NOTICE: This is not a paid review, I purchase this phone for my business phone. I'm not getting anything from this review. Also, I'm writing this on the new phone so pardon and spelling or grammar errors.
ONE WEEK IN AS OF 6/15/17
I received this phone approximately one week ago. I'll start the review today and possibly add to it as I'm between flights.
WHY A PRIME PHONE
I've been with Sprint for about 16 years and although I have loyalty to them, they have zero loyalty to me. They recently got rid of their two-year contracts with discounted phones because, and I quote, 'everyone in the industry no longer has that'. Way to be a leader in the space Sprint. So, instead of paying a mortgage payment over two years by leasing or renting, I decided to put my trust in Amazon yet again.
Please also note that my last 3-4 phones were Samsung phones which I loved dearly so my comparison is everything from the Galaxy S3 forward.
SPOILER ALERT - AMAZON came through again, big time by offering this phone to prime members!
ONE THING I'D DO DIFFERENTLY - MICRO SD CARD DECISION
So you don't have to suffer through my Moto G 5 dissertation, the one thing that irritates me - and I did it somewhat on my own, is that I selected a 128 gb micro sd card that came up as an option while I was buying the phone. I did NOT check the specs and shame on me! After installing and formatting it, the Moto G said that the card did not meet its specs. I need to reach out to Amazon to see what can be done because I thought it came up as 'recommended' or 'bought frequently' but I was moving fast to get it ordered so I probably should have researched more. I would LOVE it if Amazon only showed me what was 'certified' for the phone but maybe in the future.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I received the phone in two days being a prime member. I had the basics up and running over WiFi within 20 minutes over WiFi. I played around with it for a bit testing out various features, etc. My first impression was that it seemed like a solid phone but I was going to have to learn the new capabilities.
To fully get the phone set up, I had to get to a Sprint store to get a sim card. While I was there, Ryan was kind enough to transfer over much of my Note 4 content (contacts, text messages, etc.).
WHAT I HAVE COME TO LOVE
Almost Stock Android - I didn't realize how much tweaking if Android had been done on my Note 4 and previous phones. The stock Android is beautiful and it seems like I'm able to more easily do stuff on this phone. The swype functionality is even more accurate these days and I've always loved that capability.
Example: When I receive a text, my notification allows me to reply without jumping over to the text messaging app.
THE FINGERPRINT SCANNER/MAGIC BUTTON IN THE MIDDLE
I've used fingerprint technology since the early days. The setup and use of the scanner were super easy and I also set up a pin. I used my right thumb because I'm right handed and it's perfect for unlocking the screen without having to juggle the phone.
After a couple of days, I received a message asking if I wanted to get rid of the navigation buttons at the bottom of the page. By default, when you configure the phone, your navigation is at the bottom of the screen. To be honest it was a bit annoying and took up some screen space. In any case, I chose to use the fingerprint scanner button and eliminate the little icons overlaying the bottom of the screen and it literally changed the entire experience of this phone for the better!
Using the scanner you basically swipe...
- Swiping right brings up all open windows when you are on the main page
- Swiping left in an app like Chrome actually takes you to the previous page, sweet! It essentially works like a 'back' button.
- If you keep swiping left, it will eventually take you to the home screen; however, it does not close down or exit the app
This feature alone is worth the switch! And yes, maybe it is on the new Samsung phone but I don't have the $750+ to drop on a new phone cause this phone rocks! Moving on.
PERFORMANCE
I purchased the 64gb of storage with 4gb of ram. You can look up the specs for details but this phone is quick and responsive! I feel it is way more responsive than the previous Note 4 and more nimble. It's hard to explain but it just flows with the stock android.
VOLUME BUTTON AND ON/OFF LOCATION
I know this is very myopic but having the volume button and the on/off button on the right side of the phone is really handy. At first, I thought I would be annoyed because they are relatively close together. I've realized that this actually makes it easier to use the phone.
SPEAKER
The speaker is meh... It works and it is fine. Even with my Note 4, I was bringing a Bluetooth speaker. I do like the fact that it is on the front of the phone, not the back of the phone.
MICRO SD CARD
Hopefully, you read this up front but buy a micro sd card that meets the specs. I did not and have to reach out to Amazon to see if I can get a replacement. I'm using the card that the Moto G5 said did not meet its specs and it could cause delays in apps, and other performance issues but so far, so good. I typically only use the additional storage for pictures and videos as I attend a lot of conferences and host workshops where I do video from the phone. I will update later.
THE SMARTPHONE THAT IS SMART
So on the plane, I plugged in my headset and my phone spoke to me... I didn't have the volume up so I unplugged the phone and it came up with a message about giving voice commands to my Moto G5 even if the screen was locked. This is not the first time that the phone and/or the Android software has offered suggestions to me about how I operate the phone and my settings. Maybe that is why I've enjoyed this phone so much the first week, it is helping me 'learn' and makes suggestions. My Samsung's of the past have not really done that at least as far as I can remember.
