Smartphone motorola moto g5s 32 GB gray. New Motorola Moto G5S - quick review, is it worth buying? Review

Our readers are already aware that some time ago the company bought out the Motorola division responsible for the development and production of mobile devices. Now all new products from the American brand are produced by Lenovo and combined into a line. And the smartphone that became the hero of the review is by no means the first representative of the new generation of Moto in the laboratory.

Previously, we already met Moto Z2 Play, whose feature was a modular system, Moto X4, which turned out to be a middle-class solution, and the “long-lived” Moto E4 Plus. And based on the results of those reviews, it could be concluded that the company’s developers perfectly represent their audience, offering interesting and modern smartphones.

What about the Moto G5s? At first glance, this is a compact device for its diagonal size with good technical characteristics and several features characteristic of the entire Moto series. But if you take a closer look at it, you get the feeling that the manufacturer sought to offer not only an affordable, but also a balanced smartphone.

So how successful was the new product and does it deserve our attention?

Specifications Motorola Moto G5s

Device type	Smartphone
Model	Motorola Moto G5s
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 x 1.5 GHz
Video processor	Adreno 505
operating system	Android 7.1
Memory, GB	3 RAM; 32 ROM
Screen	5.2" IPS, 1920 x 1080
Cameras, Mpix	16.0 + 5.0
Net	GSM; WCDMA; LTE
Number of SIM cards, pcs.	2, Nano-SIM
MicroSD support	Yes (instead of the second SIM)
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; NFC
GPS/aGPS/GLONASS	Yes Yes Yes
Battery, mAh	3 000
Dimensions, mm	150.0 x 73.5 x 8.2
Weight, g	157
price, rub.	~15 000

As you can see, the device is well equipped. Although the processor does not strive for performance records, it is capable of providing the required level of performance.

Packaging and equipment Motorola Moto G5s

The device is supplied in a small cardboard box. The cardboard is not too thick, but dense and high quality, the contents are well protected during transportation. There are also no complaints about the build quality of the box. Structurally, the box was reminiscent of the times of mobile phones, when the box design with a flap-lid was more popular. The lid is not a separate element, but only a valve covering the box from above and along one of the ends.

The packaging is colorful. Green was chosen as the main color. On the front side you can see the Moto logo and the exact model of the device. At the bottom there is the Lenovo manufacturer logo and the Special Edition inscription, which evokes some kind of subconscious respect, the same as the special version. Although in fact this is just an interesting smartphone.

The back side shows the main characteristics of the device. Here you can also see photographs of the device in two color modifications – gray and gold.

Inside we are immediately greeted by the device itself. It comes with a shipping film on the display and sits on a cardboard stand.

Below is a standard set of accessories and documentation. Items are placed in separate sections.

The package includes:

Power adapter;
USB-microUSB cable;
Key clip for removing the SIM card slot;
Technical documentation.

The packaging turned out well. This applies to both the stylish design and high-quality construction that perfectly protects the contents during transportation. Compared to most manufacturers who strive for a minimalistic design of their packaging, here the manufacturer took a different path and was able to stand out among the majority.

"Fotosklad.ru"

The era of Motorola as an independent company that delighted its fans with unusual products is long gone. Just remember the legendary Razr V3 clamshell, one of the first Atrix 4G smartphones docked with a keyboard-display dock, and the Kevlar Razr Maxx. Nowadays, this sub-brand of the Chinese Lenovo also sometimes produces interesting devices: for example, Z, Z Play, Z2 and Z2 Play with support for moto mods, but still the company’s focus has significantly shifted to the budget area: smartphones have become very popular in developing countries and third world countries inexpensive series E, M, G, C.

Today we are reviewing a representative of the mid-budget segment - Moto G5S. As usual, let’s briefly go through the characteristics of the smartphone, and then proceed to its detailed analysis.

