The Asus ZenFone 5 looks very familiar - we test out the Android iPhone X lookalike, which boasts an all-screen display and an Apple-esque notch at a fraction of the price.

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ASUS ZENFONE 5 (2018) REVIEW: HANDS-ON

If the Asus ZenFone 5 sounds familiar, it probably should - Asus released a phone called the ZenFone 5 way back in 2014. Unsurprisingly, this latest version has had a few upgrades - not least a very familiar notch.

Asus announced the phone at Mobile World Congress 2018, but we’ve already had the chance to spend some time with the new device. Here’s what we think so far.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

So far we don’t have any official price for the ZenFone 5, or a firm release date beyond April. The ZenFone 4 started at £449/$399, so we’d expect to see something similar from the 5 though.

It’s also worth noting that Asus has also announced the ZenFone 5Z and 5 Lite - the 5Z is expected to come to the UK later this year, but the 5 Lite probably won’t. The 5Z is essentially identical to the 5 however, except with a faster processor, so all of our hands-on reactions here will apply to that phone too.

DESIGN AND BUILD

If you thought the ZenFone 5 sounded familiar, that’s nothing compared to how it looks.

No, that isn’t an iPhone X, but you’d be forgiven for making that mistake. Asus is one of the first of the major Android manufacturers to incorporate that iconic notch into its own display design, allowing the corners of the screen to reach the very top of the device.

Unlike the iPhone X, the 6.2in display doesn’t quite reach the very bottom of the device, but the bezel is so minimal you’re not likely to mind too much - it's hard to complain about a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. Beyond the display you get a very slim metal-framed body, and a glass back, all of which looks and feels great - even if it is all-too familiar.

Unlike the iPhone X you do get a fingerprint sensor - here on the back of the phone - though the vertically aligned dual cameras in the corner are another touch of definite familiarity. Still, the ZenFone 5 has one big advantage over the iPhone: a 3.5mm headphone jack.

There are other concessions to budget of course. Despite the glass back there’s no wireless charging here, and waterproofing is totally absent too.

At launch the ZenFone 5 will be available in two colours: Midnight Blue and Meteor Silver.

Overall, it’s hard to argue - looking an awful lot like Apple’s flagship device is no bad thing in a phone that costs less than half the price.

SPECS AND FEATURES

So, for all that the ZenFone 5 looks like Apple’s latest, it’s understandably not packing quite so much power inside.

First up, the 6.2in display is Full HD+, and IPS-style, in a 19:9 ratio that's even thinner than some of its rivals. In person it looked bright and vivid, with great colour reproduction. Sure, it isn’t OLED, but this is undeniably a great looking display for the price - as long as you’re a fan of the notch.

The ZenFone 5 is also one of the first phones to use the Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm’s new mid-range chip designed to offer support for FHD+ displays. The 636 will be backed up by 4GB of RAM and 64GB built-in storage, with MicroSD support as you’d expect. The battery is 3300mAh, which should be enough for a day or two of typical usage.

It’s worth remembering that later this year the ZenFone 5Z will release, boasting the exact same design but powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 845, with more RAM and storage - so if you love the look of the ZenFone 5 but want it to come with a little more oomph, you might want to hold out for the 5Z.

As for cameras, you get dual lens on the back: the main shooter, powered by Sony's new flagship IMX363 sensor, is 12MP with an f/1.8 aperture, paired with an 8MP, f/2.2 wide-angle lens. Asus has opted for wide-angle this time, after previously using a zoom lens, which it claims allows it to take even better portrait mode shots in low light. On the front, you get an 8MP, f/2.0 selfie camera.

Those cameras also boast new AI-driven software to get even more out of your shots - more on that below.

Audio has been amped up too. The built-in speakers are seriously powerful - among the loudest we've ever heard in a smartphone - while maintaining good tone. Elsewhere there's DTS Headphone:X support for virtual 7.1 surround sound, along with Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX HD.

SOFTWARE

Beyond that notched screen, the most exciting things about the ZenFone 5 are all about the software.

