The Moto G5 Plus was unveiled at the MWC 2017 alongside the standard Moto G4, but it is only the former that is now available for purchase in India, coming in at a price of Rs 14,999 or just under $230.
The original Moto G is without a doubt in the books of records when it comes to devices that are well-built and come with near-stock Android OS, yet priced very affordably. The phone was among the go-to handsets in many markets across the globe and with this success, it left behind some really tough shoes to fill. But looking at how the Lenovo-owned company has handled things since then, the Moto G5 Plus was never going to disappoint.
In fact, the Moto G4 Plus will have a tough time taking the crown off the Moto G4 Plus, which also kept up with the great aesthetics, impressive hardware specs, near-stock Android Marshmallow and very affordable pricing. With the Moto G5 Plus, all these are taken to the next level without having any impact on the pricing.
You’ll for sure love the water-repellant full-metal design of the new phone, which also features a physical home button with an integrated fingerprint scanner. The Moto G4 Plus also came in with an excellent design and included a front-mounted fingerprint scanner as well. However, those who fell in love with the roomy 5.5-inch Full HD screen on the G4 Plus might be disappointed with the 5.2-inch Full HD panel on the G5 Plus, however, the smaller size also means that you get crisper views on the latter.
It is under the hood that you’ll find massive improvements on the Moto G5 Plus when compared to its predecessor. The phone packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, which is a huge step up from the Snapdragon 617 SoC used on the Moto G4 Plus. There’s no change in memory, with both having 3GB/4GB RAM modules alongside 16GB/32GB/64GB storage options, which can also be expanded on either phone.
If you love photos, the Moto G5 Plus is one of the best in its class at the moment, if not the best. The phone ships with a 12MP shooter on the back. This sensor comes with dual AF pixels, a large aperture of f/1.7, dual-tone LED flash and 4K video recording. On the contrary, the Moto G4 Plus steps in with a 16MP sensor that packs a dual-tone LED flash, a much smaller aperture of f/2.0, laser and phase detection AF and only manages video recording at a maximum of 1080p. The two phones have the same 5MP selfie shooter, which features an f/2.2 aperture.
Software-wise, the Moto G5 Plus has Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box whereas the Moto G4 Plus comes in with Marshmallow, but an update to Nougat is already available for download. To keep the phones alive is the same 3000mAh battery unit with support for fast charging technology.
As noted earlier, the G5 Plus has a price tag of Rs 14,999 in India. This gives you the 3GB RAM and 16GB storage variant. If you’d rather get the 4GB RAM and 32GB storage option, it will set you back Rs 16,999. With the G5 series now available, the asking prices of the G4 series should go down immediately, which could also mean you still get one of the best devices in the market at a very affordable price, much lower than what the G5 series costs.
The Moto G5 Plus will be available exclusively on India’s Flipkart, but this will have to wait until later tonight, staring midnight. The giant retailer will also be throwing your way a bunch of offers, but these are only meant for the first day of purchase, so make sure you take advantage of them.