The Moto G Stylus 5G packs in a raft of hardware and specs into an aggressively priced phone. But is the Moto G Stylus 5G worth it? Let’s find out…
Motorola either has a good sense of humor, likes confusing people, or isn’t keeping tabs on what its phones are actually called. As of right now, it has three Moto G Stylus phones on its books. You have 2021’s Moto G Stylus, the non-5G Moto G Stylus, and, the focus of this review round-up, the 2022 Moto G Stylus 5G.
That’s pretty confusing but the thing to keep in mind here is simple: we’re talking about the LATEST Moto G Stylus – the Moto G Stylus 5G that got a release in 2022. And this Moto G Stylus 5G comes with plenty of improvements over its predecessor, as well as the non-5G model. And these updates combined make the Moto G Stylus 5G one of the better mid-range options on the market right now.
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this post, let’s first go over the specs you’ll find inside the Moto G Stylus 5G. By doing this first, we can then discuss them in more detail after, comparing them to similarly priced – or more expensive – phones, so you can see what kind of bang for your buck you’re getting, should you decide to go with the Moto G Stylus 5G.
Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 Specs
- Dimensions: 168.9 x 75.8 x 9.3 mm
- Screen Size: 6.8in
- Screen Type: IPS LCD, 120Hz
- CPU: Snapdragon 695 5G
- RAM: 8GB
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Camera: 50MP (Wide) + 8MP (Ultra Wide) + 2MP (Depth)
- Headphone Jack: Yes
- 5G: Yes
- Storage: 256GB
- SD Card Support: Yes
- Colors: Steel Blue, Seafoam Green
As you can see, the Moto G Stylus 5G isn’t just your run-of-the-mill mid-range Android phone. It actually packs in plenty of what most would consider “flagship-grade” specs. You have a 120Hz display, for instance, 256GB of internal storage, and support for things like 5G and even a headphone jack and microSD cards – two really cool things that nearly all new phones do not have.
The phone itself is fairly huge, however, measuring in at 168.9 x 75.8 x 9.3 mm. You also have a 6.8in display to play with. If you like big phones, this will be fine. But if you find bigger phones unwieldy, then you might be better off looking elsewhere – this is a large phone. For me, the standout stuff here is the 120Hz refresh rate display, the impressive amount of storage it comes with, and its potent 50MP main camera.
On phones that cost less than $450, you simply just do not get this kind of spec, so kudos to Motorola for delivering heaps of spec and hardware inside a phone that retails for quite a lot less than both the standard Galaxy S22 and iPhone 13. But is all this spec and hardware well utilized? Is the Moto G Stylus 5G worth your time and money? Let’s take a look at some of the reviews for the handset and find out…
Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 Reviews
If you want a phone with a stylus that keeps up with demanding tasks and camera quality isn’t a priority, then the G Stylus 5G is a compelling option. Not everyone needs the power of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the Moto G Stylus 5G stands up as a much less expensive alternative with healthy performance. The LTE-only Moto G Stylus is an even lower cost option at $279, which is a good option if your budget is tight. But if you can spare the extra $200-plus, the 5G model is a worthwhile upgrade for its faster performance.
The Verge
If you’re looking for a mid-tier smartphone with a stylus, absolutely. For the price, the Moto G Stylus 5G has very few, if any, deal breakers, with the poor sound quality and plentiful bezels representing slight annoyances at worst and barely noticeable quirks at best. The easy-to-use fingerprint sensor, the solid enough camera, intuitive features, and sturdy design make the Moto G Stylus 5G a solid option and the advanced perks like the 120Hz refresh rate and the excellent stylus features make you forget it’s even a mid-tier phone at all. All in all, Motorola has surprised us here with the Moto G Stylus 5G, bringing us a phone that covers the fundamentals and adds a bit of flare to make for a pretty good smartphone.
Android Police
The phone is a definite upgrade over the vanilla G Stylus (2022) and its predecessor, the G Stylus 5G (2021). The phone’s modern processor and larger RAM configuration give it a significant performance boost, and the addition of NFC is long overdue. Battery life is about the same, however, and the newer phone’s faster display isn’t significantly improved when it comes to contrast or brightness. The cameras aren’t much more to write home about either. Despite the improvements, the similarities between these phones leaves the $499 price point of the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) feeling a little high.
Android Authority
The Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) is a surprisingly good mid-range phone that offers excellent performance and even better battery life. Frankly, I’m still surprised at just how much I enjoy using this phone. Motorola still has a few lessons to learn, particularly when it comes to the longevity of its smartphones. It’s disappointing that the company insists on promising just one major OS upgrade with its sub-flagship phones, given how popular they’ve become in even the U.S. market.
Android Central
Is Moto G Stylus 5G Worth It?
All things being equal, the Moto G Stylus 5G is a very decent option in 2022 for those that do not want and/or need an iPhone 13 Pro or a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. It has all the battery power you’ll ever need, very decent performance, loads of storage, and a camera that is perfectly adequate. For many, that’s all you’ll ever need from a phone.
The even-cheaper, non-5G Moto G Stylus is $200 cheaper, so if you’re on a super-tight budget, there is certainly a case for going with that phone. It does lack the performance of the Moto G Stylus 5G 2022, and you get less storage and no 5G support. But it is $200 cheaper, and that is a fair old chunk of change.
Me? I’d be inclined to pay the extra, get 5G support, better overall performance, more storage, and better connectivity. Again, this IS NOT a Galaxy S22 killer, but for a mid-range phone, it is very easy to like the Moto G Stylus 5G 2022. The design is nice enough, it comes with a very impressive stylus, and it has reams of storage, as well as SD support and a headphone jack. Given the choice, though, I still think Samsung’s Galaxy A53 or A72 are better overall options (and they’re more or less the same price).
At the end of the day, if you want a stylus with your phone, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 is one of the only halfway decent options on the market. If you go the Samsung route to get a stylus, you’ll pay considerably more money. But again, for that extra dollar, you will be getting a significantly better phone too.
For most, though, the Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 will be more than enough. It does a lot of things right, all the basics are taken care of, and it is priced brilliantly. What more could you want from a mid-range phone?
