Motorola tries to put a smartphone in every hand

Motorola Mobility on Tuesday added a new handset to its Moto lineup that’s aimed at the budget shopper and first-time smartphone buyer.

The Moto E comes with a 4.3-inch display, color shells, a microSD slot for extra memory, and a built-in FM radio. Motorola is selling the Android phone online starting at $129 without a contract. The Chicago-based company says the phones will be available in 40 countries through more than 80 carriers within weeks.

“We believe it’s time the feature phone era came to an end and that quality smartphones are made accessible and affordable for all,” Motorola said in a news release.

The company also announced an upgraded version of its Moto G with 4G LTE, priced at $219. The original Moto G will still be available for $179.

The Moto E is the first phone introduced by Motorola Mobility since Google agreed to sell the handset maker to Lenovo Group for nearly $3 billion.

Moto E hands-on: Is this the low-end Android smartphone to rule them all? (The Next Web)

Motorola Moto E Hands-On: Surprisingly Good for $150 (Gizmodo)

Motorola adds LTE to Moto G, introduces an even cheaper Moto E (The Verge)