SCREEN RESOLUTION
Honestly, I could care less if my phone screen is 4k. This phone btw does NOT have a 4k screen. It is a beautiful screen and everything is crisp and clear. Movies from Netflix look amazing, at least as good as the Note 4 even though the Moto G5 screen is a tad bit smaller, I'm very happy with the screen resolution.
SCREEN SPACE
One thing I find interesting is that I can put much more on a page of the Moto G5 screen than I could on my Note 4. Maybe there is a setting I haven't found yet, but the icons are smaller and it frees up more screen real estate. What I used to have on two 'pages' on the Note 4 even with a larger screen, is now on the front page of the Moto G5. It's a small thing but it makes a difference because now all of my most frequently used apps are on the front or main page.
GORILLA GLASS
The Moto G5 Plus comes with gorilla glass, saving me from having to purchase any sort of shield - yes, I am that guy who normally gets a glass shield on his phone. When I learned that the screen was gorilla glass, I was incredibly excited. If you don't know what gorilla glass can withstand, check out youtube as there are a number of videos including one that tests the Moto G5 phone by hitting it with a number of tools including a hammer! The video I watched by Ramesh Bakotra was almost painful to watch because they were banging away on the screen with a number of tools but the Moto G5 screen held up amazingly with no cracks or breaks or scratches. Check it out, it will make you squirm seeing someone abuse their phone like they did.
AMAZON ADS
Oh, and I'm frugal so I chose to have the Amazon ads show up. Honestly, it is not a big deal at all. I think I saved $60 by having the ads and if I have notifications and my screen is locked, the notifications show up fine. Also, the ad 'widget' is on the second 'page' of my phone so I rarely see it. Overall, I'd rather save the money and I find myself scrolling through the ads because I know Amazon wants me to buy more...and although I've been tempted, I haven't pulled the trigger on a purchase yet.
BATTERY LIFE
Battery life in this first week is more than acceptable. Haven't had to charge at all during the day and I've been using it frequently. I am hopeful that I won't have battery issues like some of my former Samsung products. After a year with my Note4, I had to purchase an extended battery because the phone was shutting down after 2-3 hours of usage. It appears, although I haven't done it, that you can replace the battery on a Moto G5 phone but I'm hoping to avoid that scenario.
****Getting ready to land, will finish later***
From the manufacturer
Features
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Carrier friendly. Pure and simple.Moto G Plus is unlocked and carrier friendly, so you can swap between any major U.S. carrier any time you choose. |
All Metal DesignFall for those stunning good looks. Love the smooth feel in your hand. Notice that precision craftsmanship. And count on the durability, day after day. The new Moto G Plus comes with a high-grade aluminum finish that’s been diamond cut and bead-blasted to perfection. |
Dual Autofocus PixelsMoto G Plus is the first camera in its class with Dual Autofocus Pixels. Utilizing 10 times more pixels on the sensor, the camera is able to lock onto your subject up to 60% faster than the previous generation Moto G Plus. Fewer missed shots, more stunning photos. |
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Turbo Power ChargingPower up without slowing down. The included TurboPower charger gives your Moto G Plus up to 6 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes.* *Certain features, functionality and product specifications may be network dependent and subject to additional terms, conditions, and charges. All are subject to change without notice. |
Fast octa-core processorMoto G Plus gives you a blazing-fast 2.0 GHz octa-core processor, powerful graphics capabilities, and support for 4G LTE. So you can run apps smoothly without slowing down. Enjoy stutter-free playback of your favorite games and videos. And browse the web or stream music at lightning-fast speed. |
Finger Print ReaderTouch and go. Never mind remembering your passcode. Just use the fingerprint reader to unlock your phone and wake it up instantly. Touch the reader again to lock it back up. |
The best of Amazon on Android
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Effortless Access to AmazonPopular pre-installed Amazon apps allow quick access to your content, order history, wish list, shipment updates, and more. |
Prime Benefits Everywhere You GoA single sign-on experience provides Prime members with instant access to tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, over one million songs, unlimited photo storage and backup, free 2-day shipping, and more. |
Shop more dealsShop a personalized selection of daily deals right from the home screen using the Amazon Widget. |
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What is an unlocked phone?An unlocked phone is a device that is not bound to any carrier or plan. It allows you to choose your phone first and your carrier second. Upon selecting a plan, simply insert the carrier's SIM card into the phone and you're ready to go. If you decide you want to change carriers down the road or want to take an international trip, it's as simple as replacing your existing SIM card with a new SIM and activating your new plan. |