Android 8.0 Oreo, the most recent version of the OS, is driving everything, with Asus ZenUI 5 on top - and that’s where the real improvements lie.

You also get the option to unlock the phone with your face, though as with other Android phones this isn’t based on the infrared TrueDepth camera tech in the iPhone X, so don’t expect quite the same level of sophistication or security. One neat touch is that the phone will keep the display on as long as it can detect that you're looking at it.

Asus has also borrowed Animoji, with its own take dubbed ZeniMoji. We weren’t able to test this ourselves, but without the TrueDepth camera you should probably expect something a bit less polished than Apple’s version - though they do have the advantage of being usable in video chats and live streams.

The rest of the big software features are, on trend for 2018, all about AI. From the camera to the charger, notifications, and even your ringtone, Asus thinks it’s cracked how to use artificial intelligence to improve your experience.

The camera follows in the footsteps of the Honor View 10, using AI to recognise 16 scenes and objects - from sunsets to dogs - and automatically adjust to the optimum settings on the fly. The gallery app will then also sort those photos by their recognised scenes to make it as easy as possible to find all your pet pics.

More than that, it will also learn from your behaviour. If you routinely go into your photos after taking them to tweak light levels or add a filter, the phone will remember your choices and do its best to automatically edit future photos to suit your tastes - preserving the original, unaltered photo too, just to be safe.

Elsewhere, the phone will do its best to alter your ringtone volume to suit ambient noise - cranking it up if you’re in a busy bar, turning it down for a quiet office - tweak the colour temperature of the display based on light levels, and even tweak the text colour on notifications based on your wallpaper image.

Then there’s AI Boost - essentially overclocking by another name, letting you crank the processor up for intensive tasks. This will increase battery drain, but Asus claims it will give you power equivalent to a Snapdragon 660 - still mid-range, but definitely more powerful than the 636 normally is.

Finally, there's AI Charging, which will learn from how you charge your phone to help preserve the battery in the long term. For example, if you often keep your phone plugged in overnight, AI Charging will top it up to 80 percent and keep it there until early in the morning, before bringing it all the way to full just before you wake up, which Asus claims could as much as double the battery's lifespan.

Asus ZenFone 5: Specs

• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 6.2in Full HD+ 18:9 IPS-Style display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
• 4GB RAM
• 64 internal storage
• Micro-SD card slot
• 12MP rear-facing camera with f/1.8 + 8MP wide-angle with f/2.2
• 8MP front camera with f/2.0
• Fingerprint scanner (rear mounted)
• Headphone jack
• USB-C with Smart Charge

SHOULD I BUY ASUS ZENFONE 5?

We’ve only had brief time with the ZenFone 5, and many of its most exciting software features either weren’t quite ready to test, or - like the AI stuff - are simply impossible to review without extended time with the device.

Still, the phone looks beautiful - even if we mostly have Apple to thank for that - and if it can deliver on performance it could be a very serious contender in the mid-range market.

LG has somewhat reinvented its V-series phone and it's effectively an upgraded G6. With no G7 coming anytime soon, the LG V30 remains a solid choice for a new smartphone.

PRICE WHEN REVIEWED       $799

LG V30 REVIEW

It was no surprise whatsoever that LG launched the new V30 at IFA 2017 in Berlin. We’ve been able to spend a couple of days with a sample so here’s our in-depth LG V30 review. 

LG isn’t one to keep its phone a secret right up until the launch event and so not only confirmed the name ahead of time, but various specs and features and well.

PRICE

When the LG V30 first launched it was priced at a whopping £799 making it one of the more expensive smartphones around. It's taken us a while to get hold of a sample which was provided by Carphone Warehouse.

Now it's been out for a little while, the V30 is a much more affordable £599 making it quite an attractive buy, especially with no LG G7 arriving at MWC 2018.

That price makes it a lot cheaper than rivals such as the Galaxy Note 8 and the similar HTC U11+ which is £100 more. There is some tough competition, though, with phones like the OnePlus 5T selling for just £449, albeit with fewer features.

