Motorola has upgraded its G-series phones for the year with ‘Special Editions’. The Moto G5s Plus, that we have been testing for a while, improves upon various aspects of the G5 Plus and, as we pointed out in our first impressions, is what Moto G5s Plus should have been in the first place.
The Moto G5s Plus combines popular Snapdragon 625 chipset, a full HD display, and stock Android in a very lucrative (full metal) package. Let’s try and answer all Moto G5s Plus related questions that could affect your buying decision.
Pros
- Good quality display
- Premium full metal body
- Primary rear camera
- Stock Android Nougat and smooth performance
Cons
- Hybrid SIM Slot
- No Magnetometer or Compass sensor
- Portrait Mode (dual camera) needs improvement
Moto G5s Plus Specifications And Price
| Model | Moto G5S Plus |
| Display | 5.5-Inch, Full HD display, 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | 2.0GHz Snapdragon 625 octa-core |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Internal Storage | 64GB (~52GB free), expandable |
| Software | Android 7.1.1 Nougat |
| Primary Camera | 13MP+13MP (RGB + Monochrome), f 2.0 aperture |
| Secondary Camera | 8MP, f/2.0 aperture |
| Dimensions and Weight | 153.5 x 76.2 x 8 mm and 168 grams |
| Others | 4G VoLTE, Fingerprint sensor, dual band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh, Turbo charging |
| Price | Rs. 15,999 |
Also Read: Nokia 6 FAQ – All questions answered
Moto G5s Plus Look and Feel
Question: How is the Moto G5s Plus design?
Answer: Moto G5s Plus looks awesome and has a full metal body that makes it feel solid and durable. It is the right amount of thick and heavy as well.
The fingerprint sensor is on the front (right where we prefer it), the audio jack on top (not exactly where we prefer it) and the mono speaker grill runs along the bottom edge.
On the downside, you will need a thick case to even out the huge camera bump on the rear or you will invariably end up scratching the cover glass in the long run, even when the raised circular rim assures of some protection.
Also, the Moto G5s Plus isn’t making an effort to reduce its overall foot print and the phone sprawls on all side. It’s still attractive, though, but what we are trying to say is that it might not be the most appealing choice if what you are looking for is a slim and compact phone.
Question: How is the Moto G5s Plus build quality?
Answer: There are no flexes or creaks in the body. The hardware buttons are firm and have good tactile feedback. It feels remarkably well built.
Question: Is Moto G5s Plus Water resistant?
Answer: No, it’s not. There is a nano coating on the handset that could save it from accidental spillage or minor rains. No guarantees, though.
Question: Does the Moto G5s Plus comes with back cover and tempered glass?
Answer: No, only standard earphones, USB cable, and Charger are bundled in the box. You can choose one of these cases to protect it.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have capacitive navigation buttons below the display? Are they backlit?
Answer: The navigation buttons are present on the screen. The fingerprint sensor below the display can be programmed to behave as the entire navigation bar (One Button Navigation, as Lenovo puts it).
Question: How is the Moto G5s Plus display?
Answer: Apart from the design, the display is a major factor that differentiates Moto G5s Plus from the original G5 Plus. It’s bigger and noticeably better.
The Moto G5s Plus display has the same full HD resolution but the dynamic range and color contrast has improved. Colors feel marginally oversaturated in the ‘Vibrant’ mode, but you can always switch to ‘standard’ color preset for a more realistic experience. The touch glass is quite reflective, which affects outdoor visibility to an extent.
Overall, We like the display quality of the Moto G5Ss Plus.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have the option to switch between color modes?
Answer – Yes, as stated above, you can switch between Vibrant and Standard color profiles.
Question: Does the Moto G5s Plus have the option for automatic brightness?
Answer: Like most other stock Android devices, you will find the adaptive brightness option on the phone.
Question: Does the Moto G5s Plus display have Gorilla glass protection?
Answer: Yes, the phone has Gorilla Glass 3 on the display.
Moto G5s Plus Performance and Storage
Question: How much internal storage space is free on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: Out of 64GB, around 52GB storage is available at the user end.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have a Hybrid dual SIM tray or a separate microSD card slot?
