Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022) is a downgrade from the previous model in every sense

Apparently, stylus pens are often synonymous with premium-tier devices because they often make you look cooler than you actually are…ahem! Samsung is one of the tech brands that still retain the stylus for so long but then there is Motorola which is also doing its own on the other side of the smartphone market.

The all-new Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022) is one of such devices that’s still holding on to the stylus against all odds and the device while being new, has some annoying drawbacks that you may find disappointing in a 2022 smartphone.

For one, I like the fact that this is a big device and with the stylus, you can write, draw, and do other creative things that interest you the device but then the drawback includes the fact that the Motorola had the gut to reduce the capacity of important features or just yank them all out altogether.

Although for a smartphone that costs just US$299, you wouldn’t have too much expectation since it’s just an entry-level smartphone but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t have some important updates considering the fact that this is 2022 but I digress.

While this model has no 5G since it’s the base model, it offers 4G LTE support and the configuration includes 4/6GB of RAM and 64/128GB of internal storage. There are suggestions that there may be a 5G update of the previous Moto G Stylus 5G that debuted last June.

As for the specs, the device sports a MediaTek Helio G88 chipset and other interesting quirks and features like a higher battery and a fast 90Hz refresh rate. Also out of the box, you’ll get the older Android 11 software even though there will be future support for the software and security patches.

The device ships with a big 6.8-inch IPS LCD panel with an FHD+ resolution and a fast 90Hz refresh rate. Also, there is a big 5,000mAh battery powering the device up with a 10W wired charging capacity.

There is a triple rear camera setup with the primary sensor being a big 50MP with the capacity of recording 1080P video at up to 60 frames per second.

But what is interesting and what’s not about the all-new Moto G Stylus (2022)? Well, let’s find out below but first, the specifications.

Specifications of Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022)

As you can see, the device is pretty much basic and there isn’t too much to expect from it. While there are some parts of the device that some may find disappointing such as the 10W wired charging. In contrast, a similar device with a similar battery capacity such as the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G costs about US$249 and comes with 15W wired charging and of course, 5G support thanks to its MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset.

Personally, I think the fact that Motorola has decided to include microSD card support on this device also gives it some advantage and the big 6.8-inch display is another added bonus to what the device has to offer.

And most of all, if you’re on a budget for a smartphone with a stylus, then you got it unless you want to go back in time and grab yourself a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 which is still doing great even by 2022’s standard.

What I like about Moto G Stylue (2022)

For a base-level smartphone, there just isn’t so much to talk or rant about as far as the Moto G Stylus (2022) is concerned even though feel like Motorola can do better considering the fact that other competitors like POCO, Redmi are constantly releasing great devices with affordable price tags. A good example would be the new Redmi Note 11 series.

However, I’ll give kudos to the fact that Motorola didn’t totally limit what the Moto G Stylus (2022) is capable of. First of all, the battery is one of its selling points. With a big 5,000mAh Li-Po battery, you’re definitely going to be expecting nothing less than a full day of usage even though that is very subjective in every way possible.

On the other hand, you get a triple rear camera system that includes a big 50MP primary sensor that is able to chunk out great photo quality as well as supporting sensors to help balance things out.

There is no optic image stabilization or OIS on either of the three cameras and you can only record videos at 1080P resolution – that is also not a good thing in 2022. At the front, there is a single 16MP selfie camera that can also record 1080P videos which aren’t bad for a selfie camera.

As for the display, the big 6.8-inch 90Hz IPS LCD panel in conjunction with the stylus pen offers a smooth usage with which you can create great written texts and add doodles to images and other gimmicky features that nobody asks for.

Some people may love the fact that Motorola sticks with the stock Android experience without altering it in any way. This is why you experience first-hand apps such as Google’s plethora of apps that compliment the Android OS experience.

As for the security, the MOTO G Stylus has its fingerprint scanner mounted on its side – a position that Motorola has consistently placed the fingerprint scanner of its Moto G Stylus lineups.

The location also makes it easy to quickly unlock the device thanks to the quick response of the fingerprint scanner.

Although the device doesn’t essentially look that attractive, especially when compared with the likes of the Galaxy S22 Ultra but the device offers a perfect balance of practicality and affordability – and that is where the Moto G Stylus (2022) wins.

What I dislike about Moto G Stylus (2022)

The fact that the device has a slow charging speed might just not interest a lot of people. In comparison, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ sports a whopping 120W super-fast charging technology that can do 0% to 100% under 30 minutes depending on the circumstance.

Another thing some may not find pleasant about the device is the fact that the device is quite tall – taller than the Google Pixel 6 Pro or even the newly announced Galaxy S22 Ultra.

The primary cause of this unnecessary height is the thickness of the device’s bezels which doesn’t necessarily have any effect on the display itself but the top bezel and the big chin at the bottom of the device don’t help at all.

In the camera department, while the output is great in itself, there are some drawbacks that many may not find interesting at all. For example, it’s overexaggerated filtering which is its effort to add beautification to every shot taken is just too much. While this can be turned off, this is a default feature that many may not find out at first.

As for the performance of the device, you get the trendy MediaTek processor which I don’t think it’s bad but during benchmarking, its capability is a downgrade from the Snapdragon 678 chipset which powered the previous Moto G Stylus. The question I’m forced to ask is why is Motorola downgrading an update of its device.

Another annoying thing is the fact that this device is LTE only even though there was a 5G variant announced back in June 2021.

Another annoying thing about Motorola is the company’s commitment to future upgrades of the devices’ firmware. While I’m not often in for the “future” bound Android 12 update, the device shipped with the previous Android 11 out of the box, and anyone that gets the device may never get the Android 12 experience until there is Android 13. Also, Motorola yanked off the NFC feature from the Moto G Stylus (2022) which translates to the lack of Google Pay support for contactless payments.

Should you buy the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022)?

The device is an interesting budget-friendly smartphone with all the interesting quirks and features that makes it valuable but then you may have to weigh in on the pros and cons of the device in order to determine whether you’ll be needing one or not.

While the NFC is an important feature but in my subjective opinion, it’s not an obligatory feature in any way. However, lacking 5G in 2022 is a big minus for me even though 5G isn’t a global phenomenon just yet.

Then there is the big 5,000mAh battery that can last you for hours nonstop. Even Motorola bragged that the device can last for about 2 days under a single charge. While that is interesting news, I don’t like the fact that the device only charges at a slower 10W pace considering the fact that there are some better alternatives that can charge much faster than this and also have 5G network support…I’m talking about the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G.

But there are also some Chinese alternatives such as the Redmi Note 11 series with big batteries and fast charging and even a 120Hz refresh rate. I don’t think the 90Hz refresh rate on the Moto G Stylus (2022) is bad but I’m just saying at that price point, there are some solid alternatives that you can get.

How about the stylus, I think that’s a big win too since it allows you to be creative and do all you want at the same time but let’s face it, the stylus is a niche hardware feature that most aren’t familiar with and most will probably never use it at all and that may not be a determining factor for getting yourself a new Moto G Stylus.

But for additional features, you can scale up your budget a little bit for the Moto G Stylus 5G which costs about US$399 with slightly better specifications, the inclusion of 5G technology, NFC, and so forth.