Motorola is once again kicking off a new year with a new Moto G Stylus, and this one still offers solid value — if you’re willing to make a couple of sacrifices. The newly introduced Moto G Stylus 2022 model still has a 6.8-inch 1080p display (albeit with a centered hole-punch camera) and an otherwise mostly fmiliar design, but makes the leap to a faster 90Hz refresh rate. You also won’t be hurting for longevity with a sizeable 5,000mAh battery in place of last year’s 4,000mAh pack.
While those are appreciable improvements, this latest Moto G Stylus is oddly conservative in some places. For one, there’s no 5G — slightly odd for a 2022 budget phone when devices like Samsung’s A32 5G already managed the feat last year. It ships with Android 11 instead of Android 12, for that matter. You do get 6GB of RAM and a higher-resolution 50MP main rear camera (up from 4GB and 48MP respectively), but Motorola has ditched the Snapdragon 678 in favor of MediaTek’s Helio G88. That’s more of a step sideways in performance than a leap forward. You still get a ultra-wide and macro cameras, though, and the 128GB of expandable storage plus water resistance should help the phone last.
The 2022 Moto G Stylus is available to pre-order now through Amazon, Best Buy, Motorola and Walmart for $300. That still makes it a good value, but it’s not an easy choice between this and last year’s Moto G Stylus 5G. You’ll have a better display and processing power, but you’ll lose 5G and the extra built-in storage. The better value could depend on sale prices for each handset, too. Until there’s an updated Moto G Stylus 5G, you may need to shop carefully to find the best device.
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