Originally thought to be the Motorola Edge Lite, 7 July’s launch brought us the Moto G 5G Plus; yet another affordable Moto offering from Motorola, but this time with – you guessed it – 5G.
While the Motorola Edge and Edge+ were an interesting return to the flagship phone market for the company, it’s well-established mid-range and budget Moto G family has always served as a stalwart line of devices for both the company and consumers.
While we’ve had various entries that double-down on select features, none of the previous crop of Moto G devices has dared venture into the realm of super-fast 5G connectivity. The Moto G 5G Plus confidently steps over this line and gives us a few extras we weren’t expecting on top.
For more on the budget-focused smartphone, take a look at our full Moto G 5G Plus review.
When does the Moto G 5G Plus launch?
The Moto G 5G Plus was launched on 7 July, with the phone hitting retail in select markets, starting 10 July.
In the UK, the 4GB RAM + 64GB SKU will be available from the likes of Argos, EE, O2 and John Lewis, while the 6GB RAM + 128GB version will be on offer from Vodafone.
Despite its potential existence amid the rumours and leaks in the run-up to the 7 July launch event, there was no talk of a non-Plus model during the announcement, suggesting, for the time being, that the Moto G 5G Plus is the only 5G mid-ranger we should expect from Motorola.
What features does the Moto G 5G Plus offer?
It appears that the leaked renders and specs that made it out before the phone’s official unveiling we’re right on the money; with the inclusion of 5G, a quad rear camera, dual front cameras, a 90Hz refresh rate display and a sizeable 5000mAh battery with 20W TurboPower fast charging all proving appearing on the finished product.
Here’s the full spec sheet for the Moto G 5G Plus:
- 6.7in Full HD+ 21:9 90Hz CinemaVision LTPS LCD
- Android 10 w/ Motorola My UX
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor
- 4GB/6GB RAM
- 64GB/128GB storage
- microSD support up to 1TB
- 48Mp (wide) camera, 5Mp (macro) camera, 8Mp (ultra-wide/action cam) camera, 2Mp (depth) camera
- 16Mp/8Mp (wide/ultra-wide) dual front-facing cameras
- 5000mAh battery
- 20W TurboPower fast charging
- Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 compatible
- 168×74×9mm
- 207 grams
- Water-repellent design
- 5G (Sub-6) support
- 3.5mm headset jack
- USB-C
- Bluetooth 5.1
- FM Radio (not in France)
- NFC
Related: Best Motorola phone 2020
The most interesting takeaways beyond the obvious benefit of affordable 5G are the phone’s media chops; granting users an expansive 6.7in 21:9 aspect ratio display (the largest ever on a Moto G device) paired with that smooth refresh rate – something not even the new Sony Xperia 1 II offers.
This is also the first Moto G with dual front-facing sensors, allowing for wide-angle selfies, while both the main 16Mp front-facer and primary 48Mp sensor on the back can both leverage pixel-binning for improved low light performance (among other things).
HDR10 support is also present, which we can’t wait to put to the test, considering the phone’s competitive price point.
How much does the Moto G 5G Plus cost?
The Moto G line has always stood for value, however, we’re still mightily impressed by the price/performance balance that Motorola is bringing to the table with the Moto G 5G Plus, which looks to be one of the most affordable Snapdragon 765-powered phones to date.
The 4GB RAM + 64GB version comes in at £299/€349, while more memory and storage (6GB + 128GB) costs £349/€399 SIM-free.
Read next: Best cheap 5G phone 2020