Answer: The SIM tray is hybrid. You can use two SIM cards or one SIM and one SD card.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus has USB OTG support?
Answer: Yes, USB OTG is supported.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have a fingerprint sensor? How many fingerprints can you scan and store?
Answer: Yes, the fingerprint sensor is present on the front below the display (track-pad like). You can add up to 5 fingerprints.
Also Read: Ways To Add Fast Universal Search on Android Smartphones
Question: Is the fingerprint sensor on Moto G5s Plus fast and accurate? Is it always-on type?
Answer: The fingerprint sensor is quite accurate and fast. No issues here.
Question: How is the day-to-day or general performance? How is gaming performance of Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: The day-to-day performance is smooth and at par with what you get on other Snapdragon 625 phones like Redmi Note 4, Moto G5 Plus, etc.
We didn’t face any performance hiccup on the device with normal usage or with casual and heavy gaming.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have heating issues?
Answer: The phone heats up while charging and with extended gaming or camera usage. But otherwise, it runs cool. The metal chassis gets warm with heavy usage, but that’s normal. There are no heating issues that you need to be worried about.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus support Google cardboard and other VR Apps? Does Moto G5s Plus have gyroscope sensor?
Answer: Yes, the Gyroscope sensor is present. Google cardboard and other VR apps are supported.
Moto G5s Plus Benchmark Scores
| Benchmark Standard | Score |
| Antutu | 65,236 |
| Quadrant | 19148 |
| Geekbench single core, multi-core | 852, 4339 |
| 3D Mark sling shot | 465 |
Camera
Question: How is the Moto G5s Plus camera quality?
Answer: Moto G5s Plus has two 13MP cameras on the rear, one with Monochrome and other with sRGB sensor. The camera can capture a great amount of detail and fairly accurate colors when the lighting is good (both indoors or outdoors).
The camera performance is pretty good compared to what we usually see in this budget.
The camera app also has an efficient manual mode that you can use to further enhance low light shots. Metering and focus are mostly accurate.
Question: How is the dual camera mode on the Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: The feed from the second sensor is used for enhancing images from the first sensor. Since details captured in both indoor and outdoor conditions are good, the software algorithms must be doing something right.
The second use that the extra sensor is put to is depth sensing. This is the part where it falters. Bokeh effect is largely inconsistent and feels like a work in progress. You can only hope that it gets better with future updates.
Question: How is the selfie camera on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: The 8MP selfie camera on the phone is assisted by an LED flash and also benefits from a manual mode. The selfie camera, however, isn’t anything out of the ordinary. The skin tones look over saturated on the phone’s display but looked fine when we viewed them on a bigger screen. The camera oversharpens image to compensate for noise.
The skin tones look over saturated on the phone’s display but looked fine when we viewed them on a bigger screen. The camera also oversharpens image to compensate for noise.
Question: Can the Moto G5s Plus shoot 4K videos?
Answer: Yes you can record up to 4K videos @30 fps.
Question: Can you record slow-motion videos on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: Yes, you can record slow motion videos but the quality is nothing to write home about.
Moto G5s Camera Samples
Software
Question: How is the software on the Moto G5s Plus? Is gesture support present on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: Like all other Lenovo/Moto phones, the software is stock Android. It’s light and efficient, and exactly the way Google intended it to be.
You won’t get many customization options, but Motorola tries and bundles a few useful ones like One handed mode, gestures, and always on display under Moto Action app. There isn’t much bloatware on the phone, but it isn’t bloatware free either. Linkedin and Outlook app come pre-loaded on the phone and you can’t uninstall them.
Also Read: Top 12 Cool Google Maps Tips and Tricks You Should Know
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have one hand mode?
Answer: Yes
Question: Can you run dual apps or two apps with the same account on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: The option isn’t there by default, but you can do that using the guest mode. Here is how you can do it:
Check: How to Install Same App Twice On Any Android Phone Without Root
Question: Will Moto G5s Plus get Android 8.0 Oreo update?
Answer: There are good chances of Android 8.0 Oreo update rolling out for the phone, but it’s not Guaranteed.
