News

Nov 19, 2023

Moto G Stylus (2023) review: A lot of phone for only $200

A solid stylus phone that costs six times less than the Galaxy S23 Ultra Although Motorola’s most recent success was its latest nostalgic foldable, Motorola’s most popular phones have long been a

A solid stylus phone that costs six times less than the Galaxy S23 Ultra

Although Motorola’s most recent success was its latest nostalgic foldable, Motorola’s most popular phones have long been a fixture of the budget smartphone landscape for years now. The company has remained relatively competitive with the likes of Samsung and Google in providing affordable smartphones that surprise users, as long as they’re looking at the price tag. The Moto G Stylus (2023) — a 4G-only variant of its more expensive 5G counterpart — continues that trend, providing good enough specs and a comprehensive stylus experience to make you ask yourself, “is this really only $200?”

Now, there’s obviously a downside or two when it comes to budget phones, and the Moto G Stylus doesn’t buck from that tradition either. The 90Hz refresh rate on the LCD is a win, but the lack of brightness makes outdoor daytime usage quite difficult and the overall performance lags behind flagship devices substantially. Still, if you want to make your wallet happy with a stylus-equipped smartphone this year, there are plenty of reasons to consider the Moto G Stylus.

The Moto G Stylus (2023) is a 4G budget device from Motorola that impresses on price and stylus functionality. There are obvious downsides, like the dim screen and laggy performance, but overall, you could do a lot worse for just $200.

Unlike the 5G version, the Moto G Stylus 4G (2023) doesn’t allow for much customization when it comes to specs or price. The device starts at $200 for 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, with no upgrades available. You can pick it up in Midnight Blue or Glam Pink. The device comes unlocked from Amazon, Best Buy, and Motorola’s website.

At that low of a price, you probably don’t need to wait for a sale to hit for your wallet to be happy. Still, Motorola phones are often available at a discounted price, with the Moto G Stylus 4G getting a $30 discount during Prime Day earlier this year.

Right out of the box, the Moto G Stylus doesn’t feel like a $200 phone. Yes, the plastic back makes it obvious you’re using a budget device, but at this price point, I was expecting a much flimsier feel. The back of the phone, sporting a stylishly blue exterior, feels sleek and comfortable in your hand. It survived a few falls without concern, so you could probably forego a case if you really wanted to, but the screen is still vulnerable to cracks, so it’s a gamble either way.

The Moto G Stylus sports your standard array of ports, all found on the bottom of the device. You’ll get the USB-C port and the headphone jack, which is always a pleasant addition among smartphones in 2023. That’s also where you’ll find the single bottom-firing speaker, which provides noticeably one-dimensional sound that can get blocked depending on how you hold the device. It’s certainly not a deal-breaker, though, considering how far down the priority list an external speaker typically is.

Finally, you’ll find the metal stylus on the bottom right of the device, which, as with previous iterations, is easy to access and store, thanks to the decidedly satisfying click on each use.

Because all the ports and speakers are on the bottom of the device, the Moto G Stylus feels sleek around the edges as well, sporting nothing more than the subtle SIM slot on one side and the standard volume and power buttons on the other. Plus, with the power button doubling as a fingerprint sensor, it’s an easy unlock no matter how big your hands are. Suffice to say, the design is as modest as it is practical, which is Motorola to a tee.

The display is certainly nothing to write home about, but again, it impresses for the price. The 6.5-inch LCD sits right between the Samsung Galaxy A54 (6.4-inches) and the Galaxy A14 (6.6-inches), which makes it only 0.1-inch smaller than the 5G version.

The 90Hz panel provides a smooth experience while scrolling through everything from contacts to social media, although it is notably not as impressive as the 120Hz screen featured on the more expensive 5G variant. At 1600x720, its resolution also lags well behind its 5G counterpart (2460x1080), but for twice the price, this sort of downgrade should be expected.

The bezels on the sides are slimmer than the previous 4G iteration of the Moto G Stylus, although there’s virtually no chance you’ll notice without a full-on, side-by-side comparison. What you might notice, however, is that the top and bottom bezels are a bit wider, but it doesn’t take away much from the experience, still providing an 84.5% screen-to-body ratio that will keep your eyes on the content first and foremost. You’ll also find a hole-punch selfie camera in the top middle of the display that feels a bit intrusive, but it quickly blended into the background.

From a brightness standpoint, you’re definitely going to have trouble on bright days, as LCDs in general aren’t going to provide those added nits. Still, as long as you aren’t trying to read through dark mode Twitter at the beach, you’ll get by just fine without too much eye strain.

The Moto G Stylus ships with Android 13, and fortunately doesn’t stray too far from the standard experience. Yes, there are a few customizations you can go with and a unique theme or two to choose from, but overall, you’re getting the same Android experience you know and love.

Unfortunately, the G Series isn’t getting the same attention as other Motorola devices when it comes to updates, so you’ll only get one update to Android 14 at some point aftfer its launch in 2023. Still, Motorola provides three years of security updates, so at least you won’t have to worry about whether or not your data is secure.

Performance is where the Moto G Stylus falls off a bit. The device was noticeably less impressive than the most affordable flagships out there (I’m used to a Pixel 7), lagging and stalling even during the setup process. The device is sporting a Mediatek Helio G85 processor, a far slower chipset than the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 found in its 5G counterpart. You could definitely sense the inferiority when putting the device through the ringer; even just swapping between apps felt slow.

For casual use, though, like scrolling through social media and answering emails, the Moto G Stylus was responsive enough, and the 90Hz screen certainly makes it feel like you’re using more than a $200 smartphone. There were some sticking points, like the slight stutter when opening app folders, that could drive a flagship user a bit crazy, but overall, the user experience doesn’t feel too much like a budget phone.

