In late August, Lenovo unveiled the new Motorola Moto G5S smartphone as a special edition of the Moto G5 series.
Main features of Motorola Moto G5S
5.2 inch screen and Android 7.1 OS (Nougat)
The Moto G5S has a larger display than the previous models in the line. It has a 5.2-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a pixel density of 424 ppi. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coating protects it from scratches. As for the battery, it has a capacity of 3000 mAh, which should give a relatively average battery life. In any case, the smartphone will live for sure until the end of the day. Operating system - Android 7.1 (Nougat), it is planned to update to Android 8.0 (Oreo).3 GB RAM and 16 MP main camera
At the heart of the hardware filling of the Motorola Moto G5S is the Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 mobile processor developed by Qualcomm. It has eight Cortex-A53 cores operating at clock speeds up to 1.40 GHz. The Adreno 505 graphics chip delivers normal graphics performance. In addition, the smartphone has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and you can also use the available microSD slot that supports memory cards up to 256GB if needed. As for the characteristics of the camera, the main one has a matrix with a resolution of 16 megapixels, with an f / 2.0 aperture, autofocus and LED flash. It is possible to shoot video in Full HD (1080p) at 30 frames per second. The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, as well as an f / 2.0 aperture and LED flash. The cost
The average price at the time of publication for the 32 gigabyte version is 15,000 rubles.Specifications Motorola Moto G5S
| operating system | Android 7.1 (Nook) |
|---|---|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 (8-core, 1.40 GHz, Cortex-A53) |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Inner memory | 32 GB |
| Video card | Adreno 505 |
| Display | 5.2 '' IPS touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE, EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n, GPS |
| Cameras | 16-megapixel rear, 5-megapixel front |
| Additionally |
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| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| Dimensions | 73.5 x 150 x 8.2mm |
| The weight | 157 g |
Video: feedback and experience of use
"Fotosklad.ru"Long gone is the era of Motorola as an independent company that delighted its fans with unusual products. Recall, for example, the legendary Razr V3 clamshell, one of the first Atrix 4G smartphones and the Kevlar Razr Maxx to be docked with a keyboard-display dock. Nowadays, this sub-brand of the Chinese Lenovo also sometimes gives out entertaining devices: for example, Z, Z Play, Z2 and Z2 Play with support for moto-mods, but nevertheless, the company's emphasis has significantly shifted to the budgetary area: smartphones have become very popular in developing countries and third world countries inexpensive series E, M, G, C.
Today we have in our review a representative of the mid-budget segment - Moto G5S. By tradition, we will briefly go through the characteristics of the smartphone, and then proceed to its detailed analysis.
| Display | IPS, 16 million colors |
| Display diagonal | 5.2 inch |
| Display resolution | FHD (1920 x 1080), 424 ppi |
| operating system | Android 7.1 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 |
| Video accelerator | Adreno 505 |
| RAM size | 3 GB |
| Permanent memory | 32 GB |
| Memory card slot | Yes, microSD, up to 256 GB, dedicated |
| Main camera | 16 MP, f / 2.0 |
| Front-camera | 5 MP, f / 2.0 |
| Filming | FHD (1920x1080) @ 30fps |
| Number of SIM-cards | 2, nano |
| Interfaces | WiFi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS), microUSB 2.0, NFC, audio jack, FM radio |
| The fingerprint scanner | there is |
| Fast charging | Supported |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| The weight | 157 g |
| Dimensions | 74x150x8.2 mm |
| Colors | Gray, golden, blue |
The first difference from the predecessor G5, which is striking, is the slightly increased screen diagonal (from 5 to 5.2 inches). The G5 also has a slightly lower battery capacity, lacks NFC support and a slightly different main camera. Plus, the G5S is splash-proof, which is also a nice bonus. The only bundle of the G5S is 32 GB of storage and 3 GB of RAM, while the G5, in addition to this, also offered a bundle with 16 ROM and 2 GB of RAM. This is where all the differences, in fact, end.
Well, let's go directly to the smartphone review.
Box and equipment
The G5S is delivered in a colorful box, which is not a shame to give without wrapping paper. The delivery set includes a traditional set for a budget smartphone: the device itself, a charger, a cable, an extractor clip and instructions. The charger supports fast charging and is capable of operating at voltage / current 5V / 3A, 9V / 1.6A, 12V / 1.2A, which is good news.
Design
In appearance, the G5 and G5S are very different: the newcomer is equipped with an all-metal case, unlike its predecessor, and looks very good. The metal added weight to the device - the smartphone has become 12 g heavier. There are antenna inserts on top and bottom of the back cover.
A camera with a flash is located at the back center in a slightly protruding base, a little below - the Motorola logo. On the right are the volume and power buttons, on the left is the SIM card slot. At the bottom there is a microUSB-input and a speaker grill, and on the top - an audio jack.
The smartphone itself is very pleasant in the hand and does not slip due to its rounded shape. The edges of the smartphone are very well processed, they don't stick into the palm. The assembly of the smartphone is excellent, nothing plays or creaks.
