The Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus spec sheets leaked a few days ago, leading us to believe that their announcement on the market wasn’t far off. And indeed, the day has come: Motorola has announced new Moto Mods, new Android tablets, and its newest mid-range smartphone series at MWC 2017 in Barcelona that has helped the Lenovo-owned (former Google-owned) company (Motorola) find its strength in a fierce market. Here’s everything to know about the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus.

The Moto G5 features a 5-inch Full HD panel with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3, which isn’t as wide of a display as the 5.5-inch display on the Moto G4 from last year. The resolution of the Moto G5 remains the same as that of the Moto G4, but Motorola seems to have made the display smaller so as to make it more compact in-hand. The 1.4Ghz, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor is a step down from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chipset from the Moto G4, so Motorola has made the Moto G5 even more budget-friendly with a step down in the display size and chipset. The Moto G5’s 2GB of RAM matches that of the Moto G4, but Motorola has decided to opt for 32GB base storage with a microSD card slot for expansion instead of offering the usual 16GB/32GB storage choices.

The Moto G4’s 12MP back camera has made its return on the Moto G5, along with the 5MP front camera, so selfies and back photos will likely remain the same in quality. The 2,800mAh removable battery housed within the device (that is removable, which will please some interested buyers) has been decreased from 3,000mAh, though the difference in battery life should prove negligible. Both devices are equipped with Motorola’s Turbo Charging, one of the best we’ve tested, and charge via microUSB.

This year marks a new chapter for the Moto G5, as Motorola’s most inexpensive mid-range handset now gets a fingerprint reader from the Moto G4 Plus that allows users to utilize biometric ID in order to protect their data. The devices will charge via a USB Type-C port. The water-repellent nano coating we’ve seen in the Moto phone series returns here, but Android 7.0 Nougat will prove to be another refreshing element of the Moto G experience. This brings features such as doze on the go, bundled notifications, split-screen multi-tasking, enhanced security, and a bevy of new emojis. Unfortunately, U.S. customers won’t get to see the Moto G5 because Motorola isn’t releasing it to the US market.

The Moto G5 Plus, the more important of the two smartphones, will arrive in the States with a 5.2-inch Full HD display with a 1920 x 1080p screen resolution (the same display as that of the Moto G4 Plus) with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. The Gorilla Glass used here matches that of some HTC 10 models, so don’t despair as to the durability of the device. The Moto G5 Plus also packs a 2Ghz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor instead of the Snapdragon 625 SoC in the Moto G4 Plus. It comes in 2GB/4GB RAM options which correspond to the 32GB/64GB storage options respectively. Each includes a microSD card slot that can add an additional 128GB of expandable storage.

As for cameras, the Moto G5 Plus sports a 5MP front camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 12MP back camera with an f/1.7 aperture with Dual Pixel phase detection auto-focusing. The handset also houses a rear fingerprint reader and comes with the company’s water-repellent coating. A 3,000mAh removable battery is at the back. The new camera, camera aperture, and auto-focus are newly upgraded, and thus should be capable of taking some nice high-quality shots.

In a move that only sweetens the pot for mid-range users, Motorola has included the new Google Assistant technology based on AI and machine learning on both its Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus. Google’s Assistant technology is a voice assistant that can doing anything and everything from tell jokes, to book flights, make reservations, set calendar dates, and so on. The LG G6 was announced with Google Assistant on-board earlier today, and prior to that, Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL were the only to include it. Moto G users are in good company.

In terms of design, the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus are quite reminiscent to each other and past Motorola phones, just with some touches and small refinements. They look quite nice, but don’t expect the most premium materials here. Both models come in choice of Lunar Grey and Fine Gold color options. Some other onboard sensors include, Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11a/b/g/n (no 802.11ac here), Wi-Fi, GPS, and more.

The Moto G5 is set to cost $200 with the Moto G5 Plus costing just $29 more at $229 for the 2GB RAM/32GB storage base model. The Moto G5 Plus with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage will cost $279. All these prices are unlocked and not tied to any cellular contract. The phones will go on sale worldwide this Spring and will be compatible with all four major US carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile). However, as stated above, the Moto G5 won’t make it to the States, so you’re stuck with the Moto G5 Plus if you prefer Motorola’s mid-range lineup. The small monetary difference between them shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most of you.

These new Moto G devices take specs and features that were already pleasant and have modified them in interesting ways to listen to Motorola’s customer base. Whether or not they appeal to you, it’s hard to complain when you’re getting Android Nougat, a Full HD display, high-end camera technology, and the Google Assistant for less than $300 when most devices demand $700 or more. The smartphones will be purchasable through Motorola’s online store, supported carriers, as well as popular retailers later this Spring. We’ll bring you the product links when they go live.

To learn more of the specifics or sign up for updates, hit the source link near the bottom of this post. Alternatively, you can watch the embedded videos below.

We’ll keep you updated on everything important right as it happens! For up to the minute updates, follow us across social media. Keep it tuned to Droid Turf for extensive coverage of MWC 2017.

Related stories to the one you’re viewing can be seen below this post along with tags that act as shortcuts to related material. If you like what you see, help Droid Turf expand by letting others know using the incorporating social buttons.

Vote and learn more in our Weekly Poll -> Weekly Poll: What company’s products are you looking forward to meeting most at MWC 2017?

View our constantly updating MWC 2017 guide of what to expect and what we have thus far -> MWC 17: A Roundup of what we know thus far

SOURCE [Motorola]

UPDATE: Motorola just announced that the Moto G5 Plus will release on March 31 in the United States. Pricing starts at just $229 for the 32GB base model. Pre-orders are now being accepted at the below retailers including Amazon, who is selling the device with its own Amazon ads. We recommend Best Buy, who is throwing in a case at little additional charge. Units will begin shipping the day of release, which one week from today (Friday). Hit up the links included below.

[Motorola] [Best Buy] [Newegg] [B&H Photo Video] [Amazon]