The premium scanner comes with the budget bestseller on Android.

Verdict

With a shiny new metal body, a super-sleek fingerprint scanner and decent specs, the Moto G5 offers real value for money. This is another obvious choice for bargain hunters. Moto Review rola Moto G5 more…

• Modular housing at a low price;
• Clear, bright Full HD display;
• Fingerprint scanner;

• Still no NFC;
• Not the fastest chipset;
• Limited availability;

Motorola's G series is the best-selling phone range in the world and the latest entry into the budget segment is the Moto G5.

Manufacturer Lenovo (new owners of the Moto brand) decided to raise the level of the budget segment, metal design and impressive set additional functions, which you wouldn't normally expect from a cheap phone.

Like the Moto G4 last year, the Moto G5 starts its pricing at around 10,000 rubles, but plastic has given way to aluminum, and you also get a killer fingerprint scanner (though the larger and more expensive G4 Plus was the first G phone to offer this feature ).

The Moto G5 also runs on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat, which boasts user-friendly gestures and options.

But the chipset has received a strange downgrade, and the screen has become smaller, is the G5 really becoming a worthy receiver? Read our Moto G5 review.

Moto G5: Price and release date

• Motorola Moto G5 price from 9,000 rubles;
• Not available in the US;
• You will have to pay about 1000 rubles for 3 GB RAM;

The basic model of the Moto G5 smartphone with 2 GB of RAM is available in Russia for 9,000 rubles in Euroset retail stores, DNS and other sellers.

Typically the phone comes in gold or gray, but some sellers boast an exclusive blue model of the phone. You can pay an extra RUB 1,000 to get 3GB of RAM and dual SIM support if you buy the smartphone online through Motorola's website, and we recommend doing just that.

Some markets will be limited to just the 2GB RAM version, but the Moto G5 in our review has 3GB RAM and a gray design, as well as a slot for a second SIM card.

Premium for everyone?

• More expensive appearance;
• Great camera on paper;

Lenovo's new policy of 'Premium for All' is immediately evident in the design of the Moto G5.

While the Moto G series has always delighted buyers with great specs in affordable phones, it has never been a hit in the style department. But everything changes with the Moto G5.

It's a good-looking phone with a satisfying weight thanks to the aluminum back panel. It has a fingerprint scanner embedded under the glass bezel, with a thin metal strip around the speaker on top.

A silver circle surrounds the large camera module on the back, along with an eye-catching M logo etched into the metal panel. It's easily the best-looking Moto G phone we've ever seen.

The Motorola Moto G5 smartphone also has a 13-megapixel main camera with auto focus and a 5-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens for group shots. These are impressive specs on paper.

Add in fast charging and the usual array of connectivity, and it's clear that the Moto G5 brings a lot to the table. At first glance, the only obvious omission is NFC.

Truly, premium for everyone.

Design and display

• Gorgeous shiny metal frame and brushed metal finish;
• Decent 5-inch 1080p display;

While the Motorola Moto G5's design is impressive, it doesn't grab the eye like it does. We can say that the smartphone looks good, but here it’s worth adding a tricky “for your money”.

If we compare it to last year's Moto G4, which was all plastic and didn't offer a fingerprint scanner, the growth is clear.

Metal back panel It looks and feels great, and it gives way to plastic bumper sections on the top and bottom that promise extra durability in case of a fall.

However, it is not as premium a smartphone as the , which boast all-metal bodies made, as the name suggests, from a single piece of aluminum.

On the bottom edge you will find the port Micro USB and a small indentation that will help you reveal the removable battery, SIM card slots and MicroSD card slot (up to 128 GB).

There you will also find a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and right side Features a notch with a textured power button.

On the front of the phone, you'll find a front-facing camera and speaker on top, the Moto logo there, and a concave fingerprint scanner and microphone at the bottom.

The display is a 5-inch IPS-LCD with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It's actually a very sharp screen at 441 pixels per inch, on par with the Moto G5 Plus. It's also bright and easy to use for reading, watching videos or playing games.

The large bezel around the screen is one of the few hints towards a budget phone, but you can't get everything for its price.

Interface and reliability

• Pure Android with a convenient Moto application;
• A smart fingerprint scanner can replace navigation buttons;
• Android Nougat bundled with Google Assistant;

Nice to see latest version Android 7.0 Nougat on a budget smartphone, and we're glad Lenovo is opting for Google applications. Chrome is a familiar browser, the Photos application allows you to automatically create backups your precious pictures and videos, there's simply no need for duplicate apps that many other manufacturers include.