Display
As already mentioned, the G5S slightly increased the display diagonal to 5.2 inches, leaving the FHD resolution unchanged. However, this is more than enough for a smartphone with such a diagonal. The IPS-display does its job well: the colors are bright and juicy, it is clearly visible in moderate sun.
OS and user interface
The operating system is practically naked Android 7.1.1 with applications from Google, the Moto application and a couple of applications from Yandex. There are no separate touch buttons at the bottom of the screen, control is carried out using on-screen soft buttons. Proprietary gestures are available to quickly launch the camera. The speed of the smartphone is generally satisfactory: when walking through the menu of the operating system, lags are not felt. They arise only in cases when in parallel with the work in any application, for example, an application from the Play Market is installed. Which, however, is typical for any budget smartphone running on inexpensive eMMC memory.
Especially worth mentioning is the Moto app, with which you can customize gestures and how the active display works. So, for example, you can turn on gestures to turn on the camera in two circular motions or the flashlight to work with two chopping motions.
The touch button of the fingerprint scanner can replace the navigation buttons: when you swipe to the right, the application menu is called up, when you swipe to the left, the back button is activated, when you press it shortly, the smartphone is blocked, and when you press it for a long time, Google Now is called (which, in addition, can be controlled by voice when the smartphone is locked).
By default, the G5S has active display function enabled. If you need to find out the time or read missed notifications, just pick up your smartphone.
Overall, it can be seen that Lenovo / Motorola has done a lot of work on the user interface. You quickly get used to the smartphones' tricks, after which there is a slight surprise why other manufacturers did not do this.
Processor and memory
If you think that the S suffix in the model name is derived from the English word Speed, then you are wrong. The processor in the G5S remains the same as on its predecessor (Snapdragon 430), which is a bit offensive, especially considering the fact that the older brother of the G5S Plus has a more acceptable and more productive Snapdragon 625, which is faster than any processor from the 4xx line. almost one and a half times. The test results confirm this. However, tangible delays will occur only in very heavy games that are not optimized for weak smartphones.
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The predecessor G5 had two configurations available: with 2/16 GB and 3/32 GB of RAM and permanent memory, respectively. In the G5S, it was decided to leave only the older configuration, and this is probably correct: 3 GB of RAM is now the minimum required to work with a smartphone. The permanent memory can be expanded by equipping the smartphone with a microSD card, but, unfortunately, then you will lose the opportunity to put a second SIM card - a hybrid slot.
Interfaces
The smartphone is equipped with the necessary minimum: microUSB connector, dual-band WiFi-module, Bluetooth version 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack. It was a little upsetting that the G series remained on the outdated microUSB connector, and did not switch to the more modern USB Type-C. There is support for FM radio. It was also nice to see the presence of an NFC module, which means the availability of wireless payments.
Battery
The battery capacity has slightly increased to 3000 mAh. This is a normal figure for a smartphone of such a diagonal. With an energy efficient processor and good Android 7 optimization, it can easily handle a day's work of the average user.
The smartphone supports TurboCharge fast charging. A 15-watt charger is supplied with the device. In 30 minutes, the device is charged from scratch by about 40%, in an hour - by 70%. A full charge cycle will take about an hour and a half.
Communication and sound
There are no complaints about the connection quality with the G5S: both the interlocutor and we hear him perfectly during a conversation. The smartphone works in the three most common LTE bands in Russia: B7, B20, B38, which is not so common in smartphones of this price category.
The sound of the external speaker is clear, plays without wheezing at maximum power. There are no complaints about the sound in the headphones either.
Camera
Both the main and the front cameras in a mid-range smartphone: there are not enough stars from the sky, but they are not bad for their level. The details of the pictures in the main camera are moderate, the color rendition is satisfactory. The HDR algorithm does not work very well, you can see it in the photo. The front camera shoots, like all mid-range cameras, it is quite acceptable, but it is far from the flagships.
The camera application is fast: pictures are taken in the blink of an eye, which is not very typical for a not very fast processor. The following shooting modes are available: Photo, Video, Slow motion, Professional mode, Panorama. Slow motion shooting is carried out in a resolution of 960x540 at 120 frames per second. In Photo mode, you can turn on / off / set automatic HDR mode, turn on / off / set automatic flash mode and set a timer. In professional mode, you can manually set shutter speed, white balance, ISO, focus and exposure compensation.
Outcome
Lenovo is trying to keep up with the times. The G5S is an improved model of its predecessor G5, which slightly increased the diagonal, added a few milliampere-hours and, most importantly (as it seems to us), integrated an NFC module. For a reasonable price, you get a device that is pleasant to use and does not contain unnecessary bloatware. G5S will be a nice present for a person who values \u200b\u200busability and design, but does not require maximum performance from his smartphone and is not used to overpaying.
At the end of last summer, Motorola Mobility (now a division of the Lenovo Group) updated the Moto G5 and G5 Plus models presented in Barcelona in spring - the new items were named Moto G5S and G5S Plus. The Moto G lineup includes affordable smartphones, and for our testing we chose the more balanced of the two updated devices - the Moto G5S, which is officially presented in Russian retail.
