Motorola's Moto G 5G Plus is more than just an affordable 5G-ready phone
Back in late October of 2020, Motorola Philippines launched the Moto G 5G Plus priced at PHP 16,995. During that time, it is the most affordable with 5G connectivity in the land.
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| Motorola's Moto G 5G Plus |
Fast-forward to January 2021, this device is still among the cheapest with 5G in the country yet.
Moto G 5G Plus experience
If you are looking for a new phone this year, getting one with 5G has plenty of advantages.
Once connected to a 5G network, you will be able to enjoy wireless internet speeds that are so much faster than 4G. This will allow users to experience ultra-fast web loading speeds, buffer-free streaming, lag-free online gaming, and many more.
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| Speeds we recorded |
Using the Moto G 5G Plus with a GOMO SIM in our area (Pasig City), we experienced speeds that are 4x faster than the Global 4G average (47.20 Mbps according to Ookla last December 2020).
In particular, it is almost 4x faster than the slowest speed we recorded (187 Mbps).
And since this uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 Mobile Platform (SoC) with Snapdragon X52 5G Modem-RF System, this supports both SA and NSA 5G as well mmWave and sub-6GHz bands.
This means that it is compatible with different types of 5G and it has a peak download speed of 3.7 Gbps.
The 223 Mbps download speed we achieved is just the surface of 5G. We believe once connected to a better 5G network in central business districts, this will get similar speeds to Globe and Smart with around 700 to 800 Mbps top DL speed here in the Philippines.
By the way, GOMO is running under Globe Telecom's network.
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| 5G gaming! |
The experience is nearly flawless. We were able to download apps like the Call of Duty: Mobile which is around 2.1GB in a few minutes. Small apps under 100MB will be downloaded in a few seconds.
For playing games, the over 180 Mbps speed that we got delivered a frame drop experience.
1080p streaming using apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Viu is lag-free as well.
We also tried it for video calling via Facebook and Zoom. No problem.
If you don't have 5G in your area, fret not. It is still better to invest in a 5G-capable device for future-proofing. Why? Apart from 5G, 5G-capable smartphones are equipped with a newer-gen processor that provides a faster computing speed than a lot of 4G mid-range chips.
Also, since 5G is easier to deploy than 4G, 5G will arrive sooner or later in your area.
Moto G 5G Plus as an all-rounder
Aside from its 5G connectivity, Moto G 5G Plus also has an array of attractive features.
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| Moto G 5G Plus back |
First, the design. Even if it has an average glasstic, plastic, glass sandwich material commonly found on similarly price devices, this device has a fancy-looking design.
At the back, even if it is a fingerprint smudge magnet, the 3D curved glasstic material is very comfortable to hold. It has neat-looking nanopatterns underneath along with the Motorola logo and a square camera hump and a line of large two LED flashes on the side.
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| The screen |
In the front, it boasts a unique display with two holes on the upper-left corner housing the selfie cameras. For us, this is neater and more immersive looking than the usual pill-shaped punch-holes from other brands.
At 21:9, its CinemaVision aspect ratio is also taller than most. Even if the phone has a noticeable chin bezel, this type of all screen will allow its users to enjoy a more immersive viewing experience on landscape mode.
Measuring at 168 x 74 x 9 mm, the device is handy and far from thick despite its use of a large 6.7-inch screen and a big 5,000mAh battery.
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| Top/bottom |
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| Left/right |
On top, it has a single microphone. Below, you'll see that it has a 3.5mm headphone slot, USB-C port, another mic, and a single down-firing speaker.
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| Good quality screen |
Going back to its screen, this has pretty good overall screen quality even if it isn't using an AMOLED panel. Its 6.7-inch LCD (LTPS) panel with FHD+ 2520 x 1080 resolution and 90Hz refresh rate look and feel nice in general.
It produces slightly cooler images than AMOLED screens, but it is still considered vibrant with decent contrast and blacks. Viewing angles is generally okay too. The max brightness of 450 nits makes this screen readable for outdoor use. Not just under direct sunlight hit.
Due to its use of a large screen with a cinematic aspect ratio, it is ideal for streaming content on YouTube, Netflix, Viu, iQIYI, and more.
The 90Hz smoother refresh rate is also noticeable in animation transitions and a few apps or games with high refresh rate support.
For audio, it has a single down-firing speaker with respectable overall tunes. It is ideal to use in quiet places, but it is still a bit hearable in busy open field environments.
If you have good quality wired earphones, you are in for a treat as this has a Smart PA amp to drive it easier and provide better overall sound.
This also has a pair of microphones that work respectably for calls and regular records.
