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Moto G Stylus (2023)
$180 $200 Save $20The budget Moto G Stylus brings an integrated stylus to the affordable end of the market while keeping the multi-day battery life that Moto G models are known for.
Pros- Stylus that stows in the phone
- Multi-day battery life
- 90Hz screen
Cons- Low-resolution screen
- No 5G
- Source: Motorola
Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)
The midrange Moto G Stylus 5G brings the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 to the table for faster performance and better overall experience.
Pros- 5G connectivity
- Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor
- 120Hz refresh rate
Cons- 5G might drain the battery life faster
- Significantly more expensive than the 4G version
Motorola’s strategy of budget-orientated cellular phones has been paying off. Its Moto G models are known for long battery life, a rarity in these days of flagships needing daily charging. This year has refreshes of every model, including the Moto G Stylus (2023) and its 5G-enabled Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) sibling. Is the addition of 5G connectivity the only thing that has changed? We’ll dive into the details, so you can decide which of the affordable stylus-equipped smartphones is right for you.
Moto G Stylus (2023) vs Moto G Stylus 5G (2023): Price, specs & availability:
The Moto G Stylus (2023) was launched on May 5 and is available unlocked for $200 on major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Motorola. It will also be available from carriers like Cricket, Walmart Family Mobile, and Straight Talk.
The all-new Moto G Stylus 5G is available unlocked on Amazon and Motorola’s website starting on June 16 from $400 for the base model. It’s available from Cricket and will be available from AT&T, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Google Fi Wireless, Consumer Cellular, USCellular, Optimum Mobile, Xfinity Mobile, Boost Infinite, Spectrum Mobile, and Boost Mobile later this year.
Moto G Stylus (2023) Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) Brand Motorola Motorola SoC MediaTek Helio G85 Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Display 6.5-inch HD+ HiD, 1600x720, 90Hz 6.6-inch FHD+, Full HD+ (2400 x 1080), LTPS 120Hz, 20:9 aspect ratio RAM 4GB 6GB Storage 64GB, expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card 256GB and up to 2TB microSD card Battery 5,000mAh 5000mAh, 20W wired charging Ports USB-C, 3.5MM audio jack USB-C, 3.5mm headset jack, microSD card Operating System Android 13 Android 13 Front camera 8MP, f/2.0 16MP (f/2.45, 1.0µm) l Quad Pixel Technology Rear cameras Main: 50MP, f/1.8, Quad Pixel, Macro: 2MP, f/2.4, Macro Vision 50MP (f/1.88, 2.0µm) | Ultra Pixel Technology 8MP (f/2.2, 1.12µm) | Ultrawide + Macro Vision + Depth Connectivity 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 5G (no mmWave), 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC Dimensions 6.41 x 2.92 x 0.36 inches (162.89 x 74.08 x 9.19mm) 162.83x 73.77 x 9.19mm Weight 195g 202g Micro SD card support Yes, up to 1TB Yes
Moto G Stylus (2023) vs Moto G Stylus 5G (2023): Design and display
Motorola went for a unified design language this year, with all of its Moto range having very similar designs. You’d have a hard time telling these two handsets apart from any angle, with a square camera bump with two lenses, a siloed stylus in the same bottom corner, and very similar dimensions. The back panel on both is textured plastic that feels closer to aluminum. But if you want to give the plastic back a bit more protection, be sure to check out the excellent cases we've rounded up for you to take care of both the Moto G Stylus and Moto G Stylus 5G.
The screen is the biggest difference visually, and even then, it’s marginal. On the Moto G Stylus, you get a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a 1600x720 resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with a 2400x1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. That should make the more expensive phone better to be used with the stylus, as the faster, higher resolution screen is more suited to handwriting.
Moto G Stylus (2023) vs Moto G Stylus 5G (2023): Hardware, performance, and battery
The Moto G Stylus (2023) is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 and an Arm Mali-G52 GPU. That’s paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and it has a microSD card slot capable of using cards up to 1TB in capacity. It’s not the most powerful assortment of components, but this is a basic phone at a basic price, and the base level of performance is adequate.
Moving on to the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023), the price difference enables Motorola to put the midrange Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor and an Adreno graphics chip. That’s paired with 6GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a microSD slot that can use cards up to 2TB of capacity. Our reviewer said the performance was never an issue, feeling familiar even compared to smartphones with flagship processors inside.
Both phones have a 5,000mAh battery inside. Motorola says that’s enough for up to two days of use, and in the case of the Moto G Stylus, that’s true enough. The Moto G Stylus 5G gets less battery life, likely due to the power consumption of the 5G signal. If battery life is a consideration, switching to 4G LTE should help. That does negate one of the main selling points of the phone, but it could mean the difference between a dead battery or getting home with juice to spare. The 5G variant will also recharge faster, with 20W wired charging vs the 15W of the 4G model.
Moto G Stylus (2023) vs Moto G Stylus 5G (2023): Cameras
Both versions of the Moto G Stylus (2023) have dual cameras on the back, with a primary 50MP sensor with Motorola’s Quad Pixel technology to improve the image quality, especially in low-light situations. On the Moto G Stylus, that’s paired with a 2MP macro lens which is more of an afterthought than a more versatile secondary camera. The Moto G Stylus 5G pairs the main camera with a more sensible 8MP ultrawide sensor, although it lacks focus and detail, according to our reviewer.
The budget Moto G Stylus can create decent images in the right lighting conditions. It struggles when there are strong light sources, where it over-exposes the frame. It also has trouble with images when there is movement in the frame, which turns into a blur fest. You can see some of this below, with the strong light sources making the rest of the frame overexposed. The closeup image of the flower was from the 2MP macro lens, and it’s uninspiring, overexposed, and flat.
Image samples from the Moto G Stylus (2023)
On the midrange Moto G Stylus 5G, the issues with overexposure are still present, possibly pointing to a wider issue with how Motorola handles input from its camera sensors. That said, it is still capable of creating images that are acceptable for this price point. There are better phones for taking photos with, but most are in the flagship ranges, so expectations have to be tempered at midrange or budget levels.
Image samples from the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)
Moto G Stylus (2023) vs Moto G Stylus 5G (2023): Is 5G worth the additional cost?
Both of these handsets are among the best cheap Android phones available today. Motorola has created a pair of stylus-equipped smartphones for scribblers to enjoy without having to pay flagship prices. That should be commended, but we can only have one winner here. That’s the budget Moto G Stylus (2023). While 5G is nice on paper, most people can get along without it, and the midrange Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) doesn’t support mmWave, the fastest variant of 5G.
The cameras perform similarly, the battery life is better on the cheaper device, and the 5G model is twice the price. Twice. You could buy two of the Moto G Stylus, so you have a spare and still have some change left over for what you’d pay for the Moto G Stylus 5G.
Moto G Stylus (2023)
The budget Moto G Stylus brings an integrated stylus to the affordable end of the market, while keeping the multi-day battery life that Moto G models are known for.
While the budget device is better value price-wise, it might not be the best value for your needs. Maybe you need 5G connectivity or a slightly faster processor to do more multitasking, which is handily dealt with on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. The additional smoothness of the 120Hz screen can’t be understated either, which will be important when scrolling with a finger or stylus or when writing notes. Then it's time to look at the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023), which is a solid midrange smartphone overall.
Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)
The midrange Moto G Stylus 5G brings the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 to the table for a faster, more performative experience.