Android has long been sleek, attractive and accessible, with many useful functions, so there is no need for a lot of additional functions. Navigating the phone is quick and easy, and we didn't experience any issues with the interface.

If you've used Android before, everything will be familiar. Settings and notifications remain the same, the only major change to the interface is the floating bottom dock for applications.

Everything Lenovo adds is mostly useful. The Moto app lets you use some handy gesture combinations and connect convenient features like time without having to wake up your smartphone. We'll go into more detail about the camera app below.

The star of the show here is without a doubt the fingerprint scanner, with a feature Lenovo calls "One-button nav".

This solution allows you to maximize screen real estate by getting rid of on-screen navigation buttons and using a fingerprint scanner instead. Just tap it to go back to home screen, swipe left to go back or right to open the app list.

Movies, music and games

• The 5-inch display is clear and colorful;
• The speaker sounds terrible, but there is a 3.5mm headphone jack;
• Snapdragon 420 does not best choice for games;

The Moto G5's 5-inch screen is perfect for every need. We had no problems reading or watching videos on it.

Turn up the brightness outdoors and the screen image remains legible. He won't be able to compete with Super AMOLED, but the colors look convincing enough and the smartphone is great for YouTube or Netflix.

One speaker is an obvious weakness. It sounds harsh and unpleasant, and it also makes the Moto G5 vibrate if you turn the volume up above half.

It's not a huge surprise for a budget phone, but you'll definitely want to use the 3.5mm port to listen to music or watch videos.

For casual gaming, the Moto G5's performance is sufficient. For example, we had no problems with Super Mario Run, and Asphalt 8 didn't sag either. We were able to play on the highest graphics settings, but experienced dropped frames from time to time. Game loading speeds also remained quite slow.

One of the problems that you may face especially if you want to download movies or music on your phone and also install big games– lack of memory.

Motorola Moto G5 has a capacity of 16 GB, of which only 10 are available to the user. Luckily there is a slot for MicroSD cards, supporting cards up to 128 GB.

Benchmarks and Performance

• Lots of possibilities for classic tasks;
• Applications/games are a little slow to load and close;

The Moto G5 smartphone combines the Snapdragon 430 chipset with GPU Adreno 505. This is enough for most basic tasks. Browsing the web, messaging and scrolling were no problem, the only time we experienced slowdown was when loading apps and games. But the slowdown occurs only during loading and unloading, the work continues to remain smooth.

The Motorola Moto G5 review is the 3GB RAM version, and we'd definitely recommend spending the extra RUB 1,000 to get this model. We suspect that app loading lags will be worse with the 2GB model.

With an average score of 2,377 on Geekbench 4, the Moto G5 was a bit of a disappointment. Last year, the Moto G4 managed to squeeze out 3104 points, and scored 3824 points in the same test. Continuing the comparison, I scored 3275 points.

But the Moto G5's score isn't all that bad. The slightly more expensive X has the same chipset and 3 GB of RAM, but its score is 2016 points.

Time battery life

• Fast charging, very fast;
• Requires daily charging;

The Moto G5's battery life is typical. On a typical day of mixed use, charging will be required overnight. We never had the battery drop below 10% overnight, even on busy review days that included photography and gaming, but the phone didn't last for more than a day and a half.

At the end of the 90-minute HD video playback test, the Moto G had lost 22% of its battery capacity, which is a respectable result, although not as good as its predecessor, which only lost 17%.

This can be explained by the fact that Lenovo has reduced the battery size from 3000 mAh to 2800 mAh, although the manufacturer has also reduced the screen size by half an inch.

Playing a game drains the battery quite quickly, and this is true for the Moto G5. He lost about 8% in 20 minutes of playing Asphalt 8 and 7% in 20 minutes of Super Mario Run.

However, the 10W fast charger is impressive. If the battery is low, you can get your smartphone back into service very quickly, although the charging speed drops as the percentage increases. Just 20 minutes is enough to charge your phone from 20% to 50%.

Overall, Lenovo's claim that you can get hours of use out of just a few minutes of charging holds up.

Camera

• Poor pictures in poor lighting conditions;
• The camera app includes PRO mode;
• The 5-megapixel wide-angle front camera is good for group photography;

On paper, the Moto G5's 13-megapixel main camera is impressive. However, the camera does not have dual LED flash, which is found in its big brother G5 Plus, or the large f/1.7 aperture, which improves photos in low-light conditions.

The G5 Plus's camera may only be rated at 12MP, but it has the excellent Sony IMX260 sensor.

The Moto G5's camera is decent, but not remarkable. In good lighting conditions, when you take your time, you can take some pretty impressive shots. Performance in the less than ideal conditions that most of us actually shoot in isn't that good.