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| Back cam |
For cameras, it sports a 48MP f/1.7 bright main shooter. It is paired with an 8MP f/2.2 118-degree ultra-wide-angle camera, 5MP f/2.2 2cm macro camera, and 2MP f/2.2 depth shooter. It also has two big LED flashes at the back.
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| Daylight |
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| Daylight wide |
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| Ultra-wide |
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| 8x zoom |
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| Indoor |
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| Indoor wide |
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| Using the portait mode |
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| Low light |
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| Low light wide |
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| Low light Night mode |
This shoots respectable images in daylight and indoors. We also like the picture quality of its ultra-wide camera is similar to the main cam in colors and the overall image profile. The up to 8x zoom quality is also quite decent.
It can also take super-close images (as long as you are in a well-lit lighting condition) and decent portrait shots with pretty good subject to background separation.
In low light, it takes decent images. But, expect grain and a dip in quality.
It has a Night mode that works only for the main camera. This helps in making low light shots brighter with a wider dynamic range. However, its output is cartoonish. Hoping that Moto could seed a fix to make its Night mode look more natural and better overall.
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| Daylight selfie |
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| Daylight wide selfie |
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| Indoor selfie |
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| Indoor wide selfie |
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| Low light Night mode selfie |
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| Low light wide selfie |
In front, this is one of the few with a dual-camera setup. Its primary selfie cam is a 16MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture. It is assisted by an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera.
It supports the usual modes like Face Beauty, Portrait, and filters. It is also one of the few with Night mode for selfies.
The selfie cam works really well for daylight. Even on Face Beauty auto mode, your skin tone won't look overly beautified.
The best part of this phone's selfie experience is the inclusion of the ultra-wide-angle camera that allowed us to take groufies effortlessly.
In low light, the quality is just fine. But, there will be a drop in quality as expected. It has a Night mode, but it is still cartoonish.
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| AnTuTu score of the phone |
For speed, no problem. This is one of the top-performing phones in its class. This is due to its use of the 2.4GHz 7nm EUV Snapdragon 765 octa-core processor with Adreno 620, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, and 128GB UFS 2.1 expandable storage.
As a result, we never had issues with opening most of the basic social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In fact, all of the apps that we are using works well with this device.
For gaming, it runs Call of Duty: Mobile at High graphic settings with Max frame rates (60fps) smoothly. Even thermals are okay. There's minimal heat after playing one match.
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| There's a FREE charger in the box |
Battery life is also strong on this one. The 5,000mAh battery can last for more than a day on a single charge. And it has a USB-C 20W TurboPower charger that can charge the device from 0 to 35 percent in 30 minutes. Overall charging time is a little over 2 hours.
The rest of the connectivity features works. WiFi and Bluetooth are stable. 4G and 3G are there in case 5G is not in your area yet.
Its UI? Near-stock. This run with a clean version of Android 10 OS with almost no bloatware. It is very easy to use. Gesture navigations work very well as well. Of course, it has the Dark theme or Dark mode.
Motorola G 5G Plus Specs
Display: 6.7-inch 2.5D curved LCD (LTPS) CinemaVision screen w/ 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10, FHD+ 2520 x 1080 resolution at 409 ppi
CPU: 2.4GHz 7nm EUV Snapdragon 765 octa-core processor
GPU: Adreno 620
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
ROM: 128GB UFS 2.1 expandable via microSD card slot up to 1TB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 48MP f/1.7 + 8MP f/2.2 118-degree ultra-wide-angle + 5MP f/2.2 2cm macro + 2MP f/2.2 depth + dual-tone LED flash
Selfie Camera: 16MP f/2.0 + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 20W TurboPower
OS: Android 10
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.1, OTG, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5 dual-band), GLONASS, SUPL, dual SIM
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Fingerprint sensor, Smart PA amp, Splash resistance, USB-C, Colors: Surfer Blue
Dimensions: 168 x 74 x 9 mm
Weight: 207 g
Price: PHP 16,995
Quick thoughts
The Moto G 5G Plus is a solid choice for those who are looking to buy their first 5G-ready smartphone. Its 5G connectivity is legit, the design is neat, the screen is smooth and immersive, the wide selfie cam is fun to use, and its overall specs are now and future-ready.
This device has a few kinks in its armor, but remember, for the price, this is already one of the most complete around.
The moto g 5G plus is available in all Lenovo stores and official resellers nationwide for PHP 16,995. Contact the nearest Lenovo authorized reseller to get one now by visiting lenovo.com/ph/en/where-to-buy. You can also purchase it online through the Lenovo Mobile official store in Lazada at lazada.com.ph/shop/lenovo-mobile-official-store/.
You can visit Motorola Philippines' official Facebook page for more information, visit the nearest authorized reseller nationwide or the Lenovo Mobile official store in Lazada to upgrade to one of the most affordable 5G smartphones in the market.
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