For a year, the Motorola Moto G4 (Shopper 343) represented the pinnacle of budget smartphone design, which is why the Moto G5 (Shopper 353) was such a disappointment; it’s still a decent handset, but takes so many backwards steps that there’s no reason to choose it over last year’s model. However, the Moto G5 Plus –the larger phablet version – couldn’t be more different. Not only is it a far more accomplished device than its own predecessor, the Moto G4 Plus, but it easily warrants the £80 premium over the MotoG5, with a better camera, nicer looks and drastically faster performance. That price difference does mean the Moto G5 Plus sits in a different sector to the Moto G5 but, at £249, that sector is largely empty right now. Most rival phone manufacturers have deserted the mid- to low-price tier, previously occupied by such stalwarts as the Nexus 5X and the OnePlus 2, and have moved to higher or lower ground. So, although still a temptingly priced phone, the G5 Plus’s competition