If there is any movement then the photos come out blurry, noise creeps into the photos when the scene lighting is worse than a bright sunny day.

The Moto G5 has the same camera app as the more expensive G5 Plus. It's an easy-to-use app with automatic HDR support. You can tap and hold to lock on a subject to focus on, and there's a brightness wheel next to the reticle.

There's also a PRO mode that lets you adjust ISO, white balance, and a few other details. There is also a Slow Motion and Panorama mode, but neither of them can boast of high quality. Video recording has a base format of up to 1080p and 30 frames per second.

The 5-megapixel front-facing camera features a wide-angle lens for group selfie enthusiasts, as well as a variety of capture features that make it easy to use without having to reach for the shutter button.

Sample photos

The camera does a good job of capturing fine details in close-ups, but you can see some minor noise since the shot was taken indoors.

Ideal lighting conditions allow you to take bright, detailed photos.

Summing up

If you don't want to take any chances with an unfamiliar brand, the Moto G line remains the best budget option in the Android trenches.

There are significant improvements over the Moto G4 in terms of design, with a shift from plastic to metal. The inclusion of an excellent fingerprint scanner is also a nice bonus, as is the fast charging feature.

However, the Motorola Moto G5 takes a slight step back in terms of performance as battery life and overall performance remain average.

Who is Moto G5 for?

Any user on a budget who still wants decent levels of performance in a phone that's not embarrassing to take out of your pocket.

Last Android version, as well as the robust design, camera and fingerprint scanner promise great value for RUB 12,000, although we think it's worth spending a little more (around RUB 1,000) for the 3GB RAM model.

Worth buyingMotoG5?

There is no better Android smartphone in the sub-Rs 12,000 price range, so if that's the limit of your budget, yes, you should buy the Moto G5.

If you want to play demanding games, or you want to use NFC for mobile payments, then you'll likely have to spend a little more.

Motorola Moto G5 is one of the most best phones, available to you in this price range, but the following three competitors remain excellent options if you can spend a little more or plan to spend a little less.

CompetitorsMotorola Moto G5

Moto G5 Plus

The difference between last year's Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus was not great, but this year the brothers differ much more. G5 Plus costs about 16,000 rubles.

The metallic design and excellent fingerprint scanner are virtually identical, but the extra money buys you a Snapdragon 625 chipset with Adreno 506 GPU, a slightly larger 5.2-inch screen and 32GB of storage.

Perhaps most importantly, the G5 Plus has a 12-megapixel Sony camera IMX260, f/1.7, which is much better camera G5 in low light conditions. This is essentially the same camera module that you'll find in , although it doesn't reach the same highs.

The G5 Plus also has a large 3,000mAh battery, which seems to handily beat the G5 based on our testing.

More details: .

MotorolaMotoG4

Last year's Motorola Moto G is available to you for even less, and this deal may be more tempting for bargain hunters. The Moto G4 has a larger 5.5-inch screen, better battery life, and a faster Snapdragon 617 chipset.

Lenovo has put a lot of effort into making the Moto G5 a great phone, but the fingerprint scanner is by far the best addition. This is exactly what the Moto G4 lacks. However, the Snapdragon 430 seems like a compromise, and we would have preferred to see the same Snapdragon 625 found on the Moto G5 Plus.

If you're on a budget and style isn't an issue, then we recommend choosing the Moto G4 over the Moto G5.

Honor 6X

Huawei's Honor 6X is definitely worth a look at this price point. It costs about 14,000 rubles, and also offers a metal case with good scanner fingerprint, although it is located on the back panel of Honor 6X.

To tempt you even more, there is a 5.5-inch Full HD display, an octa-core Kirin 635 chipset and 3GB of RAM. As if that weren't enough, Huawei also offers 32GB of internal storage, a large 3,340mAh battery, and a dual 12MP camera.

If you can cover the difference of a few thousand rubles, the Honor 6X is a compelling alternative.

Great!

Review of the Motorola Moto G5, the budget Moto smartphone of 2017 and the continuation of the most legendary series of cheap phones. Now a fingerprint scanner!

Let's talk about our little brothers. I mean, not about top-end, but about low-end smartphone models. Let's do this using the Moto G5S as an example. Moto is famous for its sophisticated toys with unbreakable screens and mods; there are no frills here, but everything you need is left. So now I’ll tell you what the youngest of the family, Moto G, can do and why it’s good.

Metal guy

Moto G5s is all so metallic, strict and weighty. The body is monolithic and non-separable; cards are inserted from the side through a separate tray. The case is quite slippery; it happens that the phone is lying on the table with the screen down, you try to grab it, and your fingers slip. So it’s better to place it with the screen facing up, it will be easier to pick up.

