested had no trouble switching between apps or loading them quickly. The phone could also handle routine tasks very well. There were a few instances where apps took an extra second or two to load, and I noticed a stutter in the UI, especially when returning to the home screen. I guess the 2GB RAM variant probably wouldn’t provide the smoothest experience, so if you’re planning on getting this phone, you should ideally consider the 4GB variant.

While the Moto E13 isn’t aimed at gamers, I tried Call of Duty: Mobile and Subway Surfers on the phone. While the latter game was fairly easy and smooth to play, Call of Duty: Mobile struggled to perform well, as expected. To be honest, the phone is not designed to run this type of game at all.

The Moto E13 runs Android 13 (Go Edition) out of the box

I also ran some benchmark tests. The Moto E13 scored 1,82,498 points on AnTuTu, and in Geekbench 6 the device scored 376 and 1,354 points in single-core and multi-core tests.

Battery life is also quite decent on the Moto E13. The phone can easily last a day on a full charge. In our HD Video Battery Loop test, the phone lasted 15 hours and 54 minutes. The E13 takes about a few hours to fully charge from empty using the 10W charger.

Moto E13 Cameras

The Moto E13 has a single 13-megapixel rear camera sensor with an LED flash on the back. For selfies, the teardrop notch on the screen has a 5-megapixel front camera. The rear camera is hit or miss when it comes to getting a decent picture. Sometimes it overexposed highlights or crushed shadows while trying to expose the subject well. When the colors are correct, the highlights are kind of blown out.

Night mode is only available in the 4GB RAM variant of the Moto E13 and it does a decent job when it comes to overall exposure. However, details are soft and there is noticeable noise in the shadows.

The Moto E13 has a single rear camera

It’s the same case with the front camera, which has even worse dynamic range. The edge detection works well in most cases and the blur looks quite natural as well. But then again, considering the price, the phone’s camera performance is acceptable.

Shot on Moto E13 rear camera

Shot on the front camera of the Moto E13

In terms of video, the Moto E13 can shoot 1080p 30fps video using the front and rear cameras. Overall video performance is just average. The camera exposes the subject well but dynamic range performance is poor.

Verdict

The Moto E13 aims to master the basics. It has a fairly large screen, an ergonomic design and a big battery. The inclusion of dual-band Wi-Fi and a USB Type-C port at this price is a plus. The performance unit of the phone is also quite good for the price, especially when other devices with the same SoC are more expensive by at least Rs. 1,000. To top it off, you also get the latest Android software 13, even though it is the lite version. Camera performance could have been better though.

For someone who wants a budget smartphone under Rs. 8,000 that performs all the basic tasks and offers a clean, near-stock Android experience, the Moto E13 can be considered.