Lenovo Moto G5 Plus Handset Delivers Strong Features for the Price

With the iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S line dominating the smartphone market, it’s easy to get the idea that people need to spend nearly $1,000 on a handset just to get reasonably good mobile experience. But the Moto G5 Plus tries to buck that trend with a $230 price tag and a host of strong features. For that price, users will get a processor that can still handle most resource-intensive tasks and ample storage for photos and videos. The handset also comes with features traditionally reserved for high-end devices, like a surprisingly powerful camera and a fast-charging battery. The Moto G5 Plus is arguably the best example so far this year of a smartphone that attracts mobile shoppers without breaking their budgets. 

The Moto G5 Plus runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, an octa-core chip featuring a 2GHz clock speed, and the Adreno 506 GPU. Up to 4GB of RAM is available.

The Moto G5 Plus might have a low price, but it doesn’t look cheap. The device features an aluminum body that makes it water-repellant (but not water-resistant).

The rear-facing camera has a 12-megapixel sensor that can focus 60 percent more quickly than earlier models, according to Motorola. It supports 4K Ultra HD video capture and dual LED flash. The front-facing camera lens has a 5-megapixel, wide-angle sensor.

Motorola said the Moto G5 Plus has a battery that can last all day on a single charge. The device also comes with the turbo charger feature, which can add up to six hours of battery life in just 15 minutes.

The Moto G5 Plus features 32GB or 64GB of storage, allowing most users to save their photos and videos on the device. There also is a microSD card with up to 128GB of storage capacity.

The Moto G5 Plus’ 5.2-inch screen should suffice, featuring full-HD resolution and 424 pixels per inch. Motorola uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3 technology to keep the display safe.

To its credit, Motorola has bundled Android 7.0 Nougat in the Moto G5 Plus, so it has the latest security updates. Motorola hasn’t said whether it will send out OS updates after its release.

Motorola’s Moto G5 Plus ships unlocked, so it can be used on any network. Since it supports both CDMA and GSM networks, it works with all major carriers, including AT&T and Verizon.

Motorola is offering “Experiences” with the Moto G5 Plus, including a fingerprint sensor to lock and unlock the handset and a feature that enables users to interact with the device through certain gestures. There’s also a feature called Moto Display where users can get a “quick preview” of the notifications they care about. Users can also interact with the device using other gestures, like turning their wrists or using a “chopping” motion, to access different apps and features.

At $230, the price could be the Moto G5 Plus’ best feature. Those wanting 64GB of storage will pay just $300. The device is available now for pre-order and will ship in the last week of March.