Moto G Stylus (USA-2020)

I am a mobile apps developer. I purchased this phone with no intention whatsoever to use it as my daily phone, put to debug Android applications. For that purpose, it works great. But as I got used to the phone, I found myself liking it more and more, to the point where I ultimately removed my SIM card from my iPhone 7 (AT&T) and am now using the Moto G Fast as my primary device. Compared to my aging iPhone 7, the battery life is great. I had almost forgotten that a smartphone could actually last the entire day without a recharge. The screen is also phenomenal at the price point. Granted, it does not get quite as bright as my iPhone 7 does (that phone actually hurts my eyes if I turn the brightness all the way up), but beyond that it's a great screen and the phone bezels basically do not exist. Performance is great. I have noticed no slowdowns whatsoever, and I would rate it as being at least on-par with the iPhone 7. Now, the iPhone 7 is an older phone so that might not be saying a lot, but to me that phone is snappy as well. I am not doing any gaming or heavy tasks with these devices, so neither phone has slowdowns in my everyday usage. I said I do not do much phone gaming, but I did test it out on a couple of games. I installed Minecraft, which runs great on the phone. The only issue I had is that i find the larger screen size uncomfortable to hold while playing a game in landscape mode such as Minecraft. Maybe uncomfortable is not the correct word, but there are instances where I have to let go of the phone with my right hand to tap on something towards the left side of the screen. Maybe it's just the way I hold it though, again I am not really a gamer. I also tested streaming my son's Xbox One to the phone using the Xbox app and a bluetooth controller, and it worked without issue. Camera quality is hit or miss, possibly the only major con of the phone. If camera is your #1 concern then look elsewhere, of course if that is the case you probably are not shopping in this price range anyway. In well-lit conditions, the camera quality is about on par with my iPhone 7. In poor lighting though, pictures are not that great. It can theoretically record 4k video, but I honestly did not think that the 4k videos looked any better than the 1080p videos, so I kept the setting on 1080p. Built in storage is a weak 32mb, but unlike many "high end" models out there, you can add a Micro SD card, making the low storage basically a non-issue. I put in an old 64gb card I had lying around, and you can have the phone format your card to use it as additional internal storage. The phone charges via USB Type C, and charging seems fast enough, although I've really only had to charge it a few times in the week and a half I've had it, and I've done at it night time so the charge time was largely unnoticed and irrelevant. The phone also includes the illusive headphone jack, which is always welcome these days. There is almost no bloatware included with this device, just a couple of Motorola apps. It is mostly stock Android with minor Motorola customizations. I installed an AT&T SIM card and I am getting good reception and good data speeds. WiFi connectivity is also good. I have not tested out hotspot tethering yet. All in all, I am blown away by how much phone you can get now days at this price point. I was planning on upgrading to an iPhone 12, but I think I am going to stick with this cheap Motorola for the time being. For the price of a new iPhone, I could just get a brand new Motorola every single year for the next six years, at which point the iPhone would be long past due for a replacement anyway. If you are looking for a good budget phone, or even just a good phone period, I would save your money and not hesitate to get this thing. I don't see any reason whatsoever to shell out upwards to a thousand dollars (and even more now days) on a "flagship" phone, when a sub-200 phone works perfectly fine.

I come to Motorola’s G Stylus after a Samsung Droid Charge (a very aptly named power hog), a Note 3, and a Note 4. I use smart phones till they fail. In the case of the Notes, after they’ve failed several times: the Note 4 was the last Note model that was easily user serviceable. After my middle-school son had good experiences with a couple of Motorola budget phones, I had decided I’d try that brand and give up the stylus. Then my Note 4 failed with a main board problem just after the 2020 G Stylus was introduced, so I didn’t have to. Forgetting about the stylus for the moment, this is an incredible bargain for a smart phone. As far as technology’s ability to delight, it’s a great time we live in. I’m easily impressed because I’m comparing it to 4-year-old technology, but this thing is available for under $300, and for a brief while was available to new Verizon customers for $150. That is remarkable. For that, you get great basic cell phone functionality, more than sufficient speed and storage, and okay (with hopes of better in time) stylus operation. This is the first cell phone I’ve owned that I could charge up in the morning and have last the whole day without constantly plugging it in whenever and wherever I could find an outlet. In fact, to improve battery longevity, I only charge it to 80% capacity, and it’s still enough to do that. There’s been criticism of the G Stylus’ 4000 mAh battery compared to the G Power’s 5000, but that hasn’t been a factor for me. Reception at the coast has been better than with Iphone 8 Plus and 11 Pro Max phones belonging to other family members. My phone is always the first to have a usable signal. The fingerprint security is spot on. This is not the first phone I’ve had with that feature, but it’s the first where it could be relied on. It is also absolutely wonderful to have a phone loud enough to play music or conference using speaker phone without an accessory speaker. The three cameras give a lot of options. The Iphone owners in the family are probably right that their phone cameras are better. But this is plenty good enough for me, and an improvement over anything I’ve had. I’ve even found the macro camera useful. Haven’t used the panorama camera yet. I’ve seen a couple of Youtube videos that persuade me the G Stylus will be user serviceable if/when the time comes, unlike some of the lower-end Motorolas. I’d rather not deal with adhesives at all, but I don’t think that’s a choice left to smart phone owners. If the battery or the USB port needs replacing or there’s water ingress, I could deal with that. Will parts be available as they’ve been with the Note phones? I’m not sure. Fewer G Styluses will be sold; the model life will be 12 months or so; and it’s so cheap many people will replace rather than fix a damaged phone. I have an Otterbox and sapphire glass on it, which has already survived a couple of drops on a concrete floor. After two months, the few things less than ideal are: - The display has neither the color subtlety or the ultimate brightness that Samsung OLED displays have long had. Use in bright sunlight is difficult. Elsewhere it’s just fine. - Motorola’s minimalist version of Android is mostly a plus, especially since all the Samsung bloatware isn’t present. But I do really miss organizing apps into folders. I’ll look further for a work-around. - Motorola’s stylus use doesn’t screen out palm touches as you write at the opposite side of the screen. Samsung’s implementations have done this so well and for so long that I’d never realized it was even necessary. This is really frustrating with the G Stylus. But I think it’s something Motorola could correct in software, and I hope they’ll do that. - The stylus apps Motorola supplies are limited. I installed and am happy with Microsoft OneNote instead. - I’ve mislaid the stylus a couple of times, as I did with my Samsung phones. Motorola and accessory vendors haven’t yet offered replacements. A lot of what makes me happy with the G Stylus is due to maturing technology and packaging that now allows a well-executed feature-laden budget phone. But I still give Motorola a lot of credit for doing this.

For $149.99 plus tax, free Prime delivery- I will call this a great phone. First: form factor: thicker when comparing it to an iphone 8+, I would prefer the buttons, volume rocker and power- to be on different sides of the phone. Color- the white is actually gorgeous, if it was blue, I probably wouldn't have ordered it-personal preference. If I have to have a cheaper phone due to financial constraints at the moment; I'm very happy with the performance. Is it the fastest- no; but nothing that is bothersome- an extra second or two doesn't bother me- comparing to the 8+. The sides are metal, feel great. I do recommend a case- this is an issue! I have ordered 3 cases-2 had to go back. I really need a Evutec, have had that brand on every phone I've ever owned. That case has a vent magnet and that combo is beyond compare. All of the cases that I've seen for this phone are the kind with the very squared off sides that look cheap and are hard in your hands. I just ordered another case and some magnetic stickers that I hope will help. I currently am using a clear case with bumper corners. It's nice! Also shows off the color of the phone. I am having trouble getting texts in this phone. Turned imessage off the iphone, and face time.. just turned this phone off and back on so I hope that solves it. Switching phones- didn't work at all so I've had to manually input all my apps and notes. Still not done. I know how to do it, not sure of the issue. I did turn on the back, home and erase app bar on the bottom of the phone, very easy to use! Screen- doesn't look as good as a higher quality screen, quite good enough! Notifications- not getting all my Twitter notifications, not sure why not! Soooo... For the price, I'm very happy with this phone- just need to get used to an Android again .. last issue: storage space- 32 gig is ridiculous to me, I had to buy a 256 micro SD for this phone- I had the 256 iphone- I wish Android would just give you the space on the phone... Hope I don't run into an issue! As I said, for the low price of this phone- it's a great phone! Will update this rambling review when I've used it longer!