Key Features Moto G5S (Model XT1794)
- SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa-core Cortex-A53 ( [email protected], 4 GHz + [email protected], 1 GHz)
- GPU Adreno 505 @ 450 MHz
- Operating system Android 7.1
- 5.2 ″ IPS touchscreen display, 1920 × 1080, 424 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, internal memory 32 GB
- Nano-SIM support (2 pcs.)
- MicroSD support up to 128GB
- GSM networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
- WCDMA / HSPA + networks (1, 2, 5, 8, 19)
- LTE FDD Cat.4 (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 19, 20, 28), TD (38, 40)
- Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 and 5 GHz)
- Bluetooth 4.2 BR / EDR + BLE
- NFC with Android Pay support
- Micro-USB, USB OTG
- GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
- Main camera 16 MP, f / 2.0, autofocus, video 1080p
- Front camera 5 MP, f / 2.2, fixed. focus, LED flash
- Proximity and lighting sensors, gyroscope, step detector
- The fingerprint scanner
- Battery 3000 mAh
- Dimensions 150 x 74 x 9.5 mm
- Weight 157 g
Contents of delivery
The Moto G5S is packed in a small, nicely designed cardboard box with a minimal set of accessories.
The kit consists of a USB cable and a high-power AC adapter. The card extraction key is attached to the cardboard insert.
In addition, a couple of books of paper documentation were included in the kit, but there was no cover or headphones in the kit.
Appearance and usability
Moto G5S received a solid and quite nice design case, made entirely of anodized aluminum with a matte surface. The edges of the metal tray are glued to the 2.5D rounded glass front panel.
The back part looks, maybe not very elegant, but it is quite in the general style of the latest Lenovo Moto mobile products. Additional external grooves are cut ugly, and the round module with a camera, protruding outward, looks too large and massive. There is a lack of subtle grace, for example, although our hero is also not cheap.
There are no complaints about the assembly and the quality of materials, everything is clearly adjusted, does not creak when compressed, the body is solid and strong. The metal has a matte hard surface, but does not slip in the fingers. The smartphone is not very thin and, of course, rather large in size. Nevertheless, due to the strongly rounded corners and sloping backrest, it fits comfortably in clothing pockets.
The camera module on the back side sticks out noticeably, but due to the very wide surface of this unit, the smartphone practically does not sway on the table when you touch the screen.
On the front, the front camera has its own LED flash, however, unfortunately, the manufacturer did not take care of installing an LED event indicator here.
The fingerprint scanner, located in front of the screen, does not have a real mechanical key under it, it is just an oval touch pad that simulates a hardware button. The smartphone can, of course, be controlled using the on-screen buttons, but you can turn them off, freeing up additional space on the screen, and completely control the control through the touch pad: swipe left to go back one step, right to access recent applications, briefly tap for go to the home screen.
The side keys have a different surface texture (the power button is grooved and the volume button is smooth). There are no complaints about these elements at all, the key travel is elastic, but not hard, clear and comfortable, the keys are easily groped blindly.
At the top, there is only a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones; there are no other elements on it. The aperture of the auxiliary microphone is moved a little further, to the back side, closer to the camera.
The main speaker is brought to the bottom end, as well as the USB port - again with a Micro-USB connector, not USB Type-C. When will the manufacturers finally come to a single standard?
The Moto G5S is on sale in two colors: dark silver (Lunar Gray) and golden (Fine Gold).
Screen
The Moto G5S features an IPS display with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with slightly sloping edges. The dimensions of the screen are approximately 65 × 116 mm with a diagonal of 5.2 inches. The resolution is 1920 × 1080, the dot density is about 424 ppi. The frame around the screen is wide: at the sides at least 4 mm, the indents at the top and bottom are 17 mm high.
The brightness of the display can be manually adjusted or use automatic settings based on the operation of the ambient light sensor. Multi-touch tests diagnose support for 10 simultaneous touches. Gloves are not supported.
A detailed examination using measuring devices was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev... Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are similar to those of the screen (hereinafter simply the Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Moto G5S, then they can be distinguished by their size):
The Moto G5S has the same dark screen (photo brightness is 121 for both). The doubling of reflected objects in the Moto G5S screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense ambient light, but their repair in the case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen, there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.
With manual brightness control and when displaying a white field full screen the maximum brightness value was about 560 cd / m², the minimum - 7 cd / m². The maximum brightness is very high, and given the good anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a decent level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front loudspeaker slot). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. This function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 255 cd / m2 (too bright), in an office lit with artificial light (about 550 lux) it sets at 455 cd / m2 (too much), in a very bright environment ( corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lx or slightly more) the brightness rises to 560 cd / m² (to the maximum, this is necessary); if the slider is about 50%, then the values \u200b\u200bare as follows: 14, 295 and 560 cd / m² (suitable values), the control for 0% - 8, 80 and 560 cd / m² (the first two values \u200b\u200bare underestimated, which is logical). It turns out that the automatic brightness control function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. Only at a very low brightness level there is a significant modulation of the backlight, but its frequency is high, about 2.4 kHz, so there is no visible screen flicker and can hardly be detected in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect.
This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS sub-pixel structure:
For comparison, you can see those used in mobile technology.
The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift, even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen and without tint inversion. For comparison, here are the photos in which the screens of Moto G5S and Nexus 7 are displayed the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K.
White field perpendicular to screens:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.
And the test picture:
Colors on the Moto G5S display are natural saturation, with slightly different color balance between the Nexus 7 and the tested screen.
Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, but in the Moto G5S the contrast decreased to a large extent due to the more black highlighting.
And the white box:
The brightness at the angle of the screens decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in exposure), but in the case of the Moto G5S, the decrease in brightness is slightly greater. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened strongly and acquires a greenish tint. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):
And from a different angle:
When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is good:
The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1200: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 24 ms (12 ms on + 12 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (by the numerical value of the color) and back takes 38 ms in total. The gamma curve, plotted using 32 points with equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.37, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates significantly from the power dependence:
Due to the aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image (the brightness decreases on dark), the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of gray shades for almost the entire screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining the contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not single-color fields across the entire screen. In general, the non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since in the case of dark images it reduces the visibility of gradations in the shadows and the readability of the screen in bright light, and the constant change in the screen brightness can cause discomfort for the user.
The color gamut is close to sRGB:
The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components together:
As a result, colors have natural saturation and hue. The grayscale balance is a slight compromise, as the color temperature is significantly higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the black body (ΔE) spectrum for most of the gray scale is below 10, which is considered acceptable for a consumer device. At the same time, both parameters change slightly from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there does not really matter, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
This device has two profiles to choose from. Profile Bright differs in a slight increase in color contrast, so there is no point in choosing it.
To summarize: the screen has a very high maximum brightness and has good anti-reflective properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, an effective oleophobic coating, good uniformity of the black field, high contrast, color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance. Significant disadvantages - low stability of black to deviation of gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen and non-switchable dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality can be considered high.
Cameras
As a front camera, a module with a 5 megapixel sensor and a lens with an aperture of f / 2.2 is used (for some reason, f / 2.0 is indicated on the corporate website). The camera has its own LED flash, but no autofocus. In general, the quality of the shooting is mediocre: the detail is low, in the room the sensor's sensitivity is not enough for a decent study in the shadows.
The main camera is represented by a single module with a resolution of 16 megapixels and a lens with an aperture of f / 2.0, there is electronic stabilization and fast phase detection autofocus (PDAF). The flash is also a single one, but it shines quite brightly.
The menu is standard for the interface of Moto smartphones, it is not very complicated, intuitive and clear. There is a Professional mode, which displays arched sliders with variable values \u200b\u200bof shutter speed, sensitivity (up to ISO 3200), manual focus, white balance, exposure compensation scale. But even in this mode, you cannot routinely save images in RAW.
The camera can shoot video at a maximum resolution of 1080p, but there are no 4K and 60 fps modes. But there is electronic stabilization, but still, in general, the camera copes with video shooting average: the image is darkish, the details are poorly worked out, the color rendition is distorted by too acid shades of colors, the white balance sometimes fails. At the same time, the sound is recorded qualitatively, the noise reduction system behaves adequately, its operation does not lead to distortion and echo effect, as in smartphones from other companies.
- Movie # 1 (62 MB, 3840 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
- Movie # 2 (45 MB, 1920 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
- Movie # 3 (44 MB, 1920 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
- Movie # 4 (24 MB, 1920 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
The camera turned out to be good. It works well for details in the field of the frame and in plans with sufficient illumination. However, sometimes you can notice areas of blur at the edges of the frame. When illumination falls, strong noises appear, which are clearly visible on homogeneous surfaces, although they do not greatly spoil the details. The camera copes with macro photography, so it is quite suitable for documentary photography.
Telephone part and communications
Moto G5S supports several LTE TD and FDD Cat.4 frequency bands (150/50 Mbit / s receive / receive), including three used in Russia (Band 3, 7, 20). The device behaves confidently within the city limits of the Moscow region, the quality of signal reception in wireless networks raises no objections.
The rest of the communication capabilities of the hero of the review are also quite worthy: there is support for two Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and the 802.11ac standard, there is Bluetooth 4.2, and there is also an NFC module that not only supports contactless payment technologies, but also fully works with Troika travel cards and the My travel card application.
The navigation module works both with GPS (with A-GPS) and with the domestic Glonass, but without the Chinese Beidou. The first satellites on a cold start are detected within the first minute. Unfortunately, the device does not have a magnetic compass required for navigation programs.
The phone application supports Smart Dial, the settings for sorting and displaying contacts from the phone book are standard for Android. In the conversational dynamics the voice of the familiar interlocutor is recognizable, the sound is quite clear, but not very loud, the vibrating alert is well felt.
The platform supports active waiting for both SIM cards in 3G / 4G simultaneously. That is, the SIM card can be actively waiting in the 3G / 4G network, and not only in 2G, even if another card is assigned for data transmission in 4G. The interface allows you to pre-select a specific card for sending SMS, and for voice calls and data transmission. The cards work in Dual SIM Dual Standby mode, there is only one radio modem here. Also, for the convenience of users, the manufacturer has added several ready-made modes for two cards.
Software and multimedia
Android OS version 7.1.1 with the ability to update over the air (OTA) is used as the software platform. In Lenovo Moto devices, the proprietary Moto Experiences shell is installed, which is as close as possible in appearance and organization to the stock version of Android. The smartphone in this parameter resembles a pure "Googlephone", as if it does not have an alternative interface at all.
At the same time, gesture support has been added, multi-window operation is supported. On the locked screen, the device displays basic information in monochrome (date, time, remaining charge percentage - Always On function). The interface as a whole is simple and calm in design, easy and fast to work with. There are practically no third-party programs, everything you need is implemented here using Google Apps. By the way, there is not even a video player and file manager, you have to install all this yourself.
A regular Google Music player is used to listen to music, and a built-in equalizer with presets is used to adjust the audio system parameters. The device sounds good both in headphones and through the speaker: the volume is sufficient for any environment, the sound is clear and loud, but not of the highest quality. The FM radio can be turned on without headphones connected as an external antenna, but nothing can be caught in this way. There was no built-in voice recorder in the device.
Performance
The Moto G5S uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC based on 28nm technology as its hardware platform. This SoC includes eight 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.1 / 1.4 GHz. GPU Adreno 505 is responsible for graphics processing. The amount of RAM is 3 GB, and the built-in flash memory is 32 GB. Of these, 20 GB of storage is free and about 1.5 GB of RAM.
There is a possibility of expanding memory by installing microSD cards, you can transfer application files to the card. You can also connect external flash drives in USB OTG mode.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 platform itself is rather weak, and after the release of its successor, the Snapdragon 435, there is no reason to install this SoC in smartphones. However, the Moto G5S came out a long time ago. There are actually quite a few differences between the two Qualcomm SoCs: at least, due to the old platform, LTE Cat.6 simply cannot be supported here. The performance of the processor part is low, the smartphone gives out about 45K points in AnTuTu, which is noticeably lower than today's average. Snapdragon 430 is significantly slower than other currently popular mobile platforms, such as MediaTek Helio P10, Kirin 655 and even more so Snapdragon 625.
However, in real scenarios, this SoC is still enough to perform basic tasks, you can even play games. Mortal Kombat X is a little slow, simpler games run smoother. But in any case, the hardware power here is at a barely satisfactory level, there is no margin for future updates.
Benchmarking AnTuTu and GeekBench:
All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks, we have summarized for convenience in tables. Several other devices from various segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, therefore, many worthy and relevant models remain "behind the scenes" - due to the fact that they once passed the "obstacle course" on previous versions of test programs.
Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:
When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).
| Moto G5S (Qualcomm Snapdragon 430) |
Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625) |
Asus Zenfone 4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 630) |
HTC One X10 (MediaTek MT6755) |
Huawei Nova 2 (HiSilicon Kirin 659) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot ES 3.1 (more is better) |
296 | 467 | 821 | 671 | 421 |
(Onscreen, fps) |
5 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 5 |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps) |
5 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen, fps) |
17 | 22 | 29 | 32 | 17 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen, fps) |
16 | 23 | 29 | 21 | 17 |
Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.
| Moto G5S (Qualcomm Snapdragon 430) |
Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625) |
Asus Zenfone 4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 630) |
HTC One X10 (MediaTek MT6755) |
Huawei Nova 2 (HiSilicon Kirin 659) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozilla kraken (ms, less is better) |
12757 | 9108 | 9347 | 9284 | 9992 |
| Google octane 2 (more is better) |
2936 | 4627 | 3723 | 4489 | 3928 |
| SunSpider (ms, less is better) |
2010 | 1196 | 1242 | 946 | 1104 |
AndroBench memory speed test results:
Thermal images
Below is a thermal image back surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery test in GFXBenchmark program:
Heating is a little more localized in the upper right side of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 36 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is relatively little.
Video playback
To test the "omnivorous" video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that it is important for mobile devices to have support for hardware decoding of video clips at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern versions at the expense of processor cores alone. Also, do not expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are tabulated.
Further testing of video playback by Alexey Kudryavtsev.
We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Testing techniques for video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped to determine the nature of the frame output of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and the frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In our tests, we used the MX Player video player in the "Hardware" mode. The test results are summarized in the table:
Note: If both columns Uniformityand Skipsgreen ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.
According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since in most cases frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) to be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. When playing video files with a resolution of 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels), the image of the actual video file is displayed exactly on the edge of the screen in the original Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: all gradations are displayed in shadows and highlights.
Battery life
The non-removable battery in the Moto G5S has a capacity of 3,000 mAh - not much by today's standards, but the platform is weak here. The smartphone shows average battery life, they are not impressive, but not a failure either. In real life, the device behaves in the same way as most modern smartphones: it confidently survives until the evening charge, but you can't count on more.
Testing has traditionally been conducted at typical power consumption levels without using power saving features.
| Battery capacity | Reading mode | Video mode | 3D Game Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moto G5S | 3000 mAh | 13h 50m | 10h 00m | 7h 00m |
| Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro | 3000 mAh | 13h 00m | 11h 00m | 6h 00m |
| Asus Zenfone 4 | 3300 mAh | 16 h 00 m | 11h 30m | 7h 00m |
| HTC One X10 | 4000 mAh | 17h 00m | 12h 00m | 5h 00m |
| Huawei Nova 2 | 2950 mAh | 13h 00m | 10h 30m | 4h 00m |
Continuous reading in the Moon + Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m2) with auto-scrolling lasted about 14 hours until the battery was fully discharged, and with continuous video viewing in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device operates for about 10 hours. In 3D games mode, the smartphone can work up to 7 hours, depending on the specific game.
TurboPower fast charging is supported: in 15 minutes the device manages to charge 30% of the battery with a current of 1.5 A at a voltage of 9 V, and the smartphone fully charges in 1 hour and 40 minutes. From a third-party charger with an output current of 2 A 5 V, the smartphone will charge for 3 hours. The smartphone does not support wireless charging.
Outcome
The Moto G5S turned out to be a mediocre faceless smartphone, not shining with any special qualities and not having distinctive features. It does not have a powerful hardware filling (and even at its level, an outdated rather than a fresher chip was chosen), or high-quality cameras. Sound and battery life are good, but not higher than the overall low level. And the only thing that can really be praised here is decent communication opportunities. On the other hand, the device is not highly valued: even in the official Russian retail it can be purchased for only 15 thousand rubles, and in unofficial deliveries its price does not even reach 13 thousand.
Our readers are already aware that some time ago the company bought out the Motorola division, which is responsible for the development and production of mobile devices. Now all the new items of the American brand are produced by Lenovo and combined into a line. And the smartphone that became the hero of the review is by no means the first representative of the new generation Moto in the laboratory.
Earlier we already got acquainted with the Moto Z2 Play, the chip of which was the modular system, with the Moto X4, which turned out to be a mid-range solution, and the “long-liver” Moto E4 Plus. And based on the results of those reviews, one could conclude that the company's developers perfectly represent their audience, offering interesting and modern smartphones.
What about the Moto G5s? At first glance, this is a compact device for its diagonal with solid technical characteristics and several features characteristic of the entire Moto series. But if you look closely at it, you get the feeling that the manufacturer was striving to offer not only an affordable, but also a balanced smartphone.
So how successful is the novelty and does it deserve our attention?
Specifications Motorola Moto G5s
| Device type | Smartphone |
| Model | Motorola Moto G5s |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 x 1.5 GHz |
| Video processor | Adreno 505 |
| operating system | Android 7.1 |
| Memory, GB | 3 RAM; 32 ROM |
| Screen | 5.2 "IPS, 1920 x 1080 |
| Cameras, Mpix | 16.0 + 5.0 |
| Net | GSM; WCDMA; LTE |
| Number of SIM cards, pcs. | 2, Nano-SIM |
| MicroSD support | Yes (instead of the second SIM) |
| Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; NFC |
| GPS / aGPS / GLONASS | Yes Yes Yes |
| Battery, mAh | 3 000 |
| Dimensions, mm | 150.0 x 73.5 x 8.2 |
| Weight, g | 157 |
| price, rub. | ~15 000 |
As you can see, the device is well equipped. Although the processor does not strive for performance records, it is capable of delivering the required level of performance.
Packaging and arrangement of Motorola Moto G5s
The device is delivered in a small cardboard box. The cardboard is not too thick, but dense and of high quality, the contents are well protected during transportation. There are also no complaints about the build quality of the box. Structurally, the box resembled the times of mobile phones, then the design of the box with a valve-lid was more popular. The lid is not a separate element, but only a valve that covers the box from above and along one of the ends.
The packaging is colorfully decorated. Green is selected as the primary color. On the front side you can see the Moto logo and the exact model of the device. In the lower part there is the logo of the manufacturer Lenovo and the inscription Special Edition, evoking some kind of subconscious respect, the special version is the same. Although in fact we are just looking at an interesting smartphone.
The back side shows the main characteristics of the device. Here you can also see photos of the device in two color versions - gray and gold.
Inside we are immediately greeted by the apparatus itself. It is provided with a transport film on the display and is placed on a cardboard stand.
Below is a standard set of accessories and documentation. Items are placed in separate sections.
The package includes:
- Power adapter;
- USB-microUSB cable;
- Key clip for removing the SIM card slot;
- Technical documentation.
The packaging turned out to be good. This applies both to the stylish design and to the quality construction that perfectly protects the contents during transport. Against the background of the majority of manufacturers striving for a minimalistic design of their packaging, here the manufacturer took a different path and was able to stand out among the majority.
The mobile division of Lenovo in 2017 is pouring new models of smartphones from a cornucopia. The tested smartphone, Motorola Moto G5s, was presented only 6 months after the presentation of its direct predecessor, and both are simultaneously available for sale.
