Moto G Stylus 2025 Hands-On Review: How This Affordable Stylus Phone Competes in the Mid-Range Smartphone Market

The Moto G Stylus 2025 marks Motorola’s continued commitment to offering budget-friendly smartphones that stand out with their unique stylus functionality. The 2025 iteration improves on its predecessors with upgraded hardware, enhanced software, and a refined design aimed at users who want a capable phone with creative input options without breaking the bank. In this article, we will explore the Moto G Stylus 2025’s design, display, performance, camera system, battery life, software experience, and pricing, giving you a thorough understanding of what this phone offers and who it is best suited for.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Design and Build Quality

The design of the Moto G Stylus 2025 sticks to the practical and sleek formula that Motorola has become known for in its G series. The phone features a large, ergonomic body with curved edges that make it comfortable to hold despite its sizable footprint. Motorola continues to focus on making the stylus easily accessible, housing it in a dedicated slot at the bottom-right corner of the phone.

This placement allows users to quickly pull out the stylus without fumbling, which is especially useful for on-the-go note-taking or sketching. The rear panel is made of a textured plastic material that resists fingerprints and adds grip, an improvement over glass backs that often feel slippery. This choice of material also helps keep the device lighter, making extended use less tiring. The Moto G Stylus 2025 comes in several color options, generally muted and professional tones, which appeal to both casual and business users. The overall build feels robust and well put together, with no noticeable creaks or flex, making it a sturdy companion for daily use.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Display: Immersive and Functional

One of the highlights of the Moto G Stylus 2025 is its large 6.8-inch IPS LCD display. While Motorola does not use AMOLED panels in this series, the screen offers vibrant colors and good brightness levels, sufficient for outdoor visibility. The resolution is Full HD+ (1080 x 2460 pixels), which strikes a good balance between sharpness and power efficiency. Watching videos, browsing the web, or editing notes with the stylus is a pleasant experience thanks to the expansive screen real estate and minimal bezels.

The refresh rate of the display has been boosted to 90Hz in this model, making animations and scrolling noticeably smoother than in previous generations. This upgrade significantly improves the overall user experience, particularly when navigating social media apps or gaming casually. However, while the screen is large and immersive, it is not the brightest in its price segment, so direct sunlight visibility might sometimes require shading the phone with your hand. Nevertheless, for indoor and moderate outdoor use, the display performs well and complements the stylus functionality by offering precise touch input.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Performance and Hardware Specifications

Under the hood, the Moto G Stylus 2025 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G88 chipset, a mid-range processor designed for efficiency and decent multitasking capabilities. This chipset is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, making it capable of handling everyday tasks like social media, streaming, and light gaming without significant lag. The addition of a microSD card slot allows storage expansion up to 1TB, which is ideal for users who want to store lots of photos, videos, or large apps.

The Helio G88, although not the fastest chip available, strikes a good balance between power consumption and performance, allowing the phone to deliver a smooth experience for typical users. Heavy gaming or intensive multitasking might reveal some slowdowns, but for most users, the combination of chipset and RAM ensures reliable and responsive performance. The phone also supports 4G LTE connectivity, dual SIM functionality, and Wi-Fi 5 standards, covering all basic network needs efficiently. Motorola has included a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for quick unlocking, and facial recognition is available but less secure.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Camera System: Versatile for Everyday Photography

The Moto G Stylus 2025 features a versatile triple-camera setup on the rear. The primary sensor is a 50MP shooter with an f/1.8 aperture, capable of capturing detailed and bright images in good lighting conditions. Accompanying the main sensor is an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The ultra-wide lens allows users to capture wider scenes, making it handy for landscapes, group photos, or architectural shots. The depth sensor assists in portrait mode, creating a pleasing bokeh effect that helps the subject stand out from the background. The camera app includes a variety of shooting modes such as night mode, pro mode, and macro shots.

The night mode, in particular, is a welcome addition, as it improves low-light photography by brightening dark scenes and reducing noise. However, image quality in dim lighting is still not on par with flagship devices, which is expected at this price point. The front camera is a 16MP sensor that captures clear selfies suitable for social media sharing and video calls. Video recording capabilities include 1080p at 30fps, with electronic image stabilization helping to reduce shake during handheld recordings. Overall, the Moto G Stylus 2025 delivers competent camera performance for its class, with versatility that covers most casual photography needs.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Stylus Features and Productivity

What truly sets the Moto G Stylus 2025 apart from many other phones in this price range is its built-in stylus and the software features that accompany it. The stylus is pressure-sensitive, allowing for natural handwriting and drawing experiences. Motorola has optimized several apps to take advantage of the stylus, including its native note-taking app which supports handwriting recognition, converting handwritten notes into typed text.