What are the benefits of an unlocked phone?Freedom: Choose the carrier with the best service or price. If you find a better deal later, you have the ability to change to a different carrier. Travel: Take your phone internationally and use the carrier of your choice. It's as easy as inserting an active SIM card. Selection: Choose the phone with the features you want, whether or not your carrier sells it, and get more service options without a contract. |
How do I set up my unlocked phone?The first thing you’ll need is a SIM card for your desired carrier. When activated, the SIM card will let your phone connect to your carrier’s network. If you decide to upgrade to a newer unlocked phone in the future, you can easily remove the SIM card from your old phone and put it in your new phone—just make sure you get the right size of SIM card (nano, micro, or standard) for your phone. If you want to use your phone while traveling internationally, you can easily buy a SIM card for a carrier that operates where you’re traveling. As long as it’s activated, you can just swap SIM cards when you arrive at your destination. |
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| Moto G5 Plus | Moto G Plus | Moto E4 Plus | Moto E4 | Moto X4 | Moto Z Unlocked | |
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| Price | — | — | $72.19 | $72.19 | — | $149.00 |
| Display | 5.2” Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080), 424 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | 5.5" Full HD display, 1080p, 401ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | 5.5” HD (1280x720),267ppi, GFF, 2.5D cover Glass | 5” HD 720p (1280x720), Up to 16 million colors, Lenovo Screen , 2.5D cover glass | 5.2” FHD (1080×1920), 424 PPI, LTPS IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass | 5.5” AMOLED, 1440p Quad HD (2560 x 1440), 535 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Main Camera | 12MP | 16MP | 13MP | 8MP | 12MP | 13MP |
| Front Camera | 5MP | 5MP | 5MP | 5MP | 16MP | 5MP |
| Android Version | Android 7.0, Nougat | Android 6.0.1, Marshmallow | Android 7.1, Nougat | Android 7.1, Nougat | Android 7.1, Nougat | Android 6.0.1, Marshmallow |
| Processor / GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU and 650 MHz Adreno 506 GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 (MSM8952) 1.5 GHz octa-core CPU, Adreno 405 with 550 MHz GPU | Quad-core 1.4 GHz , Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 | Quad-core 1.4 GHz , Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, or, Quad-core 1.4 GHz , Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor with 2.2 GHz Octa-core CPU and 650 MHz Adreno 508 GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 1.8 GHz Quad-core CPU and Adreno 530 GPU Natural Language Processor, Contextual Computing Processor |
| Battery Capacity / Charging | All-day battery (3000 mAh) / TurboPower for up to 6 hours of power in 15 minutes of charging | All-day battery (3000 mAh) / TurboPower for up to 6 hours of power in 15 minutes of charging | 5000 mAh / Embedded / 10W rapid charger | 2800 mAh / Removable / 5W/10W rapid charger | All-day battery / 3000mAh, Non-removable | Mixed usage up to 30 hours (2600 mAh) / TurboPower for up to 8 hours of power in 15 minutes of charging |
| Fingerprint Sensor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Size / Weight | 150.2 mm x 74.0 mm x 7.7-9.7 mm / 155g | 53 mm x 76.6 mm x 7.9-9.8 mm / 155g | 155 mm x 77.5 mm x 9.55 mm / 181g | 144.5 mm x 72 mm x 9.3 mm / 150g | 148.35 mm x 73.4mm x 7.99 mm / 163g | 153.3 mm x 75.3 mm x 5.19 mm / 136g |
| Networks | 4G LTE (Cat 6), CDMA/EVDO Rev A, UMTS/HSPA+, GSM/EDGE | 4G LTE (Cat 4), CDMA / EVDO Rev A, UMTS / HSPA+, GSM / EDGE | GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, TDD, FDD | GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, TDD, FDD | 4G LTE (Cat11 DL, Cat5 UL), CDMA / EVDO Rev A, UMTS / HSPA+, GSM / EDGE, TDD LTE band 38/41 | 4G LTE (Cat 6), UMTS / HSPA+, GSM / EDGE |
Reviews with images
Budget phone with some decent features
Update September 2017:. Overall I'm very pleased with this cell phone. I've been very pleased overall with the photos that I've been able to take with this phone. I think that all the Google features that are offered within the camera app really enhance the overall photography experience. There are times when the cell phone camera does not perform as well as I would like it to perform, however the majority of the time the camera does an excellent job. I like all the overall features of the phone in general, but the camera is especially important to me.Original review:I am still getting familiar with this cellphone. I am using AT&T cellphone service. I had to ask for help from a sales rep in the AT&T store because the SIM card is a different size as compared with the one in my Galaxy S5 Active. This review is not meant to be comprehensive, but I hope to touch on a few key points. First off, the camera. There are a lot of hidden features including a professional setting that allows the user to change from auto to macro or infinity or somewhere in between, adjust the ISO, the white balance or the brightness. I have personally not seen these features to be of much value yet. Sure you can use the white balance, but then you might lose some of the sharpness in your photo (in the sky, for instance). There is a slow motion setting and panorama option as well. After you take a photo, you can select different editing features such as cropping, different coloration, black and white or