Display	IPS, 16 million colors
Display diagonal	5.2 inches
Display resolution	FHD (1920 x 1080), 424 ppi
operating system	Android 7.1
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 430
Video accelerator	Adreno 505
RAM capacity	3 GB
Volume of permanent memory	32 GB
Memory card slot	Yes, microSD, up to 256 GB, dedicated
Main camera	16 MP, F/2.0
Front-camera	5 MP, F/2.0
Video shooting	FHD (1920x1080) at 30 fps
Number of SIM cards	2, nano
Interfaces	WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS), microUSB 2.0, NFC, audio jack, FM radio
Fingerprint's scanner	Eat
Fast charging	Supported
Battery	3000 mAh
Weight	157 g
Dimensions	74x150x8.2 mm
Colors	Grey, gold, blue

The first difference from the predecessor G5 that catches your eye is the slightly increased screen diagonal (from 5 to 5.2 inches). The G5 also has a slightly lower battery capacity, lacks NFC support and a slightly different main camera. In addition, the G5S received splash protection, which is also a nice bonus. The only configuration of the G5S is 32 GB of permanent memory and 3 GB of RAM, while the G5, in addition to this, also offered a configuration with 16 ROM and 2 GB of RAM. This is where all the differences essentially end.

Well, let's move on to the review of the smartphone.

Box and accessories

The G5S comes in a colorful box, which is easy to give as a gift even without wrapping paper. The delivery set includes a traditional set for a budget smartphone: the device itself, charger, cable, extractor clip and instructions. The charger supports fast charging and is capable of operating at voltage/current 5V/3A, 9V/1.6A, 12V/1.2A, which is good news.

Design

In appearance, the G5 and G5S are very different: the newcomer is equipped with an all-metal body, unlike its predecessor, and looks very good. The metal added weight to the device - the smartphone became 12 g heavier. There are antenna inserts on the top and bottom of the back cover.

At the back center, in a slightly protruding base, there is a camera with a flash, and just below is the Motorola logo. On the right are the volume and power control buttons, on the left is the SIM card slot. At the bottom end there is a microUSB input and a speaker grille, and at the top there is an audio jack.

The smartphone itself lies very nicely in the hand and does not slip out thanks to its rounded shape. The edges of the smartphone are very well processed; they do not dig into the palm. The assembly of the smartphone is excellent, there is no play or creaking.

Display

As already mentioned, the G5S slightly increased the display diagonal to 5.2 inches, leaving the FHD resolution unchanged. However, this is more than enough for a smartphone with such a diagonal. The IPS display does its job well: the colors are bright and rich, and it is clearly visible in moderate sunlight.

OS and user interface

The operating system is almost bare Android 7.1.1 with applications from Google, the Moto application and a couple of applications from Yandex. There are no separate touch buttons at the bottom of the screen; control is carried out using on-screen soft buttons. Branded gestures are available to quickly launch the camera. The operating speed of the smartphone is generally satisfactory: no lag is felt when navigating through the operating system menu. They arise only in cases where, in parallel with working in some application, for example, an application from the Play Market is installed. Which, however, is typical for any budget smartphone running on inexpensive eMMC memory.

Particularly worth mentioning is the Moto application, with which you can customize gestures and the operation of the active display. For example, you can enable gestures to turn on the camera with two circular movements or operate the flashlight with two chopping movements.

The touch button of the fingerprint scanner can replace the navigation buttons: when you swipe to the right, the application menu is called up, when you swipe to the left, the back button is activated, with a short press the smartphone is locked, with a long press it calls up Google Now (which, in addition, can be controlled by voice when the smartphone is locked).

By default, the G5S has Active Display enabled. If you need to check the time or read missed notifications, just lift your smartphone.

Overall, it's clear that Lenovo/Motorola have put a lot of work into the user interface. You quickly get used to the features of the smartphone, after which you are left a little surprised why other manufacturers didn’t do this.