By the way, when you pick up the phone or turn it over, the screen backlight turns on for a few seconds - you can see unread notifications. Yes, it’s not Always On like on AMOLED displays, but it’s also convenient. You can also turn it off on-screen buttons and use the touch pad for navigation. To lock, you can not only press the power key on the side, but also hold your finger on the fingerprint scanner.

As you may have noticed, the fingerprint scanner is located under the screen, which is convenient; you can immediately place your finger on it. The scanner is agile, fast and easily recognizes the owner’s hands.

Bright screen

The display is large - 5.2 inches, resolution 1080x1920 pixels and tempered glass with curved edges. It looks beautiful, the image is bright, rich and without color distortion. It's fun to look at, all that remains is to put beautiful wallpaper on the background, and it's time to master a new gadget.

Little power, a lot of volume

Quickly about the hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory are normal for a budget model. The phone is playful and fast, but it is not designed for hardcore gaming; people’s favorite “Tanks” will only be used for low settings graphics. And yes, the memory card slot is in place, you can increase the space if desired.

It’s cool that NFC works here, you can pay for purchases via Android Pay or check the remaining trips on your metro card.

The speaker is located on the bottom end, so when you play, you cover it with your palm and muffle the sound. The same goes for watching videos - it’s not very convenient when you want to watch YouTube while lying on the couch without headphones, but you can get used to it.

The speaker itself is loud, I walked around with the phone for a week and kept flinching when the Hello Moto signature melody started ringing. The others shuddered along with me, this is good, you won’t get bored.

You take the Moto G5s in your hand and wonder why it’s so plump - there’s probably a battery hidden in the depths of the case increased capacity? But no, there is a regular-sized 3000 mAh battery. Not a little, but not a lot either; the phone could have been made a little thicker and the battery stuffed in fatter. The phone charges via microUSB and supports fast charging. I didn’t have the original power supply included, so I charged with whatever I could get my hands on, preferring a 12W iPad charger.

In terms of autonomy, everything is at an average level: that is, there is always enough charge for a day, or even 1.5 or even 2 with 4–5 hours of active screen. For example, I managed to watch a video on YouTube for about 3 hours, played Mini Metro for about an hour, and at the same time used social networks and other functions throughout the day. Not a record figure, of course, but normal.

Let's take a photo

The 16-megapixel camera takes normal photos automatically, although it tends to brighten the picture a little. The lens protrudes impressively from the body, there’s a whole launch pad sticking out. It looks solid, but the camera is rather weak, and you have to wait for sunny days to get beautiful photos.

In the meantime, in the grayness of Moscow it turns out something like this.

If you don’t like automation, use manual shooting mode, but this is not for everyone. The phone takes quite a long time to take HDR shots in low light; stitching is not instantaneous, as on more powerful devices. An interesting addition for front camera- she got a flash, helping to make bright “selves” in poor lighting.

I also remember the signature Moto gesture: when I turned the phone in my hand, and the camera turned on itself. Just like in expensive Moto models, cool.

Verdict

When I took the Moto G5S for acquaintance, I was interested in understanding how this smartphone could be good against the backdrop of the ubiquitous Chinese. Although Moto is also a Chinese brand, it is expensive China. What can you complain about? Average camera and performance, for the same 14,990 rubles you can easily find a more powerful Chinese: Xiaomi and Meizu, ZTE and Honor - there are many options.

It turned out that there was a lot of interesting things here: launching the camera with a deft gesture, clean and correct Android, convenient notifications on the locked screen, good quality screen, high-quality speaker, quality communication and NFC. And if you don’t worry about games, if you’re an adult and not a gamer at all, you’ll be happy. Yes, it's not optimal, but it's a nice purchase.

Specifications Motorola Moto G5S

• Display: 5.2″, IPS, 1920×1080 pixels
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 1.5 GHz
• Android 7.1.1 Nougat
• RAM: 3 GB
• Built-in memory: 32 GB
• Memory card support: microSD
• Camera: 16 MP (flash, Full HD video recording), 5 MP (flash)
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, two SIM cards.
• Battery: 3000 mAh, fast charging TurboPower
• Dimensions: 149.95 x 73.5 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 157 grams

Trying to release an improved version of the excellent Moto G5 Plus smartphone in the same year? In this case, the company was again successful. The Moto G5S Plus is a special edition of the G5 Plus with an improved design, camera and larger screen. Simply put, this is a more premium version of its predecessor.

