This fantastic $399 Motorola comes with a built-in stylus and a free pair of Bose earbuds

It's been several years since I evaluated the first-generation Moto G Stylus, and a lot has improved. My ZDNET colleague Kerry Wan covered all of the specifications of the latest model, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024), and what to expect in the $399 Android smartphone, so I won't repeat all that here. Instead, I've been testing the phone for a couple of months with my T-Mobile SIM and will share my experience with it so far.

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Earlier this year, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for three times the price of the Moto G Stylus. However, for daily use, I prefer carrying the Moto G Stylus. It's smaller, the stylus meets all my needs, and I enjoy the streamlined Moto experience and customization. My notification shade isn't cluttered with ads, and I can even go two days before needing to charge it.

Motorola sent me the Caramel Latte color with a vegan leather back, which is lovely and matches one of my favorite coffee types (haha!). There's also a Scarlet Wave color that's more red, almost like lipstick. With 8GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage with microSD card support, and a 5,000mAh battery, all for just $349, the new Moto G Stylus may be the budget phone to beat in 2024.

The stylus remains the distinguishing feature of this year's Motorola model. It has been improved over previous generations with reduced latency, better targeting, and an updated user interface. Pulling out the stylus when the phone is off is convenient, and there's a new note pop-up for quickly jotting down thoughts. It's a subtle but very handy feature for notetakers on the go.

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As far as default notes apps go, you can choose between Moto Note and Google Keep Notes. Since Keep Notes is my default, the phone is even more useful for my needs.

When the phone is on, and the stylus is removed, a list of favorited shortcuts appears on an overlay screen, allowing you to jump right into the action. The stylus settings include removal notifications and the last known location of the stylus to help you find it if it's lost. The stylus has a much nicer design than previous Moto Stylus models I've used, closely resembling the Samsung S-Pen. It's easy to hold, slim, and charges within the phone.

Built-in pen aside, Motorola's user interface is one of my favorite parts of the phone; it's a fairly stock, Pixel-esque look and feel boosted by Motorola's handy gestures and system enhancements. For example, you can twist to launch the camera, make chopping motions to toggle the flashlight, and pick up the phone to silence the ringer. These gestures, and several others, make the phone feel much smarter than others, and it's great to have them available even at this lower price point.

The Moto G Stylus 5G launches with Android 14 and has monthly security updates, but given the affordable price and processor of the phone, you can likely expect one major upgrade to Android 15 and possibly two years of Android security patches. The cadence will vary, of course, though I wish Motorola would push the limit a little more and promise at least two years of OS upgrades. Samsung and Google, for comparison, offer upwards of seven years of updates.

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The 6.7-inch OLED supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate that can dynamically adjust based on your use cases. For example, it'll lower the refresh rate when you're scrolling through photos or a webpage -- when there are fewer animations to render. I've enjoyed hours of content with the phone, and having a legacy port in the 3.5mm headphone jack certainly helps when traveling without wireless earbuds.

A 50MP main and 13MP ultra-wide camera are positioned on the back of the phone. It's certainly refreshing to see a mid-range phone without the unnecessary macro lens and depth sensor. Instead, the ultra-wide camera supports a 120-degree field-of-view while also serving as the macro shooter. 

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While the camera hardware is not as powerful as flagship phones, Motorola provides excellent software tools that help you capture great photos and be creative with little effort. Still, I've enjoyed using the Motorola camera, especially when capturing quick shots during the daytime. The 50MP camera system should serve most people just fine. At this price point, you really can't complain.

ZDNET's buying advice

I started using personal digital assistant (PDA) devices that all had a stylus in 1997, and I am still a fan of using such an accessory that provides precision inputs and on-device handwriting. The Moto G Stylus 5G is an affordable option for stylus lovers while also serving as a very capable Android phone. The Motorola user interface remains one of my favorites since it is optimized for efficient use and doesn't rely as heavily on AI to help you get things done.

For a limited time, Motorola will bundle a free pair of Bose QuietComfort II earbuds ($299 value) when you buy the $399 Moto G Stylus 5G, meaning you're essentially paying only $100 for the phone. That's a fantastic deal on both a great phone and a pair of wireless earbuds.