Mid-range phones aren't exciting, but Sony has brought upgrades to its XA range. Here we review the Xperia XA2 .

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SONY XPERIA XA2 REVIEW

We're still waiting for a new flagship phone from Sony, which will surely arrive at MWC, but for now there are some new devices that were shown off at CES 2018. We've taken a look at the mid-range Xperia XA2 which also has an Ultra model.

Sony has been somewhat off the pace in the smartphone world for a while and while the XA2 handsets are unlikely to turn this around, they do have a significant feature change for the US market.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

We don't have official pricing for the XA2 phones in the UK. However, they are up for pre-order on some European stores – and these days you can expect the price to be very similar if not identical in pounds.

So, the Xperia XA2 price is 350 Euros, putting it at the lower end of the mid-range, and the XA2 Ultra is 450 Euro. The Xperia XA1 was £229 so this would be a fair jump in price.

You get better specs with the larger model, but it puts it in direct competition with some knock out phones like the OnePlus 5T and Honor View 10.

In terms of release dates, the Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra will launch in February and will be available from at least O2 and Three in the UK.

DESIGN AND BUILD

This is the third-generation XA phone, with the first having no affixed number, and the design hasn't changed too much. Well not at the front of the phone anyway which looks largely the same.

Sony has actually made the XA2 somewhat bigger than its predecessors, partly to fit in a larger screen.

We like the metal casing and the slightly rounded 'loop surface' shape to the device which accounts for the thicker 9.7mm size. However, it's a little on the heavy side at 171g for a relatively small handset. The reason, largely a bigger battery, is a good reason at least.

There might still be bezels above and below the screen, but this is a relatively cheap phone and like the previous generations, the screen really does go edge-to-edge and looks nice in this respect.

Sony is well-known for making waterproof phones, but this isn't something that's trickled down to the XA range yet. Instead, the firm is seemingly holding it back as one reason to spend more on a Z range device.

What the XA2 introduces for the first time, is a fingerprint scanner. Something we're used to seeing on phones of even budget prices. Although Sony has built this into the power button on the side of some phones – something we really like – it sits on the back below the now central camera on the XA2.

Interestingly, these are the first Sony phones to have a fingerprint scanner in the US market.

Overall, it's a nice if unremarkable smartphone, but you're getting nice design and build for the price and we prefer the XA2 to the much bulkier and more unwieldy XA2 Ultra.

Like usual, Sony offers the phone in four colours: this time you can choose from silver, black, blue and pink. The silver option will be exclusive to O2.

SPECS AND FEATURES

A slightly tweaked design is followed by a number of upgrades to make the XA2 more desirable than before.

Starting with the screen which is not only slightly bigger at 5.2in – pretty small for today's standards which will be a boon for some – but also finally jumps to Full HD, which is the bare minimum for a mid-range phone.

It doesn't use a modern 18:9 aspect ratio but as mentioned earlier, does go right up to the edges of the phone on either side. The display looks good enough at first glance and also feels nice thanks to the slightly curved glass front.

If 5.2in is simply too small for you then Sony has the XA2 Ultra which might take your fancy at a much larger 6.0in.

Inside the Xperia XA2 is change from MediaTek to Qualcomm with a Snapdragon 630 – an appropriate chip for a mid-range phone. We'll test performance properly when we get a review sample, of course.

Other core specs remain the same with 32GB of internal storage and 3GB of RAM. Both of which are expected and reasonable for the price and there's a microSD card slot as per. The XA2 Ultra has the same processor but 4GB of RAM and the option for 64GB of storage.

Moving on and the main camera sticks at 23Mp with largely the same specs, but a jump in video recording to 4K which is nice. At the front is another 8Mp camera but the aperture has oddly dropped to f/2.4. Preliminary shots on the show floor look ok but we need much more time to give a verdict on photography.

Although the XA2 Ultra has the same rear camera, a reason to choose the larger model might be the dual-front cameras. One is 16Mp with optical image stabilisation (OIS) while the other is 8Mp with a wide 120 degree view so you can fit more in.

The only other hardware upgrade to mention is a larger 3300mAh and Quick Charge 3.0. The battery size – up a full 1000mAh - is the main thing here, accounting for the extra weight and should mean longer battery life.

Lastly, it's great to see the new phones come with Android 8.0 Oreo which is the latest version of Google's mobile operating system.

As with previous phones, Sony offer a largely untouched Android experience but with some useful additions. For example, Xperia Actions and Tips help optimise your settings and give you personalised hints.

