Motorola again attempts to hit that magical smartphone sweet spot that provides a premium experience without breaking the bank. Now in their fifth generation the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus seek to deliver a “photographer-quality camera,” a powerful battery, and “striking screen resolution and display,” – at an affordable price. Attempting to balance a cherry on these cakes Moto has also come forward with a metal body design and new look for the well regarded value conscious mobiles.
Beyond the obvious differences in size, as is often the case nowadays the Plus model packs more powerful hardware and can offer improved RAM and storage options. For an easy to digest information blast check out the following comparison table:
| Moto G5 | Moto G5 Plus | |
| Display | 5.0in full-HD, Gorilla Glass 3 | 5.2in full-HD |
| Operating system | Android 7.0 Nougat | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Processor | 1.4GHz Snapdragon 430 | 2GHz Snapdragon 625 |
| Graphics | Adreno 505 | Adreno 506 |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB/4GB |
| Storage | 16GB/32GB | 32GB/64GB |
| microSD support | up to 128GB | up to 128GB |
| Primary camera | 13Mp (f/2.0) | 12Mp Sony IMX260 (f/1.7) |
| Selfie camera | 5Mp | 5Mp |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes (doubles as home button) | Yes (doubles as home button) |
| Connectivity | 4G, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 | 4G, 802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Waterproof | Splashproof | Splashproof |
| Battery | 2,800mAh +TurboCharge | 3,000mAh +TurboCharge |
| Dimensions | 144.3×9.5x73mm | 150.2×7.9x74mm |
| Weight | 145g | 155g |
Some other differences that aren’t listed in the table are that the G5 has a removable battery. Photo fans might be more interested in the G5 plus which packs the same sensor as the Samsung Galaxy S7 but doesn’t feature an OIS lens system.
Pricing is very important for most smartphones but especially these Motos which aim at the mid-market. In the UK the Moto G5 has an RRP of £169 for the 2GB RAM version, with the 3GB version just £10 more. The G5 Plus with 3GB and 32GB of storage will be priced at £259. Moto in the USA market will only distribute the larger model. Launch for the G5 is set for March with the G5 Plus released a little later in ‘spring’.