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DESIGN AND BUILD

With a larger screen, the V30 is a bigger phone than the G6 but it doesn’t really feel like it. This is somewhat down to the fact LG has managed to make it thinner and lighter.

It’s just 7.4mm and 158g which is impressive for a 6in phone. It’s also 8mm shorter and 3mm narrower than its predecessor despite a bigger screen. It feels great in the hand with a very nice balance. 

Overall, the V30 looks very much like the G6 in design with very little to differentiate the two. It uses a metal frame and a glass rear cover which is adorned with the dual camera module, power button and logos.

Although the V30 looks and feels great, the design does mean that it’s a slippery customer. This isn’t unusual for phones at the moment but can be an issue, especially if you don’t want to use a case.

LG keeps the IP68 rating so the V30 is fully waterproof and can be submersed in 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes without worry.

It also feels very strong and durable. This, according to LG, is down to the ‘H-Beam’ metal frame and Gorilla Glass 5 front. There’s also a heat pipe and cooling pad to help get rid of heat.

The screen might not have curved edges like its Samsung rivals but the glass does so it has a similar silky feel. 

The V30 is available in four colours: Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue and Lavender Violet. You can see the latter in our photos.

SPECS AND FEATURES

Apart from making the phone thinner and lighter, it’s mainly the specs that make the V30 better than the G6.

Screen 

It’s the screen that is largely why the V30 looks so great. There’s even less bezel here than the G6 and means a screen-to-body ratio similar to the Galaxy S8. Like the G6 it has rounded corners and a tall 18:9 aspect ratio.

The V-series was known for it’s secondary display but this has been dropped in favour of a floating bar – see the software section for details on that.

At 6in, the screen is a little larger than the G6’s 5.7in display but keeps the Quad HD+ resolution (1440x2880). It’s super crisp and you will not notice the slight drop in pixel density compared to the G6.

The headline feature here is that it’s P-OLED rather than IPS LCD. The ‘P’ stands for plastic and is nothing to worry about. The tech means that you get excellent contrast, with blacks being especially impressive.

Brightness is good, although not as bright as the G6 and has nice colour reproduction set in the default ‘normal’ mode. You can also switch to others if you prefer, some of which are for movies or photos.

The screen, like many, has an always-on feature so displays information like the time, date and battery level even when the screen is technically off.

Processor, memory and storage

Although the G6 is fast, it was a slight disappointment that it came with a Snapdragon 821 instead of the 835 which about to be the latest model.

Well the V30 gets Qualcomm’s newer chip and the performance is generally impressive even if it doesn't win any awards here. The benchmarks are about what we'd expect to see from the 835 combined with a screen this high res and don't worry, the phone runs smoothly despite the figures on offer from a device like the iPhone X.

There’s 4GB of RAM and there’s 64GB of storage, which is about average for a flagship and should be plenty for most users.

Like many of its rivals LG offers expandable storage with a microSD card slot so even if you do fill up 64GB with photos of your cat, you’ll be able to add more very easily. 

Connectivity and audio 

As you’d expect, this flagship phone is packed with the latest tech including 11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 5.0. It also has Gigabit Cat 16 LTE which is an upgrade compared to the G6 - on paper at least.

LG continues to put its fingerprint scanner on the back and it’s built into the circular power button below the camera. It works quickly and accurately, but is obviously unusable when the phone is sat on a flat surface. 

Although LG put different specs into the G6 for different markets, that’s not the case here. The V30 has a Hi-Fi Quad DAC with tuning from B&O. The DAC provides excellent sound through headphones, driving even power hungry cans while providing control over what you're hearing with different EQ settings and more.There’s also decent B&O Play headphones included in the box and LG says the V30 is the first phone with MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology that allows high-resolution audio streaming. 

