Got mine last Thursday (September 28, 2017), it took one week from the "pre-order" to delivery. I bought the 64GB/4GB version and paid $284.99 total plus state tax (how does the state really know that Lenovo in China is paying the tax back to the state?).
I'm replacing a Moto X Pure Edition from 2015 that was starting to run slow and doesn't have the Nougat that was promised and has the December 2016 security update, the last available for that phone.
As usual, it took about 2 days to get the G5S Plus set up the way I like it, get all the apps and logins transferred, my Blacklist Pro blacklist file, notification and ringtones, etc.
The G5S Plus weighs 167 grams compared to 177 grams for the Moto X PE, a slight and not-really-noticeable difference.
The G5S Plus is (slightly) noticeably thinner though at 8.09 mm vs. 10.7 mm for the Moto X PE.
Big difference in the feel though; my Moto X PE has the black hard rubber back, which gives good traction. The G5S Plus (gray) has a slippery aluminum back.
Why oh why are these manufacturers so focused on style and looks over function? It's a dang phone for cryin' out loud -- a tool, not a piece of jewelry.
I'm going to mask off the antennae and camera on the back and spray it with some clear traction material I've used before. I never buy a case for a phone, just on principal.
I can't get past buying a multi-hundred-dollar phone and then having to spring another 50 bucks for a case that makes it thicker. Design the phone so it's protected from the start without having to require a case!
Anyway, the G5S Plus is a good replacement for the Moto X PE, which was the top-of-the-line phone from Motorola 2 years ago. It runs slightly faster; enough to be noticeable when opening apps. the HTC U11 I bought and gave to my wife after 2 days doesn't run any faster that I can notice, despite having a much higher spec processor (and costing more than twice as much).
I don't use the fingerprint sensor (not secure enough for me) so I can't comment on that, although it just takes up valuable space on the front.
The screen measures 130 mm diagonal viewable size vs. 143 mm for the Moto X, which is a big (and kind of disappointing) difference.
Otherwise, the screen colors, brightness, quality, etc. seems the same to me.
I'm also a bit disappointed with the new notifications screen on the G5S Plus. You can no longer just wave your hand over the top and see the notifications, which is probably the biggest disappointment for me, as I really liked that feature on the Moto X.
In fact, I can't quite figure out how to get the notifications on the G5S Plus to work -- sometimes it shows when I pick up the phone, but disappears within a second or so, fast enough that I only get a quick glance at the notifications.
You have to touch the on/off button to see the notifications and that's just dumb. No-handed was much better.
Call quality is excellent, a touch better than the Moto X PE, so no problems to report there.
By the way, the on/off button and volume button are reversed from the Moto X PE, with the power button now on the bottom. Took me a couple of days to get used to that. Also, the power button has very small traction bars compared to the Moto X; I can't really feel them on the G5S Plus. The buttons feel solid though.
Overall, the build quality is excellent, especially compared to other phones I've seen costing a lot more -- like the HTC U11, which is a piece of junk as far as I'm concerned with its ridiculous all-glass build that looks, feels and is less solid.
Bottom line? You can spend more, as I've learned, but you don't get more phone than the G5S Plus, despite what anyone says. Spending more is foolish in my opinion. But hey -- opinions are like bung holes; everybody has one.
If you have any questions about the G5S Plus, let me know.
P.S. Also, battery life is excellent, I'd guess it lasts twice as long as my Moto X PE. I've been using the G5S Plus the same as I did the Moto X PE and the battery goes down only about 30% in one day, compared to using almost a full battery in the Moto X in one day. So I'm really happy about that, as I'd usually have to recharge the Moto X once or twice during the day.
I'm replacing a Moto X Pure Edition from 2015 that was starting to run slow and doesn't have the Nougat that was promised and has the December 2016 security update, the last available for that phone.
As usual, it took about 2 days to get the G5S Plus set up the way I like it, get all the apps and logins transferred, my Blacklist Pro blacklist file, notification and ringtones, etc.
The G5S Plus weighs 167 grams compared to 177 grams for the Moto X PE, a slight and not-really-noticeable difference.
The G5S Plus is (slightly) noticeably thinner though at 8.09 mm vs. 10.7 mm for the Moto X PE.
Big difference in the feel though; my Moto X PE has the black hard rubber back, which gives good traction. The G5S Plus (gray) has a slippery aluminum back.
Why oh why are these manufacturers so focused on style and looks over function? It's a dang phone for cryin' out loud -- a tool, not a piece of jewelry.
I'm going to mask off the antennae and camera on the back and spray it with some clear traction material I've used before. I never buy a case for a phone, just on principal.
I can't get past buying a multi-hundred-dollar phone and then having to spring another 50 bucks for a case that makes it thicker. Design the phone so it's protected from the start without having to require a case!
Anyway, the G5S Plus is a good replacement for the Moto X PE, which was the top-of-the-line phone from Motorola 2 years ago. It runs slightly faster; enough to be noticeable when opening apps. the HTC U11 I bought and gave to my wife after 2 days doesn't run any faster that I can notice, despite having a much higher spec processor (and costing more than twice as much).
I don't use the fingerprint sensor (not secure enough for me) so I can't comment on that, although it just takes up valuable space on the front.
The screen measures 130 mm diagonal viewable size vs. 143 mm for the Moto X, which is a big (and kind of disappointing) difference.
Otherwise, the screen colors, brightness, quality, etc. seems the same to me.
I'm also a bit disappointed with the new notifications screen on the G5S Plus. You can no longer just wave your hand over the top and see the notifications, which is probably the biggest disappointment for me, as I really liked that feature on the Moto X.
In fact, I can't quite figure out how to get the notifications on the G5S Plus to work -- sometimes it shows when I pick up the phone, but disappears within a second or so, fast enough that I only get a quick glance at the notifications.
You have to touch the on/off button to see the notifications and that's just dumb. No-handed was much better.
Call quality is excellent, a touch better than the Moto X PE, so no problems to report there.
By the way, the on/off button and volume button are reversed from the Moto X PE, with the power button now on the bottom. Took me a couple of days to get used to that. Also, the power button has very small traction bars compared to the Moto X; I can't really feel them on the G5S Plus. The buttons feel solid though.
Overall, the build quality is excellent, especially compared to other phones I've seen costing a lot more -- like the HTC U11, which is a piece of junk as far as I'm concerned with its ridiculous all-glass build that looks, feels and is less solid.
Bottom line? You can spend more, as I've learned, but you don't get more phone than the G5S Plus, despite what anyone says. Spending more is foolish in my opinion. But hey -- opinions are like bung holes; everybody has one.
If you have any questions about the G5S Plus, let me know.
P.S. Also, battery life is excellent, I'd guess it lasts twice as long as my Moto X PE. I've been using the G5S Plus the same as I did the Moto X PE and the battery goes down only about 30% in one day, compared to using almost a full battery in the Moto X in one day. So I'm really happy about that, as I'd usually have to recharge the Moto X once or twice during the day.
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