Moto G5: A Deep Dive into the Budget Smartphone King

Motorola’s G series has long held a revered position in the budget smartphone market, consistently delivering impressive features without the hefty price tag. The Moto G5, launched as the main 2017 instalment in this celebrated line, aimed to elevate the experience further. With a fresh, metallic design, a refined fingerprint sensor, and solid specifications, it promised exceptional value for money for Android bargain hunters across the UK and other markets (though notably, not the US). But as newer models arrive and technology advances, the pertinent question remains: does the Moto G5 still hold its own, and is it a wise investment today?

A Fresh Look: Design and Display Excellence

The Moto G5 marked a significant shift in the G-series' aesthetic. Historically praised for functionality over flair, the G5 embraced a more premium look and feel that immediately set it apart from its predecessors, particularly the all-plastic Moto G4. Lenovo, the brand's owner, introduced a more sophisticated and attractive design, making the G5 the most appealing Moto G handset seen at its launch.

Elevated Design and Build Quality

The most striking feature of the G5’s redesign is its partially metallic design. While not a full unibody metal construction like some premium rivals (or even the Nokia 5 and 6), the aluminium rear panel provides a satisfying heft and a more expensive look. This metallic back cleverly transitions into a plastic bumper section at the top and bottom, a design choice that enhances durability by offering better resistance to falls. It’s available in classic gold or grey, with O2 even offering an exclusive blue variant. Below the screen, the phone features a sleek, indented fingerprint sensor, framed by a subtle sliver of metal around the top speaker. The rear camera module is encased in a silver circle, with the iconic 'M' logo subtly etched into the metal panel, completing a decidedly grown-up and chic appearance.

Vibrant Visuals on a Compact Screen

The display on the Moto G5 is a 5-inch IPS LCD panel, boasting a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This translates to a sharp 441 pixels per inch (PPI), making it surprisingly crisper than even the slightly larger Moto G5 Plus. The screen is both bright and vibrant, ensuring an excellent viewing experience whether you're reading, streaming videos, or engaging in mobile gaming. While the prominent bezels around the screen are a slight giveaway of its budget status, the overall visual quality is impressive for its price point. It offers decent viewing angles, avoiding the contrast fall-off often seen in cheaper devices, meaning content remains clear even when viewed from an angle. For many users, this 5-inch form factor, a slight reduction from the G4's 5.5 inches, strikes a sweet spot for single-handed use and portability.

Performance and Software Experience

Under the bonnet, the Moto G5 aims to deliver a reliable and smooth Android experience, powered by a chipset designed for efficiency and everyday use. Its software approach also benefits from Motorola's commitment to a clean Android interface, enhanced by useful proprietary gestures.

Everyday Performance

The Moto G5 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor, capable of clocking up to 1.4GHz. While perfectly adequate for most daily tasks—browsing, social media, email, and light gaming—it’s important to manage expectations. This chipset is less powerful than the one found in the Moto G5 Plus, and this difference is noticeable in terms of responsiveness. Load times for apps can be slightly longer, and graphically intensive games may exhibit some stutter compared to more powerful devices. The phone typically comes with 2GB of RAM, though a 3GB RAM option (often bundled with dual SIM support) is available and highly recommended for a smoother multitasking experience.

Clean Android with Smart Gestures

The G5 launched with Android 7.0 Nougat and is upgradeable to Android 8.1 Oreo, ensuring its software remains relatively current. Motorola's approach to Android is commendable; it’s a near-stock experience, free from excessive bloatware and unnecessary pre-installed apps. This clean interface contributes significantly to the phone's overall fluidity. Adding to the user experience are Motorola’s signature action-based gestures, accessible via the pre-installed Moto app. These include:

• Double karate chop to activate the torch.
• Twist the wrist for a quick camera capture.
• Swipe across the screen to shrink the interface for one-handed use.
• Pick up the device to stop it ringing.
• Flip the phone over to auto-activate Do Not Disturb mode.