Processor and memory

If you think that the S suffix in the model name is derived from the English word Speed, then you are mistaken. The processor in the G5S remains the same as that found on its predecessor (Snapdragon 430), which is a bit of a shame, especially considering the fact that its older brother G5S Plus has a more acceptable and more productive Snapdragon 625, which is faster than any processor from the 4xx line in terms of speed. almost one and a half times. The test results confirm this. However, noticeable delays will only occur in very heavy games that are not optimized for weak smartphones.

The predecessor G5 had two configurations available: with 2/16 GB and 3/32 GB of RAM and permanent memory, respectively. In the G5S, it was decided to leave only the older configuration, and this is probably correct: 3 GB of RAM is now the minimum required to work with a smartphone. The permanent memory can be expanded by equipping the smartphone with a microSD card, but, unfortunately, then you will lose the opportunity to install a second SIM card - the slot is hybrid.

Interfaces

The smartphone is equipped with the necessary minimum: microUSB connector, dual-band WiFi module, Bluetooth version 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack. It was a little disappointing that the G series remained on the outdated microUSB connector, and did not switch to the more modern USB Type-C. There is support for FM radio. It was also nice to see the presence of an NFC module, which means wireless payments are available.

Battery

The battery capacity has increased slightly to 3000 mAh. This is a normal indicator for a smartphone of this diagonal. Thanks to the energy-efficient processor and good optimization of Android 7, it can easily withstand one day of work for the average user.

The smartphone supports TurboCharge fast charging. A 15-watt charger is included with the device. In 30 minutes the device is charged from scratch by about 40%, in an hour - by 70%. A full charge cycle will take about one and a half hours.

Communication and sound

There are no complaints about the quality of communication with the G5S: both the interlocutor and we can hear him perfectly well during a conversation. The smartphone operates in the three most common LTE bands in Russia: B7, B20, B38, which is not very common in smartphones in this price category.

The sound of the external speaker is clear and plays without wheezing at maximum power. There are also no complaints about the sound in the headphones.

Camera

Both the main and front cameras in a mid-level smartphone: there aren’t enough stars in the sky, but they’re not bad for their level. The detail of the images from the main camera is moderate, color rendition is satisfactory. The HDR algorithm does not work very well, as can be seen from the image. The front camera takes pictures, like all average cameras, quite acceptable, but it is far from the flagships.

The camera app is fast, capturing photos in the blink of an eye, which isn't typical for a not-so-fast processor. The following shooting modes are available: Photo, Video, Slow Motion, Professional Mode, Panorama. Slow motion shooting is carried out in a resolution of 960x540 at 120 frames per second. In Photo mode, you can turn on/off/set automatic HDR mode, turn on/off/set automatic flash mode and set a timer. In professional mode, you can manually set shutter speed, white balance, ISO, focus and exposure compensation.

Results

Lenovo is trying to keep up with the times. G5S is an improved model of its predecessor G5, which has a slightly larger diagonal, added a few milliampere hours and, most importantly (as it seems to us), built in an NFC module. For quite reasonable money, you get a device that is pleasant to use and does not contain unnecessary bloatware. The G5S will be a pleasant gift for a person who values ease of use and design, but does not require maximum performance from his smartphone and is not used to overpaying.

Let's talk about our little brothers. I mean, not about top-end, but about low-end smartphone models. Let's do this using the Moto G5S as an example. Moto is famous for its sophisticated toys with unbreakable screens and mods; there are no frills here, but everything you need remains. So now I’ll tell you what the youngest of the family, Moto G, can do and why it’s good.

Metal guy

Moto G5s is all so metallic, strict and weighty. The body is monolithic and non-separable; cards are inserted from the side through a separate tray. The case is quite slippery; it happens that the phone is lying on the table with the screen down, you try to grab it, and your fingers slip. So it’s better to place it with the screen facing up, it will be easier to pick up.

By the way, when you pick up the phone or turn it over, the screen backlight turns on for a few seconds - you can see unread notifications. Yes, it’s not Always On like on AMOLED displays, but it’s also convenient. You can also disable the on-screen buttons and use the touch pad for navigation. To lock, you can not only press the power key on the side, but also hold your finger on the fingerprint scanner.