Sony Xperia XA2: Specs

• Android 8.0 Oreo
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 630
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB storage (microSDXC support up to 256GB)
• 5.2in Full HD (1080x1920)
• 23Mp rear, 24mm wide-angle, f2.0 lens
• 8Mp front camera, 120 degree, f/2.4
• Bluetooth 5.0
• NFC
• USB Type-C
• Fingerprint scanner
• 3300mAh battery with Quick Charging 3.0
• 142x70x9.7mm
• 171g

SHOULD I BUY SONY XPERIA XA2?

The Xperia XA2 is other fairly unremarkable phone from Sony, but it's affordable despite being a fair bit more expensive than the previous model. And with it brings various upgrades including a much better screen, fingerprint scanner and bigger battery. This could be a solid mid-range device.

The Moto G5S Plus improves on all previous generations to make it the best Moto G smartphone ever, despite its price increase

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MOTO G5S PLUS REVIEW

Long has the Moto G line of budget smartphones been considered excellent. Not just at Tech Advisor but worldwide, we’ve come to expect a lot of phone for not a lot of money when the latest one comes out.

There are only two real differences between the older G5 Plus and this newer G5S Plus – the larger screen and dual cameras.               

Thankfully, the Moto G5S continues the trend and is the best Moto has ever made. It costs a little more than you might expect, but the extra money is worth it for a phone that packs dual cameras, decent battery life with fast charging, a sleek design and superb performance.

DESIGN AND BUILD

We prefer the design of the G5S Plus to the rest of the G5 family of phones, including the G5S. The antenna lines are more prominent, but look better than the older design where you could see the gaps between the parts used.

Now, you have a unibody metal finish that feels far more premium than the price tag might suggest and is a far cry from the plasticky builds of older Moto G phones.

The G5S Plus has smart chamfered edges to the design that make it feel premium as well as easier to hold. While not the slimmest phone, it is easy to hold though approaching uncomfortable in one hand given the larger 5.5in screen.

It has relatively large top and bottom bezels, but that is to be expected for the price. They don’t go to waste though, with a decent sized fingerprint sensor at the bottom and a front facing camera and flash at the top.

The rear is plain save for a circular camera bump that houses dual cameras and a flash, with the Motorola logo sitting in a small indent where you might roughly lay a finger while holding the device.

The plastic Moto G phones were great, but this aluminium feel is much better.

FEATURES AND SPECS

More important though than the look and feel is the performance of a cheaper phone. Is it so cheap that it is actually unusable?

Thankfully not so here.

Display

The G5S Plus has a larger screen than the G5 and G5 Plus at 5.5in. It is a 1920x1080 Full HD IPS LCD with 401ppi and a regular 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s protected by Gorilla Glass 3 for drops and scuffs, but it’ll still smash like most other phones if you aren’t careful.

The screen is pleasingly vivid and bright for an LCD (as opposed to a more expensive OLED panel) and content looks great. There is not a lot of compromise here, even on a phone that costs double.

Text, videos and games looks great, with punchy colour reproduction though if you scroll quickly, text does blur somewhat until you stop. This is particularly noticeable with black text on a white background, but is a trait present in all displays of this type and price.

Processor, storage and RAM

The Moto G5S Plus has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, a mid-range chip that is known for its excellent power efficiency. It delivers excellent battery management alongside above-average processing speeds for most people.

This is preferable to the weaker Snapdragon 430 in the G5 and G5S, and the boost in power in the G5S Plus is incredibly welcome.

In our tests gaming, multitasking, video streaming and photography were excellent, with only a hint of lag here and there – to be expected on a Snapdragon 625, but nothing that limits usability.

The phone comes with a just-passable 32GB internal storage, but with the option to expand up to 256GB with a microSD card. This version has 3GB RAM, more than enough for most tasks bar high intensity games.

There is another version available in some regions with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM, though that will affect the price asked.

Cameras

The most noticeable upgrade on the G5S Plus is the dual cameras. For the first time on a Moto G series phone, you can take portrait style bokeh effect photos – a feature on Moto’s £700 Z2 Force on a phone that costs £259.

The sensors are both 13Mp with an aperture of f/2.0. They product excellent shot in full daylight, but struggle in low light with detailing and colour reproduction. As long as your stick outdoors and are a casual phone photographer you won’t mind, but you should buy the G5S Plus if you are looking for the best possible camera experience on a phone.

