Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: What’s the rumoured difference?

Motorola is rumoured to be announcing the G5 and G5 Plus at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February. We’ve heard a little less about the standard Moto G5 compared to its larger brother, but a recent retailer leak has given a good indication as to what we can expect from both devices.

Which will be the Moto for you? Here is the difference between the Moto G5 and the Moto G5 Plus, based on the speculation.

• Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus rumours

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Design

• Moto G5 Plus likely to be bigger and heavier
• Both expected to have headphone jack
• Both expected to have fingerprint sensor

Based on the leaks, the Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus will share a very similar design, more so than the Moto G4 and the G4 Plus. It looks like they will both offer a metal build, or at least what will look like a metal build, along with the signature “M” below the Moto Z-like large circular camera housing on the rear that encompasses both the lens and the flash module. The images show the G5 Plus could have a slightly protruding rear housing, while the G5 doesn’t appear to.

The leaks also show the headphone jack for the G5 will be on the top of the device, while the G5 Plus is reported to have it on the bottom of the device. Both devices seemingly have a fingerprint sensor on the front within some sort of button, which looks more like what HTC offers on its devices rather than the square found on the G4 Plus and they both seem to have the volume rocker and power button in the same place.

The G5 measurements haven’t been leaked, but the G5 Plus is reported to measure 150.2 x 74 x 7.9mm and weigh 155g, which we suspect will be a little larger and heavier than the standard model.

• Motorola Moto G4 review

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Display

• Moto G5 Plus should have larger display
• Moto G5 will likely have sharper display
• Both expected to be IPS LCD

The Motorola Moto G5 is said to be coming with a 5-inch display while the Moto G5 Plus is rumoured to be coming with a slightly larger 5.2-inch display.

Both screens are reported to offer a Full HD resolution, which would put their pixel densities at 440ppi and 423ppi, respectively. This means the smaller G5 will theoretically have a sharper, crisper display but a difference this small wouldn’t be noticeable to the human eye.

The Moto G4 and G4 Plus use an IPS LCD display so chances are the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus will do the same. It is also likely they will both be protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

• Motorola Moto G4 Plus review

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Camera

• Moto G5 Plus expected to offer better camera functionality
• Both rumoured to come with 5MP front camera
• Moto G5 Plus rumoured to offer PDAF

The Motorola Moto G5 is said to be coming with 13-megapixel rear camera with phase-detection autofocus, while the front-facing camera is claimed to be 5-megapixels. If this is true, it would be offering the same specs as the Moto G4, but with the addition of phase-detection autofocus.

The Moto G5 Plus on the other hand is said to be coming with a 12-megapixel rear camera with dual autofocus pixels and the same 5-megapixel front camera as its smaller sibling. Despite having a lower resolution, the leaked specs for the G5 Plus claim it will have the most advanced camera in its class, meaning it should be better than the G5.

According to the rumours, the G5 Plus’s rear camera will have an aperture of f/1.7, which is the same as what the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge offer on their 12-megapixel rear snappers.

• Motorola Moto Z review

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Hardware

• Faster processor expected on Moto G5 Plus
• Both rumoured to offer 2GB of RAM
• Moto G5 Plus expected to have larger battery capacity

The Motorola Moto G5 is claimed to be coming with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chip, while the Moto G5 Plus is thought to be coming with the slightly faster and more capable Snapdragon 625. Both are rumoured to be coming with 2GB of RAM, though it wouldn’t be too surprising to see different RAM options when the devices launch.

The G5 is said to be coming with 32GB internal storage as standard and a 2800mAh battery, while the G5 Plus is claimed to be coming with 64GB as standard and a 3000mAh battery. Both are said to be coming with microSD support for storage expansion up to 128GB.

Based on the leaked images, it looks like both devices will have a 3.5mm headphone jack, as we mentioned previously. It also looks like they will be charged via Micro-USB rather than USB Type-C but fast charging is expected to be available on both.

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Software

• Both expected to launch on Android Nougat
• Same experience likely

The Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus are both set to launch on Android Nougat, or so the leaks suggest. Traditionally, Motorola has offered very little bloatware on top of Android’s software meaning users get a more refined experience than some other manufacturers.

The Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus are likely to offer identical software so there shouldn’t be any difference in terms of user experience. 

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Price

• Moto G5 Plus expected to be more expensive

It has been reported that the Moto G5 will be available for €325, while the Moto G5 Plus is rumoured to be a little more expensive at €440. If accurate, this should mean around £275 and £375 respectively.

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Conclusion

Based on the speculation, the Moto G5 Plus will have a larger display, faster processor, better camera, more internal base storage and a slightly larger battery capacity over the Moto G5. It is also likely to be more expensive however, as the G4 Plus was over the G4.

Nothing is confirmed as yet though so don’t jump to any final conclusions as to which is the better device on paper just yet. We will update this feature as soon as we have the official details.