As you may have noticed, the fingerprint scanner is located under the screen, which is convenient; you can immediately place your finger on it. The scanner is agile, fast and easily recognizes the owner’s hands.

Bright screen

The display is large - 5.2 inches, resolution 1080x1920 pixels and tempered glass with curved edges. It looks beautiful, the image is bright, rich and without color distortion. It's fun to look at, all that remains is to put beautiful wallpaper on the background, and it's time to master a new gadget.

Little power, a lot of volume

Quickly about the hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory are normal for a budget model. The phone is playful and fast, but it is not designed for hardcore gaming; people’s favorite “Tanks” will only run on low graphics settings. And yes, the memory card slot is in place, you can increase the space if desired.

It’s cool that NFC works here, you can pay for purchases via Android Pay or check the remaining trips on your metro card.

The speaker is located on the bottom end, so when you play, you cover it with your palm and muffle the sound. The same goes for watching videos - it’s not very convenient when you want to watch YouTube while lying on the couch without headphones, but you can get used to it.

The speaker itself is loud, I walked around with the phone for a week and kept flinching when the Hello Moto signature melody started ringing. The others shuddered along with me, this is good, you won’t get bored.

You take the Moto G5s in your hand and wonder why it’s so plump - perhaps there’s a high-capacity battery hidden in the depths of the case? But no, there is a regular-sized 3000 mAh battery. Not a little, but not a lot either; the phone could have been made a little thicker and the battery stuffed in fatter. The phone charges via microUSB and supports fast charging. I didn’t have the original power supply included, so I charged it with whatever I could get my hands on, preferring a 12W iPad charger.

In terms of autonomy, everything is at an average level: that is, there is always enough charge for a day, or even 1.5 or even 2 with 4–5 hours of active screen. For example, I managed to watch a video on YouTube for about 3 hours, played Mini Metro for about an hour, and at the same time used social networks and other functions throughout the day. Not a record figure, of course, but normal.

Let's take a photo

The 16-megapixel camera takes normal photos automatically, although it tends to brighten the picture a little. The lens protrudes impressively from the body, there’s a whole launch pad sticking out. It looks solid, but the camera is rather weak, and you have to wait for sunny days to get beautiful photos.

In the meantime, in the grayness of Moscow it turns out something like this.

If you don’t like automation, use manual shooting mode, but this is not for everyone. The phone takes quite a long time to take HDR shots in low light; stitching is not instantaneous, as on more powerful devices. An interesting addition to the front camera - it has a flash, helping to capture bright images in low light.

I also remember the signature Moto gesture: when I turned the phone in my hand, and the camera turned on itself. Just like in expensive Moto models, cool.

Verdict

When I took the Moto G5S for acquaintance, I was interested in understanding how this smartphone could be good against the backdrop of the ubiquitous Chinese. Although Moto is also a Chinese brand, it is expensive China. What can you complain about? Average camera and performance, for the same 14,990 rubles you can easily find a more powerful Chinese: Xiaomi and Meizu, ZTE and Honor - there are many options.

It turned out that there are a lot of interesting things here: launching the camera with a deft gesture, clean and correct Android, convenient notifications on the locked screen, a good quality screen, a high-quality speaker, quality communication and NFC. And if you don’t worry about games, if you’re an adult and not a gamer at all, you’ll be happy. Yes, it's not optimal, but it's a nice purchase.

Specifications Motorola Moto G5S

Display: 5.2″, IPS, 1920×1080 pixels
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 1.5 GHz
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
RAM: 3 GB
Built-in memory: 32 GB
Memory card support: microSD
Camera: 16 MP (flash, Full HD video recording), 5 MP (flash)
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, two SIM cards.
Battery: 3000 mAh, TurboPower fast charging
Dimensions: 149.95 x 73.5 x 8.9 mm
Weight: 157 grams

At the end of August, Lenovo introduced the new Motorola Moto G5S smartphone as a special edition of the Moto G5 series.