The front facing 8Mp camera is also patchy at best, but adequate for Snapchat selfies and Skype video calls. Check out some pictures taken with the rear dual camera below.

Benchmarks

Our benchmarks returned the results we expected. The internals on the G5S Plus are identical to the older G5 Plus, but thankfully the larger display of the G5S Plus doesn’t affect performance – the results are identical.

We’ve compared the G5S Plus to the current Moto G family of phones (confusing names and all), alongside the Moto Z2 Play with the Snapdragon 626 and HTC U11 Life with the 630. The differences are negligible, and you’re not losing out by choosing the G5S Plus.

Everything else

You get NFC for mobile payments via Android Pay which is great, plus Bluetooth 4.2 and ac Wi-Fi connectivity. Battery life is also good with the 3,000mAh non-removable battery which is fast charge compatible with the included TurboCharger.

The fingerprint sensor is also excellent, fast and responsive. We like that you can lock your phone with a touch of it too, a feature not seen on many other handsets.

There’s even a built-in FM radio, something budget phones have more often than flagships these days.

It’s a slight shame to see the older micro-USB connector on the phone rather than the new USB-C standard, but it’s not a reason not to buy the G5S Plus.

SOFTWARE

The phone ships with Android Nougat 7.1, but given the relatively unchanged nature of Moto’s Android skin, it shouldn’t be long before the phone receives an update to Android Oreo – though this isn’t confirmed at the time of writing.

The skin over stock Android is thoughtful and unobtrusive. No changes are made unnecessarily unlike with other budget manufacturers like Honor.

You can use the fingerprint sensor to unlock and lock the phone, or in settings make it a navigation button to swipe and push to do all sorts of different actions. It takes some getting used to but is good if you want to get rid of the on-screen navigation buttons.

Apps sit in the drawer that is a swipe up from the home screen like on Google Pixel phones, while notifications and settings are all familiar and nicely unchanged. Using the Moto G5S Plus is a fresh, uninterrupted Android experience.

Moto G5S Plus: Specs

• Android Nougat 7.1.1
• 5.5in 1920x1080 Full HD IPS touchscreen, 401ppi
• 2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
• Adreno 506 graphics
• 3/4GB RAM
• 32/64GB storage
• microSD slot up to 256GB
• Dual 13Mp cameras, f/2.0, dual LED flash
• Video 2160p @ 30fps
• 8Mp front camera, f/2.0, LED flash
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.2
• Nano-SIM
• GPS NFC for payments 3,000mAh non-removable battery 153.5 x 76.2 x 8 mm 168g

SHOULD I BUY MOTO G5S PLUS?

The Moto G5S Plus is not only the best Moto G phone ever, it’s the best phone under £300 you can buy today. Yes, it is slightly more expensive than the G5 or the Nokia 5, but what you gain in build quality, photography and performance are well worth the extra spend.

It costs roughly half what the OnePlus 5T does and you don’t lose an awful lot by spending this much less. It's also a better buy than the smaller, cheaper but underpowered Moto G5S.

HTC is taking on the likes of Samsung and Apple again with a big screen phone. Here's our HTC U11+ review.

HTC U11+ REVIEW

As expected, HTC is back with some new smartphones including a bigger and better version of the U11 flagship. It's onwards and upwards for the company following its deal with Google. Here's our HTC U11+ review.

There was some debate over whether HTC's November launch event was for the U11+ or the mid-range U11 Life. It turns out it was for both so now the U11 range is available in more premium and cheaper options. Read about both new HTC phones here.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

Considering the HTC U11 launched at £649, a price tag of £699 for the new U11+ is pretty reasonable.

The 'Plus' versions of rival phones are considerably more expensive so respect to HTC for keeping it down here. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and iPhone 8 Plus are £779 and £799 respectively so you're saving a decent chunk here.

Unusually, the phone is only available directly from HTC's official store rather than any other retailers or networks.

DESIGN AND BUILD

As you'd expect from a 'Plus' version of any phone, the U11+ is a bigger version of the U11. It's got a bigger screen, of course, but there are a few other design bits and pieces that are new.

The device still has the same design language with HTC's 'Liquid Surface' curved glass at the back. This time round there are two colours to choose from starting with Ceramic Black which to our eyes in real life looks more like chrome/silver.

A Translucent Black option, as teased ahead of the launch, is a little more interesting. It's a smokey grey sort of colour and means you can see some components underneath the glass – namely a coil of metal which is used for NFC (not wireless charging sadly). 

