Motorola launched the fifth generation Moto G smartphones (Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus) in March 2017. Just after six months, the Lenovo-subsidiary has announced special editions for the same smartphones, dubbed as Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus. The G5S is a modest upgrade to the original Moto G5, and so does the G5S Plus to the G5 Plus.
However, in real life, the G5S Plus seems to be a major upgrade to the six-month Moto G5 Plus. Priced at Rs. 15,999, the Moto G5S Plus brings in dual cameras and full metal body, when compared to the Moto G5 Plus. Here are our first impressions for the Moto G5S Plus, along with the differences with Moto G5 Plus.
Plastic Frame is a Thing of The Past; Welcome Unimetal Body
The first noticeable change you notice when you pick up a Moto G5S Plus will be the build quality. Motorola has gone with complete metal construction, unlike the Moto G5 Plus which arrived with a plastic frame for a better cellular reception, and of course, to reduce the cost.
Without any doubt, the Moto G5S Plus feels more sturdy and premium than its predecessor. However, apart from the build quality, the design of the device hasn't changed a thing. The G5S Plus also brings back the Moto dimple, which is a good thing.
Sacrifices the Compact Form Factor
Another massive change which you'll notice with the G5S Plus is the bigger screen. The smartphone flaunts a 5.5-inch Full HD screen and carries a pixel density of 401 PPI. In contrast, the Moto G5 Plus came with a smaller and compact 5.2-inch Full HD display. Motorola did not compromise on the quality of the screen though because both the G5 Plus and G5S Plus offer great displays for the asking price.
Same Internals
Innards, there's nothing to write off because they both feature similar hardware. Both the smartphones are powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with generous 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (32GB in the Moto G5 Plus). However, the G5S Plus doesn't feature a dedicated microSD card slot, unlike the Moto G5 Plus, which is a huge letdown for storage lovers.
The G5S Plus comes with the same Adreno 506 GPU and a 3000mAh battery.
Motorola's First Dual Camera Smartphone in India
The major upgrade between the Moto G5 Plus and G5S Plus will be the cameras. The G5S Plus marks as Motorola's first dual camera smartphone in India, and it also carries a better selfie camera.
The G5S Plus has two 13MP sensors at the back, and both have an aperture of f/2.0. Both the sensors work in tandem to produce depth in the images. Motorola has thrown in a special and rare feature called Depth Editor with which you can edit the images you shot with the dedicated portrait mode.
You can choose between options such as selective B&W, selective focus, and replace the background. Take a look at the camera sample, in which I replaced the background of the image with a different one. The Depth Editor surely is a fun one to have around.
As said earlier, the G5S Plus also has a better selfie camera of 8MP, as opposed to the 5MP unit seen on the Moto G5 Plus. In addition, Motorola has added a front-facing flash as well to the G5S Plus. A welcome addition though.
A Major Upgrade is What I Call It!
So, the all new Moto G5S Plus brings in several changes when compared to the Moto G5 Plus. These are just my initial impressions, but I think the G5S Plus is a better value for money deal than the Moto G5 Plus.
It's understandable from Motorola's perspective to reduce the price of the Moto G5 Plus from Rs. 16,999 to Rs.14,999, but the Moto G5S Plus at Rs. 15,999 is a complete value for money deal. We will be bringing out the complete review of the G5S Plus in coming days. Stay tuned for that. And shoot out your questions about the Moto G5S Plus in the comments section below, if any.
