Motorola Moto G5s and G5s Plus smartphone - pros and cons

The review is dedicated to the Motorola Moto G5s and G5s Plus smartphones, which replaced the flagship G5 and G5 Plus. We will find out how much the appearance and "hardware" of devices has changed, what shortcomings of predecessors were transferred to new models, what advantages the new items got and how much the updated version of devices costs.

Lenovo, the owner of the Motorola brand, is having a hard time maintaining its position in a highly competitive environment. Other companies are pushing from all sides with their endless innovations, super-modern designs. But, like all the best manufacturers, Lenovo does not give up and continues to delight its customers with new developments.

So, in August 2017, two smartphones of the Moto G family were announced at once: G5s and G5s Plus. Phones are positioned as inexpensive and high quality devices. The popularity of models in 2018 is somewhat reduced due to the large number of competitors, which are also budgetary and reliable.

Design

Devices marked as Special Edition, by definition, should differ from the original for the better. So, in fact, it happened with the Moto G5s, and G5s Plus. Already in appearance, it is clear that the creators have improved their creations. Both devices are now protected by a gray or gold metal casing. The display in the plus version is increased to 5.5 inches. Due to the slightly larger screen size, the G5s Plus is slightly larger than the younger model. On both phones, the front side is completely covered with glass. Above the display is a speaker on one side, a front-facing camera with a flash on the other, and a fingerprint scanner below, aka the Home button.

The rear panel has its own special feature: the camera modules are located in a rather large circle and immediately catch the eye. And if the G5s has only two modules in this circle: a lens and a flash, then the G5s Plus unit consists of two rear cameras and a backlight. But, the bulky design, oddly enough, does not spoil the design, but on the contrary, gives it a zest. Below it is the Moto logo in a small and, again, circular recess.

Audio connectors are located on the top of smartphones, and micro-USB, traditionally, on the bottom. The developers decided not to install USB Type-C in these models.

The right sides are occupied by the volume control and the power key. And on the left there is a hybrid slot for two SIMs or one + memory card.

Display

The G5s' display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixel and a 5.2-inch diagonal gives a good image. But the readings of the colorimeter indicate an increased color temperature, the IPS matrix suffers from inaccurate color reproduction. But the brightness is good, almost 500 cd / m2, the contrast ratio is 1300: 1, which allows using the smartphone in the sun.

The G5s Plus has a display almost the same, except that the diagonal is 5.5 inches. But, the matrix calibration is much better, so the color rendition is more accurate.

Sound

Speakers for multimedia are located at the bottom ends. The sound is good, but at the highest volume, clarity is lost, there is not enough volume of audio playback. One of the advantages of the sound characteristics is the presence of a tuner for recording stereo broadcasts in AAC format.

Conversational speakers perfectly convey the speech of the interlocutor, there are no shortcomings.

Cameras

To begin with, the 5S has a single main camera and the Plus has a dual camera.

The rear camera of the first device has a 16 megapixel matrix and a fairly wide angle. The number of pixels, unfortunately, is not always responsible for the quality of the photo. In this case, the photos in daylight will turn out good, but you should not crop them, otherwise the picture will get hazy. Manual settings allow you to adjust photo parameters. All tools are located in one tab and are easy to use. Therefore, if you wish, you can achieve a very good shooting result. But this is only possible with static frames.

How he takes pictures:

Plus with a 13 megapixel dual rear camera provides professional shooting and interesting imaging. The fashionable bokeh (background blur) effect is achieved through the presence of two lenses. But in practice, when you try to increase the sharpness, you get an incompletely selected subject. That is, the blur of the background in fact turns into a general blurred image.

It turns out that the presence of a second lens does not lead to any progressive changes in the camera of this model. Manufacturers simply paid tribute to modern trends. Regular photos turn out to be quite good, in manual settings you can control the shooting mode and achieve decent shots even at night.

Sample photo:

What about the front-facing cameras? The younger model has a 5-megapixel selfie camera, the older one has an 8-megapixel one. Self-portraits with the G5S are again quite good, the presence of a flash expands the capabilities of the front camera. When using the flash, the illumination starts before the photo is taken, so the chances of taking a selfie at night and not being dazzled are increased.

The G5S Plus has got its hands on an 8-megapixel front camera. The quality of the photos from this, of course, only improved. We are pleased with the same backlighting functions as in the younger version.

How to photograph at night:

The video mode in the G5S is convenient, with the ability to adjust the exposure. The plus model has the same feature. The main difference between the two smartphones video is the ability to record in 4K resolution (3840 * 2160 t.). The G5S doesn't do that.

