Motorola launches Moto G5 Plus in India, priced at Rs 14,999

Motorola today launched the fifth generation of its best-selling Moto G series -- Moto G5 Plus -- in the Indian market at a price of Rs 14,999 onwards.

Motorola will make available two versions -- 3GB RAM/16GB memory and 4GB RAM/32GB memory -- for Rs 14,999 and Rs 16,999 respectively. These will go on sale from tonight on Flipkart.

Equipped with a full metal design, faster processor and better camera functionality, the Moto G5 will compete with handsets from Xiaomi, Micromax as well as those from the stable of its parent -- Lenovo.

"This is our biggest franchise and the fastest selling as well. India is one of the first markets globally where we are launching the Moto G5 Plus," Motorola Mobility India Managing Director, Sudhin Mathur, told reporters here.

The Moto G series cumulatively has so far sold 6 million units in India, he added.

He said that the company will introduce Moto G5 -- the base model -- in India in the coming weeks.

The device was unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month. The Moto G5 Plus features a 5.2-inch display, 2Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor, up to 4GB RAM, removable storage of up to 128GB, 12MP rear and 5MP front cameras and 3,000 mAh battery.

At the end 2016, Lenovo and Motorola had 8.9 per cent share of the Indian smartphone market, as per research firm IDC.

The Indian smartphone market has seen a significant shift in the last few quarters with homegrown brands being pushed out of the top five positions by Chinese brands like Lenovo, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.

Motorola's e-commerce partner, Flipkart, has introduced a Buyback Guarantee programme. "Under this programme, the company guarantees to buy back smartphones that have been sold to consumers, at an assured price that provides consumers huge value, while helping them to upgrade/ buy the next smartphone of their choice on Flipkart," Flipkart said. Terms and conditions will apply.

The programme will be available for free for users buying it in the first week of sale. Later, the programme will be available for Rs 1,199.