The Moto G Stylus 2025 gets so much right that I don't miss my flagship
It's been two months since I reviewed the Moto G Stylus 2025, and I'm still impressed. I picked the phone back up last week to see what stood out to me after recently using flagship phones like the Motorola Razr Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. No one would confuse those more expensive devices with the midrange power found on the Moto G Stylus 2025, but you'd be surprised.
I expected compromises when moving back to the Moto G Stylus, and they were there. But I was unbothered by them. Highlighting value in midrange and budget phones is what I enjoy most about my job, and the Moto G Stylus 2025 is a prime example of how much you can get for your money. If you're unsure which smartphone you should buy next, here's why this midrange Moto should be near the top of your list for $400.
Motorola made efforts to improve durability across its entire 2025 lineup, and the Moto G Stylus is no exception. I would never confuse it with a flagship phone made from premium materials, but it can withstand a few drops without breaking apart. This year's G Stylus is IP68 dust- and water-resistant and MIL-STD-810H compliant for drop testing. Your best bet for protecting your phone is still a case, but sometimes I want to enjoy the design of my device, and Motorola has made that safer this year.
I'm using the Samsung Galaxy A36 for an upcoming review. It features a high-quality AMOLED panel, but the Moto G Stylus 2025 has a vibrancy and brightness it can't match. Motorola fitted the G Stylus with a fantastic 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 1220 x 2712 Super HD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It looks incredible, and I can say it's the most impressive display I've seen on a device under $400. It becomes even more remarkable when I consider that the Moto G Stylus will be available for most of its lifecycle for around $300 new. Moto puts the best displays on budget and midrange devices, and the G Stylus 2025 proves this.
I'm pleased with the performance I get from the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 in the Moto G Stylus. The phone's 8GB of RAM also keeps things running smoothly, and I'm glad Motorola recognizes the importance of more RAM in budget phones. The aforementioned Galaxy A36 only has 6GB of RAM, and even with the same powerplant, I can tell the difference in performance — the G Stylus is snappier. If you're a big gamer, you might consider spending a few extra dollars on the OnePlus 13R or an older flagship, but for productivity apps and daily tasks, the G Stylus is excellent.
I love that I can easily stretch my Moto G Stylus 2025's battery life for two days if needed, often ending a second day of mixed use with 20% battery remaining.
Software's still a mixed bag with the Moto G Stylus, but it has nothing to do with Hello UI or Android 15. I enjoy Moto's flavor of Android, and the company does an excellent job balancing added features and a stock experience. I wish the company didn't lean so heavily on AI, as I think it's wasted effort at this point, but overall, Moto does a solid job. Unfortunately, software support is weak, and although I've made peace with it, it remains a negative aspect of the phone. You might not care, and if you're trading your phone in after two or three years, taking advantage of the next juicy Motorola carrier deal, it's not something that would prevent you from making a purchase.
I love that I can easily stretch my Moto G Stylus 2025's battery life for two days if needed, often ending a second day of mixed use with 20% battery remaining. Its 5,000mAh cell combined with a power-efficient Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 does the job, and I'm still getting similar performance two months later. The 68W wired charging helps me top off quickly, and the 15W wireless charging is an unexpected perk from a Motorola device in this price range.
I'm impressed with the shots I get from the 50MP primary sensor on the G Stylus. Images are saturated and crisp in good lighting. Sure, the 13MP ultrawide photos fall off, but the 50MP main camera makes up for it, giving excellent, Instagram-ready photos that'll please your friends. It's not a Pixel, but I'm not expecting it to be, especially if I can grab one on a carrier deal or a sale later in the year.
More people should consider using budget and midrange Motorola phones. The company does a fantastic job blending value and performance, and we need more competition here in the US. I promise that Samsung and Google aren't the only Android manufacturers making solid smartphones, and the Moto G Stylus 2025 is an excellent opportunity to break the cycle and try something new.
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