These gestures are intuitive and genuinely useful, allowing users to interact with their phone efficiently without constantly touching the screen. Android 7.0 also introduced Google Doze, which intelligently puts the phone into a low-power state when it detects the device hasn't been moved for a period, significantly helping battery longevity.

Camera Capabilities: Capturing Moments on a Budget

While budget phones aren't typically renowned for their photographic prowess, the Moto G5 makes a respectable effort to deliver a capable camera system for its price point.

Rear and Front Cameras

The Moto G5 features a 13-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture lens. On paper, these specifications are impressive for an affordable handset. It performs well in good to reasonable lighting conditions, producing shots that are a noticeable step up from previous G-series models. However, it’s worth noting that the G5’s sensor lacks the Dual Autofocus Pixels found in the G5 Plus. This means autofocus isn't quite as rapid or precise, particularly with close-up subjects, and the 'Pro' camera mode doesn't offer the same quick focus area highlighting. While the camera app is straightforward and easy to use for tap-to-focus, pictures can sometimes appear over-sharpened when scrutinised closely. In low-light environments, performance dips, with images becoming smudgy and lacking in detail. For selfies and group shots, there’s a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with a wide-angle lens, which is perfectly serviceable for social media and video calls.

Battery Life and Charging

Powering the Moto G5 is a removable 2,800mAh battery. While not the largest capacity on the market, the combination of the efficient Snapdragon 430 processor and Google Doze optimisation helps it achieve decent endurance. Users can generally expect to get around 14 hours of use before needing a top-up, often leaving approximately 20% charge by the end of the day with moderate usage.

Charging is handled via a micro USB port, utilising a 10W charger. This provides reasonably fast top-up times, though it’s not quite as quick as the 15W TurboCharger included with the Moto G5 Plus. It’s important to use the provided charger or a decent alternative, as low-power sockets (such as those found on planes or older USB ports) will take many hours to provide a significant charge.

The Fingerprint Sensor and One-touch Navigation

One of the standout features of the Moto G5 is its redesigned fingerprint sensor. Moving away from the awkward square shape of the G4, the G5 adopts a more elegant, pill-shaped sensor on the front. This sensor is not only excellent for quick and secure unlocking but also introduces a clever new feature: One-touch Nav (Motorola’s term for gesture control).

When activated via the Moto app, One-touch Nav replaces the traditional on-screen Android soft keys (home, back, and recent apps). Instead, users can:

• Swipe left on the sensor to go back.
• Swipe right to open the current apps screen.
• Press the sensor to return to the home screen or lock the device.
• Press and hold to activate the Google Now launcher.

While it takes a little practice to master, this gesture-based navigation system is intuitive and frees up valuable screen real estate, making the display feel larger. It might not necessarily speed up navigation compared to the soft keys, but it keeps the screen cleaner by reducing the need for constant touching. The main drawback of the G5’s fingerprint sensor is the lack of NFC (Near Field Communication), which prevents mobile payment functionality. This feature is present in the UK version of the G5 Plus, making its absence on the standard G5 a notable omission for some users.

Pricing, Availability, and Configurations

The Moto G5 launched in the UK at a competitive price of £170, and its price has since dropped to around £120 from various retailers, making it an even more enticing proposition, especially with the newer Moto G6 now available. In Australia, it launched at AU$299. It's crucial to note that the Moto G5 was never officially available in the US, with American bargain hunters directed towards the Moto G5 Plus or newer models.

The basic version of the G5 comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. However, for an additional £10 (if purchased online via Motorola or Amazon), you can acquire a version with 3GB of RAM and often dual SIM support, which is highly recommended for improved performance and flexibility. The 16GB internal storage can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card slot, conveniently located behind the removable back cover alongside the battery and SIM slots. Android 7.0 (and later 8.1) allows the microSD card to be assimilated as internal storage, effectively alleviating any storage concerns.

