Cell phone (in)decision.
May 22, 2017 10:38 AM Subscribe
Which of these two unlocked phones should I buy? Newer Moto G5 Plus or older Nexus 6?
Over the last weekend, my current Nexus 6 (not 6P) screen cracked. I am unaware of any reason, it seems to've just happened. I like the phone but now need to replace it. Other than the screen size, the specs seem to be reasonably even between the above two phones. Which one would you go for?
Over the last weekend, my current Nexus 6 (not 6P) screen cracked. I am unaware of any reason, it seems to've just happened. I like the phone but now need to replace it. Other than the screen size, the specs seem to be reasonably even between the above two phones. Which one would you go for?
Apologies in advance if this makes your choice harder, but ... I was considering almost this exact same question about 1.5 years ago (at that time, it was Nexus 6 vs. Moto X) and I ended up going with an unlocked OnePlus One. I still love it -- it's super-speedy, it has a great camera, and I think the specs are better for the price than the Nexus 6 (not sure about the Moto G5 Plus). I also strongly prefer Cyanogen OS to stock Android OS. At this point, OnePlus has moved on to a new (more expensive) model, the 3T, but the One is still available second-hand in the price range you're looking at.
posted by ourobouros at 12:18 PM on May 22, 2017
posted by ourobouros at 12:18 PM on May 22, 2017
I too have a OnePlus One I still run as my primary phone. I have unlocked the bootloader and rooted it. I am also running Lineage OS Weeklies on it. It runs Android 7.1.2 better than my Nexus 5x does which I got so frustrated with the speed and slowness that I joined the Android O beta program.
If limited to the two listed, I would go with the Moto G5+. I would consider unlocking the bootloader and flashing another OS on it though. My work phone is a Pixel and while stock Android is a clean OS, there are OS's out there that do what stock Android does but with more features.
posted by AugustWest at 12:50 PM on May 22, 2017
If limited to the two listed, I would go with the Moto G5+. I would consider unlocking the bootloader and flashing another OS on it though. My work phone is a Pixel and while stock Android is a clean OS, there are OS's out there that do what stock Android does but with more features.
posted by AugustWest at 12:50 PM on May 22, 2017
May I assume that you're looking at those two models because unlocked + Verizon? Because otherwise there are a lot more interesting phones out there.
The Moto G5+ with 4 ram/64g storage is a nice little phone. Bought one for my mom to replace an aging 1st gen Moto X. I do have a bit of phone envy as it is a little smaller and lighter than my Moto X Pure, which is what I bought to replace my 1st gen Moto X last year. When my choices were Moto X Pure and Nexus 5 (the 6 was more than I wanted to spend).
The G5+ is a good phone. And more likely to get updates. Do get one of the grippy cases, as it doesn't even have the curved back of the Moto X and is quite slippery.
posted by monopas at 3:07 PM on May 22, 2017
The Moto G5+ with 4 ram/64g storage is a nice little phone. Bought one for my mom to replace an aging 1st gen Moto X. I do have a bit of phone envy as it is a little smaller and lighter than my Moto X Pure, which is what I bought to replace my 1st gen Moto X last year. When my choices were Moto X Pure and Nexus 5 (the 6 was more than I wanted to spend).
The G5+ is a good phone. And more likely to get updates. Do get one of the grippy cases, as it doesn't even have the curved back of the Moto X and is quite slippery.
posted by monopas at 3:07 PM on May 22, 2017
As TheAdamist noted, the 6 will cease to be safe to use online shortly, so unless the price is low enough that it makes sense to use it for a few months and replace it (the Pixel 2 may be out by then and push down the price of the 5x/6x), I wouldn't recommend it.
posted by Candleman at 3:58 PM on May 22, 2017
posted by Candleman at 3:58 PM on May 22, 2017
Ps, don't consider a nexus 5x, there is a class action suit due to early failures, other lg models may be included also. I had 2 die.
I would do research on a nexus 6p to see how that hardware is surviving, if you are considering that over a 6.
Feel free to message me with any g5plus questions.
posted by TheAdamist at 5:42 PM on May 22, 2017
I would do research on a nexus 6p to see how that hardware is surviving, if you are considering that over a 6.
Feel free to message me with any g5plus questions.
posted by TheAdamist at 5:42 PM on May 22, 2017
I have no experience with the g5, but I really liked both my Moto X and Moto X Style. The latter replaced my Nexus 6 ahead of schedule - had nothing but trouble with the Nexus.
posted by dbx at 7:53 PM on May 22, 2017
posted by dbx at 7:53 PM on May 22, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
Of course the moto g5+ hasn't gotten any patches since its release and probably will get few, if any, so i don't know if thats a reasonable decision aid.
I just switched from a nexus 5X, to a g5+ 64gb/4gb, i've never used a nexus 6. My impressions are, g5+ is faster than the 5x, and doesn't thermally throttle as much if at all, battery lasts way longer, micro-sd could be useful if you carry a lot of media, the camera is inferior in low light however. I miss some of the google software thats nexus/pixel specific (launcher, phone, etc), and security updates. G5+ usa doesn't have nfc, but i dont use nfc.
I got the 64gb flash/4gb ram option of the g5+, not sure if the extra ram is worth it. But i thought it was a great value for $299. The amazon ad filled 2gb for 180 or so is a pretty fantastic deal.
posted by TheAdamist at 10:47 AM on May 22, 2017 [2 favorites]