Interface

The main differences between the devices are, of course, in the "stuffing".

Performance

The Moto G5S is currently not the most powerful and modern device. Budget, reliable, stylish - yes. But from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and 3 GB of RAM, you should not expect performance miracles. The phone is smart when working with a standard set of applications, but, for example, is not very suitable for active games. Some toys come, but only with very reduced image details. The built-in storage of 32 GB can be expanded with a memory card up to 256 GB.

The Plus relies on the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clocked at 2.0GHz. OP 3 GB, VP 32 GB. Suitable for games with simple graphics of a smartphone, copes with multitasking. You can easily use the device to monitor the Internet, chat on social networks and watch videos at the same time. Heavy toys play when the graphics settings are lowered. The built-in storage is expandable with a flash drive up to 128 GB.

operating system

The Moto G5S runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The slightly modified system has some interesting features: once in the hands, the device helpfully displays the clock, notifications about missed events and the battery status. Shaking the phone will turn on the flashlight. Navigation in the smartphone is convenient.

The Moto G5S Plus comes with stock Android 7.1 Nougat OS. Brand features Motorola, described in the previous model, and some others are also present in the device.

Communication

Both devices support the LTE standard, both have NFC (a big plus for a budget smartphone, some manufacturers deprive inexpensive devices with such a useful thing). Wi-Fi versions are the same IEEE 802.11b / g / n.

Scanner

The fingerprint sensor in the devices instantly recognizes the owner's fingerprint, unlocking is quick.Phones can be controlled by manipulating the scanner, under certain conditions it is very comfortable: the display space is freed from the virtual keyboard, the working space is increased.

Autonomous work

The smartphones are powered by 3,000mAh batteries, like most devices in this price range. One to one and a half days of work for the G5S is the maximum. The plus model can last up to two days in economy mode. The difference is in the power consumption of the processors. When playing games or watching videos, the 5S will fully discharge in four hours, the Plus will last for eight hours. But the charging of devices from a native power adapter is very efficient. This is thanks to Motorola's proprietary fast charging technology. The length of the USB cable is standard.

Equipment

Smartphones are sold in bright green cardboard packaging. The complete set of devices is the same:

• Power Supply;
• USB cable;
• Clip;
• Guarantee;
• Instruction.

Pros and cons

The smartphones presented in the review are very similar in appearance, they have common points in the equipment. But the difference between the models is still significant. In addition, they differ in price, although not much. Therefore, we will separately evaluate the positive and negative characteristics of each device.

Motorola Moto G5s

• Quality materials and assembly;
• Stylish corporate design;
• NFC availability;
• There are no preinstalled programs that only clog memory in vain;
• Decent rear and front cameras;
• Selfie camera flash;
• Fast battery charging;
• Nice price.

• An outdated processor that will become obsolete in the near future;
• Minor display flaws.

Motorola Moto G5s Plus

• Quality materials and assembly;
• The screen features accurate color reproduction;
• Positive sound characteristics;
• The presence of a flash on the front camera;
• Availability of automatic and manual settings for exposure of images;
• There is NFC;
• Fast battery charging.

• Imperfect background blur when working with a dual camera;
• Lack of TypeC.

conclusions

Motorola Moto G5S is inferior to Plus in the progressiveness of the processor, but, to be honest, it is not too noticeable. The clean version of Android 7 does not clog the phone with unnecessary applications, and with empty storage, the device works quickly. The screen of the younger version is not distinguished by good calibration, but its brightness is not inferior to that of the older model. The camera is quite suitable for a smartphone, the average price of which is 11,000 rubles, and Motorola's applications make the shooting function quite exciting. On top of that, the device has an original appearance, excellent assembly and an NFC chip. Thanks to all of the above characteristics, Moto G5S is confidently included in the rating of high-quality and inexpensive phones.

Motorola Moto G5S Plus has got even more functionality than the previous model. Pleased with a good enlarged display, which is in order and brightness and color reproduction, a productive processor and a fairly long battery life. The price of the model in 2018 is 14,500 rubles. Some popular models of the same price also have good performance parameters, there are also models with dual cameras. How to choose and which company is the best smartphones can be decided after reading such reviews.

Customer reviews of the two models are mostly positive. Consumers are satisfied with the value for money. Which model is better to buy is decided by the cost and the selection criteria established before buying. Where it is profitable to buy this or that smartphone, you can understand by comparing prices in city stores and in online shops. You should make a purchase from trusted sellers.

As a result, we will bring together the technical parameters of two smartphones: