I often tell people that if you don’t like the price of a Motorola phone, wait five minutes. The company’s initial MSRPs are somewhat ambitious, but the devices quickly drop in price.
Whether it’s an attractive carrier deal or deep discounts at a big box retailer, Motorola smartphones are a fantastic way to get solid value and excellent performance for the price you pay.
That’s especially true of the Moto G Stylus 2025. It’s a phone that continues to impress me. I love what Moto did last year, and the upgrades for 2025 build on that success.
If your budget is around $200, here’s why the Moto G Stylus 2025 should be the phone that winds up in your pocket.
Performance that will get the job done
I love the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
We often grossly overestimate the amount of power required in a smartphone. It’s easy to be swayed by flagship chipsets and specs, but the real-world usage difference is calculated in percentages, not multiples.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 in the Moto G Stylus 2025 gets the job done, especially when paired with 8GB of RAM.
Instagram opens quickly and runs smoothly. I have no problems multitasking, and sending messages on WhatsApp is a breeze.
The phone does everything I need it to do.
Gaming is enjoyable, and while I can’t crank the graphics all the way up, I can keep things at medium while maintaining a decent frame rate.
I also enjoy getting a stylus on a smartphone without spending $1,300.
All told, I think the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is the best budget chipset of the year, and it’s a fantastic addition to the Moto G Stylus 2025, especially if you’re only paying around $200 for the phone.
A gorgeous display that’s hard to beat
Motorola ships the best midrange screens
Midrange smartphones have improved significantly over the last few years. Performance has become better, but it’s the displays that have seen the biggest glow-up.
It was once impossible to find a decent display on a phone under $500, but that’s no longer the case. Motorola ships some of the best midrange panels I’ve seen, and the screen on the Moto G Stylus 2025 is gorgeous.
It features a vibrant 6.7-inch AMOLED screen that refreshes at 120Hz. It has a Super HD resolution (1220×2712) and a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, making it a pleasure to use outdoors.
It’s clear where Motorola cut corners to maintain a reasonable price. The phone’s frame is plastic, and the back is covered with eco-leather instead of glass. That’s not a dealbreaker, and the phone still carries an IP68 rating.
I also enjoy getting a stylus on a smartphone without spending $1,300. It functions well for notes and drawings, and Moto’s stylus software suite allows you to create GIFs quickly, perfect for those group chats with friends.
Serviceable camera and outstanding battery life
5,000mAh is more than enough
The 13MP ultrawide camera on the Moto G Stylus is nothing special, but I’m pleasantly surprised by the photos I get from its 50MP primary lens.
Moto got the color science right, and I love the saturation and contrast of the photos. They are exactly what you’d want for posting on social media, without having to enhance the color like you sometimes need to on a Pixel.
The battery life on the Moto G Stylus is also impressive. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 isn’t power-hungry, and Moto fitted the G Stylus with a large 5,000mAh battery.
I’m not looking for my charger until well into the second day of use.
Moto also has faster recharging speeds than most, especially in this price range. The Moto G Stylus features 68W wired charging, allowing me to top off quickly.
I also appreciate that Motorola has retained some fan-favorite legacy features on the Moto G Stylus.
There’s a microSD card slot for expandable storage and a 3.5mm headphone jack. I enjoy having the versatility of both, and a 3.5mm headphone jack still comes in handy for many.
It’s hard not to find an outstanding deal
Total Wireless is currently offering the Moto G Stylus 2025 for only $200, and that’s without any trade-in bonus or porting your number.
It’s one of many attractive offers I see on the phone, and it’s a device that’s hard to resist when you’re looking at prices sub-$300.
If you’re on a tight budget but don’t want to compromise on getting an excellent phone, the Moto G Stylus 2025 is definitely worth considering.
8.5/10
- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
- RAM
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8GB
- Storage
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128GB/256GB
Motorola’s new Moto G Stylus looks to keep the great design from its predecessor and match it with some more modern specs. Whether that’s enough to shy buyers away from the best of Samsung and Google, however, remains to be seen.