Main features of Motorola Moto G5S

5.2-inch screen and Android 7.1 (Nougat) OS

The Moto G5S features a larger display than previous models in the lineup. There is a 5.2-inch screen with an IPS panel and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, providing a pixel density of 424 ppi. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coating protects it from scratches. As for the battery, it has a capacity of 3000 mAh, which should give a relatively average battery life. In any case, the smartphone will definitely survive until the end of the day. Operating system - Android 7.1 (Nougat), an update to Android 8.0 (Oreo) is planned.

3 GB RAM and 16 MP main camera

The hardware of the Motorola Moto G5S is based on the Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 mobile processor developed by Qualcomm. It has eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 1.40 GHz. The Adreno 505 graphics chip provides normal graphics performance. Additionally, the smartphone has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and you can also use the available microSD slot that supports memory cards up to 256GB if required. As for the camera characteristics, the main one has a matrix with a resolution of 16 megapixels, with an f/2.0 aperture, autofocus and LED flash. It is possible to shoot video in Full HD (1080p) at 30 frames per second. The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, as well as an f/2.0 aperture and LED flash.

Price

The average price at the time of publication for the 32 GB version is 15,000 rubles.

Specifications Motorola Moto G5S

operating system	Android 7.1 (Nook)
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 (octa-core, 1.40 GHz, Cortex-A53)
RAM	3 GB
Inner memory	32 GB
Video card	Adreno 505
Display	5.2-inch IPS touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution
Communication options	Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE, EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS
Cameras	16 megapixel rear, 5 megapixel front
Additionally	Dual SIM support (Nano-SIM, dual standby) microSD memory card slot, supports up to 256 GB microUSB 2.0 port speaker 3.5 mm audio jack Geo-tagged camera, touch focus, face detection, panorama, auto-HDR fingerprint sensor accelerometer gyroscope proximity sensor
Battery	3000 mAh
Dimensions	73.5 x 150 x 8.2 mm
Weight	157 g

Video: review and experience of use

In 2017, Lenovo's mobile division is pouring out new smartphone models like a cornucopia. The smartphone we tested, the Motorola Moto G5s, was introduced just 6 months after the presentation of its direct predecessor, with both being available for sale at the same time.

In addition to a significant change in design, the display was stretched to 5.2 inches, the ROM capacity was doubled, and another 1 GB was added to the RAM, NFC support appeared, the main camera was now 16 megapixels, the battery capacity was increased to 3000 mAh, and support was also added fast charging Turbo Charger. All this is spiced up with a front-facing flash, which is so often lacking. In general, there are quite a lot of changes, and the difference in cost is not that significant. In Ukrainian retail, the difference between G5 and G5s is only 1000 UAH. (approximately $37), which is not much for such an impressive list of improvements. Let's see how the Motorola Moto G5s performs during operation.

Specifications

Display size and type	5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, IPS
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), 8 cores (4x1.4 GHz, 4x1.1 GHz)
Graphics accelerator	Adreno 505
Built-in memory, GB	32
RAM, GB	3
Memory expansion	microSD (up to 128 GB)
Number of SIM cards	2
2G communication standards	GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G communication standards	UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
4G communication standards	4G LTE (B1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 19, 20, 28, 38, 40)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2 BR/EDR+BLE
NFC	Eat
IrDA	No
USB connector	microUSB
3.5 mm jack	Eat
FM radio	Eat
Fingerprint's scanner	Eat
Navigation	GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Built-in sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, gravity sensor, light sensor
Main camera	16 MP, f/2.0
Front-camera	5 MP, f/2.0
operating system	Android 7.1
Protection class	No
Battery	3000 mAh
Dimensions, mm	15073,58,2
Weight, g	157

Appearance

The new product is visually significantly different from its predecessor. It looks more like a more expensive one than its predecessor. Now the sides are metal and they are decorated with small chamfers, making the smartphone look more interesting and more expensive. Unfortunately, the battery of the new product is non-removable, and the cover can only be removed in a service center or if you have experience disassembling modern gadgets. The possibility of simultaneously installing a pair of SIM cards and microSD media was also mercilessly cut out. Now you have to choose - either two SIM cards, or one plus a memory card. However, the manufacturer has made the choice a little easier thanks to the doubled ROM capacity. Although, by modern standards, 32 GB did not leak much.

