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Cricket Wireless is rolling out the latest Motorola Moto E 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) smartphone to its customers on March 13, pricing it at $129.99 and including myriad upgrades from the original first-generation Moto E that debuted in May 2014.
The Moto E 4G LTE model, which marks the first smartphone offered by Cricket that runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop, will be available to customers in Cricket Wireless stores or online, according to the company.
The new smartphone includes a 4.5-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) display with 960 by 540 resolution and a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 surface, a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in on-board storage, which is expandable up to 32GB via a micro SD slot, a 5MP rear camera and a VGA front camera. The device also includes a 2,390mAh battery that provides up to about 14 hours of talk time and up to about 400 hours of standby time, according to Motorola.
The Moto E 4G LTE measures 5.12 inches in length, 2.64 inches in width and 0.47 inches in thickness, while weighing about 5.04 ounces.
The first-generation models of the Moto E included a smaller 4.3-inch display screen, a less powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 dual-core processor, only 4GB of built-in on-board storage and a less powerful 1,980mAh battery. The smartphones also feature a curved design to make them easier to hold in your hand as well as FM radio reception when used with a headset.
“We said Cricket would continue to roll out more affordable 4G LTE smartphones in 2015, and the new Moto E is one of the best in its price point,” Andy Smoak, head of devices for Cricket Wireless, said in a statement. “It’s an entry-level 4G LTE smartphone tailored for those looking for a great mobile experience at a price that won’t break the bank. With unlimited calling and texting plans starting at $35 per month, after $5 Auto Pay Credit, on a nationwide 4G LTE network, we are making good on promises to offer our customers a first-class wireless experience, no matter their budget.”
Also included in the latest Moto E smartphone is built-in liquid repellency to protect the device against splashes and spills and a preloaded free Cricket WiFi app that allows users to find free and open WiFi access points wherever they travel so they can maximize their high-speed data usage, according to Cricket.
Customers who switch to Cricket Wireless from T-Mobile, Metro-PCS, Sprint and Boost or who choose $50 or $60 monthly rate plans can get a credit for one free month of services after completing two months on the Smart, Pro or Advanced plan through the company. The offer is available for a limited time and is only for new customers. The discount is also not available to customers who purchase their phones online.
Cricket offers a Basic plan at $40 (including 2.5GB of data), a Smart plan for $50 (including 5GB of data), a Pro plan for $60 (including 10GB of data) and a limited-time Advanced plan for $60 (including 20GB of monthly data). Each of those plans is $5 less per month if customers use Cricket’s automatic Auto Pay payment service. The plans also include unlimited talk and text. Data use over the monthly limits will result in reduced access speeds of a maximum 128K bps for the rest of your monthly plan cycle.