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Verdict and competition

Verdict

The Moto G5S offers a high degree of build quality improvement over the Moto G5, resulting in a phone that looks and feels very good for the price. Its camera is also capable of capturing some truly impressive shots, and NFC is a welcome addition.

It’s a shame, however, that it doesn’t bring quite the same level of overall improvement as the Moto G5S Plus. There’s still a fair amount of G5 in here.

Still, for what it costs the Moto G5S is another brilliantly well put together budget phone from the undisputed master.

Who’s this for?

If you have somewhere between £200/AU$300 and £250/AU$400 to spend on a phone but you want one that projects a much higher price tag, you won’t be disappointed with the Moto G5S.

It’s also a good bet for those who find most flagship Android phones just too darned big for their own good. The Moto G5S is eminently pocketable.

Should you buy it?

If you like the look of the Moto G5, but find yourself with an extra £60 to spend, you won’t go wrong with the Moto G5S.

Its build quality is a massive step forward, it’s got a better camera, the battery life is better, and NFC will allow you to make Android Pay purchases. You’re simply looking at a better, more rounded phone.

True, it’s not quite at the level of improvement of the Moto G5S Plus, but the Moto G5S takes a solid step forward without ballooning in size.

There are lots of other strong budget phones, such as the following three.

Nokia 6

Nokia’s return to the smartphone market has been a solid one, and the mid-range Nokia 6 is arguably the most competitive of the bunch.

It’s got a beautiful design, a solid camera, and a a large 5.5-inch 1080p display.

It’s just a very stylish, well spec'd phone for around the £200/$230/AU$400 mark. It’s arguably a more compelling package than the Moto G5S.

Read our full Nokia 6 review

Moto G5

The original G5 continues to be a compelling package, and at heart it offers a very similar experience to the Moto G5S for a good chunk less money.

It’s got the same internals, a similar display, and the same sharp Android Nougat experience.

Okay, so you miss out on the all-metal body and Android Pay, and the camera isn’t a stunner. But for £160/AU$300, those might be compromises you’re willing to make.

Read our full Moto G5 review

Wileyfox Swift 2 X

The parallels between the Wileyfox Swift 2 X and the Moto G5S are extensive. This is another ‘super-budget’ phone with a sharp metal design, a 5.2-inch Full HD display and a Snapdragon 430 CPU.

There are issues with its camera, battery life and somewhat unsteady software however, so it would appear to lose out to the Moto G5S on sheer reliability.

If you want something that will really stand out, however, you could do worse than give this plucky British upstart a whirl.