It’s a shame that with a focus on audio, there are no stereo speakers and the built-in speaker sounds pretty average but the bezel-free design makes this very difficult to achieve. There's a headphone jack though and the LG V30 is still easily one of the best phones for audio on the market.

Cameras

By the look of it, the V30 has the same camera setup as the G6 but it has been upgraded.

The standard view camera is still 16Mp but now has an f/1.6 aperture which is the largest on any phone and will help let in more light. This camera has optical image stabilisation (OIS) to stop your hand shaking to cause blurry results. 

A second camera gives you a much wider view – 120 degrees instead of 71 – and comes in really handy to get a lot more in your photo rather than the telephoto zoom offered by most rivals. It's bumped from 8- to 13Mp and has an f/1.9 aperture. LG says it’s upgraded from the LG V20 with two-thirds less edge distortion.

We really like LG’s setup here and tend to find the wide-angle camera more useful than a telephoto alternative. The V30 might not have the best cameras on the phone market but they're certainly capable of some great shots; they're colourful, balanced and detailed.

There are plenty of modes to play around with, regardless of having two cameras and an interesting new feature is Point Zoom which allows you to zoom in on a selection section of the frame while filming. A slider on the screen means you can choose how fast to zoom in and out on that area. 

There's also 'Graphy' which is a feature of the manual mode that allows you to effectively import the settings from professional photos so you can get similar results.

Battery life 

The DAC on the G6 is market dependant and so is the wireless charging but this a standard feature of the V30. That’s a good move, of course. 

It’s battery capacity is 3300mAh like the G6 and if you don’t have a wireless charger then the USB-C port will be needed. The V30 supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, so you can get up to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.

In our battery tests the V30 is about average for a flagship phone, so it'll last the majority of users an entire day. In the new Geekbench 4 battery test, V30 lasted seven hours and 43 minutes with a score of 4630 - the score signifying how much work the processor can do while the battery discharges. 

We've only just started using this test but it outperforms the HTC U11+ which has a significantly bigger battery. It lasted seven hours and five minutes with a score of 4250.

SOFTWARE AND APPS

One of the only surprises with the V30 is that it doesn’t come pre-loaded with Android 8.0 Oreo like the new Xperia XZ1. Instead it has 7.1 Nougat but an update is expected soon.

The V30 comes with LG’s UX 6.0 but the biggest thing here is that the second screen is gone. Now there’s a ‘Floating Bar’ which you can optionally use and an always-on display feature.

Like some rivals, the screen can provide information without being fully switch on such as the time, date and battery level. You can also scroll through options for things like music control quick settings.

The Floating Bar is used when you’re using the phone and can be moved around like a Facebook Messenger Chat Head. Tap on it and you can access the apps you want as well as other functions. In the end we didn't use it very much at all but maybe you will.

LG has provided various security options so you don’t have to use the fingerprint scanner if you don’t want. You can also unlock the phone with your face, the old school Knock Code or even your voice.

The Google Assistant is built-in, it supports Google Daydream and there are loads of features hidden in the settings menu that you might not know exist unless you go digging. For example you can switch on a Mini view that allows you to run apps in a smaller size if the 6in display is too big.

LG V30: Specs

• 6in 18:9 Quad-HD+ (2880x1440, 538ppi) OLED FullVision display, Gorilla Glass 5
• Android Nougat 7.1.2 with UX 6.0+ and Google Assistant
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• 4GB LPDDR4
• 64GB UFS 2.0, microSD up to 2TB
• 16Mp f/1.6 + 13Mp f/1.9 dual-camera, 5Mp selfie camera
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB-C
• IP68, MIL-STD 810G compliant, 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, face/voice/fingerprint recognition
• 3,300mAh, wired and wireless charging, Quick Charge 3.0
• 151.7x75.4x7.3mm

SHOULD I BUY LG V30?

There's a lot to like about the V30 becuase it's like LG has taken the G6 and upgraded it in key areas and even refined the already sleek design. Now the price is a more reasonable £599 we can highly recommend this phone which offers excellent design, screen, cameras and audio

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.