Miscellaneous
Question: What kind of SIM cards does Moto G5s Plus support?
Answer: It supports nano SIM card on both slots. The second slot is hybrid.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus support FM radio?
Answer: Yes. FM radio is present.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have IR blaster?
Answer: No, it does not.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus have LED Notification light
Answer: No.
Question: How is the call quality on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: Call quality is very good.
Also Read: 5 Android Smartphone Features That Are Still Missing in Apple iOS
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus support Reliance Jio SIM cards/ 4G VoLTE? Do both SIM slots support 4G VoLTE?
Answer: Yes, it supports Jio sim cards, VoLTE on both SIM slots.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus support native Jio Video calling or ViLTE?
Answer: No. Video calling option isn’t included in the dialer.
Question: How is the Battery backup on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: The 3000mAh battery can last fairly long. You will be able to get through one day of moderate to heavy usage rather comfortably.
Question: Does Moto G5s Plus support fast charging? Is fast charger bundled in the box?
Answer: Moto G5s Plus comes with Turbo Charger. It takes around 1 hour 40 minutes to charge the battery completely.
Question: What are the sensors present on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: The only major sensor missing is Magnetometer or compass sensor. All other major sensors are present on the phone.
Question: How loud is the loudspeaker on Moto G5s Plus?
Answer: The audio output from speakers and via headphones is loud and clear.
Question: What’s the Moto G5s Plus Best India Price? Where to buy Moto G5s Plus from? Are there any promotional offers that I can avail?
Answer: Only 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant of Moto G5s Plus is available in India. You can buy it exclusively on Amazon for 14,999 INR. It’s available in Blush Gold and Lunar Grey color options.
Amazon is offering following promotional offers on Moto G5s Plus:
- 80 percent off on Kindle e-books
- 50GB additional Reliance Jio data
Also Read: Best Google Search Bar alternatives for Android Users
Moto G5s Plus Review – Should you buy it?
The Moto G5s Plus turned out to be recommendable phones in its class (and a bummer for anyone who recently purchased a Moto G5 Plus?). There is no area where it particularly disappoints. It looks good, has a powerful SoC, ample native storage, offers decent audio output, has a good quality display, and a decent primary camera.
On the down side, the dual camera is still work in progress, the SIM tray is hybrid, and the Magnetometer sensor is missing – but none of these are veritable deal breakers in our opinion. At least not for all of us.
Why the internet goes off for airtel users, when we get a call ? How to resolve that ?
Recently bought this Mobile and inserted Airtel 4G Sim, 2-3 days it worked fine , later Airtel signal goes on and off from 4G to H type. Now Most of the time signal shows as H type and I am not able to browse any thing , nothing is opening up even at slower speed. if you could have any light on this issue please share
There are a couple of reasons for that. Here’s a quick fix which should work for you:
1. Go to setting
2. Under Wireless and Networks tap on More option
3. Select Mobile Networks
4. Go to Preferred network type and select LTE.
LTE selected and restarted my mobile,but still volte is not enabled
Contact details are often erased in my Moto G5s plus. Can you explain me what are the reasons and how to resolve the problem
This could be due to Truecaller app. There are other phones that are reporting similar issues.
Hi,
My Moto G5s plus suddenly had no coverage. I’m using an Airtel connection.
Are there any known issues for Airtel connections with Moto G5s Plus.
Does Moto g5 s plus get scratch on his camera or not…?
if you don’t use a proper case it can easily get scratches
does moto g5 s plus have call recording feature.
native video calling is not present. isn’t there any option for video calling as i m using jio and not able to place video call? help plz.
Hi Deepak, thanks for your reply. I will think about it. Thank you so much for your response. This is the first time I am getting reply from any forum 🙂 Appreciate that. All the best.
Hi Deepak, your analysis is in detail and good. I am planning to buy Moto G5S Plus but I am confused because of lot many complaints about the device in consumer forums. Can I go for Moto G5S Plus? I am looking for good camera (rear and front) and good performance. Though Moto G5S Plus has these, I am getting a feel that this is a defective product. Please suggest.