The build quality is impeccable, and when you try to twist and squeeze it, it does not give in at all and does not make any sounds. When you tap on the case, the mechanical keys do not rattle. For testing, we were provided with a gray version of the Moto G5s, in which, from a subjective point of view, the smartphone looks the most advantageous. The matte gray surface is not at all afraid of fingerprints, and it is extremely reluctant to collect scratches.

Above the display there is a sensor block, an earpiece, a front camera window, a flash, and an LED activity indicator. Only the fingerprint sensor is visible under the display. At the back there is a camera, flash and microphone.

On the left side surface there is a tray cover for installing a pair of SIM cards in nanoSIM format, one of which can be replaced with microSD media. The right side surface has the usual volume control and lock keys.

At the top end there is only an analog audio mini-jack (3.5 mm). At the bottom end there is a speaker, a microphone, and a microUSB connector, in place of which we would like to see USB Type-C.

Software

Motorola Moto smartphones use almost pure Android, which many attribute to its advantages. The G5s runs Android 7.1 while the G5 runs Android 7.0.

Display

The smartphone uses a 5.2-inch IPS matrix with FullHD resolution. The matrix is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. There is an oleophobic coating. The screen supports up to 10 simultaneous clicks. The brightness of the display at the maximum backlight level was even higher than that of the more expensive one. When measured at the center of the screen, a level of 468.61 cd/sq.m was recorded. The brightness of the black field was also pleasing - 0.44 cd/sq.m., that is, the static contrast corresponds to a level of 1065:1. And this, without exaggeration, is an excellent indicator.

There are two modes available in the display settings – “bright” and “standard”. In the “bright” mode, the color deviation delta E on the gray wedge in light shades reaches a value of 13.8, while in the “standard” mode the deviation is no more than 7.7. On the primary colors RGBCMY in both modes the deviation is similar - 2.9...7.0. But the color temperature differs significantly. In the “bright” mode - 7390...7680 K, and in the "standard" mode the color temperature is closer to the reference value - 6943...7167 K. The color gamut in both modes slightly does not correspond to the standard sRGB color space, but the difference is insignificant.

Standard mode

Vivid mode

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Sound

The smartphone uses a dedicated system speaker (one speaker served as both a conversation speaker and a system speaker), which unexpectedly sounds good. We're not even talking about the presence of any artifacts, it just sounds nice, which is something you wouldn't expect from a relatively inexpensive smartphone. In general, the sound quality is quite sufficient for watching movies or music videos. Additionally, the speaker is quite loud. When playing a test sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter from the smartphone, a level of 78.5 dBA was recorded. The signal level at the analog audio output is also quite high. When playing the test signal, a level of 468.8 mV was recorded.

Performance

The smartphone is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 system-on-chip (MSM8937), made using a 28 nm process technology. This SoC is equipped with 8 Cortex-A53 cores, half of which operate at frequencies up to 1.4 GHz, and the other half at frequencies up to 1.1 GHz. The video subsystem is based on Adreno 505. The amount of RAM LPDDR3 (800 MHz) is 3 GB, which is 1 GB more than that of the Moto G5.

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System performance was measured in synthetic PCMark, 3DMark, Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu v6. Memory speed was assessed using the AndroBench application. Testing was also carried out in cross-platform javascript tests (Mozilla Kraken JavaScript and SunSpider). The results of these tests significantly depend on the browser used, therefore, to minimize the impact, Google Chrome will be used in all reviews, as the most common one. The following smartphones were chosen as opponents:
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4+4x1.1 GHz), 2 GB RAM, 5 inches, 1920*1080 pixels;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4+4x1.1 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1920*1080 pixels;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4+4x1.1 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1280*720 pixels;

Camera

The front camera is exactly the same as in - 5 megapixel matrix resolution and f/2.2 lens aperture. But there is also a feature - a front flash. Unfortunately, its power is catastrophically low (at a distance of 1 meter, a level of only 1.45 lux was recorded), so it is suitable for shooting only in extremely low light, or in its complete absence. And, of course, in such conditions the picture will have a specific mess of noise. With typical residential lighting, you can’t count on a high-quality photo either. But in natural light, the front camera is capable of taking pretty good pictures.