The best thing here is that the strengths of the Moto G5 Plus haven't been lost. Almost all previous shortcomings have been corrected. Is this enough for the price to rise from $229 to $279?

Pros

Moto G5S Plus has a metal monolithic body, which has a clear advantage over appearance G5, where there were only inclusions of metal in the plastic case. The new camera contains two 13 megapixel modules, a first for the Moto G line of devices. The screen size is 5.5 inches, 1080p resolution, which is the most noticeable change compared to the previous device with a 5.2-inch screen.

Otherwise, the smartphones are the same. The same fast Snapdragon 625 processor is used, a 3000 mAh battery with support for fast charging, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of flash memory. New smartphone runs on Android 7.1, while the previous one shipped on Android 7.0. In both cases, the developers promise an update to Android 8.

The screen is still excellent and produces vibrant colors thanks to the use of an IPS LCD panel. Together with the all-metal body, the device seems much more expensive than $300. The build quality is reminiscent of the original Moto X, which retailed for around $350, but was on par with smartphones twice that price.

The device is thicker and heavier than its predecessor, with polished aluminum and clean antenna lines giving it a distinctive look. Although more have already been released modern processors Snapdragon 600 series, like the Snapdragon 630 in the more expensive Moto X4, the Snapdragon 625 remains fast and can handle intensive web browsing and gaming without any problems. Android is almost pure, except for additions in the form of Moto Actions and Moto Display, which expand the functionality. There is a fast fingerprint scanner included in the Home buttons. There is also a headphone jack.

Cons

The camera is not bad, but not very good either. Motorola followed the trend and offered double rear camera, a 13-megapixel secondary camera is used to create depth effects and monochrome tricks. You can use the Moto Depth editor to change focus, selectively apply black and white areas to an image, and change the background. The problem is that the photographs themselves are not of very high quality.

The photographs are acceptable at best. Motorola claims that it uses the capabilities of professional DSLR cameras, which is extremely far from the truth. You can get good photos with great lighting and editing, but this is not a smartphone for those who want to post the best photos on their Instagram.

In low light, photos in standard mode come out bad, they are too blurry, unless you switch to professional mode, which not everyone will agree with. The front camera works well thanks to the 8 MP sensor and wide-angle lenses. If you often take selfies, then this is quite suitable.

Apart from its photographic capabilities, the G5S Plus doesn't have any major flaws. There is no interface; instead, the older microUSB is used for charging and data transfer; there is also no communication standard and no support with it payment system. Just three shortcomings in a smartphone for $279 can be called an excellent indicator. In Russia on Yandex.Market the price for a 32 GB model is 19,000 rubles.

Conclusion

The Moto G5S Plus is better than the Moto G5 Plus in many ways. The device has become larger, the screen and build quality are better, but the price has increased, which may turn off many. 4 GB of memory will help you cope with a wide variety of tasks.

Pros

• Excellent monolithic body
• Battery life

Cons

• Weak camera
• No NFC
• No USB-C

In 2017, Lenovo's mobile division is pouring out new smartphone models like a cornucopia. The smartphone we tested, the Motorola Moto G5s, was introduced just 6 months after the presentation of its direct predecessor, with both being available for sale at the same time.

In addition to a significant change in design, the display was stretched to 5.2 inches, the ROM volume was doubled, and another 1 GB was added to the RAM, NFC support, the main camera is now 16 megapixels, the battery capacity has been increased to 3000 mAh, and support for Turbo Charger fast charging has been added. All this is spiced up with a front-facing flash, which is so often lacking. In general, there are quite a lot of changes, and the difference in cost is not that significant. In Ukrainian retail, the difference between G5 and G5s is only 1000 UAH. (approximately $37), which is not much for such an impressive list of improvements. Let's see how the Motorola Moto G5s performs during operation.

Specifications

Display size and type	5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, IPS
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), 8 cores (4x1.4 GHz, 4x1.1 GHz)
Graphics accelerator	Adreno 505
Built-in memory, GB	32
RAM, GB	3
Memory expansion	microSD (up to 128 GB)
Number of SIM cards	2
2G communication standards	GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G communication standards	UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
4G communication standards	4G LTE (B1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 19, 20, 28, 38, 40)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2 BR/EDR+BLE
NFC	Eat
IrDA	No
USB connector	microUSB
3.5 mm jack	Eat
FM radio	Eat
Fingerprint scanner	Eat
Navigation	GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Built-in sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, gravity sensor, light sensor
Main camera	16 MP, f/2.0
Front camera	5 MP, f/2.0
operating system	Android 7.1
Protection class	No
Battery	3000 mAh
Dimensions, mm	150*73,5*8,2
Weight, g	157

Appearance

The new product is visually significantly different from its predecessor. It looks more like a more expensive one than its predecessor. Now the sides are metal and they are decorated with small chamfers, making the smartphone look more interesting and more expensive. Unfortunately, the battery of the new product is non-removable, and the cover can only be removed in service center or if you have experience disassembling modern gadgets. The possibility of simultaneously installing a pair of SIM cards and microSD media was also mercilessly cut out. Now you have to choose - either two SIM cards, or one plus a memory card. However, the manufacturer has made the choice a little easier thanks to the doubled ROM capacity. Although, by modern standards, 32 GB was not a lot.

