The Moto G Stylus 2024 just became my favorite budget phone with this Prime Day discount
by Stephen Radochia · Android PoliceI’m a fan of the Moto G Stylus 2024. Motorola did a magnificent job with the hardware, and while I question Moto’s software strategy, it’s hard to deny the G Stylus is an excellent value. I thought it was worth the original $400 asking price, but it quickly became my favorite Prime Day deal for only $250. If you’re in the market for a well-appointed smartphone but don’t want to break the bank, I think you’ll like what the Moto G Stylus 2024 offers.
Read our review
Moto G Stylus 5G (2024) review: Great hardware ruined by bad software
Moto's hardware keeps getting better, so why can't its Android experience keep up?
Why I love the Moto G Stylus 2024
Great display and performance
It starts with the display. Motorola fitted the G Stylus with a gorgeous 6.7-inch P-OLED (read: symmetrical bezels) 1080p panel refreshing at 120Hz. It’s poppy and saturated, definitely not something you usually find at this price point. It’s also color-accurate, and games and movies look amazing. You use the display 100% of the time when using the phone, so I’m pleased when companies don’t treat it as an afterthought, especially for under $300.
I was skeptical when Motorola included a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 in the Moto G Stylus 2024. The company had been using the MediaTek Dimensity 7030 in mid-range devices like the Motorola Edge 2024, and I initially worried the G Stylus would lack horsepower. My fears melted away quickly when I started using the phone. The Moto G Stylus is snappy and responsive, with enough power for daily tasks and light to moderate gaming. You won’t see max frames in Genshin Impact, but you can throw curveballs with the best of them in Pokémon Go.
Along with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, Motorola packed the G Stylus with 8GB of RAM. RAM is often overlooked in mid-range and budget phones, but it greatly impacts the user experience; the more RAM you have, the smoother the UI will be, especially without flagship raw horsepower. The Moto G Stylus also gets fantastic battery life, topping out at over 8 hours of screen-on time with a single charge.
No one will confuse the Moto G Stylus with having a premium build. It has a plastic frame, and you won’t find Gorilla Glass protecting the front display. It also includes a rather lackluster mono speaker. However, what the G Stylus lacks in premium materials, it makes up for in legacy features. You’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and MicroSD card expandable storage — a rarity in 2024. I also like its eco-leather back, as it provides extra grip.
The Moto G Stylus is snappy and responsive, with enough power for daily tasks and light to moderate gaming.
Software is always a mixed bag with Motorola. The Moto G Stylus will receive one major Android upgrade, which is pathetic in 2024 at any price point. Motorola will at least give it three years of security patches, which softens the blow. In addition, Moto’s updates are often slow to roll out, so I wouldn’t expect a quick Android 15 release. Either way, I’ve made my peace with it, and the G Stylus has enough going for it, and $250 is still an excellent price despite software misgivings.
Even though Motorola software support isn’t the best, Hello UI, Moto’s new skin introduced with Android 14, is pleasant. All your favorite Moto gestures are still there, and Moto’s UI desperately needed a fresh coat of paint. I would love to see an always-on display come to the G Stylus, but I’m enjoying the software experience overall on the G Stylus 2024.
I’m impressed with Motorola’s imagery improvements over the last several years. The Moto G Stylus isn’t going to produce photos on par with a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy, but it does a decent job with good lighting. Images are saturated and look fantastic on social media. I’d rather a budget camera system erred on the side of being too colorful rather than producing stark, washed-out images. Things fall apart in low light as photos become soft and grainy, but at this price point, it more than does the job.
Of course, there’s also the stylus. It doesn’t have the features and functionality of Samsung’s S-pen, but I don’t care. It’s not a Bluetooth pen, but it does 95% of what I want a stylus to do. I can draw notes on the screen and mark up documents. I can create goofy gifs and write on photos to send to friends, and I use it to scroll through websites. If you’re looking for stylus functionality at a fraction of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s price, the Moto G Stylus becomes an attractive option.
It’s hard to ask for more
Phones around $250 often have subpar displays or middling power. I love the Moto G Stylus 2024 for $250 because it doesn’t make those compromises. The display is gorgeous, and the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 was a surprise, delivering fantastic power for the price. If you’ve been searching for the right Prime Day deal, I think it’s hard to beat the Moto G Stylus 2024 at this price.
Moto G Stylus 5G (2024)
$350 $400 Save $50
If you're in the market for a phone with a stylus and you don't want to break the bank, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024) is going to be hard to beat. With an upgraded 120Hz OLED screen and up to 16GB of RAM paired with as much as 256GB of storage, it's got the specs slider maxed out at its $400 price point, even better with a Prime Day deal at $250.