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Motorola Moto G5S
Motorola Moto G5S
Motorola Moto G5S
Motorola Moto G5S
Motorola Moto G5S
Motorola Moto G5S
...


7.8/10
Informr score
The Motorola Moto G5S currently has an Informr score of 7.8 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 8 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

If you’re looking for a solid mid-tier option and don’t mind sacrificing a bit of performance, the Moto G5S offers an almost-stock Android experience with a solid design and quality components—albeit it a price reviewers didn’t love.

What's good

  • Solid, pocket-friendly design
  • Near-stock Android experience
  • Ample storage
  • Good battery life
  • Fast, accurate fingerprint scanner

What's bad

  • Questionable value compared to Motorola Moto G5 and G5S Plus
  • So-so performance

The Moto series is known for offering a solid design and reasonable specs at a budget-friendly price. While the latest release sticks to this trend, it brings a slight increase in price. So with less savings in the mix, is it still worth your money?

Reviewers were pleased with the overall design of the phone. Unlike previous releases, the G5S upgrades to an all-metal unibody chassis. It offers a firm grip, sturdy feel, and a smaller size that makes it more pocket-friendly than most recent flagship releases.

Most critiques of the design hinge on the chunky bezels and camera bump on the phone. While the phone remains trim on the weight and size fronts, there’s a fair bit more border on the screen than you might be accustomed to from other manufacturers.

However, this design accommodates the snappy fingerprint scanner which also doubles as a navigation key should you prefer. As a feature that’s rare in this price point, it adds a certain level of refinement to a barebones price bracket.

Heading around front, you’re greeted with a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display. While it can’t compete with the contrast of similar AMOLED or OLED panels, reviewers were pleased with the brightness, contrast, and color reproduction offered. It’s not the brightest screen though, so beware if you use your phone outdoors often.

Powering the phone, you’ll find the same 1.4Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 430 as the original G5 . However, the bump to 3GB of RAM was enough to keep most reviewers happy. While it’s not a phone designed for power users or intense 3D games, it offered enough power to keep most reviewers happy during their day-to-day tasks. Just know you might encounter occasional delays or stuttering should you push the phone to its limits.

What it lacks in performance, it makes up for in storage. With 32GB of internal storage and microSD support for cards up to 128GB in capacity, you can download apps to your heart's content and keep your favorite tv shows, movies, and music with you without worrying about low storage warnings.

At the time of writing, the phone runs Android 7.1.1 with the January 2018 security pack. Moto promised an upgrade to Oreo (Android 8.0) “soon”, but with Android P going into beta as we speak, don’t expect this phone to keep up with software updates.

If you’re looking to snap pictures or capture important moments with your phone, the 16MP rear camera with phase-detect autofocus pleased reviewers. While it’s not the powerhouse shooter you’ll find in flagship phones, most found the pictures well balanced and sharp. In particular, they found the HDR mode great for pulling out details. 

Low-light performance was admirable—though many had issues with red eye and the occasional bit of image noise.

The front-facing 5MP camera didn’t wow reviewers… but then they had no complaints either.

The phone’s 3,000mah battery is good for a solid day of moderate to heavy usage. While the phone still uses microUSB, it supports turbo charging with the included Moto power adapter for fast top offs while on the go. 

Overall, the biggest complaint about the phone is the pricing. While a healthy increase from the earlier G5, the phone still sits well below flagship prices. However, many question if sticking to the original G5 or upgrading to the G5S Plus might offer better value.

Alphr reinforces this, saying, “The G5S is a likable phone, sure enough, but it needs a significant price drop before I can recommend it.” Trusted Reviews was more forgiving, saying, “You do pay quite a bit more than the base model G5, but with that, you get a better camera, bigger battery and a slightly larger screen. While performance is nigh-on identical, these extras certainly make it worth considering.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
1.4 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.4 GHz
5.2"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5.2"
16+ MP, f/2
Camera
Camera
16+ MP, f/2
3000 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Gadgets 360
Gadgets 360

If you are a Moto fan then the Moto G5S should surely appeal to you as they look great and offer all the bells and whistles one expects at their prices.

- Ketan Pratap, Gadgets 360
DxOMark
DxOMark

Unsurprisingly for a device at its price point, it doesn’t come with any smart zoom features, but the G5S is capable of capturing images with good exposure and pleasant colors in good light conditions, and offers an accurate autofocus system in still image mode.

- Lars Rehm, DxOMark
Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor

The G5s is a good-looking, well-built phone that suffers from below-average performance. Its cameras are good, though, and it has a decent screen.

- Jim Martin, Tech Advisor
Alphr
Alphr

Motorola deserves credit for responding to criticism of the G5, and with the Moto G5S it’s certainly got some things right. The new design is beautiful, the screen is bright and punchy and the camera has gone from a mediocre snapper to a best-in-class contender.

- Darien Graham-Smith, Alphr
Notebookcheck
Notebookcheck

The Motorola Moto G5s is a successful intermediate product that does not offer revolutionary innovation. Rather, it comes with improvements of some details, but one or the other change for the worse as well: its display, for instance, is darker than its predecessor's.

- Florian Wimmer, Notebookcheck


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Motorola Moto G5S user manual here.


Motorola backs up the Moto G5S with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Moto G5S has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
5.2"

The Motorola Moto G5S's screen size is 5.2 inches with 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution.

Processor
1.4 GHz

There is a Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 Octa core 1.4 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 7.1 Nougat operating system (OS).

Camera
16+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 16+ MP, f/2 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 5+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
32 GB

Internal memory is 32 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
3000mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 3000 mAh battery.

Moto G5S Specs

Overview
Release Date August 31, 2017
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 7.1 Nougat

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 Octa core 1.4 GHz
Internal Storage 32 GB
RAM 3 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Unknown
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
16+ Megapixels, f/2
Zoom
8x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Geotagging, Panorama, Self-timer, Phase detection, Exposure, Burst mode, HDR, Slow motion recording
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Panorama, Wide-Angle lens, Front camera flash
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density 424 pixels
Size 5.2 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 3000 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Unknown
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Unknown
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Unknown
Standby Time Unknown
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Aluminium
Colors Lunar Gray, Fine Gold, Midnight Blue
Dimensions [H x W x D] 15 x 7.3 x 0.9 cm (5.9 x 2.9 x 0.4 in)
Weight 157 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key Yes
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
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Additional Information Other Names (AKA):

Dual-SIM available in select models

Related Links Manual (PDF)
Motorola Moto G5S Reviews
Where to buy Motorola Moto G5S
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