Apple’s iPhone is one of the most iconic and popular mobile phones in recent history, but there have been some criticisms around the web about their most recent release, the iPhone 7 Plus. Motorola’s Moto G5 Plus his stores on the 31st and there’s been some promising first looks and the specifications are nothing to sneeze at. Which “Plus” model is worth your purchase? We’ll take a look at some of the pros and cons of the two phones and try to give you a sense of whether you should spring for an iPhone 7 Plus or give this newcomer a chance.
Display and Design
The Moto G5 Plus has a 423 PPI screen while the iPhone 7 Plus has a 400 PPI screen. What that means in practical terms is that the G5 Plus will feature around 10% crisper display of text, images and video. Though the iPhone 7 Plus has a lower PPI screen, it has about a 10% larger screen with a 5.5″ display versus the Moto’s 5.2″. The Moto’s 1080p IPS LCD panel provides really good viewing angles though, despite its smaller size. It’s a little bit of a tossup when it comes to the display, but the iPhone definitely pulls ahead when it comes to the design part of this section.
It really should be no surprise that Apple has delivered an exquisite design with their iPhone 7 Plus. Design and aesthetic has always been one of Apple’s strong points, and it’s definitely reflected in this model as well. The exclusion of the headphone ports, the downsides of which we’ll cover in a later section, allowed for Apple to opt for a sleek and thin design that comes out as 7mm thick vs the 10mm of the Moto G5 Plus. Some aesthetic choices with the Moto G5 Plus make the phone come across as a little cheap. For example, the Moto logo on the front of the phone and shiny chrome edges that surround the display don’t do the design any favors.
Features and Performance
The Moto G5 has an interesting feature that takes advantage of the long fingerprint scanner at the bottom of the phone. By default, the scanner acts like any of Moto’s other phones by rPlus eading your fingerprint, but if you hold down the button a little longer it turns off the Android on-screen buttons and lets you replicate them with swiping gestures. Swipe left to trigger the Android’s back function, and swipe right to open Android’s multitasking view. A quick double swipe to the right allows you to take advantage of Nougat’s quick switching action between apps. The scanner can also trigger Google Assistant, Android’s answer to Apple’s Siri.
Honestly, as cool as it is that feature feels really foreign to a native user of Android. It may be useful to someone new to the operating system, but I found it more of a distraction than anything else.
Apple didn’t really reinvent the wheel with their iPhone 7 Plus, but they didn’t really have to. The Apple OS is really polished (not that Android isn’t) and the iPhone 7 takes advantage of excellent software design to deliver a smooth and enjoyable experience. The iPhone 7 Plus also features a 2340 mHz processor which is a decent amount faster than the Moto G5 Plus’s 2000 mHz processor. This translates into about a 20% more responsive phone overall.
Apple decided to forgo the headphone jack with this latest model, a decision that has made a lot of the internet upset but hasn’t really had a negative effect on their sales. Consumers are forced to use bluetooth headphones like the Air Pods. The Air Pods get lost super easily and need to be charged, a drawback that really doesn’t make the decision seem “innovative and revolutionary”. Not being able to plug my headphones into a phone is really disappointing to me.
Battery and Storage
The Moto G5 Plus pulls slightly ahead of the iPhone 7 Plus when it comes to battery capacity, packing a 3000 mAh battery vs the iPhone’s 2900 mAh battery. This means that the Moto G5 Plus will last slightly longer on a single charge which is very important to some consumers. It’s not as simple as just looking at the battery size when it comes to figuring out how long a phone will last, though, so it’s definitely possible the iPhone could pull ahead depending on how apps and the operating system are optimized compared to that of the Moto G5 Plus.
A really weak point for the G5 Plus is its storage. The phone only offers 64 GB of storage which really isn’t that much these days. The iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, boasts a pretty hefty 256 GB of storage. The gap is incredibly wide when comparing these two phones in this section and it’s pretty obvious that the iPhone 7 Plus takes the cake.
Price
The Moto G5 Plus is an astonishingly cheap $239.99 for the 64GB model and $184.99 for the 32 GB model. The iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, comes in at $769 for the 32 GB phone, $869 for 64 GB and $969 for the iPhone 7 Plus.
Verdict
If money is not a concern, go for a high storage option with the iPhone 7 Plus. There are a decent amount of pros that outweigh the cons and push it ahead of the Moto G5 Plus if you’re willing to dump close to $1000 on a phone. If you’re a little more budget conscious I’d definitely go with the Moto G5. In the interest of choosing an overall winner I’m going to have to go with the Moto G5 Plus, simply for the fact that Moto has created what is essentially a high-end phone for less than $300. I know I’d be happy with the Moto G5 Plus any day, but those looking for the ultimate in luxury should still stick to Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus.
