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The Moto G Stylus 5G is a mid-range smartphone with stylus support that costs a lot less than some other stylus-enabled phones. And this year’s model brings a few key upgrades over the 2023 version.
Motorola says the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024) features an updated stylus experience with “reduced latency for a smoother experience, simplified note-taking, and a new UI to easily access stylus features.” The new model also adds support for wireless charging, faster wired charging, and more memory than its predecessor. And the display is now a pOLED screen rather than an LTPS LCD display. But the $400 price tag remains the same… sort of.
That’s the launch price for both this year’s model and last year’s version. But the previous model is a year old at this point, so it’s unsurprisingly on sale at a discount: you can pick up a Moto G 5 (2023) for $250 right now.
And the old model shares a bunch of features with the updated version: both have Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processors, 256GB of storage, and a microSD card reader with support for up to 2TB of removable storage. Both models also have headphone jacks, 5,000 mAh batteries, and stereo speakers.
But folks willing to pay a little more for the new model should get that better stylus experience, along with a few other small upgrades including an updated camera system.
Here’s a run-down of key specs for both phones:
| Moto G Stylus (2024) | Moto G Stylus (2023) | |
| Display | 6.7 inches 2400 x 1080 pixels 395 ppi 20:9 aspect ratio pOLED 2.5D glass 120 Hz refresh rate 240 Hz touch sampling rate 1200 nits peak brightness 92.38 % screen-to-body ratio Gorilla Glass 3 | 6.6 inches 2400 x 1080 pixels 20:9 aspect ratio LTPS 120 Hz refresh rate 92.42% screen-to-body ratio |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 | |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 256GB microSD card reader (up to 2TB) | |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | |
| Charging | 30W (wired) 15W (wireless) | 20W (wired) |
| Wireless | WiFi 5 BT 5.1 NFC 5G Sub-6 Ghz 4G LTE Dual SIM (1 nano SIM + eSIM) | WiFi 5 BT 5.1 NFC 5GB Sub-6 GHz 4G LTE Single SIM (Nano SIM + microSD card) |
| Ports | 1 x USB 2.0 Type-C 1 x 3.5mm audio 1 x microSD card reader | 1 x USB 2.0 Type-C 1 x 3.5mm audio 1 x microSD card reader |
| Security | On-screen fingerprint reader Face Unlock | Fingerprint (in power button) |
| Sensors | Hall/Magnet for Stylus Proximity Ambient Light Accelerometer Gyroscope SAR Sensor Magnetometer (e-Compass) Barometer | Proximity Ambient Light Accelerometer Gyroscope SAR sensor Magnetometer (e-Compass) Barometer |
| Cameras (rear) | 50MP primary (w/OIS) 13MP ultrawide (120 degrees with Macro vision support) | 50MP primary 8MP ultrawide with Macro Vision & Depth |
| Camera (front) | 32MP | 16MP |
| Audio | Stereo speakers (Dolby Atmos) 2 microphones 3.5mm audio jack | |
| OS (at launch) | Android 14 | Android 13 |
| Materials | Vegan Leather back Water repellent design (IP52) | Plastic body Water repellent design |
| Dimensions | 162.56 x 74.75 x 8.3mm | 162.8 x 73.8 x 9.2mm |
| Weight | 190 grams | 202 grams |
| Price | $400 | $400 (at launch) $250 (at time of publication) |
The Moto G Stylus 5G (2024) should be available from Motorola and Amazon starting May 30, 2024. It will also be available from US wireless carriers in the coming weeks. Customers in Canada will be able to pick one up for $500 CAD.
Motorola says the phone will ship with Android 14 and will eventually be updated to Android 15. The company plans to deliver security updates every other month for three years from the time of release.
Motorola Moto G Stylus | 2023 | Unlocked | Made for US 4/64GB | 50 MP Camera | Midnight Blue, 162.89 x 74.08 x 9.19mm 4G New $129.99 <= BARGAIN
No 5G (OK Less Battery Drain).
Compatible with 4G Only – ATandT, ATandT Prepaid, Consumer Cellular, Cricket, Google Fi, H2O Wireless, MetroPCS, Mint Mobile, Net10, Simple Mobile, T-Mobile, Ting Mobile, Total Wireless, Tracfone, Verizon.
6.5″ 90Hz display. Enjoy smooth scrolling and fluid viewing on a large HD plus display with a blazing-fast refresh rate.
https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Stylus-Unlocked-Camera-Midnight/dp/B0BYLRBG4M/
5G phones aren’t necessary for speed, they are for range. The only phone I’ve ever traded in was a 4G phone, and I did so after I discovered the better range my wife’s 5G phone had in remote locations (T-Mobile network). Now when buying a phone I specifically look at what 5G bands it covers, since that varies by both brand and phone.
pOLED is the trademark that LG Display uses to brand its plastic OLED displays. LG’s pOLED displays seem to suffer from an increased risk of burn-in, as users of the Google Pixel 2 XL complained of burn-in after only a few months of use.[1]
What’s the difference between AMOLED, OLED, and POLED?
https://www.androidpolice.com/amoled-oled-poled-explainer/
It would be nice if the table/article would report the update period. The current standard is 7 years, and if shorter, buyers should know.
I wouldn’t say that’s the “standard.” But it is the best anyone is offering for their flagship devices at this point.
Motorola didn’t mention anything about updates in the press release, but from what I’m seeing elsewhere, we can expect one major OS update and three years of security updates.
Thank you. I probably should have said “current gold standard.”
I have the 2023 and it has dual sim I believe. Esim + physical.
Interesting. The specs listed were taken from the Motorola website.
I have a 2023 model I bought for $300. I must have a stylus for note-taking. The other choice was s23 for $1000 more.
Easy choice and I love the Moto. Really crazy good value for money.
I also love the $1000 dollar that I saved.
Is it a capacitive stylus still or have they upgraded to an active stylus?
That is a good question, I’d like to know too. At a price like this it is a far better deal than having to shell out well over a grand for a s24 ultra just to have a stylus
I’m pretty sure it is a Capacitive Pen. But it’s much better than the $20 ones you buy online from China. And it has a Dedicated Silo and Software too. Talking about software, Motorola’s software is pretty great, the only problem is their slow updates for the first year, and then lack of updates after that. If they had a fast update schedule and kept it for at least 4 years, then it would be enough, at least in a practical sense, and competitive against Samsung, Pixel, iPhone, etc etc.
The QC 6g1 is a solid processor for US $300 (or less), so the older device that is discounted looks to be good value. But at the $400 mark for this model it falls a little short. It would’ve been much better if they managed to spring forward to the QC 7g2+ instead.
The phone has been upgraded in every little aspect too. Nice.
But there is one major downgrade: the screen. The older screen is (more expensive) actually superior. Better efficiency and accuracy. Also it was relatively flat, whereas this phone is now downgraded to a curved display.
So overall, this is another mixed device. So close yet so far. Motorola knows what they are doing, and it’s not for the consumer. They’re milking everything they can.
Good analysis. It seemed too good to be true for the price. I knew there would be something that would make S24 ultra the only real stylus option, just the price for an S24 is way to high for a disposable device (smartphones).