MWC 2017: Moto G5, Moto G5 Plus Ditch Plastic For Metal But Remains Budget-Friendly

Lenovo has announced the new Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, the latest version of the affordable G-series line of Android smartphones. This time around, the G5 phones ditch the plastic chassis from previous versions in favor of a more premium metal finish.

The Moto G5 Plus comes with a 5.2-inch display, while the G5 carries a slightly smaller 5-inch display. Luckily, both displays come with a full HD 1080p screen resolution. Inside, the device don’t share the same specs with the Moto G5 Plus being the superior of the two.

The Moto G5 Plus is powered by a 2GHz Snapdragon 625 processor with 2GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB of storage and a 3,000 mAh battery. The device also features TurboPower fast charging tech which allows users to charge the device for 15 minutes to get six hours of battery life.

The regular Moto G5, on the other hand, comes with a 1.4GHz Snapdragon 430 processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of storage and a 2,800 mAh battery. This handset skips TurboPower support and comes with the regular 5-watt rapid charging technology.

For cameras, the regular Moto G5 has a 13MP on the back while the Moto G5 Plus has a smaller resolution 12MP camera. However, G5 Plus camera should perform better thanks to its faster f/1.7 lens versus the G5’s f/2.0 lens, according to ArsTechnica.

Both Moto G5 models come with a fingerprint sensor up front, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microUSB port, expandable storage via microSD card and both run Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box. Another great feature that’s on both handsets is Google Assistant, according to Mashable.

Since the G-series is affordable, the pricing for the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus remains very competitive. The Plus model starts at US$299, while the G5 starts at US$229. Both models are set to arrive next month in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.