Affordable Dual-Camera smartphones: It’s not just the camera, it’s what you can do with it

This post is brought to you by Motorola.

Dual-camera technology is no longer limited to flagship smartphones. It’s now even more accessible on mid-range devices which have gotten better over the years. For less than RM1,000, the top two contenders are the Moto G5S Plus and the Xiaomi Mi A1.

While both are quite similar in specs, the twin camera setup is quite different. Read on to learn more about the Moto G5S Plus’ camera features.

The Moto G5S Plus was announced in the second half of 2017 and it’s one of the best value for money smartphones you can buy today. Not only it’s bigger than the original Moto G5 Plus, it gets an interesting dual-camera setup that shoots in both colour and monochrome. To unleash your creativity, just turn on the depth feature to unlock new possibilities that are often found only on more expensive smartphones.

After taking the shot, you can use the built-in Depth Editor for additional effects. You can adjust the amount of background blur or you can turn certain elements to black and white for a dramatic effect. If you’re feeling creative, you can selectively remove a background and replace it with another photo. Check out the samples below:

Selective Focus

Selective Black & White

Remove Background

For those who want more control, there’s a Professional Mode that lets you adjust the focus, shutter speed, exposure and white balance. There’s also slow-mo, panorama and beautification features built-in.

When it comes to videos, the Moto G5S Plus is capable of shooting in 4K as well as Full HD 1080p videos at a higher 60fps. For those who love to take selfies, the front 8MP camera even has its own Professional Mode for manual controls.

Here’s how the Moto G5S Plus’ dual-camera compares with the Xiaomi Mi A1:

As a phone itself, the Moto G5S Plus is a sold mid-range device. It has a 5.5” Full HD screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and it’s encased in a premium and sleek full metal body. It runs on a frugal yet powerful Snapdragon 625 processor that comes with 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage.

While it runs on stock Android, Motorola has thrown in a couple of extras to keep you ahead. With built-in Moto Actions, you can perform quick actions with a simple gesture. A double chopping motion turns on the flashlight while a quick double-twist of your wrist will activate the camera.

To maximise your smartphone display, you can hide the virtual navigation buttons by enabling one button navigation. This enables extra gestures on the embedded fingerprint sensor such as swiping left to right to view recent apps and swiping right to left to go back. A quick touch brings you back to home and you can even lock the screen with a long touch.

Powering the Moto G5S Plus is a 3,000mAh battery which can last a full day and a TurboPower feature that gives you 6 hours of battery life from a quick 15-minute. The Moto G5S Plus is going for only RM999 and it comes in either Lunar Gray and Blush Gold. It’s available now on Motorola’s official online store on Lazada as well as authorized Motorola brand stores throughout Malaysia.