sketch mode. I have not tried the slow motion, professional or panorama features yet. These photoswere taken with auto setting in 16:9 with 9 megapixels. I tested the video feature and it worked fine. I am missing a few features of my Samsung Galaxy S5, especially the voice command option for taking a photo. This phone is set up with Google Voice, so you can say "Ok, Google, take a picture" and the camera will open up, but you still need to tap the screen or tap the shutter button. You set up for either tapping anywhere on the screen or using the shutter button. The burst mode allows you to take multiple photos at lightning speed. The camera is super fast. What I don't like as compared with my S5 is that you really can'tfocus in well on one object in the picture, but with some practice, I may figure this out. I added a salt grinder photo taken with macro setting. Update: I tried the panorama and professional settings as well as the 8x zoom. The panorama option is very easy and works well as long as you can keep a straight line of view. The zoom lens can make the camera a bit shaky, so it might be good to compare using the zoom vs cropping a photo afterwards. I wish that the camera offered grid lines as a guide for keeping the horizon straight. Unfortunately I have not been able to upload new photos to my review. I have been really pleased with some landscape and close ups in outdoor lighting. The images are easily enhanced with editing features. Many of my upclose flower photos have been relatively sharp. I like Google Voice and use it often for asking about the weather, searching for a song, or finding a business phone number, for example. Addressing the 4GB of RAM - the settings show the average amount of RAM used. I am using 2 GB of RAM on average, therefore I would have been using 100% of RAM with my old phone. With the 64 GB of internal memory, I can now install the apps that will want and not receive constant warnings that I am running out of storage space. So far the phone is fast and responsive for wifi and data. Update: July 18, 2017: I am still trying to work with all the features of this phone. I still like using my Samsung Galaxy S5 for photos in addition to this cellphone. Both phones havetheir pluses and minuses for camera features. The Moto G5 screen is shiny and has a lot of glare and it's dark, so it's very hard to view in bright sunlight. When taking photos, I am often merely pointing and shooting and hoping for a good outcome. Maybe there is a setting change that will adjust for this. The photos came out fine, but using the 16x9 9-megapixel feature, cropping and zooming can result in very blurry photos. Also the selfie front camera takes clear photos, but there is distortion due to a wide angle lens, so you end up with a fun snapshot, not a great photo by any means. The nice thing about the selfie feature is that the camera blurs all skin imperfections - like a beauty mode. That said, that the faces end up looking a little distorted - but, hey - at least you can get a few people in a photo easily!I opted for the pattern security (connect the dots with finger swipe) rather than the thumb print, but may reevaluate this. Update: I have set up security for in home use with no pattern required as well as facial recognition. We will see how it goes. I was constantly having to swipe the pattern to access my phone.One negative so far is that the head phone jack seems a little stubborn with certain mp3 cords or headphones. I had to play around a bit with the mp3 cord in my car to get it to work. Then I had to turn the volume up quite a bit.As others have commented, the speaker is not very loud. That said, the phone seems to have clear sound for listening to the phone receiver - just not overly loud. I tested the speaker and my 84 year old father could hear me just fine and I could hear him. That was indoors with the TV at low volume.Update:I tested out the video and taking photos of fireworks and golf swings. The video in outdoor lighting appeared somewhat dark and I am not sure how to compensate for this. Fireworks looked more like explosions in the sky - fuzzy and none of the crispness of a newer IPhone. On the other hand, the phone worked well for capturing the last part of a golf swing and I could have utilized the burst feature easily but forgot. The result was a true action shot.Editing photos also serves to enhance the quality, but on occasion making changes seems to take forever. My phone ended in a loop and I had to turn it off and restart. Dusk photos of people and the sky were also somewhat grainy. The flash is fairly bright for up close photos, though. The front facing camera for selfies works really well in outdoor lighting - haven't tried indoors yet.Update - Nov 29, 2017: I have now been using this phone on a very regular basis since I purchased it in July of 2017. It has proven to be very reliable. As I stated previously, the zoom feature does not appear to be of any great value and also the video quality is not good at all in a dark setting such as viewing a concert in a theater. I am comparing this phone with my Samsung Galaxy S5 that actually shines in dark settings even with zooming in on a band performing. For this reason I end up taking my old phone with me if I want to do any video. Maybe there is some setting that I am missing. Other than that, the phone is consistently good for everyday use. I'm constantly getting praise for my photos which I can easily edit with the Google editing features.
