Motorola updates the Moto G Stylus with 5G, now $399 | ZDNet

Motorola has discovered there’s a market for an affordable smartphone with a stylus with the Moto G Stylus. It’s easy to write off any smartphone with a stylus as a niche product, especially with Samsung dominating the high end of the phablet market for the last few years. 

However, according to Motorola, the Moto G Stylus is the best-selling Moto G phone since launching the series. And, today, it’s getting a respectable upgrade. 

The $399 Moto G Stylus 5G will be available as an unlocked phone from Best Buy, Walmart, B&H Photo, Amazon, and Motorola starting June 14. Carriers in the US will sell the device in the future and include AT&T, Cricket, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, Xfinity Mobile, and Spectrum Mobile. 

So, what’s new? For starters, the Moto G Stylus now includes 5G connectivity courtesy of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G processor. It comes with 4GB or 6GB of memory, 128GB/256GB of storage, all of which powers a 6.8-inch FHD+ display. Also tucked inside the housing is a 5,000mAh battery that Motorola claims will last for two full days on a single charge. 

As for camera setup, you’re looking at four rear-facing cameras including a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Rounding out the rear cameras is a 48-megapixel lens, a macro 5-megapixel lens, and an 8-megapixel shooter. You’ll get 1080p video at 60 or 30 frames-per-second.

On the front, you’ll find a 16-megapixel camera for capturing your best self(ie). 

But the highlight of the G Stylus 5G, as its name clearly states, is the stylus. There’s a compartment on the bottom of the G Stylus 5G. The stylus can be used to jot notes, sketch, navigate the G Stylus 5G. 

Motorola has built several tools into the G Stylus 5G, which is running Android 11, to take advantage of the pen. For example, you can remove the stylus from its housing and jot a note on the screen of the phone without unlocking it. 

It’s fascinating to me that Motorola has found success with the G Stylus 5G as a mid-range phone, while Samsung is in the process of watering down the Note brand by adding S Pen functionality to more devices in its lineup. 

We’ll have more coverage of the G Stylus 5G in the coming days, but in the meantime, if you’re looking for a phone that can do a lot of what the Galaxy Note does but don’t want to spend a fortune, does the G Stylus 5G appeal to you? Let us know in the comments.