The high refresh rate was also hugely beneficial when it came to using the stylus, arguably the most impressive aspect of this device. The writing experience is smoother than an actual fountain pen, with each stroke of the stylus feeling comfortable and effortless. It undeniably adds a wow factor to the phone, particularly considering you usually have to pay top dollar for this kind of stylus experience. After all, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is also equipped with a stylus, literally costs $1000 more than the Moto G Stylus.

Like its predecessor, the Moto G Stylus has a breadth of stylus features that make using it that much easier. For starters, when you pop it out, a movable icon pops up on the screen, allowing you to access one of five customizable, stylus-enabled apps, like Moto Note or Google Keep Notes. Even better, when you remove the stylus while the device is locked, it will take you directly to the notes app to help you jot something down quickly and easily.

Motorola has made a point in recent years to prioritize battery life on all its devices. Fortunately, budget smartphones aren’t left in the dark in that regard, which is why the Moto G Stylus is equipped with a hefty 5,000 mAh battery that lasted closer to two days than one, and that’s coming from a heavy TikTok scroller and airplane Netflix viewer.

Obviously, the Moto G Stylus isn’t going to match up to the likes of the Moto G Power, which is to be expected — after all, “Power” is in its name. The Moto G Stylus also can’t match its 5G counterpart, though, as the inferior processor found here is less power efficient. Still, two days should be more than enough time spent off a charger, although the 10W charging speeds using the provided charger is brutally slow if you’re at all used to faster flagship devices.

Let’s be honest: Motorola isn’t known for having the groundbreaking camera technology of Google or Apple, so you should keep your expectations realistic, particularly from a $200 phone. If you’re trying to win a photography contest, you know where to look, but cameras are definitely one of the spots where budget phones suffer the most.

All that being said, the Moto G Stylus still comes with a 50MP camera, a spec now standard on even budget smartphones. It provides some decently crisp shots, with clear details that will surprise you at first. However, while the resolution is comparable to flagships, that’s not all that goes into taking a good picture. For the Moto G Stylus, its output looks flat, clearly missing the software-boosted pop that comes with devices like the Pixel 7. This carries over to the night mode pictures as well, which just can’t capture that brightened magic found on more expensive phones in 2023.

Then you’ve got the selfie camera, which comes in at a modest 8MP. It’s good enough to capture my crows feet, but definitely doesn’t have the wow factor of other, more expensive smartphone cameras. On top of all that, you’ll get a 2MP macro lens instead of a wide angle lens, a trade-off that this reviewer finds irredeemable, but to each their own. If you like super close up shots of flowers rather than the ability to get your whole friend group in one selfie, you do you.

If you aren’t impressed with your photos but have a bit of photography know-how, the Moto G Stylus and other Motorola phones come with a Pro mode that allows for a bit more control and customizability with how you take pictures. You aren’t going to fully replicate a higher quality camera, but you can at least manually make some improvements, as long as you actually know what you’re doing.

More and more smartphone manufacturers are pushing for affordable options that are accessible to everyone. Still, the Moto G Stylus gives a lot of them a run for their money when it comes to functionality and specs. There are, however, some viable competitors that will keep your wallet happy and still provide you with the smartphone experience you need to stop you from pulling out your hair.

At the $200 price point, one of your best bets is going to be the Samsung A14 5G. You get the same 90Hz refresh rate on the screen, the same 5,000mAh battery, and the same 50MP resolution. Its plastic body definitely feels a bit cheaper than the Moto G Stylus, but it’s hard to argue with the Motorola versus Samsung matchup.

If you’ve got even a few extra bucks to spend, though, there are really some great budget devices in the $300-400 range. The Pixel 6a may feel a tad out of date since the launch of the Pixel 7a, but at its new lower $349 price point, it offers good performance, great cameras, and that endearing Pixel software that is as easy as it is fun.

Now, if you really want a stylus at a low price, the TCL Stylus 5G could be a good fit, although we found the user experience to be a bit laggy, despite the better processor and the 5G connectivity.

If you need a good smartphone that will put a nearly unnoticeable dent in your budget, the Motorola G Stylus is it. At $200, you’re going to have a hard time finding a more affordable device that still holds its own as far as functionality is concerned. The body doesn’t feel cheap, the specs are in line with more expensive phones, and the stylus experience from Motorola continues to be one of the best.

Yes, the display isn’t perfect but the refresh rate kind of makes up for it, the camera will get the job done, but not much else, and the battery life will easily get you through a day or two, but it’s not as good as the Moto G Power, obviously. If you have a bit more money, we’d urge you to explore some other options, but if $200 is your cutoff, there’s a lot to like about the Moto G Stylus.

The Moto G Stylus can't quite keep up with the likes of the Galaxy S23 Ultra — it doesn't even have 5G support, after all. But for $200, anyone looking for an affordable stylus-equipped smartphone is unlikely to find a better deal, let alone anything that still comes with a headphone jack.

Conor has been staunchly in favor of Android since graduating to a smartphone from his hot pink Motorola RAZR. In fact, he'll gladly ruin a friendly dinner in service of lambasting Apple devices to those that use them, which he admits is one of his worst personality traits. After being talked out of sports writing by someone working for ESPN Chicago ("it's the same thing every year, it's like purgatory"), Conor decided that the ever-evolving world of tech would be a much more interesting topic to focus on. Now, more than half a decade later, he covers everything from new devices and big conferences to small startups and business trends. In addition to freelancing for Android Police, Conor is the Lead Writer for Tech.co, a tech publication focused on helping small businesses grow and succeed. He's worked with the likes of Forbes, WeWork, General Assembly, Chase Bank, Tech in Motion, and SXSW, among others, through Tech.co in service of making tech a bit more accessible. Conor also can't properly pronounce the word "colloquially," but honestly, who can?