The build quality is impeccable, and when you try to twist and squeeze it, it doesn’t give in at all and doesn’t make any sounds. When you tap on the case, the mechanical keys do not rattle. For testing, we were provided with a gray version of the Moto G5s, in which, from a subjective point of view, the smartphone looks the most advantageous. The matte gray surface is not at all afraid of fingerprints, and it is extremely reluctant to collect scratches.

Above the display there is a sensor block, an earpiece, a front camera window, a flash, and an LED activity indicator. Only the fingerprint sensor is visible under the display. At the back there is a camera, flash and microphone.

On the left side surface there is a tray cover for installing a pair of SIM cards in nanoSIM format, one of which can be replaced with microSD media. The right side surface has the usual volume control and lock keys.

At the top end there is only an analog audio mini-jack (3.5 mm). At the bottom end there is a speaker, a microphone, and a microUSB connector, in place of which we would like to see USB Type-C.

Software

Motorola Moto smartphones use almost pure Android, which many attribute to its advantages. The G5s runs Android 7.1 while the G5 runs on Android control 7.0.

Display

The smartphone uses a 5.2-inch IPS matrix with FullHD resolution. The matrix is ​​protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. There is an oleophobic coating. The screen supports up to 10 simultaneous clicks. The brightness of the display at the maximum backlight level was even higher than that of the more expensive one. When measured at the center of the screen, a level of 468.61 cd/sq.m was recorded. The brightness of the black field was also pleasing - 0.44 cd/sq.m., that is, the static contrast corresponds to a level of 1065:1. And this, without exaggeration, is an excellent indicator.

There are two modes available in the display settings – “bright” and “standard”. In the “bright” mode, the color deviation delta E on the gray wedge in light shades reaches a value of 13.8, while in the “standard” mode the deviation is no more than 7.7. On the primary colors RGBCMY in both modes the deviation is similar - 2.9...7.0. But the color temperature differs significantly. In the “bright” mode - 7390...7680 K, and in the "standard" mode the color temperature is closer to the reference value - 6943...7167 K. The color gamut in both modes slightly does not correspond to the standard sRGB color space, but the difference is insignificant.

Standard mode

Vivid mode

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Sound

The smartphone uses a dedicated system speaker (one speaker served as both a conversation speaker and a system speaker), which unexpectedly sounds good. We're not even talking about the presence of any artifacts, it just sounds nice, which is something you wouldn't expect from a relatively inexpensive smartphone. In general, the sound quality is quite sufficient for watching movies or music videos. Additionally, the speaker is quite loud. When playing a test sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter from the smartphone, a level of 78.5 dBA was recorded. The signal level at the analog audio output is also quite high. When playing the test signal, a level of 468.8 mV was recorded.

Performance

The smartphone is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 system-on-chip (MSM8937), made using a 28 nm process technology. This SoC is equipped with 8 Cortex-A53 cores, half of which operate at frequencies up to 1.4 GHz, and the other half at frequencies up to 1.1 GHz. The video subsystem is based on Adreno 505. The amount of RAM LPDDR3 (800 MHz) is 3 GB, which is 1 GB more than that of the Moto G5.

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System performance was measured in synthetic PCMark, 3DMark, Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu v6. Memory speed was assessed using the AndroBench application. Testing was also carried out in cross-platform javascript tests (Mozilla Kraken JavaScript and SunSpider). The results of these tests depend significantly on the browser used, so to minimize the impact, all reviews will use Google Chrome, as the most common. The following smartphones were chosen as opponents:
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4+4x1.1 GHz), 2 GB RAM, 5 inches, 1920*1080 pixels;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4+4x1.1 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1920*1080 pixels;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4+4x1.1 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1280*720 pixels;

Camera

The front camera is exactly the same as in - 5 megapixel matrix resolution and f/2.2 lens aperture. But there is also a feature - a front flash. Unfortunately, its power is catastrophically low (at a distance of 1 meter, a level of only 1.45 lux was recorded), so it is suitable for shooting only in extremely low light, or in its complete absence. And, of course, in such conditions the picture will have a specific mess of noise. With typical residential lighting, you can’t count on a high-quality photo either. But in natural light, the front camera is capable of taking pretty good pictures.