This makes the device a practical tool for students, professionals, or creative users who prefer jotting down ideas or sketches by hand. The stylus can also be used to navigate the phone, select text precisely, and perform gestures that trigger shortcuts for quick app access. The responsiveness and accuracy of the stylus have improved in this generation, with reduced latency and better palm rejection technology. While the Moto G Stylus 2025 is not a replacement for professional drawing tablets, it offers a level of creativity and productivity that casual users will appreciate. The addition of the stylus combined with a large, smooth screen makes digital note-taking, editing documents, and casual sketching seamless and enjoyable.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Battery Life and Charging

Battery life is a critical aspect of any smartphone, and the Moto G Stylus 2025 does not disappoint. Equipped with a 5000mAh battery, the device can comfortably last a full day or more with moderate usage, including browsing, video playback, and stylus activities. The large battery capacity is well-optimized alongside the energy-efficient MediaTek processor and the 90Hz display, which balances smooth visuals with power consumption

Motorola has included 30W fast charging support, allowing users to recharge the phone from zero to about 50-60% in roughly 30 minutes. While the phone lacks wireless charging, this wired fast charging is sufficient for users who need a quick power boost during busy days. Additionally, the phone’s software includes adaptive battery features that learn user habits to limit background activity from less-used apps, further extending battery life. For users who often find themselves away from power sources, the Moto G Stylus 2025 is a reliable companion that won’t demand frequent recharges.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Software and User Experience

The Moto G Stylus 2025 runs on a near-stock version of Android 13, offering a clean and bloatware-free experience that many users prefer. Motorola’s software customizations are minimal but useful, including gesture controls, Moto Actions like chopping the phone twice to turn on the flashlight, and one-button navigation options. The interface is intuitive and responsive, making the phone easy to use for both beginners and experienced users.

The phone receives regular security updates and promises at least one major Android upgrade, which helps keep it secure and up-to-date. Motorola’s emphasis on simplicity means the phone is free from unnecessary pre-installed apps that can clutter storage and slow performance. The integration of the stylus with Android features is smooth, and the stylus menu provides quick access to note-taking, screen capture, and sketching tools. Overall, the software experience on the Moto G Stylus 2025 is streamlined, efficient, and focused on enhancing productivity and usability.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Connectivity and Additional Features

Connectivity options on the Moto G Stylus 2025 are comprehensive for a mid-range device. The phone supports dual SIM cards, which is convenient for users managing personal and work lines on the same device. It offers Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.2 for connecting to wireless headphones and accessories, and a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. Unfortunately, the device does not support 5G networks, sticking instead with LTE connectivity.

While 5G is becoming increasingly common, the LTE performance on this device is solid and sufficient for most users who do not require the latest cellular technology. The phone also includes a headphone jack, which is becoming rare but is appreciated by users who prefer wired audio or already own high-quality wired headphones. For security, the side-mounted fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate, and facial recognition offers a secondary unlocking option, though it is less secure. The phone also supports NFC for contactless payments, which is a nice inclusion at this price point.

Moto G Stylus 2025: Pricing and Market Position

The Moto G Stylus 2025 is positioned as a budget-friendly smartphone that offers features typically found in higher-priced devices, especially thanks to its stylus integration. Its price is generally competitive, making it accessible to students, professionals, and creative individuals who want a functional phone with a digital pen without investing in premium devices. The 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant sits comfortably in the mid-budget segment, offering a strong value proposition compared to other phones in the same price range.

When compared to other stylus-enabled phones like Samsung’s Galaxy Note series or the Samsung S22 Ultra, the Moto G Stylus 2025 is significantly more affordable, albeit with fewer advanced features. It is best suited for users who prioritize note-taking, casual drawing, and media consumption over raw processing power or premium camera performance. The device competes well with phones like the Samsung Galaxy A14 or the Xiaomi Redmi Note series, standing out primarily due to its stylus and clean software experience.

Conclusion

The Moto G Stylus 2025 is a well-rounded mid-range smartphone that successfully blends affordability with practical features tailored to creative and productivity-minded users. Its standout stylus functionality, large vibrant display, capable camera setup, and long-lasting battery make it an appealing choice for those who want a bit more than a standard budget phone without paying flagship prices.

While it lacks 5G connectivity and premium materials, it compensates with a user-friendly software experience and thoughtful hardware design. If you are someone who values a physical stylus for note-taking, sketching, or precise interaction, the Moto G Stylus 2025 is one of the best options available in its segment. Overall, it offers solid performance, good battery life, and versatile cameras wrapped in a reliable build, delivering great value for money in 2025’s competitive smartphone landscape.