The Moto G Stylus (2025) has arrived with some notable improvements. It offers a sharper screen, better durability, faster charging, and, of course, the signature stylus. But is it the right phone for you? Let’s take a closer look.
Design and Build
Motorola has stuck with a familiar design for this model. The back features what they call “eco leather,” which gives it a nice texture and a more premium feel compared to plain plastic. The eco leather wraps around the camera housing, adding a subtle design touch. The phone feels secure in your hand and is easy to grip.
One big upgrade this year is the IP68 rating, meaning the phone is now water and dust resistant. You don’t have to worry about splashes or rain anymore. It also meets military-grade durability standards, so it should hold up well in tough environments like hiking or dusty work sites. Last year’s model didn’t have an official rating, so this is a solid improvement.
Display
The 6.7-inch OLED screen is sharper than before, with a 1220p resolution that makes everything look detailed. The 120Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling smooth, and it can drop to 60Hz when idle to save battery. The display supports 10-bit color, resulting in richer and more accurate colors. Brightness is impressive too – it can reach about 510 nits manually and nearly 1,900 nits with auto-brightness, which helps in direct sunlight.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. While not the latest version, it still offers decent scratch resistance. One downside is the lack of HDR video playback support.
Audio
The phone keeps the 3.5mm headphone jack, which is great for wired headphone users. It has stereo speakers that get very loud, but the sound quality is average. Vocals can sound a bit weak, and bass is limited. If you care a lot about sound, this might be a drawback.
Fingerprint Sensor
Security-wise, the phone uses an optical under-display fingerprint reader. It’s fast and accurate, making unlocking quick and easy.
Storage and Software
You get 256GB of built-in storage, which should be enough for most users. There’s also a microSD slot if you want to add more space.
The phone runs Moto’s Hello UI 15 based on Android 15. It includes all the usual Android features plus some Moto-specific tools organized in the Moto app. The Smart Connect Hub lets you easily connect to PCs, tablets, or displays via cable or wirelessly. There’s some AI functionality from Google Gemini, but it doesn’t include Motorola’s newest Moto AI features.
Stylus Features
The stylus is a highlight. Pulling it out brings up a floating menu with quick access to stylus tools. You can write notes without unlocking the phone, use a handwriting calculator, or crop parts of the screen easily. The stylus is similar in size to Samsung’s S Pen but lacks Bluetooth, so it has to physically touch the screen to work.
Performance
Inside, the phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip, a modest upgrade over last year’s model. It performs well for a mid-range phone, handling everyday tasks smoothly without lag. It also manages heat well, passing stress tests without slowing down due to overheating.
Battery and Charging
The phone has a 5,000 mAh battery, but battery life is actually worse than last year’s model. In tests, it lasted about 10 hours of active use, with web browsing and gaming being weaker points.
Charging, however, is much faster. It supports 68W charging, more than double last year’s 30W. With a compatible charger (not included), you can go from zero to 81% in 30 minutes and fully charge in 41 minutes. Wireless charging is supported too.
Camera
The camera setup is similar to last year’s, but with different sensors.
-
Main Camera (Daylight): Produces vibrant, detailed photos with good contrast and dynamic range, though very fine details can look a bit unnatural.
-
Portraits: Handles people shots well with good subject separation and detail. The 2x digital zoom is usable but loses quality.
-
Night: Takes detailed, colorful photos with minimal noise.
-
Ultrawide: Captures punchy, high-contrast daylight shots with good dynamic range. It also supports macro shots thanks to autofocus, though colors can be a bit exaggerated.
-
Ultrawide Night: Bright photos with decent color but some noise and less detail.
-
Selfies: The 32MP front camera takes sharp, detailed 8MP selfies with accurate colors and good exposure.
Video
All cameras support 4K video. The main and ultrawide cameras deliver good detail and color, with average dynamic range. Electronic stabilization works well to smooth shaky footage. Low-light video is acceptable, with decent exposure and low noise.
Software Updates
Motorola promises two major OS updates and three years of security patches. This is better than last year’s model but not as long as some competitors like Samsung.
Conclusion
The Moto G Stylus (2025) offers a lot for a mid-range phone. The stylus is a strong feature, and the added water resistance and faster charging are welcome improvements. The main drawback is the below-average battery life. If that’s not a dealbreaker, it’s worth considering.
