A first look at the Moto G5S Plus that is coming to Malaysia soon

Motorola looks set to conclude the year with a bang as they’re set to launch the successor to last year’s midrange G5 Plus that they’ve dubbed as the G5S Plus. The phone bears aesthetics akin to its immediate predecessor though it’s slightly larger and chunkier all around at 8mm thin and 168g versus its predecessor’s 7.7mm thin casing and 155g weight. Externally, it still looks quite similar including the distinct rounded rear camera array jutting out from the backplate though this has experienced a significant upgrade.


What it gets in exchange is a larger 5.5-inch Full HD touchscreen that is 0.3-inches larger than its predecessor sheathed in Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The processor is identical to its predecessor: a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor that is a proven SoC for endurance and performance.

For Malaysia, Motorola is slated to bring in a variant with 4GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage via a hybrid SIM card slot. The phone runs a relatively clean install of Android Nougat with some minor enhancements that support several gesture based controls: shaking the phone like a maraca turns on the rear flash as a light. Flipping it over silences a call. It’s an interesting array of shortcuts that add to the functionality of the phone. The front still retains a non-clicky home button that can also be used for navigation as well. The chamfering on the edges sports silvered trim which adds a bit of class to the whole affair.

The biggest enhancement to to the G5S Plus is its rear camera array that consists of a pair of 13-MP cameras, one of which takes images in black and white while the other does so in colour. Both cameras also have an F/2.0 aperture and the camera array combines data from both to create a ‘depth of field’ effect in shots. It’s also capable of capturing 2160p video. Unfortunately, the rear camera array lacks optical image stabilisation but at its intended price point which is going to be lower than what the G5 Plus was launched at last year though it’s not a major deal breaker for its intended bargain-seeking demographic.


Our initial field tests showed both the front and rear cameras to be rather competent, with several preset modes taking advantage of the cameras ‘bokeh’ ability. On top of the usual ability to dial in the depth of field after taking a shot, the phone is able to selectively keep a subject coloured while the background gets turned into black and white. It’s also able to, with some trial and error, automatically crop out a subject in the foreground and then plonk it into another background.  The front comes with an 8-MP camera, also with an F/2.0 aperture and a dedicated LED flash too which offered pleasantly competent snaps after a cursory field test.

Remaining the same though on both the G5S Plus and its predecessor is its battery size which remains at 3,000mAh along with fast charging support. For Malaysia, Motorola is slated to ship the phone in either a shade of grey or gold. There is no exact word on when it will be released nor at what price though tantalising hints state that the launch date is soon and that the phone will be priced cheaper than its predecessor (the G5 Plus launched at RM1,299 last year) which would be quite an impressive feat indeed. 

While it’s too soon to tell from what is essentially a cursory field test conducted under controlled conditions, the G5S acquitted itself well during our short test period. The phone had a beautiful heft and felt suitably premium while performing in a very competent fashion in regards to capturing snaps. A steady hand is needed for low light shots but results from both the front and rear cameras in what would be considered as challenging conditions for many camphones under low lighting are pleasingly good indeed. Stay tuned for more details of the launch.