Android lovers are always looking for new phones. There are many Android phones in the market. Everyone wants a phone which is concrete, reliable and offers great value for money. Over the past few years, we have been fortunate enough to witness many good Android devices being launched in the market. That’s where the Moto G series comes in. When Motorola acquired Lenovo, some people were apprehensive about it. These concerns were resolved last year with the introduction of Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus. Now, Lenovo Moto G5 is here. Moto G5 has a low-end technical card but great for daily use. To find out if Lenovo Moto G5 is worth it, read the complete review!
Lenovo Moto G5 Review
Let’s talk about the hardware of the phone first. The processor is Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 CPU. It is supported by an Adreno 505 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. In some places, you can find the dual sim variant too but it only has 16 GB of expandable microSD memory. The sensors include a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a compass. There is no infrared port, barometer or notification LED. On the front, you see an accurate and fast biometric reader for fingerprints, which can also work as a navigational key in place of the virtual nav bar. For the connectivity, we have LTE network up to 300 Mbps, Bluetooth in version 4.2, and 802.11 b / g dual band dual bandwidth. FM radio and GPS are also there but the NFC chip is missing.
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The call quality of Moto G5 is also good. The headset guarantees a noise-free, clear audio. A real system speaker is missing so the headset is also used for speakerphone. The volume is discreet but the sound quality is better than that of previous phones. WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth all work great. It is a shame that NFC is missing.
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If you were thinking that the performance of this phone is average, you are in for a surprise. The performance of the phone is always good. There is only a slight lag when you open really heavy apps or multitask a lot. The OS is Android Nougat. The 2 GB of RAM is a real limit. But, the system still manages well and runs to the limit of saturation and never goes into distress. When you see a warning from the RAM indicator, do not worry. It is just an essential and necessary condition for a fluid system.
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When it comes to design, everyone has a different taste. But, it can’t be denied that Lenovo Moto G5 looks a like a phone from a few years ago. It has thick frames, soft lines, and plastic materials. If aesthetics matter to you, this is not the phone for you. It can even be said that the phone is a little unattractive. However, the ergonomics of the phone are excellent and the grip of the phone is also good. Even though there is minimal front space optimization, the 5-inch phone has small dimensions. The phone is well handled, but the user experience is good. The software is well implemented. The fingerprint sensors with the navigation functions are also well placed.
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The display of the phone is 5 inches with FHD resolution. It is a top quality LCD IPS, readable and bright even under direct sunlight. The colors are good and the high resolution gives you a good user experience. The only shortcoming here is the shallow blacks you see when the viewing angle is increased. otherwise, the phone has one of the best displays on the market of 250 USD below phones. The audio compartment is not as good. It is not really convincing. The same problem has been seen on previous phones of Moto G too. The annoying background noise has disappeared in 2017 but the volume and quality have remained just OK.
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The main camera of the phone is 13 megapixels. It has dual flash LED. The front camera of Moto G5 is megapixels. The performance of the cameras is in line with the price range. In fact, it is better. Even during the night time, there is not a drastic decline in quality. The AF is pretty fast. This is a feature which you rarely see on a low mid range. Selfies do have a problem though. Sometimes, WB and exposure are not interpreted properly. That is not to say that the selfies are bad. Keep in mind we are talking about a low-end phone. Maybe a software update will solve this problem. The video is pretty good. The optical stabilization is missing but the compression algorithm of Lenovo is one of the best in this regard.
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The battery of the phone is 2800 mAh battery so it does not give a lot of autonomy. You might have expected more, but most of the times the battery will last you until the evening. With continuous use, the battery will last you 4 hours 15 minutes, With moderate use, the battery can last you all day.
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The software of Moto G5 is Android 7.0. It is almost a completely stock version with just the addition of Moto Display and Moto Action as an application. A stock software has some advantages over a phone featuring low-end hardware. The fluidity is guaranteed, and the little additions by Lenovo give you a better user experience.
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Moto Display is a kind of advanced display environment. The screen illuminates upon the receipt of a notification and displays information with a user-level privacy level. So, you can quickly look at notifications without needing to unlock the phone and go to the apps. If you get a notification which requires action, you can just swipe it to get to the app and do what you want. Moto Action has some actionable gestures which will make things simpler. For instance, the torch can be activated with squinting, a call can be silenced by turning the phone down, and the ringtone volume can be lowered by bringing the smartphone to your ear. The digital imprint reader has an important role. Apart from unlocking, you can swipe to the left or right to go back and launch recent apps. A touch will take you home and it will be difficult to give up after a few minutes of setting it.
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The price of Lenovo Moto G5 is 236 USD. This is indeed a convincing phone by Motorola. The Moto G5 Plus is better, but Moto G5 is also a good phone in this price range. The software of the phone is its best part. Ergonomics, user experience, and quality is also good. Camera, display, autonomy, and materials are not bad either. There could have been serious improvements in the price department though. This phone is good for you if you do not have a lot of demands but want and durable and reliable phone.
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What do you think about Moto G5? Will you go for it? Let us know in the comments below!
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