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.
Despite Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls 6 was not confirmed as an Xbox exclusive a few months ago. This happened because Xbox executive Phil Spencer indicated that target platforms hadn’t been selected yet, but it always felt like he was talking about the game being years away rather than the RPG being on PlayStation.
If you’re still holding out, Microsoft plans to release The Elder Scrolls 6 just on Xbox and PC. Documents from the company’s FTC lawsuit were recently released. In the document, Bethesda’s announced titles (both as a publisher and developer) are listed, and The Elder Scrolls 6 is listed for Xbox, PC, and nothing else.
We expected this, but The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced before Microsoft acquired its developer. The Elder Scrolls is a beloved franchise that’s been on various platforms for generations, so this isn’t Starfield.
However, the game isn’t due until 2026 at the earliest, according to the paper, and who knows what the gaming landscape will be like then.
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer’s mid-2020 dystopian email suggests the business was interested in buying Warner Bros Interactive and Bethesda. Even more alarming, the CEO calls buying Nintendo a “career moment” and “good for both companies” — and there are even rumors that Microsoft was interested in Valve.
While Spencer warns that acquiring Nintendo would be “hostile action” but “playing the long game”, the unprecedented corporate convergence is shockingly casual. He added: “Nintendo is taking a long time to realize their future is off their hardware. A long time… He even ended the chat with a smiling emoji to make it look more evil.
Spencer claims that Warner Bros Interactive was “gettable” when Microsoft was rumored to acquire it. He adds that “we wouldn’t own any of the IP which hurts long-term flexibility”. Because most Warner Bros Interactive developers work on franchises like Batman, Harry Potter, and others, the studios are worth little without the brands.
The email is over three years old, but it reveals Microsoft’s blasé approach to acquisitions and its goals. While its eventual acquisition of Activision Blizzard may have changed its plans, this leaked exchange suggests that Microsoft will not stop until it has absorbed as much of the industry as possible, even targeting Nintendo.
Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor director Stig Asmussen is leaving Respawn Entertainment for unknown reasons. Asmussen had planned a trilogy for Cal Kestis, but it appears another author will need to write it.
Bloomberg reports that an EA spokesperson said: “Stig Asmussen has left Respawn to pursue other adventures, and we wish him the best. Veteran Respawn leaders will lead Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.”
This move is surprising, but Asmussen leaves on a high note. Jedi: Survivor is a great game despite its performance issues, which is rare for a Star Wars game. We’ll see where Asmussen goes, but we’re excited.
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