Hi Vijay, we too have come across some complaints and display issues that are prevalent in several Moto products. We haven’t, however, faced any issue with our Moto G5s Plus and Moto G5 plus review unit. But yes, these issues are pretty much there and we have experienced them first hand on some other units. At the same time, these are software issues that will likely be fixed in the future updates. So basically you will have to decide for yourself. A certain amount of risk is involved, but that’s also true for most other affordable phones.
Please help regarding VR in Moto G5s plus. Since the phone does not contain magnetometer and compass sensor. Will it support VR apps? Does it support VR?
Also recommended VR headset?
Hi Manthan, the phone has gyroscope so VR apps will work fine. But the phone obviously won’t be compatible with Oculus or Daydream VR standards, so basic VR headsets that can fit it in should work well. We haven’t tested many VR headsets with this phone so its hard to say which ones should work best. But check user reviews and go for ones that have a comfortable fit. Once from ANT VR should be what I would try first.
Thank you very much. This was really helpful. I posted the question since had to gift someone. Anyway thank you once again.
Kindly help whether VR is supported or not? Since there is n magnetometer and compass sensor?
Dear Sir,
Since it does not have the accelorometer and compass sensor, will it support VR?
Also which VR headset is recommended?
Kindly help.
VoLTE is not supported in my sim slot 1.
Could you please help me out
The access to the internet is just fine
But can’t place a call….
Pls help
Are your using 4G SIMs in both slots?
VoLTE is not supported in my device..
Could you please help me out
The access to the internet is just fine
But can’t place a call….
Pls help
I am confused about the dual camera feature . Is it same as single camera phone? If not then, what is the exact benefits of dual camera ? please reply me with any example.
Hi Alok,
There are three dual camera implementations as of today (this link should help: https://www.smartprix.com/bytes/understanding-dual-cameras-smartphone-how-they-work/).
The one on Moto G5s Plus combines a black and white and color sensor to capture more light for better low-light images. The two cameras are also used for clicking images with blurred background. (with two cameras, Moto G5s Plus can sense what’s in the background and what’s in the foreground and blur background or subject) for DSLR like bokeh effect.
As mentioned above, dual cameras don’t work well on the Moto G5s Plus.
VoLTE is not supported in my device..
Could you please help me out
The access to the internet is just fine
But can’t place a call….
Pls help
Is G5s plus have inbuilt call recorder ? , I have try some call recorder app from play store but it’s not works properly , not record incoming sound . Please give any solution
sir normal used whatsup , fb , youtube , mp3 player long time so reliease heating issued . plz sir replay . i am interested purchase moto g5s plus .
No, in normal usage G5S Plus doesn’t heat up.
When I use airtel 4G why my jio network toatlly stops working??
default data SIM has to be Jio. That’s how it is for most phones. 4G LTE cannot run on both SIM Slots simultaneously and Jio needs 4G networks even for calling. So the default data SIM has to Jio if you want to keep both SIMs active.
Thank you so much for clearing my doubt and it helps a lot…… 🙂
i am confused between xiaomi mi a1 and moto g5s plus? i usually play heavy games ..can you recommend me..which one should i choose?
Both have the same hardware and since both are running on Stock android there won’t be much difference in performance. It more a matter of personal taste. Both are reliable performers and you can pick either of them if performance is your key concern.
4G VoLTE is not supported it’s not work
It’s working fine for us…
Good Description..
As per your above description i am little confuse about VoLTE support.
However some sites says that it supports VoLTE and some says no. As you provided images of Moto G5s plus it shows that it only supports LTE,4G , no VoLTE. As well as it supports jio VoLTE phone call without using jio Calling app.?? can you please clarify that.
4G VoLTE is supported and works fine.
Very good analysis. However, reviews on some other websites state that there is no FM Radio on Moto G5s Plus whereas you have answered it in positive. Can you clarify whether FM Radio is available in it.
Yes, it is available.
Does it have 6gb of ram!!!?? As u mentioned it in your last answer
No, it doesn’t. It was a typo, correction has been made. Thanks for pointing out.