Consoles
ESA director explains why E3 2023 was cancelled
Only a few hours have passed since the cancellation of E3 2023 was announced, and we are still kind of in shock. Although we were aware that the legendary industry event faced an uphill struggle due to publishers withdrawing left and right, it still feels a little weird, don’t you think?
Stanley Pierre-Louis, executive director of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), discusses what transpired and what to anticipate in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. Pierre-Louis says that “we were off to a strong start. There was interest among exhibitors, industry players, the media, and certainly the fans. Ultimately, there were challenges that proved too large to surmount.” The ESA partnered with event coordinator ReedPop for the first in-person event in a number of years.
One of these insurmountable difficulties was the current development schedules studios have been dealing with ever since the COVID pandemic started, and another was the global economic turmoil that followed. Some businesses have started to rethink spending on pricey exhibit space and significant marketing events as there is less money available.
When asked about E3 returning in 2024, Pierre-Louis sticks to the script, saying that “at that time, we will have more news to share.” He also adds that “we’re committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convening, but we want to make sure we find that right balance that meets the needs of the industry.”
As you might anticipate, he gives a completely non-committal response. In our opinion, the E3 period appears to be coming to an end. The writing has been on the wall for a while now, with so many less expensive and more efficient ways of spreading the word about upcoming games and endeavors, not to mention public reluctance in the wake of a horrific pandemic. We can only hope that Sony has been saving the best for the much-anticipated Showcase.
Do you believe E3 will ever come back, or are the heydays of attending conventions really over?
Consoles
Shuhei Yoshida wants to change how independent game developers see PlayStation

Shuhei Yoshida has worked in the video game industry for decades. He was president of SIE Worldwide Studios during a very important time in PlayStation’s history, and his fans love him very much. He was given a BAFTA fellowship for all he has done for the gaming industry and how he has helped it grow.
He is in charge of Sony’s Independent Developer Initiative right now, which helps independent developers bring their projects to life by setting up partnership and marketing deals. But some people think that the PS5 isn’t as friendly to independent developers as previous generations. We’ve written a lot about this in the past.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Yoshida talked about the difficulties of getting the word out and what he hopes to accomplish in the future. He said, “We’re trying to change people’s ideas about how hard it is to make and publish games for the PlayStation. This is a communication challenge we’ve been working on.”
Yoshida says that this is being done with a sort of PR blitz: “We’ve been doing conference tours, going to events, giving talks and keynotes, and other things to let developers know that we’re open to having their games on PlayStation.”
Yoshida says, “There are so many great quality games that no one knows about. It’s always been hard to get funding, but there’s more and more money coming into the industry all the time. Digital storefronts can have an unlimited number of games because they’re digital, but there’s only so much space at the front of the storefront.”
Subscription services like PS Plus could help with this problem by giving players another way to get them to try a game they normally wouldn’t. Yoshida says, “People who have subscribed to the service already have access to all these games, so there’s a better chance that your game will be tried by people who didn’t know it existed,” so subscription services can help more people find good games.
We don’t know if Journey will ever get back to its glory days, but we wish Mr. Yoshida the best of luck with this project. How do you feel about the state of indie games on the PS5?
Consoles
Why PS4 and PS5 Owners Should Take Notice of the Tails of Iron DLC for PS Plus

Tails of Iron, a hardass 2D role-playing game, is one of the PlayStation Plus Essentials for the month of April. Don’t worry; we’ll tell you why you should check it out even if you don’t have a PS Plus subscription on April 4th, when it becomes available to those who already have one.
Redgi, the rat prince in Tails of Iron, is on a mission to regain his throne from the imperious toads. The amazing Doug Cockle, who is perhaps best remembered for his role as Geralt in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, narrates the animated video down below, which does an excellent job of setting the mood.
The gameplay is intense, requiring steel nerves since, like in 2D Souls games like Salt & Sanctuary and Hollow Knight, you’ll have to fully commit to every move you make. Redgi employs a deliberate, planned strategy in fighting, changing up his armor and weaponry to keep the odds even.
Despite its pleasant forest setting, Tails of Iron is known for being a difficult game with numerous demanding bosses. After completing the main mission (which should take 8-10 hours), you may dive into the meaty Bloody Whiskers post-game DLC.
Both the calmer 3D adventure game Sackboy: A Great Adventure and the genre-bending horror game Meet Your Creator have worthy companions in Tails of Iron.
In April, you can check out Tails of Iron if you haven’t already.
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