I bought this as a backup phone and I'm shocked at how good it is. My main phone is a OnePlus McLaren 5G, which has a more high-end features, but I barely like it more than the Moto G Stylus. I used the Moto G Stylus as my main phone for a few days and was very impressed. The only things that brought me back to the my OnePlus was the 5G and that I paid a heck of a lot more for the OnePlus. What I liked more about the Stylus than the OnePlus: The flat screen that allowed me to easily apply a glass screen protector. I could not use a regular glass screen protector on the OnePlus because it causes the fingerprint reader to stop working. The rounded sides of the screen also don't make applying a screen too easy. I read that you need to use glass screen protectors with a UV reactive adhesive with the OnePlus if you want to use the in-screen fingerprint scanner. I did not want to deal with that. The fingerprint reader on the back of the Stylus is much better than the OnePlus because it worked every time! The OnePlus fingerprint reader is much too finicky and will not work if my skin is too dry (a constant problem with all the hand washing these days). The Stylus has a front facing camera hole in the screen, which I prefer over the popup camera on the OnePlus. I must sometimes use the camera on my OnePlus when the fingerprint reader repeatedly fails. I considered using this instead of the fingerprint reader, but the popup camera would have to be used too often. Other things I really liked about the Stylus: The Stylus has a generous 128GB of storage and expandable storage. I added a 128GB MicroSD card, and I doubt it will ever get used since most of my data is moved to the cloud. The 4GB of RAM is barely enough and I did notice a little stutter when scrolling through news articles. I don't know if this is from RAM or screen refresh rate. Apps and processes seemed to run fast enough, so the stutter when scrolling may be the refresh rate. I don't know a lot about the screen, but I found it more than good enough for me. The detail and colors looked great. I'm not a camera critic and this one seemed more than good enough for me. The only other drawback was the lack of 5G on T-Mobile, which is somewhat new. This phone did have the newer T-Mobile band 71, which helps to ensure better connectivity, but their 5G has made a big difference for me in my area. I can get web pages to load on my OnePlus where this phone couldn't get them to load, even though the phone reported a good signal. So all in all, I almost like this economy phone as much as a much more expensive, high-end phone. I give this phone five stars and it's features far exceed the price. Unless you must need 5G on T-Mobile, it will be hard to find a better phone for the price.

They say you get what you pay for. Well, the 6 or so previous android devices I have had have all been budget phones/tablets selling themselves with amazing specs on the cheap. And every single one of them has had issues ranging from cheap construction to ridiculously low storage space and/or memory/ram clogged with bloatware apps to out and out device failures within a year or less. Enter this mid-range smartphone. Zero complaints so far as the product itself is concerned. Ample room for dozens of apps so you don't have to use an sd-card as additional internal storage (and the multitude of problems that causes). Enough memory/ram to run a dozen apps at once without them closing as soon as you switch apps (probably a bit less if you are running high-end 3d games). The video display is crisp and clear, and at a decent resolution. No lag or stuttering in games, at least not due to the device. The wi-fi connection is slightly better than acceptable. I'd even go so far as to say very good connection, barring weak signals or dead zones. The camera - while not phenomenal - takes clearer pictures and video than anything I've been used to in the past. Will I be getting offers for my pictures from National Geographic any time soon? No, but I am certainly not complaining. I can't comment on night vision yet as I've had no reason to use it yet. I also cannot comment on the fingerprint reader or face scan capabilities as I prefer using a pin number. The stereo audio is excellent and can be loud enough to warrant turning the volume down. No volume booster apps are needed here. My only caveats so far are not due to the phone itself but to related issues. If you are on lifeline and looking to switch devices for a better phone than the junk they send you, this phone will only be accepted by a few lifeline providers. Find out if your carrier lets you Byop (bring your own phone) beforehand. On lifeline, it is NOT as simple as using your old sim card in this new phone unless you get lucky. Assurance wireless does NOT accept any phone not bought from and/or shipped by them, and several other lifeline providers also do not accept byop (safelink and qlink are two providers that do let you byop). You may have to switch providers, and if so, be prepared for jumping through multiple hoops, making dozens of tech support calls, fighting with automated phone systems., and temporarily losing your lifeline service until your new provider verifies you qualify. According to the lifeline.org website, the transfer of your lifeline service should be simple, and almost immediate. Good luck getting a support representative that actually knows how to do that, and expect to ask for supervisors more than once. You will also very probably have to get a new sim card, as this does not come with one. Find out whatever the lifeline provider you go with supports for sim cards. Don't just buy one based on reviews or product questions that say "Oh, yeah, sure that worked for me". I ended up going through 3 sim cards because I didn't ask a provider first. Note that getting service for this phone if you are NOT seeking to keep any pre-existing lifeline service should be quite simple. Also, be careful when buying a phone protector case. There is every possibility of one significantly blocking the wifi receiver, and somewhat muffling the 2nd stereo speaker. Those things aside, if you are used to budget phones with amazing specs that don't quite deliver what they promised and/or have the lifespan of a fruit fly, spend the extra $100-$150 on this phone. It's worth it. It far outperforms any android device I have had in the $200 or less range.

