The Moto G Stylus and the Moto G Power are two budget-friendly smartphones manufactured by Motorola and were both first released in 2020. While both smartphones are a part of Motorola’s G series and share some similarities, a wide range of features set them apart from each other.
In this article, we’ll be getting into what sets these two affordable, mid-range smartphones apart from each other and covering how they are alike to help you decide which one is a better buy for you.
Moto G Stylus vs. Moto G Power: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Specifications | Moto G Stylus | Moto G Power |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | April 26, 2020 | April 16, 2020 |
| Screen Size | 6.8” | 1080p Resolution | 6.5” | 720p Resolution |
| Camera | Four Camera 48 MP, 16 MP Front Camera | Triple Camera 16 MP, 16 MP Front Camera |
| RAM | 6GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB | 64GB | microSDXC Slot |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Starting Price (MSRP) | $499.99 | $399.99 |
- Built-in stylus to sketch, add notes to photos, and edit images
- Up to 2 days of battery life with the 5000 mAh battery
- 6.8-inch full HD+ display
- 90Hz refresh rate
- Octa-core processor and Android 11 OS
Moto G Stylus vs. Moto G Power: What’s the Difference?
The Moto G Stylus and Moto G Power feature similar design aesthetics with plastic bodies, comparable performance capabilities, and large screens. But a few key differences might make you opt for one or the other. Let’s compare these two smartphones in more detail to get a clearer picture.
Design
There is no arguing that the Moto G Stylus is a big phone. This 6.8-inch smartphone features a built-in stylus port on the side and features the standard Android smartphone button placement. While the G Stylus may feel awkward in someone’s hand due to its size, the large screen is great for taking notes with the included stylus.
The design of the Moto G Stylus 2022 is similar to its 2020 predecessor. There’s still a punch out towards the top of the screen where the selfie camera is, and the chassis is made up of plastic and glass.
The plastic construction lets you know this is a mid-range smartphone, which isn’t surprising. However, as we noted earlier, the size is increased to 6.8 inches from the 2020 version of the Moto G Stylus, which was 6.4 inches. Again, this is an awkward size and bigger than even phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Similarly, the Moto G Power is also quite large. It’s marginally smaller than the G Stylus, measuring 6.5 inches. While it’s slightly less awkward feeling in the hand, the G Power features a textured matte backing, providing a comfortable grip on the back of the phone.
The chassis is plastic, which we know will be a turnoff to some customers, but at such a low price point, we couldn’t say we were surprised at all.
©Framesira/Shutterstock.com
Screen Size and Resolution
The Moto G Stylus comes with a 6.8-inch screen with a 1080P resolution and a 90 Hz refresh rate. The Stylus uses an LCD screen, and its visibility is a bit dim when compared to many of the OLED-based smartphones that exist today. You will want to have the brightness turned up high, even when indoors, to get a comfortable and sharp image on the Moto G Stylus.
The screen performs well. Thanks to the 90 Hz refresh rate, we noticed how smooth the scrolling was. But as we previously mentioned, a large screen has some drawbacks; in this case, it must be the phone’s overall size. It’s awkwardly big, and it doesn’t look huge, but the screen and stylus port provide a lot of heft to the phone, and if you’ve been used to Samsung or Apple smartphones, it will be a learning curve.
Taking a look at the Moto G Power, on the other hand, we get a 6.5-inch screen. We noted that the Moto G Power sits a bit more comfortably in a pocket than the G Stylus does, and this is in large part due to the smaller screen size. Resolution-wise, the Power struggles. The most apparent mid-range aspect of this phone was the 720P resolution. It’s not painful to look at, but there’s some definite pixelation, especially around the edges of the phone.
Even at 720P, though, the Moto G Power provides users with a pleasant streaming experience. The colors appear vibrant and accurate. However, as with the Moto G Stylus, the screen doesn’t get very bright. In order to really enjoy a streaming experience with the Moto G Power, you will need to have the brightness turned up pretty high.
Performance
While the Moto G Stylus is an affordable mid-range smartphone, it offers a solid performance for its price. The Moto G Stylus runs on the Snapdragon 695 processor and comes with 6GB of RAM. We noted that the Stylus multi-tasks efficiently, making short work of streaming, navigation applications, and day-to-day use.
The stylus functionality works great; once you remove the stylus, a small icon appears, allowing you to access note-taking and other stylus apps quickly. We found the smartphone to have enough power that writing on the phone was responsive and fluid.
Turning over now to the Moto G Power, we found that the Moto G performed great under pressure, running on a MediaTek Helio G37 processor and 8GB of RAM. Multi-tasking within Android 11 is efficient and easy, and we found that the G Power could easily handle streaming, some light gaming, and day-to-day smartphone use. We found the Moto G Power to be indeed more powerful than the Moto G Stylus, but the performance jump isn’t massive. Thanks to the 8GB of RAM and G37 processor, things are smoother.