In addition to a significant design change, the display was stretched to 5.2 inches, the ROM size was doubled, and another 1 GB was added to the RAM, NFC support appeared, the main camera is now 16 megapixels, the battery capacity has been increased to 3000 mAh, and support has been added. fast charging Turbo Charger. All of this is spiced up with a front-facing flash that is so often lacking. In general, there are quite a few changes, and the difference in cost is not that significant. In Ukrainian retail, the difference between G5 and G5s is only UAH 1,000. (approximately $ 37), which is not much for such an impressive list of improvements. Let's see how the Motorola Moto G5s performs during operation.
Specifications
| Display size and type | 5.2 inches, 1920 × 1080 pixels, IPS |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), 8 cores (4 × 1.4 GHz, 4 × 1.1 GHz) |
| Graphics accelerator | Adreno 505 |
| Built-in memory, GB | 32 |
| RAM, GB | 3 |
| Memory expansion | microSD (up to 128GB) |
| Number of SIM-cards | 2 |
| Communication standards 2G | GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) |
| 3G communication standards | UMTS / HSPA + (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz) |
| 4G communication standards | 4G LTE (B1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 19, 20, 28, 38, 40) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n / ac, 2.4 / 5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 BR / EDR + BLE |
| NFC | there is |
| IrDA | No |
| USB port | microUSB |
| 3.5mm jack | there is |
| FM radio | there is |
| The fingerprint scanner | there is |
| Navigation | GPS / A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| Built-in sensors | Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, gravity sensor, light sensor |
| Main camera | 16 MP, f / 2.0 |
| Front-camera | 5 MP, f / 2.0 |
| operating system | Android 7.1 |
| Protection class | No |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| Dimensions, mm | 150*73,5*8,2 |
| Weight, g | 157 |
Appearance
The novelty is visually significantly different from its predecessor. It looks more like more expensive than its predecessor. Now the sides are metal and they are decorated with small chamfers, making the smartphone look more interesting and more expensive. Unfortunately, the battery of the novelty is non-removable, and the cover can be removed only in a service center or if you have experience in disassembling modern gadgets. Also, the possibility of simultaneous installation of a pair of SIM cards and a microSD carrier was mercilessly cut out. Now you have to choose - either two SIM cards, or one plus a memory card. However, the manufacturer made the choice a little easier thanks to the doubled ROM volume. Although by modern standards, 32 GB is not too much.
The build quality is impeccable, and when trying to twist and squeeze, it does not give in at all and does not emit any sounds. When tapping on the body, the mechanical keys do not rattle. For testing, a variant of the Moto G5s in gray was provided, in which, from a subjective point of view, the smartphone looks the most advantageous. The matte gray surface is absolutely not afraid of prints, and it is extremely reluctant to collect scratches.
Above the display is a sensor unit, an earpiece, a front camera window, a flash, and an LED activity indicator. Only the fingerprint sensor is visible under the display. On the back is the camera, flash and microphone.
On the left side surface, you can see the cover of the tray for installing a pair of nanoSIM-format SIM cards, one of which can be replaced with a microSD carrier. The right side surface has the usual volume and lock keys.
At the top there is only an analog audio mini-jack (3.5 mm). At the bottom there is a speaker, microphone, as well as a microUSB connector, in place of which we would like to see USB Type-C.
Software
Motorola Moto smartphones use almost pure Android, which many attribute to the merits. The G5s runs Android 7.1, while the G5 runs Android 7.0.
Display
The smartphone uses a 5.2-inch IPS-matrix with FullHD resolution. The matrix is \u200b\u200bprotected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. There is an oleophobic coating. The screen supports up to 10 simultaneous clicks. The display brightness at the maximum backlight level was even higher than that of the more expensive one. When measured at the center of the screen, a level of 468.61 cd / m2 was recorded. The brightness of the black field is also pleasing - 0.44 cd / m2, that is, the static contrast corresponds to the level of 1065: 1. And this is an excellent indicator, without exaggeration.
There are two modes available in the display settings - "bright" and "standard". In the "bright" mode, the deviation of the color delta E on the wedge of gray on light shades reaches 13.8, while in the "standard" mode, the deviation is no more than 7.7. On the primary colors RGBCMY in both modes, the deviation is similar - 2.9 ... 7.0. But the color temperature differs significantly. In the "bright" mode it is 7390 ... 7680 K, and in the "standard" mode the color temperature is closer to the reference value - 6943 ... 7167 K. The color gamut in both modes does not correspond to the standard sRGB color space, but the difference is insignificant.
Standard mode
Bright mode
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Sound
The smartphone uses a dedicated system speaker (one speaker served as both spoken and system speaker), which unexpectedly sounds good. Here we are not even talking about the presence of any artifacts, it just sounds nice, which is not expected from a relatively inexpensive smartphone. In general, the sound quality is sufficient for watching movies or music videos. Also, the speaker is quite loud. When playing a test sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter from the smartphone, a level of 78.5 dBA was recorded. At the analog audio output, the signal level is also quite high. When the test signal was reproduced, a level of 468.8 mV was recorded.