Moto G5 vs. Moto G5 Plus: A Detailed Comparison

The introduction of the G5 Plus alongside the standard G5 created a nuanced choice for consumers. While the G5 is a strong contender in its own right, the G5 Plus offers several upgrades for an additional cost. Here’s a comparative look:

Considering Alternatives

While the Moto G5 is a strong contender, other options existed at its price point that offered compelling features:

• Lenovo P2: Another offering from Lenovo, priced around £199, the P2 boasted a much larger 5,100mAh battery, providing exceptional multi-day endurance. While chunkier, its design was not dissimilar to the G5's new sophisticated image.
• Moto G5 Plus: As detailed above, for an extra £80, the G5 Plus offered significant performance and feature upgrades, making it a powerful alternative if the budget stretched.

Pros and Cons at a Glance

To summarise the Moto G5's strengths and weaknesses:

FOR:

• Great fingerprint scanner with effective gesture control options (One-touch Nav).
• microSD expansion (essential given the 16GB internal storage).
• Sturdy metal-look design, impressive for its price point.
• Clean, near-stock Android software experience with useful Moto gestures.
• Excellent budget king status at its price.

AGAINST:

• The G5 Plus offers significantly better performance for an additional £80.
• Can be slow to load apps and exhibits some stutter in gaming.
• No NFC for mobile payments (unlike the UK G5 Plus model).
• The removable metal back, while attractive, can feel somewhat plastic-like.
• Limited 16GB internal storage in the base model requires microSD.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is the Moto G5 still a good phone to buy today?

While the Moto G5 offered exceptional value at its launch, newer models like the Moto G6 and other budget phones have since surpassed it in terms of performance and features. However, if found at a significantly reduced price (around £120 or less) and your needs are basic (browsing, social media, light use), it can still serve as a perfectly functional, affordable smartphone. Its clean Android experience and solid build remain appealing.

What is the main difference between the Moto G5 and G5 Plus?

The Moto G5 Plus offers a larger screen (5.2-inch vs 5.0-inch), a more powerful Snapdragon 625 processor, more RAM (3GB/4GB vs 2GB/3GB), greater internal storage (32GB/64GB vs 16GB), a better camera with Dual Autofocus Pixels, a larger battery (3,000mAh vs 2,800mAh), faster charging, and NFC (in the UK version). The G5 Plus also has a more premium, non-removable metal build, whereas the G5 has a removable metal-effect back.

Does the Moto G5 have NFC for mobile payments?

No, the standard Moto G5 does not include NFC (Near Field Communication). If mobile payments are essential to your daily life, you would need to opt for the Moto G5 Plus (specifically the UK version, as not all regions of the Plus model included NFC) or a newer model.

Is the Moto G5's battery removable?

Yes, one of the notable features of the Moto G5 is its removable 2,800mAh battery. This allows users to easily swap out the battery if it degrades over time or to carry a spare for extended use, a feature increasingly rare in modern smartphones.

What Android version does the Moto G5 run?

The Moto G5 launched with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and received an official upgrade to Android 8.1 Oreo, ensuring it benefits from many of Google's security updates and feature enhancements from that era.

Is the Moto G5 considered a flagship phone?

No, the Moto G5 is definitively not a flagship phone. It is positioned as a budget or affordable smartphone. While it offers excellent features for its price point and punches above its weight in many areas, it does not possess the cutting-edge processors, advanced camera systems, or premium materials found in top-tier flagship devices.

Final Verdict

The Moto G5, at its core, is a testament to Motorola's ability to deliver compelling technology at an accessible price point. Its introduction of a more refined metallic design and a highly functional fingerprint sensor with One-touch Nav features elevated the budget smartphone experience. While its performance, particularly compared to its G5 Plus sibling, and the absence of NFC are notable drawbacks, the G5 still offers a clean Android experience, a decent display, and a perfectly serviceable camera for everyday use.

For those in the market for an extremely affordable smartphone in the UK, especially if you can find it at its current reduced price, the Moto G5 continues to represent strong value for money. It may not be a flagship contender, but for a quid shy of £170 (or even less now), it remains a solid choice, proving itself still to be royalty among affordable phones.

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