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Motorola Moto G5S Plus
Motorola Moto G5S Plus
Motorola Moto G5S Plus
Motorola Moto G5S Plus
Motorola Moto G5S Plus
Motorola Moto G5S Plus
...


8/10
Informr score
The Motorola Moto G5S Plus currently has an Informr score of 8 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 26 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

With a solid mix of performance and design, the Moto G5S still serves as a shining example of what a mid-tier phone can be. Unless you are looking for a top notch camera, reviewers all consider the phone one of the best releases from Moto—or the mid-tier market—yet.

What's good

  • Excellent value vs the competition
  • Good battery life
  • Solid, all-metal design
  • Fast, accurate fingerprint scanner
  • Near-stock Android experience
  • Fast charging support

What's bad

  • Inconsistent camera
  • Weak low-light camera performance
  • Slow software updates
  • Chassis prone to scratches and scuffs

As the top tier of Moto’s latest budget-friendly line up, the Moto G5S Plus combines a large screen, solid design, and capable specs with a price that is a fraction of the prices of flagship phones. But the mid-tier market is increasingly competitive, and the G5S Plus is more of a minor update to the previous G5 Plus than a new release. Does it still offer the compelling value and experience that keeps Moto fans coming back for more?

One of the first things the sets the G5S Plus apart from its predecessors is the all-metal unibody design. Apart from the thin plastic bands covering the antennas, it’s all smooth, cool aluminum. Reviewers found the phone both eye-catching and a pleasure to hold. Both comfortable in the hand and reassuringly sturdy, they had no complaints on the design front.

Unfortunately, there are reports of minor scuffs and scratches on the finish after a few weeks bouncing around in pockets or bags with keys and other objects. If you’re the type that prefers a pristine look, a case is recommended.

Heading around front, you’ll find a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD panel with a front-mounted fingerprint scanner tucked into the chunky screen bezels. While the cheaper G5S and previous G5 series offer better pixel-per-inch ratings thanks to their smaller screens, we found no complaints regarding blurry text or a lack of detail.

While the screen is dim when using manual controls, both vivid color profiles and automatic brightness controls impressed reviewers with eye-popping color, excellent contrast, and plenty of daylight visibility.

Unless you’re looking to play the latest games on their highest settings, the octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor in the G5S Plus offers plenty of power. Switching between apps is a fluid experience and the phone flips through emails, loads web pages, streams media, and snaps photos with no hesitation or stuttering.

The phone offers variants with 3 to 4GB of RAM. If you’re a heavy multi-tasker or want a modest boost in responsiveness, reviewers felt the premium price for the 4GB model was more than reasonable. As a bonus, upgrading RAM also brings double the storage space.

You’ll find either 32 or 64GB of internal storage depending on the variant you choose. Should you need more space for apps, movies, or music, support for microSD cards up to 128GB in size offers more than enough space to keep all your favorites on hand.

While the phone shipped with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Moto promises 8.0 Oreo at some point. Still, there’s little chance it will see the latest Android 9.0 P that is heading into beta.

The dual-lens 13MP rear camera is one area where reviews varied drastically. Unlike many dual-lens arrangements, the second lens doesn’t allow for wide angle shots, native black and white shots, or other advanced features you’ll find in higher-end phones. While the phone uses it to power a portrait mode feature which blurs backgrounds, reviewers found that results were hit or miss. However, when the phone captured a good shot, it offered excellent detail, contrast, and color reproduction.

Coupled with poor low-light performance, many found the camera frustrating in all but the best of lighting.

The 8MP front-facing lens, strangely, fared better. With the included flash, the camera takes detailed, sharp selfies with little delay.

The phone’s 3,000mAh battery is good for a full day of moderate use. If you’re light with usage, reviewers found you might squeeze a day and a half from a single charge. When it is time to recharge, Turbo Charge charging means you’ll get a full top off in just under 2 hours despite the slower microUSB charging standard.

Overall, opinions of the phone are positive. Alphr states, “There’s basically nothing else out there that matches the Moto G5S Plus formula at a similar price.” Digital Trends reinforces the opinion, saying, “... we would argue that it’s the best-performing phone in [its] price range, which is no small feat. Sure, it’s not a flagship-tier device—but for the price it’s an excellent-quality handset.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2 GHz
Processor
Processor
2 GHz
5.5"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5.5"
13+ MP, f/2
Camera
Camera
13+ MP, f/2
3000 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Notebookcheck
Notebookcheck

The Motorola Moto G5s Plus is a great mid-range smartphone that does not have any significant drawbacks. The battery life is strong, the display is bright, the performance is reasonable, while the workmanship and case stability are excellent.

- Florian Schaar, Notebookcheck
TechNave
TechNave

It's a fairly decent phone with good gaming capabilities, strong battery pack, useful user interface and motion sensors, the fun Depth mode function and comes in pure stock Android.

- Abel Wong, TechNave
WhistleOut
WhistleOut

The Moto G5S Plus is one of the best budget smartphones around right now, and is an admirable successor to the G5 Plus. The screen is a little bigger, the camera is a little better, and it's still great value. If you're after a bang for buck smartphone, the Moto G5S Plus deserves your utmost conside...

- Alex Choros, WhistleOut
PhoneArena
PhoneArena

This model still represents the sort of middle-of-the-road compromise that will likely resonate with a lot of shoppers.

- Stephen Schenck, PhoneArena
GSMArena
GSMArena

Okay imaging aside, there's not much wrong with the Moto G5S Plus. Having spent some time with it, we can't say we're thrilled but we're by no means disappointed either. That's the thing - the Moto G5S Plus is a midrange phone and it doesn't need to excite, it just needs to be good enough for the pr...

- GSMArena


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Motorola Moto G5S Plus user manual here.


Motorola backs up the Moto G5S Plus with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Moto G5S Plus has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.




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Quick view

Screen Size
5.5"

The Motorola Moto G5S Plus's screen size is 5.5 inches with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.

Processor
2 GHz

There is a Qualcomm 8953 Snapdragon 625 Octa core 2 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 7.1 Nougat (Update Available: 8.1 Oreo) operating system (OS).

Camera
13+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 13+ MP, f/2 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 8+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
32/64 GB

Internal memory is 32/64 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
3000mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 3000 mAh battery. Motorola's performance ratings are 497 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Moto G5S Plus Specs

Overview
Release Date August 31, 2017
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 7.1 Nougat (Update Available: 8.1 Oreo)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm 8953 Snapdragon 625 Octa core 2 GHz
Internal Storage 32/64 GB
RAM 3 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.42 W/kg
Body: 0.99 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
variations
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
13+ Megapixels, f/2
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (Dual LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Geotagging, Image stabilization, Multi-shot, Panorama, Self-timer, Dual camera feature (13 MP 2nd camera, ƒ/2.0), Slow motion recording, HDR
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
8+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Panorama, Wide-Angle lens, Front camera flash
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels
Pixel Density 401 pixels
Size 5.5 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 3000 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Up to 605 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 497 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Up to 428 minutes
Talk Time Unknown
Standby Time Up to 49 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Aluminium
Colors Lunar Gray, Blush Gold
Dimensions [H x W x D] 15.3 x 7.6 x 0.9 cm (6 x 3 x 0.4 in)
Weight 168 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key Yes
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA):

US variant with 64 GB of storage comes with 4 GB of RAM.

Related Links Manual (PDF)
Motorola Moto G5S Plus Reviews
Where to buy Motorola Moto G5S Plus
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