Smartphone Motorola Moto G5s and G5s Plus - advantages and disadvantages

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 the devices have changed, what shortcomings of the predecessors have been transferred to the new models, what advantages the new products have got, and how much the updated version of the devices costs.

Lenovo, owner of the Motorola brand, is having a hard time maintaining its position in the face of fierce competition. From all sides, other companies are pushing with their endless novelties, cutting-edge 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 budget-friendly and reliable.

Design

Devices marked Special Edition, by definition, should be better than the original ones. So, in fact, it happened with 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 metal case in gray or gold. The display of the plus version has been enlarged to 5.5 inches. Due to the slightly larger screen size, the G5s Plus is slightly larger than the younger model. For 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 on the bottom, also known as the Home button.

The rear panel has its own special "chip": the camera modules are 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 twist. Below it is the Moto logo in a small and, again, round recess.

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

The right sides are occupied by the volume rocker and the power key. And on the left is a hybrid slot for two SIM-ok or one + memory card.

Display

The G5s screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixel and a 5.2-inch diagonal produces a good image. But the colorimeter readings 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 you to use your smartphone in the sun.

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

Sound

Speakers for multimedia are located on the lower ends. The sound is good, but at the highest volume the clarity disappears, there is not enough volume to play the audio recording. One of the advantages of sound characteristics is the presence of a tuner for recording a stereo broadcast in AAC format.

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

cameras

Let's start with the fact that the 5S has a single main camera, while the Plus has a double one.

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, photos in daylight will turn out quite good, but you should not crop them, otherwise the picture will get muddy. Manual settings allow you to adjust photo settings. All tools are located in one tab, it is easy to use them. Therefore, if desired, you can achieve a very good shooting result. But this is possible only under the condition of static frames.

How to take a photo:

Plus with a 13-megapixel dual rear camera provides professional shooting and interesting imaging. The fashionable bokeh effect (background blur) 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 blurring of the background in fact turns into a general cloudiness of the image.

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

Sample photo:

What about the front 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 not bad, the presence of a flash expands the capabilities of the front camera. When using flash, the backlight starts even before photographing, so the chances of taking a selfie at night and not being blinded increase.

G5S Plus got a front camera with 8 megapixels. The quality of the photos from this, of course, only improved. Pleased with the same backlight functions as the younger version.

How to photograph at night:

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

Interface

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

Performance

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

Plus relies on a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clocked at 2.0 GHz.OP 3 GB, VP 32 GB. Suitable for games with simple smartphone graphics, copes with multitasking. Without any problems, you can use the device to monitor the Internet, chat on social networks and watch videos at the same time. Heavy toys play when graphic settings are lowered. The built-in storage is expandable up to 128 GB with a flash drive.

Operating system

Moto G5S runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat. In a slightly modified system, there are interesting chips: once in the hands, the device helpfully shows the clock, notifications of missed events and battery status. If you shake your phone, the flashlight will turn on. Smartphone navigation is easy.

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

Connection

Both devices support the LTE standard, both have NFC (a big plus for a budget smartphone, some manufacturers deprive inexpensive devices of 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 fast. Phones can be controlled by manipulating the scanner, under certain conditions it is very convenient: the display space is freed from the virtual keyboard, the working space is increased.

Offline work

Smartphones are powered by 3000 mAh batteries, like most devices in this price category. 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. 5S when playing games or watching videos will be completely discharged in four hours, Plus will last for eight hours.But charging devices from the native network adapter is very efficient. This is thanks to Motorola's proprietary fast charging technology. USB cable length is standard.

Equipment

Smartphones are sold in bright green cardboard boxes. The 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 terms of equipment. But the difference between the models is still significant. In addition, they differ in price, although not much. Therefore, we separately evaluate the positive and negative characteristics of each device.

Motorola Moto G5s

• Quality materials and assembly;
• Stylish corporate design;
• The presence of NFC;
• There are no pre-installed programs that only waste memory in vain;
• Good rear and front camera;
• The presence of a flash in the selfie camera;
• Fast battery charging;
• Nice price.

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

Motorola Moto G5s Plus

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

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

conclusions

The Motorola Moto G5S is inferior to the Plus in the progressiveness of the processor, but to be honest, it's not too noticeable.A 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 the display of the older model. The camera is quite suitable for a smartphone, the average price of which is 11,000 rubles, and applications from Motorola make the shooting function very exciting. On top of that, the device has an original appearance, excellent assembly and an NFC chip. Thanks to all the listed characteristics, Moto G5S is confidently included in the rating of high-quality and inexpensive phones.

Motorola Moto G5S Plus got even more functionality than the previous model. We are pleased with a good enlarged display, which has in order both brightness and color reproduction, a powerful processor and a rather long autonomy. 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 better smartphones can be decided after reading similar 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 purchase. You can understand where it is profitable to buy this or that smartphone by comparing prices in city stores and in online shops. Make a purchase from trusted sellers.

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