It's a bit like having a window on the side of your gaming PC rig, but without all the neon lights.

We prefer the translucent option but the sad news is that it's not coming to Europe, at least to begin with, so fingers crossed for it to come later. This is despite teasing it off on the official site.

The U11+ looks stylish but not everyone will enjoy the larger and heavier size (188g is pretty hefty), or the way the back of the phone gets covered in smudges and fingerprints very easily once again - It's also a bit slippery.

You might have noticed that the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back of the phone. This is to make way for a different size screen.

HTC has upgraded the waterproof rating so the U11+ gets IP68 which is the highest you'll find on a phone meaning you can dunk it in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

Edge Sense is still a feature, so squeezing is another way of interacting with the device. There are pressure sensors in the sides of the device in the lower half that trigger certain commands. We'll talk more about this, including a new feature exclusive to the U11+, in the software section.

SPECS AND FEATURES

Sometimes, take the Galaxy S8 for example, a Plus version is really just a bigger version of the same device. However, with the U11+, HTC has done more than just install a larger screen into its existing phone.

Screen

As mentioned, the fingerprint scanner has been moved to the back of the phone to allow for a screen similar to some rivals. The U11+ has a 6in screen, with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a Quad HD+ resolution (2880x1440).

One of our complaints with the U11 was the more standard display which wasn't as exciting as rivals, so an 82 percent screen-to-body ratio is much more competitive. The U11+ will support HDR10 but via a firmware update.

Overall the screen looks pretty good, although LCD isn't everyone's choice over AMOLED. It's crisp and bright so you really need to decide if 6in is the right size for you.

Processor, memory and storage

The U11+ still has a Snapdragon 835 processor and although there's a version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, we'll get the 6/128GB model as standard in the UK which is great news.

It makes the price tag and value for money even better and there's still a microSD card slot should you really need to add more. Most users won't with online backup services like Google Photos, though.

Like any top-tier smartphone, we've found performance to be silky smooth. We've had no issues waiting for apps to load, multi-tasking and the like. As you can see below, it benchmarks with the best of them.

Audio

HTC is once again pitching its phone at audiophiles with a range of different features including USonic noise cancelling headphones in the box. The U11+ also supports 24-bit playback, has an LDAC and offers Qualcomm's aptX HD codec for Bluetooth.

There's no headphone jack which is a shame - especially considering there's space for one - but the USonic have USB-C and there's also an adapter included for traditionalists.

The phone also has BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition which the firm claims is 30 percent louder than its smaller brother thanks to the additional space. It's a decent option for those into audio but it can't quite beat the LG G6 and V30 phones with their dedicated DACs.

Cameras

HTC has opted for the same 12Mp UltraPixel 3 camera as the U11 which we were very impressed with. However, there's a change at the front from 16- down to 8Mp – the U11+ front camera has an 85 degree field of view and the HDR Boost feature found on the back.

Both cameras are of a high standard and you'll get decent selfies from the front camera for starters. Although the main camera might not have a second lens for fancy tricks, it does take no nonsense quality shots in a range of conditions.

We've found it easy to use, with quick auto focus and crisp results. You can jump into the Pro mode if you want to fiddle with settings but the U11+ does a great job of providing pleasing shots by simply pointing and shooting.

As you can see from the test images below, detail is excellent, even in shadows, colours are natural and exposure is good. The U11+ is great in low light, too, making it seem like the conditions weren't bad. This is partly due to the optical image stabilisation which keeps everything steady.

Battery life

Another advantage of a larger handset is space for a bigger battery. The U11+ has a pretty huge 3930mAh battery inside, around a third larger than most regular flagships. HTC is claiming up to 25 hours of talktime and more than a day of usage.

As alluded to, the coil you can see on the translucent model isn’t wireless charging. It's NFC so you'll charge via USB-C and there's Quick Charge 3.0 support so you can top the battery up, er, quickly.

We've found battery life to be very strong with the U11+ comfortably lasting a day of even fairly heavy usage.

SOFTWARE AND APPS

As you'd expect, the U11+ comes with Android 8.0 Oreo which is the latest version of Google's mobile operating system.

HTC Sense is the firm's custom user interface over the top, but like many these days it's not as far removed from stock compared to how things used to be. The interface has things like HTC's news feed instead of Google and supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

There's also HTC's Sense Companion, which on the whole we find more annoying than it is useful - especially on top of services like Google that are already pretty polished.