Battery
We were pleased to see the Moto G Stylus has a 5,000 mAh battery. This is on the upper end for smartphone batteries, allowing the device to last for up to two days on a single charge. Charging, however, is slow. The G Stylus only includes a 10W charger with the phone, which means it takes about an hour and a half to charge up from 0 to 100%.
Battery usage-wise, the Moto G Power also comes with a 5,000 mAh battery. Unfortunately, while both phones come with USB Type-C charging, the G Power also only comes with a 10W charger, making the charging experience very slow, with a charge time of an hour and a half again for 0 to 100%.
Camera
Looking at the camera options for both phones, we’ll start with the Moto G Stylus. The Moto G Stylus features a 50 MP sensor with two cameras on the back of the phone. The Moto G Stylus features an ultrawide and macro lens and a Pro mode, giving you a suite of professional-level photography options. Picture quality is good, especially for a mid-range smartphone. Pictures taken with Moto G Stylus appear detailed and crisp, and the ultrawide camera provides a large field of view.
Moving on to the Moto G Power, it also features a dual-camera system that similarly provides users with a 50MP. Just like with the G Stylus, you also get both ultrawide and macro lenses alongside the same Pro mode giving you a suite of advanced photography options. The camera works great in good lighting, and Pro Mode handles HDR exceptionally well, with vibrant colors and crisp pictures.
Both the G Stylus and G Power feature selfie cameras at 16MP and 8MP, respectively. While we noted that both cameras worked well – pictures were crisp, detailed, and colorful, we did like the performance of the Stylus’s front-facing camera a bit more. When the G Power, we noted muted colors, especially when pictures were taken indoors, while the G Stylus was able to provide a high level of color accuracy regardless of light settings.
Storage
While mid-range smartphones offer smaller storage sizes than the newest smartphones, with the Stylus and the Power featuring configurations with up to 256GB and 128GB, respectively, while microSD slots have begun to be phased on the newest generation of high-end phones, we were excited to see the port included on both the Stylus and Power. This allows you to easily put up to 2TB of expanded storage space in your smartphone, making it one of the largest storage capacities found on smartphones today.
Moto G Stylus vs. Moto G Power: 7 Must-Know Facts
- The Moto G Stylus features a built-in stylus that’s designed for precision note-taking.
- The Moto G Stylus’s 6.8-inch screen features a 1080p display and a 90 Hz refresh rate.
- There’s a 50-megapixel camera on the Moto G Stylus with quad-pixel technology to assist in low-light photography.
- The Moto G Stylus comes with a microSD card slot that can upgrade the storage of the phone to 1TB.
- The Moto G Power comes with a 5,000 mAh battery that is capable of lasting up to three days on a single charge.
- The Moto G Power’s screen is 6.5 inches with a 720p display and a hole punch housing for the selfie camera.
- The Moto G Power comes with just 64GB of storage space but features a microSDXC slot that can upgrade your storage to 2TB.
Moto G Stylus vs. Moto G Power: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Use?
After comparing the key features and specifications of both the Moto G Stylus and the Moto G Power, it’s clear that both devices are powerful mid-range smartphones that come with their own strengths and weaknesses. However, when it comes to choosing the best option for you, it ultimately will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
For users who are looking for a smartphone with a stylus and enhanced note-taking capabilities, the Moto G Stylus is the way to go. Its built-in stylus can easily take handwritten notes, draw sketches, and notate documents. The Moto G Stylus also has a powerful 50MP main camera, and images can be manipulated and edited with the stylus.
On the other hand, if battery life is your top priority, then the Moto G Power is the better option. The Moto G Power features a larger battery capacity of 5,000 mAh compared to the 4,000 mAh battery in the Moto G Stylus. We noted that the Moto G Power’s 5,000 mAh battery provides enough charge for up to two and a half to three days of daily use. Additionally, the Moto G Power is a bit more comfortable to hold or place in a pocket due to the slightly smaller screen.
As we’ve illustrated, both devices have a similar look and feel, with a thicker-than-usual profile and a plastic body. The Moto G Stylus features a larger screen and slightly larger dimensions due to the built-in stylus. Regardless of which one you choose, these two powerful smartphones will give you a decent bang for your buck.
- Built-in stylus to sketch, add notes to photos, and edit images
- Up to 2 days of battery life with the 5000 mAh battery
- 6.8-inch full HD+ display
- 90Hz refresh rate
- Octa-core processor and Android 11 OS
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Haelen Haagen/Shutterstock.com.
