The Moto G Line has been one of the engines driving Motorola’s and Lenovo’s growth, with remarkable success in developing countries and growing markets, including my hometown of Argentina. Now, a design choice aims to elevate the Moto G5 above the rest of budget-friendly crowd.
Hardware Specifications
| Moto G5 | Moto G5 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Display |
5-inch LCD (1920×1080, 441ppi) |
5.2-inch LCD (1920×1080, 424ppi) |
| Processor | Snapdragon 430
1.4GHz octa-core CPU + Adreno 505 GPU |
Snapdragon 625
2GHz octa-core CPU + Adreno 506GPU |
| RAM | 2GB or 3GB (Depending on variant/region) |
2GB, 3GB or 4GB
(Depending on variant/region) |
| Storage | 32GB (Latin America) 16GB |
32GB or 64GB (US)
32GB (Latin America) |
| Cameras | 13MP, f/2.0, 1.1-micro pixels, PDAF
5MP, f/2.2, 1.4-micron pixels |
12MP, f/1.7, 1.4-micron pixels, dual AF pixels 5MP, f/2.2, 1.4-micron pixels |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11n dual-band Bluetooth 4.2 |
Wi-Fi 802.11n dual-band Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Battery | 2,800mAh (Removable) | 3,000mAh (Non-removable) |
| Resistance | Water repellent coating | Water-repellent coating |
| Dimensions | 144.3 x 73 x 9.5 mm | 150.2 x 74 x 9.7 mm |
| Weight | 144.5g | 155g |
The rumors were true: Lenovo officially announced the Moto G5 and G5 Plus, both running Android 7.0 Nougat (with Moto’s custom features, including Moto Display, gestures, and now extensive fingerprint gesture support for navigation too!) and they are indeed sporting metal bodies alongside a design overhaul. The enticing prices of the Moto G line usually came at a compromise, and while the phones were durable and comfortable in the hand (often allowing for great customization through replacement backs), the G5 lines joins the likes of Xiaomi and Honor and instead offers a more-premium metal body. The metal finish and redesign also drives the G5 closer to the Moto Z family, a much-needed change of direction now that the Moto X line is out of the picture.
Of course, the finish of a phone isn’t everything, and while that’s an aspect where the Moto G5 definitely turned it up a notch, the rest of the package retains its bang-per-buck philosophy as well. On the front you will find a 5-inch 1080p LCD display, while on the G5 Plus you get a slightly-bigger 5.2-inch LCD panel, with the same Full HD resolution. Behind the display, the similarities begin becoming apparent, as the G5 features a Snapdragon 430 processor while the G5 Plus opts for the tried-and-true Snapdragon 625, the same one the Moto Z Play managed to excellently implement. In terms of cameras, both pack a 5MP front-facing camera, the G5 features a 13MP rear shooter with f/2.0 aperture and PDAF, while the G5 Plus lowers the MP count to 12 but improves the camera with an f/1.7 aperture and dual-focus pixels, as well as support for 4K video.
Storage options for the G5 include 16GB or 32GB with microSD card support, while the G5 Plus comes in 32GB and 64GB variants with the same expandable storage. The lower and upper variants are accompanied with 2GB and 4GB of RAM respectively, and as always, we advise you consider the variants with higher RAM for optimal performance — however, that might be tricky as some combinations are exclusive to specific regions. The back plate on the G5 might be metal, but it’s still removable, and under it you’ll find the microSD slot, the dual-SIM slot, and a removable and replaceable 2,800mAh battery — the Moto G5 Plus is not so lucky, as its bigger 3,000mAh battery is sealed and the back cover cannot be removed. Both phones do support Moto’s TurboCharge too.
As far as connectivity goes, you won’t get NFC in the US, although that’s not unexpected given these are global phones aimed at global markets (although the G5 Plus should come with NFC for international variants).
So there you have it — the newest members of the Moto G line continue their tradition of low-end specs with a stellar UX and solid construction, now augmented by the inclusion of a metal back, albeit with little innovation to speak of. The fact that the Moto G5’s back plate and battery are removable is also a nice and convenient detail that’s increasingly missing from all smartphones, but especially the budget alternatives that switched to metal backs. The processing packages should be more than enough for day-to-day operations, and Moto proved its expertise with the 625 with the renowned Moto Z Play, too.
The Moto G5 starts at €199 for the 2GB RAM variant, while the G5 Plus will be available in the US and will retail for $229 (unlocked) for the 2GB RAM + 32GB storage variant; it should be compatible with all major US networks.
What do you think of the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus? Are they rightful heirs to the Moto G line? Let us know below!
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