Motorola Moto G5 Review

Introduction 

In the past few years, the Moto G series has set a standard in affordable phones that few can match. This year, Lenovo has two G series phones: the Moto G5 and the Moto G5 Plus. The G5 Plus is the one that has gotten all the attention so far: it’s got the powerful and very battery-savvy Snapdragon 625 system chip, it’s got a fast Dual Pixel auto-focus camera, and it has a starting price of just $230.

And then there is the Moto G5 that we have up here for review. It’s a much different phone than the G5 Plus and this is important to know: it has a smaller, 5” display, it has the severely less powerful Snapdragon 430, a completely different camera and half the on-board storage.

And it’s also not available in the United States, and this one is an even more important distinction. Why? Simple: price of the Moto G5 Plus might be set at $230 in the USA, but in Europe and the rest of the world it rocks a much higher, €280 to €300 price (equivalent to no less than $305). This higher price opens the space for the Moto G5: a €230 phone that would make no sense in the United States.

Are all the compromises made to get to that lower price worth it, though? We take a deeper dive in the Moto G5 experience to see what living with a dirt cheap phone is all about. Stick with us for some interesting conclusions.

Design

A chubby phone with decent design for the price.

You simply cannot complain about options when it comes to phone design in 2017. Even the affordable Samsung Galaxy A series bring an impressively stylish glass and metal look, while many others bring sleek metal designs.

But the Moto G5 does not even qualify as an affordable phone: it’s even cheaper. Because of that, we're inclined to accept certain compromises in its design, like the overly thick bezels, or the somewhat uninspired appearance. 

While not a looker in any way, the Moto G5 is at least practical: no fingerprint smudges, no screaky parts, just a solid construction that we think will withstand the test of time very well. Nothing more than that, unfortunately.

You have your fingerprint scanner at the front: it’s fast and accurate enough, just like most of them these days, and we like the front position. It’s not a physical button, though, so it will not click. All the physical buttons are on the right: they are plastic, but also very clicky and the lock key has texture to it, so it’s easier to recognize it by tactile feel alone.

On the top there is a 3.5mm headset jack and on the bottom of the device is a microUSB port. Yep, we wish it was USB-C as well.

The phone lacks any special water protection, so we recommend you keep it safe and dry