The affordable Moto G 5G Plus packs value and 5G connectivity for Europeans
Motorola launched one of the most affordable 5G phones you can buy in Europe. For those in the US, the company promises a sub-$500 budget 5G phone this fall.
- Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Motorola combines its expertise in affordable phones with its knowledge of 5G to create the Moto G 5G Plus.
There's one quality nearly all 5G phones have in common: They're expensive. It will cost you at minimum $999 to buy a Motorola Edge Plus or one of the phones from the Samsung Galaxy S20 family. Depending on the carrier, the OnePlus 8 and LG V60 are slightly less expensive ranging from $700 up to $900 respectively. And who knows how much Apple will charge for its heavily rumored iPhone 12, which is expected to have 5G. So it's a real surprise to see Motorola launch the Moto G 5G Plus, a truly affordable 5G phone.
Motorola is no stranger to budget phones, having launched four new Moto phones in 2020 that cost between $150 and $300. Motorola is also no stranger to 5G. In 2018, its Moto Z3, along with a separately sold 5G Moto Mod, was the first official 5G phone. And last year, the company offered the Moto Z4 and the 5G mod for only $500 as a bundle.
The new Moto G 5G Plus is built from the ground up to support 5G. It is available in Europe as of July 8 for 349 euros (with 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage) or 399 euros (with 6GB RAM and 128GB). The starting price converts to £315 or AU$565. Motorola says it's committed to releasing a sub-$500 5G in the US in the fall, but it's unclear whether that affordable 5G device is the Moto G 5G Plus, another version of it or an entirely new device.
The Moto G 5G Plus packs support for sub-6GHz 5G, so low- and midband 5G, not the fastest millimeter-wave 5G, but it puts it in direct competition with the more expensive Samsung Galaxy S20, OnePlus 8 and still unreleased Motorola Edge. The 5G Plus also has a 6.7-inch full HD display with a 90Hz refresh rate (no word if it's an LCD or OLED). It has NFC and packs a 5,000-mAh battery, just like the excellent Moto G Power and Motorola Edge Plus. It has a Snapdragon 765 5G processor -- the same one found in the upcoming Motorola Edge .
On the front of the Moto G 5G Plus are dual-selfie cameras and on the back are three cameras plus a depth sensor.
The Moto G 5G Plus has many cameras. There are two selfie cameras on the front, nestled like a vampire bite in the display. One has a wide-angle lens, the other has an ultrawide-angle lens. On the back are three cameras. The 48-megapixel main camera uses pixel binning to create 12-megapixel photos. There is also an 8-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel macro camera and a depth sensor.
Take a closer look at the Moto G 5G Plus specs and how they compare to other 5G phones available today.
Motorola Moto G 5G Plus specs vs. Motorola Edge, OnePlus 8, LG V60, Samsung Galaxy S20
| Motorola Moto G 5G Plus | Motorola Edge | OnePlus 8 | LG V60 ThinQ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.7-inch FHD+ | 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED; 2,340x1,080 pixels | 6.55-inch AMOLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels | 6.8-inch OLED; 2,460x1,080 pixels | 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED; 3,200x1,440 pixels |
| Pixel density | NA | NA | 402ppi | 395ppi | 563ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 6.61 x 2.91 x 0.35 in | 6.36 x 2.8 x 0.37 in | 6.3 x 2.8 x 0.31 in | 6.67 x 3.06 x 0.35 in | 2.72 x 5.97 x 0.311 in |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 168 x 74 x 9mm | 161.6 x 71.1 x 9.29 mm | 160 x 72.9 x 8 mm | 169.3 x 77.6 x 8.79 mm | 69.1 x 151.7 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 6.63 oz; 188g | 6.63 oz; 188g | 6.35 oz; 180g | 7.72 oz; 218g | 5.75 oz; 163g |
| Mobile software | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 |
| Camera | 48-megapixel (standard), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel (macro) | 64-megapixel (standard), 8-megapixel (telephotos), 16-megapixel (macro/ultrawide-angle) | 48-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide), 2-megapixel (macro) | 64-megapixel (standard), 13-megapixel (wide-angle), time-of-flight camera | 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide) |
| Front-facing camera | 16-megapixel, 8 megapixel | 25-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 10-megapixel (standard) | 10-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K | 8K | 8K |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | 64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2.0 GHz) |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB | 128GB | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB | 128GB |
| RAM | 4GB, 6GB | 10GB | 8GB, 12GB | 8GB | 12GB |
| Expandable storage | Up to 1TB | Up to 1TB | No | 2TB | Up to 1TB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 4,300 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Side | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen | In-screen |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Special features | 5G enabled, 90Hz refresh rate, 20W Turbo Power charging | 5G enabled. 90Hz refresh rate, 18W Turbo Charging | 5G enabled; Warp Charge; 90Hz refresh rate | 5G enabled; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging, Fast Charging 4.0 | 5G enabled; 120Hz refresh rate; water resistant (IP68) |
| Price off-contract (USD) | TBD | $699 | $699 (8GB RAM/128GB), $799 (12GB RAM/256GB) | $800 (without Dual Screen case); $900-$950 (with) | $999 |