The U11+ comes pre-loaded with a few apps, some of HTC's own like Viveport as well as the likes of Facebook and Instagram. You can uninstall the ones you don't want, though.

With such a large screen, HTC has considered the user and has made it so you don't have to reach the top to pull the notification bar down. You can swipe anywhere which is a relief and really should be on all large phones.

Another feature on the U11+ is a shortcut wheel called Edge Laucher which you can summon with Edge Sense. Apps and quick settings can be added to this and it can be moved around for convenience.

It also shows the calendar at the top and it's one of the most useful thing we've experienced with Edge Sense. You'll just need to set it as the action in the Edge Sense setting as the default is camera.

You can do plenty of other things with Edge Sense such as power on/off, take a screenshot, open and close the notification draw and even toggle your Wi-Fi hotspot. You can also switch to an advanced mode that allows for two functions, the second accessed via a squeeze and hold.

There are also in-app uses for Edge Sense such as snoozing alarms, writing a new email or zooming in on a map. Generally, though, the regular method for these things is better with Edge Sense trying to solve a problem that doesn't really exist.

Edge Sense is good if you can find something you like to use it for. However, for many it will be something you try for a while then forget about.

For reference, here are the specs of the U11 family of phones in comparison with one another:

HTC U11+: Specs

• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 6in Quad HD+ LCD 6 display, 18:9
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• 4/6GB RAM
• 64/128GB storage with micro SD up to 256GB
• 12Mp UltraPixel 3 main camera, f/1.7 with OIS
• 8Mp front facing camera, f/2.0
• Edge Sense
• 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 4G LTE Cat15
• Nano-SIM
• GPS
• NFC
• USB-C 3.1
• 3930mAh non-removable battery
• Quick Charge 3.0
• 159x75x8.5mm
• 188g
• IP68

SHOULD I BUY HTC U11+?

The U11+ will be too big and heavy for some but it's a decent effort from HTC. It's cheaper than rivals and has some top-notch specs including 128GB storage as standard. It also has decent cameras, IP68 waterproofing and an 18:9 screen. It's just a shame there's no headphone jack, Edge Sense remains something of a gimmick, and we don't get the alluring translucent model in the UK.

It's a worthy upgrade to the U11, however there are some cracking phones to choose from at lower price points including the OnePlus 5T and Google Pixel 2, which has a feature similar to Edge Sense.

The Moto G5 wasn’t perfect, and the G5s improves upon it – except for performance. Here’s our Moto G5s review.

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MOTOROLA MOTO G5S REVIEW

When the Moto G5 launched it became our favourite budget phone, but things weren’t perfect. It was no faster than the outgoing G4 and – if anything – battery life was marginally worse.

Motorola followed up with the G5s, which in 2018 faces stiff competition from plenty of other inexpensive phones – notably those from China.

MOTOROLA MOTO G5S: PRICE

The G5s costs £199.99 from Amazon and it’s available in Fine Gold or Lunar Grey.

That’s the single-SIM version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It’s expandable via a microSD card up to 256GB.

There are dual-SIM versions of the G5s, but they’re not widely available in the UK and in any case, they use a hybrid tray which forces you to choose between using a microSD card or a second SIM.

FEATURES AND DESIGN

Compared to the many ‘bezel-less’ phones around these days, the G5s looks dated with its large top and bottom bezels. However, with an all-aluminium chassis, it feels well built. And at 154g, it isn’t too heavy.

Even though Motorola has installed a slightly bigger screen, 5.2in up from 5in in the G5, the phone itself is barely any smaller than rivals with a 6in screen.

That said, it’s a decent 1080p screen which is nice and bright and has decent contrast and colours. As it’s larger than the G5’s screen, pixel density is a bit lower but at 423ppi everything still looks lovely and sharp. It’s covered in Gorilla Glass 3, unlike the G5 which had no Gorilla Glass at all.

You don’t get a whole lot of great specifications for your £200, though. There’s no 802.11ac Wi-Fi, no USB-C port and – worst of all – the same old Snapdragon 430 processor which we criticised in the G5.

The ‘s’ does have upgrades beyond the bigger screen though. It has NFC, so you can use it with Android Pay, and there are better cameras both front and rear. You also get Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX support and in the box is a TurboPower fast charger, too.

The fingerprint scanner is on the front, as before, and doubles as a navigation button if you enable the option. It works quickly and reliably.

