Moto G5 is well placed against budget smartphones like Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime

After the launch of the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus last month, it is now the turn of the Moto G5 to arrive on our shores. Compared to the Plus, the G5 has a smaller display and different specifications too. And unlike the Moto G5 Plus, which starts at Rs14,999 and is a Flipkart.com exclusive, the Moto G5 will be available only on Amazon.in at Rs11,999. Amazon is offering a cashback of Rs1,000 for Prime subscribers.

The phone is likely to be pitted against other small screen phones such as the Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime (Rs8,999) and Asus ZenFone 3 Max (Rs12,999).

Belongs to the all-metal clan

The new Moto G belongs to the rare breed of budget smartphones with a full metal body. It includes the likes of Redmi 3s Prime and the Asus ZenFone 3 Max too. What is different between it and rivals is the way they are designed. The Moto G5 has a slightly flatter side panel, while the Redmi 3 s Prime and ZenFone 3 Max have slightly rounded edges. Also, at 9.1mm, the Moto G5 is a bit thicker than the 8.5mm profile of the other two. The other major difference lies in the placement of the fingerprint sensor. Moto’s fingerprint sensor is in front, while in case of rivals it is placed on the back.

Clean Android vs custom UI

The Moto G5 is one of the few budget smartphones which run a clutter-free version of Android Nougat (7.0) out of the box. Both Redmi 3s Prime and Asus ZenFone 3 Max run the older Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) OS with their respective custom UIs on top. These UIs are very popular with mainstream users for their colourful themes and deep customisation, but they can be a bit hard to follow for first-time users.

Some common ground

The Moto G5 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor. This is the same chipset that also powers the Redmi 3s Prime. The Asus smartphone is the odd one out here and runs on a MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor.

The Moto G5 is powered by a 2,800mAh battery. Despite their slim profile, the Asus ZenFone 3 Max and Redmi 3s Prime pack in higher capacity batteries of up to 4,000mAh. Though the battery on the Moto Phone is much smaller, it is unlikely to be a major letdown on account of the fact that its UI is less resource-intensive and runs Android 7.0 which offers more battery-friendly features such as Doze 2.0.

Sharper display

The Moto G5 has a 5-inch display but it offers a resolution of 1,920x1,080p, which is a rarity at this price point. The Redmi 3s Prime offers a resolution of 1,280x720p on its 5-inch screen and even the ZenFone 3 Max which has a slightly bigger 5.2-inch display comes with a resolution of 1,280x720p. Also, the Moto smartphone comes with a layer of scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3, unlike its rivals.