Performance
The smartphone is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) system-on-chip, made using a 28 nm process technology. This SoC is equipped with 8 Cortex-A53 cores, half of which run at up to 1.4 GHz and the other half at up to 1.1 GHz. The video subsystem is based on the Adreno 505. The LPDDR3 RAM (800 MHz) is 3 GB, which is 1 GB more than the Moto G5.
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System performance was measured in synthetics PCMark, 3DMark, Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu v6. Memory speed was evaluated using the AndroBench application. Testing was also carried out in cross-platform javascript tests (Mozilla Kraken JavaScript and SunSpider). The results of these tests significantly depend on the browser used, therefore, to minimize the impact, all reviews will use Google Chrome as the most common. The following smartphones were chosen as opponents:
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4 + 4x1.1 GHz), 2 GB RAM, 5 inches, 1920 * 1080 pixels;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4 + 4x1.1 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1920 * 1080 pixels;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores (4x1.4 + 4x1.1 GHz), 3 GB of RAM, 5.5 inches, 1280 * 720 pixels;
Camera
The front camera is exactly the same as in, - the resolution of the matrix is \u200b\u200b5 megapixels and the lens aperture is f / 2.2. But there is also a feature - a frontal flash. Unfortunately, its power is catastrophically low (at a distance of 1 meter, a level of only 1.45 lux was recorded), so it is suitable for shooting only in extremely low light, or in its complete absence. And, of course, in such conditions, the picture will be a concrete mess of noise. With typical residential lighting, you can't count on a good photo either. But in natural light, the front camera is capable of taking pretty good pictures.
The main camera slightly increased the resolution, which is 16 megapixels, while that of 13 megapixels. The lens aperture has not changed - f / 2.0. The control program is extremely similar to the one used in /. In fully automatic mode, you can select the resolution of the picture, the mode of operation of the HDR function (including automatic release), the flash mode, as well as the choice of the duration of the automatic shutter timer. In manual control mode, it is also possible to enter exposure compensation, control shutter speed, focus, sensitivity (ISO 100-3200), as well as select a white balance setting. It is noteworthy that when ISO 100 is manually selected, ISO 125 is displayed in the metadata of images.
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The camera automatics pleased me in terms of exposure accuracy. Successful shots are obtained even in very difficult lighting conditions, when there are zones in the frame with a large difference in brightness. Test shots were shot in cloudy weather with heavy clouds and flying snow. And in such conditions, problems with metering arise not only with smartphones, but also with system cameras, while the Moto G5s coped with this perfectly. White balance is another matter. Here, automation often malfunctioned even in natural light, not to mention artificial.
Unfortunately, the ability to transfer camera control using the Camera 2 API is not provided, there is no support for the RAW format, therefore, an estimate of the noise level in numerical terms is essentially useless due to the active work of noise reduction. To assess the image quality, the test pattern was captured with all available sensitivity values. Below are the crop fragments.
Sample pictures
Macro photography
Illumination 3 lux + flash
Video recording mode
The smartphone is capable of recording video with a resolution of 1920 * 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The video quality is pretty good. Autofocus works constantly during video recording, but the adjustment process is very noticeable.
Autonomous work
The smartphone is equipped with a 3000mAh battery, which is 200mAh more than the Moto G5. But you should not expect an increase in the battery life, because the display diagonal has also increased. When tested according to our method in reading mode, the smartphone lasted 705 minutes, in video viewing mode - 629 minutes. In gaming mode, the Moto G5s lasted 201 minutes on a single charge. But here it is worth noting that the testing was carried out not in the Epic Citadel benchmark, but in RealRacing3. In the diagram below, the [*] symbol denotes smartphones that have been tested in games using the new method. The Turbo Charge charging mode deserves special attention, which allows you to very quickly charge your smartphone's battery. The charger has a configuration of 5V / 2.5A, 9V / 1.5A, 12V / 1.2A. To charge up to 85% of the level, exactly 1 hour is enough, and for a full one - 100 minutes. Just like it was specially adjusted for such round numbers.
Conclusion
In general, the G5s made a slightly simplified version of the G5 Plus smartphone. The subject has the same screen and battery, Turbo Charge and NFC, the same amount of RAM and ROM, but the cameras and system-on-a-chip are simpler. It is worth noting that both Moto G5 / G5 Plus and Moto G5s / G5s Plus are available on sale at the same time. In fact, the manufacturer did not bring out the updated G line, but expanded it, and he did it quite competently, because all the models presented do not interfere with the sale of each other thanks to a well-chosen set of characteristics and functions of each.
Minuses:
- reduced the ability to simultaneously install 2 SIM-cards and microSD carrier;
- microUSB port;
- errors in automatic white balance setting.
Pros:
- sturdy metal body;
- high brightness and contrast of the display;
- sound quality and volume of the system speaker;
- the presence of a frontal flash (although its power is extremely low);
- bright back flash;
- the correctness of the exposure setting when photographing in difficult conditions;
- Support for WiFi 802.11ac (5 GHz) range;
- the presence of the NFC module;
- fast charging Turbo Charger.