The main camera has slightly increased its resolution, which is 16 megapixels, while the camera has 13 megapixels. The lens aperture has not changed – f/2.0. The control program is extremely similar to that used in /. In full automatic mode You can select the image resolution, the HDR function mode (including automatic firing), the flash mode, and also select the duration of the automatic shutter timer. IN manual mode control, it is also possible to introduce exposure compensation, control shutter speed, focus, sensitivity (ISO 100-3200), as well as select white balance settings. It is noteworthy that when manually selecting ISO 100 sensitivity, the ISO 125 value is displayed in the photo metadata.

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The camera's automation pleased me in terms of the accuracy of exposure settings. Successful photographs are obtained even in very difficult lighting conditions, when there are areas in the frame with a large difference in brightness. Test footage was filmed in cloudy weather with heavy clouds and flying snow. And in such conditions, problems with exposure metering arise not only in smartphones, but also in system cameras, while the Moto G5s coped with this perfectly. White balance is another matter. Here the automation often malfunctioned even in natural light, not to mention artificial.

Unfortunately, the ability to transfer camera control using the Camera 2 API is not provided, support RAW format no, so estimating the noise level in numerical terms is essentially useless due to the active noise cancellation. To evaluate image quality, a test pattern was captured with all available sensitivity values. Below are cropped fragments.

Sample pictures

Macro photography

Illumination 3 lux + flash

Video recording mode

The smartphone is capable of recording video with a resolution of 1920*1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The video quality is pretty good. Autofocus works constantly during video recording, but the adjustment process is very noticeable.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery, which is 200 mAh more than the Moto G5. But you shouldn’t expect an increase in battery life, because the display diagonal has also increased. When tested using our method, the smartphone lasted 705 minutes in reading mode, and 629 minutes in video viewing mode. In gaming mode, the Moto G5s lasted 201 minutes on a single charge. But here it is worth noting that testing was carried out not in the Epic Citadel benchmark, but in RealRacing3. In the diagram below, the symbol [*] indicates smartphones that were tested in games using a new method. Special attention should be paid to the Turbo Charge charging mode, which allows you to charge your smartphone battery very quickly. Charger has a configuration of 5V/2.5A, 9V/1.5A, 12V/1.2A. To charge to 85% level, exactly 1 hour is enough, and for a full charge – 100 minutes. Just like they were specially adjusted to fit such round numbers.

Conclusion

In general, the G5s was made into a slightly simplified version of the G5 Plus smartphone. The test subject has the same screen and battery, Turbo Charge and NFC, the same amount of RAM and ROM, but the cameras and system-on-chip are simpler. It is worth noting that both Moto G5/G5 Plus and Moto G5s/G5s Plus are available for sale at the same time. In fact, the manufacturer did not introduce the updated G line, but expanded it, and did it quite competently, because all the presented models do not interfere with the sale of each other thanks to a well-chosen set of characteristics and functions of each.
Cons:
— the possibility of simultaneous installation of 2 SIM cards and microSD media has been reduced;
— microUSB port;
- errors automatic installation white balance.
Pros:
— strong metal case;
— high brightness and contrast of the display;
— sound quality and volume of the system speaker;
— the presence of a front flash (although its power is extremely low);
- bright rear flash;
— correct exposure setting when photographing in difficult conditions;
— support for WiFi 802.11ac band (5 GHz);
— availability NFC module;
— fast charging Turbo Charger.

The Moto G5 review revealed the main shortcomings of the smartphone. We have already talked about strengths gadget, today we talk about the design, build quality, display and software.

The release of the Moto G series in 2013 forever changed the mobile market, offering the user excellent performance, high autonomy, almost “naked” Android for only $179. Back then, no brand could offer such a set of functionality and quality for such a price.

In 2017, the situation changes somewhat. Motorola is no longer owned by Google, but the market budget smartphones is being eroded by Chinese brands, among which there are a lot of worthy examples (just look at). So, how did it turn out (GSMArena review).

Strengths of Moto G5

• 5-inch IPS HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 441PPI pixel density
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 4+4 Cortex A53 chipset 1.4GHz, 3GB RAM, 16GB internal memory with support for memory cards up to 128GB
• 13MP main camera with f/2.0 aperture, autofocus, LED flash
• 5MP front camera with f/2.2 aperture
• 2 SIM cards, support 4G
• water-repellent nano-coating
• fingerprint scanner
• 2800mAh removable battery
• Android 7.0

The main disadvantages of a smartphone

• build quality leaves much to be desired
• the screen is unreadable in the sun
• Poor performance when multitasking and in some applications
• mediocre battery life
• no fast charging
• lack of USB Type-C

The new smartphone is available in two versions - the regular G5 (the hero of the review) and the Moto G5 Plus. Unlike last year's models, where the Plus version differed only in the presence of a fingerprint scanner and technical characteristics main camera, this year the differences are more noticeable.

