Motorola is launching a new version of its Moto G Stylus 5G with a couple of nice upgrades for 2022 — so it’s even more expensive at $499. The 2022 version of the G Stylus 5G includes a 6.8-inch screen, a super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate, a more powerful 600-series Snapdragon processor, a stable main camera, and a bunch of built-in storage. The company will also launch the $399 budget-oriented Moto G 5G in North America. (It launched in Europe earlier this year.)
The 2022 G Stylus 5G’s most notable update — not to be confused with the 4G-only Moto G Stylus — is the 120Hz display for smooth animations and scrolling. It’s a 1080p LCD panel that houses a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. On the back, there’s a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization. Stabilization is uncommon in the mid-range level, which should mean a better chance of getting sharp photos in lower lighting conditions. There’s an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens that doubles as a macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
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This year’s G Stylus 5G also uses the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, an upgraded version of last year’s 400-series processor. It’s also paired with 8GB of RAM, which is a bit more than the 4GB or 6GB more typical for midrange phones.That should That adds up to far better performance than the 4G version of the phone, which addresses our biggest gripe with last year’s model: the upgrade wasn’t enough to justify its higher price.
Beyond that, you get a 5,000mAh battery, massive 256GB storage, sub-6GHz 5G support (including C-band frequencies), a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and a charger in the box. Why so thoughtful? Apparently, a stylus is also included, which is stored in the phone for more precise handwriting and doodles.
Both phones will ship with Android 12, and Motorola promises one more OS update
Moto G 5G (none stylus) are slightly inferior. There’s a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor with 6GB of RAM, a 6.5-inch 720p LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 50-megapixel main camera without stabilization. You still get a 5,000mAh battery, headphone jack, microSD card slot, built-in charger, and 256GB of built-in storage. That’s a pretty healthy feature set for $399.
Both phones will ship with Android 12, with Motorola promising another OS upgrade after that. The Moto G Stylus 5G will go on sale on April 28, with pre-orders available today; the Moto G 5G will be available on May 19.