I've been a Samsung Galaxy owner from the beginning. I've owned an s1,s3, and can s6. When my last phone began to really lose its functionality, I started looking again at Samsung's flagships again. Super pricey, but it's what I know. My brother picked up a moto G stylus and recommended it. Several days of research, trying to make a decision on whether to spend a thousand dollars and stay in my comfort zone or try something new for a couple hundred dollars... I landed on the moto g stylus and I'm not at all disappointed. I'm satisfied completely and saved several hundred dollars and still upgraded from my s6. It does everything I need it to do. The stylus itself is actually not too bad, in fact I'm using it right now to write this :). There is a very sight lag by comparison to other note phones, but it's hardly a dealbreaker. My primary reason for wanting a stylus was for work notes, and it works well enough. The only issue I have (and my bro) is that when USBc cable is attached for charging or file transfer, the stylus is almost unusable. Some kind of bug, but really, you don't need to keep it married to the charger because the battery life is phenomenal so it's never really an issue. I rarely have a concern about battery life and I use it constantly for music, videos, browsing and reading. I don't even need to keep it plugged in when I go to bed at night, as I'm confident I'll still get all of tomorrow out of it. Another standout feature really are the built in speakers on this thing. They actually do sound really, really good. Beyond my expectations. Fingerprint scanner works so much better and more consistently than my s6 ever did. What a joke. I also love some of the gestures, mostly the twist to summon the camera on demand, and a quick shake to turn the flashlight on/off. I love it, super easy. Built in storage is high, sd card slot available for even more storage, using previous Verizon sim worked just fine. I highly recommend this phone on a budget, but also even if you're not. A few hundred bucks can go somewhere else in your life. I work in construction, and the best part about this phone is that if it takes a beating or gets broken, worst case I'm out $200, not $1000+. The things that had me concerned about this phone based on reviews, really weren't a big deal unless you insist on cutting edge quality that most people just wouldn't notice. For work I need a good camera, note taker, a nice and large display to show pictures to clients, battery life, and good sound for music playback. It is possible that this phone lacks features you absolutely must have so keep doing your research... But for me this phone nailed it. My gf is jealous and intends to pick one up also. Writing from my moto g stylus.

I typically spend between $100 to $200 for my phones. This one was far more than I have ever spent on a phone, but there were a couple of reasons I decided to pay more: ~ Extra storage space ~ A hopefully slightly better camera, as I'm using the photos from my phone a lot on my blog. Pros: First off, I have to say I was blown away by the camera quality. I didn't think that it would be that good. It exceeded my expectations by a mile. Wow! Wow! I may never get another phone brand again. The extra space and the speed of this processer are great! I don't have to worry about running out of room now. Such a blessing. The functionality is great. It more seamlessly works with google then some of my other phones. I'm not sure why that is, since I've only had Android phones (and one Windows phone a while back) but it does. The assistant works better and a few apps that had been crashing on my old phone were working again. Oh and the sound quality. I started playing a piece of music and was blown away by the clarity. Even going through my headphones things sound better. That was something I hadn't expected but was such a nice bonus since I spend hours listening to audiobooks. The stylus is a nice feature and I'm using it more then I had thought I would. Cons: I saw an ad that said this phone had two days of battery life. That is a joke. This phone sucks power like crazy anytime the screen is on and doing things. Now, it still works well and since I don't have the screen on most of the time, I'm good, I just make sure to plug it in at night. If you have the screen on a lot, make sure you always have a way to charge it. There are very limited phone case options. I've found two that I like (I love wallet cases and have another when I need to take it out) but there isn't as much verity as with many of the other phones I've had (and remember, I've had cheap off brands). I'm not sure if this is a new Android feature or a Moto G feature so I will go ahead and mention it. There is no back button, you have to swipe back. This has lead to some minor announces as I try to move something and end up going back or try scrolling and the phone things I'm trying to go back. Summary: This is a great phone for the price and I'm sold on Moto phones, at least right now.

The phone itself is amazing for the price. I use a galaxy s10 for work but needed to replace my old s8 that I had been using for personal use. I didn't want to shell out over $1000 for a flagship and picked this up when I saw it for $299. Overall the phone is snappy and I don't have any complaints comparing it to my other phone. The screen is noticibly worse especially around the camera cutout where you can see some hazyness but that's to be expected for $700 cheaper. It performs fairly nice in casual games and you won't have any issues scrolling through your news feed. The reason I give it 3 stars has to do with the service. I'm on the same network as before calling the same people so I am sure it's the phone. I can not have a call go longer than 20/30 minutes without the call just randomly dropping. My husband is in the military and gone for the moment so I end up making a ton more phone calls than the average person. We are usually on the phone 3+ hours every single day. To make matters worse there is no audible noise when a call is ended making it even more frustrating. You could be explaining something and you look up and they've missed everything you said. If you only text or use groupme and social media this phone does the job great. But phones are calling devices for me and I honestly can't recommend one that has this many service issues.