Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: Should I upgrade?

Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: We compare the 5.2-inch G5 Plus phone, freshly launched at MWC 2017, with Moto’s G4 Plus mobile from 2016. What’s the difference in terms of specs, design, performance, camera tech and other features? And should Moto G4 Plus owners upgrade to the G5 Plus?

As you’ll see in our full hands-on Moto G5 Plus review, we really like this successor to 2016’s Moto G4 Plus. A more compact design, boosted performance, updated camera tech and the latest Android Nougat OS makes for a very enjoyable smartphone, complete with a pleasingly slim asking price.

So what’s the difference between the new Moto G5 Plus and the phone it succeeds, the Moto G4 Plus? Should G4 Plus lay down their cash for the new G5 Plus or stick for now? Here’s our full comparison review.

We’ve also compared the standard Moto G5 with last year’s Moto G4, so go check out our Moto G5 vs G4 comparison review to see what’s new.

Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: Specs

	Moto G4 Plus	Moto G5 Plus
Screen size	5.5-inches	5.2-inches
Screen resolution	Full HD (1920×1080)	Full HD (1920×1080)
Weight	155 grams	155 grams
OS	Android 7.0 (originally 6.0)	Android 7.0
Front camera	5-megapixels	5-megapixels
Rear camera	16-megapixels	12-megapixels
Processor	1.5GHz/1.2GHz Snapdragon 617	2GHz Snapdragon 625
Memory	2GB/3GB/4GB	2GB/3GB/4GB
Storage	16GB/32GB/64GB + microSD up to 256GB	32GB/64GB + microSD up to 256GB
Battery	3000mAh	3000mAh
Price (at time of writing)	From £199	From £259

Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: Design

If you weren’t a fan of the rather wide and bulky Moto G4 Plus, which was a mighty 5.5-inch handset, then good news. The new Moto G5 Plus is a more compact 5.2-inch smartphone, which is more slender and easier to use one-handed.

Gone is the plastic fantastic design of the G4 Plus, replaced instead with a much nicer metallic finish. The G5 Plus feels and looks a lot more premium than the 2016 Moto G, which is particularly good considering the low asking price. Of course, plenty of other affordable phones such as the Lenovo P2 sport a similar metal frame, so this isn’t too surprising.

Neither phone is water resistant, but so far the G5 Plus appears to be just as hardy as last year’s model.

Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: Screen and media

Although the G5 Plus has a reduced screen size compared with the Moto G4 Plus, this 2017 model is still a serious media machine.

That IPS LCD panel appears to be more vibrant than the G4 Plus’ screen, with better viewing angles than before. They’re both Full HD displays but because the G5 Plus’ screen is smaller, it’s also sharper than the previous model.

Both phones offer microSD expansion for the on-board storage, great news if you want to lug around a huge media collection.

Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: Features and OS

Both phones come rocking Android Nougat, thanks to the G4 Plus’ update from Marshmallow. And in both cases it’s a pleasingly vanilla version of Google’s OS. You don’t get much in the way of bonus Moto features and that’s fine, because Nougat already offers split-screen multi-tasking, smart resource management and loads of great feature for getting the most out of your mobile.

Like the Moto G4 Plus, the G5 Plus sports a fingerprint sensor housed beneath the screen. This is now set into the body of the phone with a lovely chamfered finish, compared with the odd square jutting scanner on the G4 Plus. And as before it’s pleasingly responsive and accurate.

Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: Performance and battery life

The G4 Plus’ capable Snapdragon 617 processor has been updated to a Snapdragon 625 on this latest handset, and the G5 Plus certainly seemed nippy enough in our hands-on review. This is the same processor used in the Moto Z Play, a more expensive handset, which means you can expect a smooth user experience for some time to come.

You now get turbo charging tech built into the G5 Plus’ battery, although we’re yet to fully test the G5 Plus’ battery life. Check back for our full review to see how it fares.

Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus: Cameras

Last year’s Moto G4 Plus sported a 16-megapixel camera which was solid for everyday shots and quite strong in low light. Go check out our G4 Plus camera review for more info and samples.

For the G5 Plus, the megapixel count has dropped to 12, but the camera tech has still improved. You now get an f/1.7 aperture lens for better low light results and Moto’s new Dual Focus tech is supposedly faster to act than Phase Detection Autofocus. It’s the same sensor as used in the Galaxy S7, which sports a fantastic camera.

You can shoot up to 4K video on the G5 Plus, something not possible on the G4 Plus thanks to its inferior processor.

Check out our hands-on Moto G5 Plus vs Moto G4 Plus comparison review in the video below.