The main camera has slightly increased its resolution, which is 16 megapixels, while the camera has 13 megapixels. The lens aperture has not changed – f/2.0. The control program is extremely similar to that used in /. In fully automatic mode, you can select the image resolution, the HDR function mode (including automatic firing), the flash mode, and also select the duration of the automatic shutter timer. In manual control mode, it is also possible to introduce exposure compensation, control shutter speed, focus, sensitivity (ISO 100-3200), as well as select white balance settings. It is noteworthy that when manually selecting ISO 100 sensitivity, the ISO 125 value is displayed in the photo metadata.

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The camera's automation pleased me in terms of the accuracy of exposure settings. Successful photographs are obtained even in very difficult lighting conditions, when there are areas in the frame with a large difference in brightness. Test footage was filmed in cloudy weather with heavy clouds and flying snow. And in such conditions, problems with exposure metering arise not only in smartphones, but also in system cameras, while the Moto G5s coped with this perfectly. White balance is another matter. Here the automation often malfunctioned even in natural light, not to mention artificial.

Unfortunately, the ability to transfer camera control using the Camera 2 API is not provided, there is no support for the RAW format, so assessing the noise level in numerical terms is essentially useless due to the active operation of noise reduction. To evaluate image quality, a test pattern was captured with all available sensitivity values. Below are cropped fragments.

Examples of pictures

Macro photography

Illumination 3 lux + flash

Video recording mode

The smartphone is capable of recording video with a resolution of 1920*1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The video quality is pretty good. Autofocus works constantly during video recording, but the adjustment process is very noticeable.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery, which is 200 mAh more than the Moto G5. But you shouldn’t expect an increase in battery life, because the display diagonal has also increased. When tested using our method, the smartphone lasted 705 minutes in reading mode, and 629 minutes in video viewing mode. In gaming mode, the Moto G5s lasted 201 minutes on a single charge. But here it is worth noting that testing was carried out not in the Epic Citadel benchmark, but in RealRacing3. In the diagram below, the symbol [*] indicates smartphones that were tested in games using a new method. Special attention should be paid to the Turbo Charge charging mode, which allows you to charge your smartphone battery very quickly. The charger has 5V/2.5A, 9V/1.5A, 12V/1.2A configurations. To charge to 85% level, exactly 1 hour is enough, and for a full charge – 100 minutes. Just like they were specially adjusted to fit such round numbers.

Conclusion

In general, the G5s was made into a slightly simplified version of the G5 Plus smartphone. The test subject has the same screen and battery, Turbo Charge and NFC, the same amount of RAM and ROM, but the cameras and system-on-chip are simpler. It is worth noting that both Moto G5/G5 Plus and Moto G5s/G5s Plus are available for sale at the same time. In fact, the manufacturer did not introduce the updated G line, but expanded it, and did it quite competently, because all the presented models do not interfere with the sale of each other thanks to a well-chosen set of characteristics and functions of each.
Minuses:
— the possibility of simultaneous installation of 2 SIM cards and microSD media has been reduced;
— microUSB port;
— errors in automatic white balance setting.
Pros:
— strong metal case;
— high brightness and contrast of the display;
— sound quality and volume of the system speaker;
— the presence of a front flash (although its power is extremely low);
- bright rear flash;
— correct exposure setting when photographing in difficult conditions;
— support for WiFi 802.11ac band (5 GHz);
— presence of an NFC module;
— fast charging Turbo Charger.

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