Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 Review: Better Pen, Higher Price

Source: Wired

Overview

Motorola has applied the same playbook it uses for the rest of its Moto G phones to keep prices static, but the price increase feels especially sharp on this model. Performance, however, is solid. After nearly a month of daily use I’ve encountered no major issues aside from a brief lag when launching the camera app. The phone shows its limits in graphics‑heavy games—something competing devices handle more smoothly—but for most tasks it’s more than adequate.

Battery capacity has been nudged up to 5,200 mAh, easily lasting two full days with light‑to‑average use. On a day when I logged a heavy nine‑hour screen‑on time, the phone needed a top‑up around 7 pm. So if you’re a screen‑maxxer, expect to charge once during the day. The addition of wireless charging is a nice perk, giving you two ways to replenish the battery.

The 6.7‑inch, 120‑Hz AMOLED display reads well even in bright sunlight, but Motorola’s auto‑brightness slider is overly sensitive—similar to the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro—causing the screen to dim unexpectedly. You can disable auto‑brightness if you prefer manual control.

Camera Blur

The camera system remains a weak spot for Moto G phones, and compared with other $500 smartphones, the Moto G Stylus still falls short. The 50‑megapixel main sensor struggles to capture sharp images of moving subjects; my dog’s photos often come out blurry even with decent indoor lighting.

When the subject is completely still, other issues appear, such as overly dark shadows or blown‑out highlights. In a high‑contrast indoor shot, the camera kept the room well‑exposed, but my pup’s eyes turned pitch black and the nose lost all detail, resulting in a featureless dark area. Colors can look muted in these scenarios. In good lighting the results improve, though the 13‑MP ultrawide lens still renders colors oddly—skies acquire an unnatural blue tint. The selfie camera performs decently, even in backlit conditions.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu