Here at Android Central, we use dozens of budget phones over the course of a year. With manufacturers increasingly rolling out great options in this space every year, we help you decide when to upgrade your phone.
Moto G7
A solid upgrade
$290 at Amazon
Pros
- Premium design
- Robust hardware
- USB-C with 15W fast charging
- Great value
Cons
- No NFC
With the Moto G7, Motorola is once again showing why it’s the go-to brand for budget phones. Combining decent hardware in the form of a Snapdragon 632 with a metal and glass design that includes a tiny waterdrop notch at the front, the Moto G7 punches well above its weight.
Moto G5 Plus
No longer relevant
$174 at Amazon
Pros
- Compact form factor
- 15W fast charging
- Same great Motorola software
Cons
- No more updates
- Dated design
- Aging hardware
The Moto G5 Plus was an excellent budget phone when it launched two years ago, but the specs don’t hold up in 2019. Furthermore, the phone is unlikely to receive any further updates, which means now is as good a time as any to look at other options, like the Moto G7.
Motorola has shown time and again that it knows how to make a solid budget phone, and that hasn’t changed in 2019 with the Moto G7 series. If you’re rocking a Moto G5 Plus or older and are interested in finding out what’s new, read on.
Should you upgrade to the Moto G7 from the Moto G5 Plus?
Motorola knows a thing or two about making a great budget phone, and the Moto G series is often regarded as the benchmark for this segment as a whole. Motorola has done a great job staying attuned to the times, with the Moto G7 offering a significantly larger screen when seen next to the Moto G5 Plus. Thanks to a waterdrop notch for the front camera, the device itself isn’t all that bigger in terms of physical size.
The Moto G7 is a worthwhile upgrade if you’re still rocking a Moto G5 Plus.
The Moto G7 also offers vastly upgraded internals in the form of the Snapdragon 632, which provides much better performance in day-to-day tasks. You also get 4GB of RAM as standard, and there’s a dedicated microSD slot that can accommodate cards up to 512GB in size.
Although the Moto G7 sports a lot of new features, there are a few areas where things are on an equal footing with the Moto G5 Plus. Both phones have 3000mAh batteries with 15W fast charging, and you get about the same battery life as well. Thankfully, the Moto G7 retains the 3.5mm jack, and there’s a capacitive fingerprint sensor at the back.
| Operating system | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 8.1 Oreo |
| Display | 6.2-inch IPS LCD, 2270×1080 (19:9)Gorilla Glass 3 | 5.2-inch IPS LCD, 1920×1080 (16:9)Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 6324 x 1.8GHZ Kryo 250 Gold4 x 1.8GHz Kryo 250 SilverAdreno 506 | Snapdragon 6258 x 2.0GHz Cortex A53Adreno 506 |
| RAM | 4GB | 3GB/4GB |
| Storage | 64GB | 32GB/64GB |
| MicroSD slot | Yes (up to 512GB) Dedicated slot | Yes (up to 256GB) Hybrid slot |
| Rear camera 1 | 12MP f/1.8 PDAF | 12MP f/1.7 PDAF |
| Rear camera 2 | 5MP | No |
| Front camera | 8MP f/2.0 | 5MP f/2.2 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/nBluetooth 4.2 LEGPSFM radio | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/nBluetooth 4.2 LEGPSFM radio |
| Audio | 3.5mm jackSingle speaker | 3.5mm jackSingle speaker |
| Battery | 3000mAhNon-removable | 3000mAhNon-removable |
| Charging | USB-C15W | Micro-USB15W |
| Water resistance | No rating | No rating |
| Security | Fingerprint sensor | Fingerprint sensor |
| Dimensions | 157 x 75.3 x 8mm 172g | 150.2 x 74 x 7.7mm155g |
| Colors | Ceramic Black, Clear White | Lunar Grey, Fine Gold |
Motorola continues to offer one of the best third-party skins around, and its software aesthetic hasn’t changed all that much in the last two years. That’s a good thing because there’s not a whole lot wrong with Motorola’s implementation of Android in the first place. Features like Moto Actions and Moto Display continue to be standout additions for Motorola on the software front, and if you’re coming from the Moto G5 Plus, you’ll feel right at home on the Moto G7.
Thankfully, Motorola’s software hasn’t changed too much in the last two years.
If there’s one critique to be made of Motorola’s software, it’s that the manufacturer has a poor record when it comes to updates. Motorola has affirmed that it will deliver bi-monthly security updates to the Moto G7 series, but it hasn’t done a great job following through on its word in the last months and years. On the subject of updates, the Moto G5 Plus is still running Oreo more than two years after its release, and the device will not make the switch to Pie. So if you’re looking to try out the latest version of Android, then you should consider upgrading to the Moto G7.
Plain and simple: if you’re still rocking a Moto G5 Plus, it’s time to make the switch to the Moto G7. The phone offers much more robust hardware that should allow it to hold its own for the next two years, and the design isn’t likely to be outdated anytime soon either.
Moto G7
A solid upgrade
$290 at Amazon
Great hardware at a low cost
With a premium design backed by robust internals, the Moto G7 is already turning out to be one of the best budget phones of the year. Motorola hasn’t altered its formula too much in the last two years, but the changes to the camera, internal hardware, and overall design make the Moto G7 a no-brainer upgrade.
Moto G5 Plus
No longer relevant
$174 at Amazon
It’s time to get a better phone
Two years is about as long as you can use a budget phone before it starts acting up, and for Moto G5 Plus owners there’s a clear upgrade path. The Moto G7 is the obvious choice, considering it offers a decent bump in hardware while still retaining that Motorola software experience that made the Moto G series great in the first place.
