The Moto G 5G Plus is one of the cheapest 5G smartphones you can buy at the time of writing. The device also has interesting hardware. In this Motorola Moto G 5G Plus review you can read the advantages and disadvantages of the smartphone.
Motorola Moto G 5G Plus
Price € 349,- / € 399,-Colour Blue
OS Android 10
Screen 6.7" LCD (2520 x 1080, 90hz)
Processor 2.3GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 765)
RAM 4 or 6 GB
Storage 64 or 128 GB
Battery 5,000 mAh
Camera 48, 8,5, 2 megapixels (rear), 16 and 8 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC
Format 16.8 x 7.4 x 0.9cm
Weight 207 grams
Other Splash-proof
Website www.motorola.com 8 Score 80
- Pros
- Affordable 5G smartphone
- Good screen
- Complete and solid hardware
- Negatives
- Unstable camera app
- Unclear, so far mediocre update policy
- Placement buttons
Motorola offers the Moto G 5G Plus in two configurations, with 4 GB or 6 GB RAM (349 euros) and 64 GB or 128 GB storage space (399 euros). I tested that second version.
Design and screen
The Moto G 5G Plus is made of plastic and you can feel it. The device comes across as less premium than a glass smartphone, but it fits comfortably in the hand and is solid. The large battery – about which more in a moment – makes the phone heavy (207 grams). Motorola promises that the smartphone can withstand a splash of water.
The smartphone has a large 6.7-inch LCD screen with an elongated 21:9 ratio, something we know from Sony phones like the Xperia 10 II. The screen is ideal for movies and surfing the internet and looks sharp thanks to the full-HD resolution. Thanks to the higher refresh rate than usual (90 Hz versus 60 Hz), the screen refreshes more often per second and the image looks smoother. A nice extra. The image quality is good enough, but cannot match an OLED screen in terms of colors and contrast.
I am less enthusiastic about the placement of the buttons. The on and off button on the right side is quite high and that takes getting used to. The volume buttons are even higher and can hardly be reached with one hand. On the left side there is a special button for the Google Assistant, which I, as a right-handed user, find placed too high. The fingerprint scanner is also located in the on and off button and works quickly and accurately.
Complete hardware
The Moto G 5G Plus runs on a fast Snapdragon 765 processor with – in my case – 6 GB of RAM, enough to quickly switch between apps and games. The storage memory is also very spacious with 128 GB. The smartphone is suitable for 5G and at the time of writing one of the cheapest 5G phones you can buy. A nice bonus, but the benefits of 5G are still limited. The successor to 4G is only slightly faster for the time being and will only become really fast in 2022 or 2023.
The device has four cameras on the back for normal photos, wide-angle images and macro shots. A depth sensor blurs the background for a portrait effect. The photo quality during the day and in the dark is comparable to the competition, and more than sufficient for social media and holiday pictures. Sometimes photos look a bit duller than reality. Handy is the double selfie camera in the screen for normal photos and group images. The difference is clear and the image quality is fine, although bright lighting can be a problem. You can see it in the selfies below.
The large 5000 mAh battery lasts for about a day and a half with intensive use and that is long enough. If you take it easier, you can go two or three days ahead. Samsung's Galaxy M21 is cheaper and offers a longer battery life. The Moto G 5G Plus charges at medium speed (20 Watts) via the USB-C port.
Software and Update Policy
Motorola supplies the Moto G 5G Plus with Android 10 and puts its new, light shell over it. It doesn't get in the way and adds some simple tricks to personalize the software more and quickly start the flashlight and camera. The manufacturer's update policy remains a thorn in my side. Motorola only wants to guarantee Android 11 and security updates for two years (one per quarter). Competing smartphones like the OnePlus Nord receive more frequent and longer version and system updates, making them safer and more future-proof.
Conclusion: Buy Motorola Moto G 5G Plus?
The Motorola Moto G 5G Plus is a beautiful smartphone with a good screen, complete and solid specifications, 5G support and user-friendly software. Motorola's moderate update policy is the biggest stain on the excellent phone, which itself only has some fairly subjective beauty flaws. For 349 euros a great buy, with the OnePlus Nord as the largest competitor. It costs 399 euros and offers better specifications and long-term software support, which is why I think it is a better deal.
