It has been a number of years since I evaluated the first-generation Moto G Stylus, and lots has improved. My ZDNET colleague Kerry Wan lined all the specs of the newest mannequin, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024), and what to anticipate within the $399 Android smartphone, so I will not repeat all that right here. As a substitute, I have been testing the telephone for a few months with my T-Cellular SIM and can share my expertise with it thus far.
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Earlier this yr, I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for thrice the value of the Moto G Stylus. Nevertheless, for each day use, I desire carrying the Moto G Stylus. It is smaller, the stylus meets all my wants, and I benefit from the streamlined Moto expertise and customization. My notification shade is not cluttered with advertisements, and I may even go two days earlier than needing to cost it.
Motorola despatched me the Caramel Latte colour with a vegan leather-based again, which is gorgeous and matches considered one of my favourite espresso sorts (haha!). There’s additionally a Scarlet Wave colour that is extra crimson, virtually like lipstick. With 8GB of RAM, 256GB of inside storage with microSD card assist, and a 5,000mAh battery, all for simply $349, the brand new Moto G Stylus could be the price range telephone to beat in 2024.
The stylus stays the distinguishing function of this yr’s Motorola mannequin. It has been improved over earlier generations with lowered latency, higher concentrating on, and an up to date consumer interface. Pulling out the stylus when the telephone is off is handy, and there is a new observe pop-up for rapidly jotting down ideas. It is a delicate however very useful function for notetakers on the go.
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So far as default notes apps go, you may select between Moto Word and Google Hold Notes. Since Hold Notes is my default, the telephone is much more helpful for my wants.
When the telephone is on, and the stylus is eliminated, a listing of favorited shortcuts seems on an overlay display screen, permitting you to leap proper into the motion. The stylus settings embrace elimination notifications and the final identified location of the stylus that will help you discover it if it is misplaced. The stylus has a a lot nicer design than earlier Moto Stylus fashions I’ve used, intently resembling the Samsung S-Pen. It is easy to carry, slim, and costs throughout the telephone.
Constructed-in pen apart, Motorola’s consumer interface is considered one of my favourite components of the telephone; it is a pretty inventory, Pixel-esque appear and feel boosted by Motorola’s useful gestures and system enhancements. For instance, you may twist to launch the digicam, make chopping motions to toggle the flashlight, and choose up the telephone to silence the ringer. These gestures, and a number of other others, make the telephone really feel a lot smarter than others, and it is nice to have them accessible even at this cheaper price level.
The Moto G Stylus 5G launches with Android 14 and has month-to-month safety updates, however given the inexpensive worth and processor of the telephone, you may doubtless anticipate one main improve to Android 15 and probably two years of Android safety patches. The cadence will range, after all, although I want Motorola would push the restrict a bit extra and promise at the very least two years of OS upgrades. Samsung and Google, for comparability, provide upwards of seven years of updates.
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The 6.7-inch OLED helps as much as a 120Hz refresh price that may dynamically regulate primarily based in your use circumstances. For instance, it will decrease the refresh price while you’re scrolling via photographs or a webpage — when there are fewer animations to render. I’ve loved hours of content material with the telephone, and having a legacy port within the 3.5mm headphone jack actually helps when touring with out wi-fi earbuds.
A 50MP foremost and 13MP ultra-wide digicam are positioned on the again of the telephone. It is actually refreshing to see a mid-range telephone with out the pointless macro lens and depth sensor. As a substitute, the ultra-wide digicam helps a 120-degree field-of-view whereas additionally serving because the macro shooter.Â
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Whereas the digicam {hardware} just isn’t as highly effective as flagship phones, Motorola supplies wonderful software program instruments that make it easier to seize nice photographs and be artistic with little effort. Nonetheless, I’ve loved utilizing the Motorola digicam, particularly when capturing fast pictures throughout the daytime. The 50MP digicam system ought to serve most individuals simply high quality. At this worth level, you actually cannot complain.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
I began utilizing private digital assistant (PDA) gadgets that every one had a stylus in 1997, and I’m nonetheless a fan of utilizing such an adjunct that gives precision inputs and on-device handwriting. The Moto G Stylus 5G is an inexpensive choice for stylus lovers whereas additionally serving as a really succesful Android telephone. The Motorola consumer interface stays considered one of my favorites since it’s optimized for environment friendly use and would not rely as closely on AI that will help you get issues executed.
For a restricted time, Motorola will bundle a free pair of Bose QuietComfort II earbuds ($299 worth) while you purchase the $399 Moto G Stylus 5G, that means you are basically paying solely $100 for the telephone. That is a incredible deal on each an important telephone and a pair of wi-fi earbuds.
