Moto G5S Plus Unboxing and First Impressions

Moto has been releasing great phone after great phone with the Z2 Play as one of our favorites. Now we take a look at the mid-range powerhouse, Moto G5S Plus!

Moto G5S Plus

Moto G5 Plus Specs

Display: 5.5-inch FHD IPS 1920 x 1080 resolution w/ Gorilla Glass 3 protection at 401 ppi

CPU: 2.0GHz 64-bit Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno 506

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 128GB

Back Camera: 13MP RGB + 13MP Mono f/2.0 w/ PDAF and dual tone LED flash 

Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.2 w/ wide angle lens and LED flash 

Battery: 3,000mAh w/ TurboPower charging 

OS: Android 7.1 Nougat 

Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, HSPA+, LTE Cat 7, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM 

Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, light, compass, gyroscope 

Others: Fingerprint sensor, Water repellent nano-coating, Colors: lunar grey, fine gold 

Dimensions: 153.5 x 76.2 x 9.5 mm

Weight: 168 g 

Price: PHP 14,999

Disclaimer: This unit was borrowed from Moto Philippines for our honest review.

Unboxing / Accessories

Box, phone, documentation, USB to micro USB, power plug and earphones

True to the bright and colorful marketing of Motorola, the Moto G5S Plus comes in a bright green and blue box.

Inside are the following: the phone, a Turbo Charge compatible wall charger, USB to micro USB cable, IEM earphones, SIM ejector tool, and the documentation.

Build Quality / Design

Textured metal back!

There are very few competitive metal body smartphones in the sub PHP 15K price range. The most notable is the Huawei Nova 2i and this, the Moto G5S. The metal is textured to reduce slipping and it also adds that premium sheen when the light hits the textured surface.

Metal textured build is premium for the price!

The Gorilla Glass 3 protected 5.5-inch FHD IPS 1920 x 1080 resolution with 401 ppi display is bright and gorgeous. We never felt that the screen wasn't bright enough even under intense sunlight. The colors are vibrant and the resolution is sharp.

Top

Bottom

Left

Right

This is an IPS panel so the dreaded blue shift when viewed at odd angles are not present. The viewing angles are great by the way. The screen remained visible at odd angles.

The bezels are acceptable for this price point. It doesn't distract too much. Most 18:9 displays are too expensive (except OPPO F5 and Nova 2i) for this price range. This is as good as it can get.

The earphones stood out. It was the one accessory that felt that it was a one level down the quality of the rest of the products. The sound in our initial test was good but the build, could use some work.

Initial Findings

Dual cameras with dual tone flash!

1. Build is premium for the price. The display is a 10 point multitouch, Gorilla Glass 3 protected 5.5-inch FHD with vibrant colors, sharp resolution and great viewing angles.

2. The dual camera at the back is so far so good. The selfie camera performs well too, but we want to do more testing with this to see whether it stacks up to the upcoming Vivo V7, Huawei Nova 2i and the OPPO F5

3. Moto's version of Android is still one of the best being near stock with added Moto features like gestures to launch the camera and the flashlight quickly.

4. The dual tone flash is very powerful. It can fill the area in front of it with light up to 5 feet. 

5. It has OTG, gyroscope, light sensor, and LED for notification.

6. The earphone's build quality needs to be improved. It was out of place compared to the great build of the rest of the accessories and the phone itself.

As of the moment 

We are happy to report that the G5S Plus is a great contender in the hotly contested mid-range game with the premium metal build, 10 point 1080p display and the dual cameras. So we are excited to play with this phone for few more weeks.

For our review: Moto G5s Plus Review - Mid-range Surprise?