The more expensive G5 Plus has a larger display, more powerful processor, an improved main camera, as well as more capacious battery(although not removable).

Design and body of Moto G5

The Moto G series smartphones have never been known for their sophisticated design, and the new G5 is no different. And although the developer tried to add a premium feel to the smartphone body with a chrome (non-metallic) side frame, the G5 looks ordinary.

The front surface is completely covered by glass, resistant to mechanical damage, with an oleophobic coating, but it is very difficult to clean it from fingerprints and other traces of use.

The 5-inch display is surrounded by massive bezels. Therefore, the smartphone turned out to be much wider than other representatives of the 5-inch segment. At the top there is a speaker protected by a dense grille. By the way, this is the only speaker in the phone. To the left of the speaker is the front camera module, to the right are the proximity and light sensors. There is no LED indicator for recent events.

At the bottom of the front panel there is a fingerprint scanner and a microphone. The scanner supports gesture control.

On the right side there are power and volume buttons. The buttons are placed at a convenient distance, the movement is smooth, nothing plays or dangles. At the top end there is a standard 3.5mm audio jack. On the bottom is the good old micro-USB.

The back of the smartphone houses the main camera and flash. Thanks to the thicker body than the Moto G5 Plus, the camera does not protrude from the back cover. At the top left above the main camera is an additional microphone.

The back cover is removed. And at this moment the user will see that only its middle is made of aluminum, while the upper and lower edges are made of plastic. This is done for the normal functioning of the antennas. Under the cover there is traditionally a removable battery, under which there are trays for SIM cards and memory cards. The slot is not hybrid, which means that you can use both SIM cards and a memory card at the same time. And that's right.

The design of the Moto G5 is underwhelming and the build quality completely ruins the experience. The plastic parts of the back cover are loose and creaky. Together with the plastic chrome frame and the constantly dirty display, the smartphone looks much cheaper than it actually is.

Note that the smartphone has a water-repellent coating, but the developer does not indicate the protection class. But somehow you don’t want to check it yourself, and we don’t recommend it.

Moto G5 display

Moto G5 comes with a 5-inch IPS display. The picture is clear and bright. On auto settings, the display displays slightly raised, but not annoying colors. Manual screen adjustment is available in the settings. The display is excellent for its price tag.

The main disadvantage of the Moto G5 display - brightness. In the sun, the readability of the display drops catastrophically: it is very difficult to read SMS or understand who is calling. And it is almost impossible to see the object in the camera viewfinder, as well as to assess the quality of the resulting photo.

The situation is aggravated safety glass, which either glares too much in the sun or is stained with fingerprints.

Moto G5 software and performance

Moto G5 received Android 7.0 with Motorola's proprietary shell, which was not particularly popular among users due to low functionality and useless add-ons.

This year, the Moto G5 received an updated launcher with gesture support. So, to go to the main menu from the main screen, just swipe the screen up. At the top of the main menu are the most frequently used applications, similar to the Google Now launcher. However, unlike the Google shell, this option cannot be disabled in the Motorola launcher. And most of the built-in functions cannot be disabled. The situation can be easily corrected by installing a third-party launcher.

Another drawback is the many pre-installed applications, the selection of which depends on the region of purchase. They cannot be deleted. However, there are also quite useful functions.

For example, setting up gestures - Moto Action- where you can associate certain functions with familiar gestures. This simplifies the use of the smartphone and makes it more familiar.

Home button, aka a fingerprint scanner, also supports gestures. A light single touch takes the user to the home screen, a click and a short hold turns off the display, a long hold brings up Google Assistant, a swipe to the left takes a step back, a swipe to the right opens recent applications. Once gesture control for the home button is enabled, the on-screen navigation buttons disappear from the screen. Note that the Home button is touch-sensitive and not mechanical.

Second useful option - Moto Display- controls the screen. So, you can configure the screen to activate when a new notification arrives. Or activate the screen when the user picks up the phone if there are unread notifications.

The main clock is larger, but the Moto G5 doesn't support the Always On Display feature: you need to activate the display to view the time.

This is the first part of the Moto G5 review; in the second part we will talk about the performance, camera and battery life of the smartphone.