It’s worth saying, too, that although there’s no 802.11ac, you still get dual-band 802.11n, which means the G5s can connect to the faster 5GHz radio on a compatible wireless router.

And talking of radios, there’s an FM radio which is unusual to see in a UK phone. You can read our detailed Moto G5 vs G5s comparison, too.

Performance

The main problem with phone is that processor. Motorola calls it a ‘blazing-fast 1.4GHz octa-core’ but this isn’t remotely true. It’s an oxymoron: the latest chips run around 1GHz faster than this.

Clock speed isn’t the best indicator of performance, but our benchmarks (not that we needed them) confirmed that the G5s is just as sluggish as its predecessor. 

In Geekbench 4, it scored only 2099, and that's the multicore score. For context, the Maze Alpha(£146) scored 3642. 

Even with no additional apps installed it’s easy to notice the occasional hesitation when switching between apps and simply navigating around Android.

Put simply, performance is below the level we’d expect from a £200 phone and there are faster alternatives available for less money.

The same goes for 3D grunt: the G5s can handle casual games, but you’ll notice a reduction in graphics quality on more demanding games, which won’t run as smoothly as on more powerful phones.

In GFXBench it managed 14fps in the basic T-Rex test and only 7.5fps in the Manhattan test. The newest Car Chase test played like a photo slideshow.

Battery life is marginally better than the G5 thanks to the bigger-capacity 3000mAh cell, but you’ll still be charging the G5s each night so, practically, there’s no real difference.

The benefit is the TurboPower charging which will give the phone around five hours of use from a 15-minute charge.

Cameras

This is where the real improvements show. The front camera unfortunately still has only a 5mp sensor, but the f/2.0 lens delivers sharper, slightly better selfies than before.It’s at the back where there’s a noticeable jump in quality. It isn’t really because of the switch from 13- to 16Mp sensors: resolution is never a good indicator of quality. Regardless, the G5s is capable of taking much better photos than the G5.

In good light, pictures are sharp with lots of detail and great colours. We also like that there’s an auto HDR mode rather than having to select it manually, which is an inconvenience that means it rarely gets used.

On the G5s, automatic HDR is enabled by default and when invoked it does a decent job of improving high-contrast shots.

Things aren't as rosy in low light where much noise creeps in and the camera just can't resolve the level of detail you get from flagship phones. The bad news for those who like to shoot video is that the CPU limits resolution and framerate to 1920x1080 and 30fps respectively.

It does benefit from software stabilisation, though, which does smooth out a lot of unwanted movement from shaky hands.

Software

Since launch, Motorola has updated Android to 7.1.1, but there’s still no Oreo available even though the firm did promise to roll out Android 8.0 to the phone.

The good news is that – as ever – the Moto G5s runs a near-stock version of Android with actually useful additions from Motorola. You get the double-twist to launch the camera, karate chop for torch, plus the option to use gestures on the fingerprint scanner instead of the standard Android navigation buttons.

Again, the ability to flip the phone onto its screen to put it in ‘do not disturb’ mode is really handy.

Compared to other Moto phones, there’s a limited selection of Moto Display options. No double-tap to wake the phone, nor swipe your hand over the screen to see notifications. You can enable ‘fade in and out’ notifications when the screen is off and a blue-light reduction at night, but these are pretty standard on most Android phones.

Those who love their Android notification LED will be disappointed that, although there is one for indicating low battery and charging, it cannot be used as for notifications.

Motorola Moto G5s: Specs

• Android Nougat 7.1.1
• 5.2in 1920x1080 touchscreen, 423ppi
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 430
• Adreno 505
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB with microSD slot (up to 128GB)
• 16Mp, LED flash, 1080p video at 30fps
• 5Mp
• Fingerprint scanner
• 802.11n dual-band
• Bluetooth 4.2
• 4G LTE
• Nano-SIM (Dual-SIM in some regions)
• Yes
• Yes
• MicroUSB Rapid Charging
• Yes
• 3000mAh, non-removable
• 73.5 x 150 x 8.2-9.5mm
• 157g
• Water-repellent nano-coating
• Lunar Grey, Fine Gold

SHOULD I BUY MOTOROLA MOTO G5S?

The G5s is a good-looking, well-built phone that suffers from below-average performance. Its cameras are good, though, and it has a decent screen.

The main problem is that you can get a faster phone with better specs for the same money, so it’s hard to recommend it unless you find it significantly cheaper.