Key Points
- The Moto G Pure and Moto G Stylus are affordable smartphones from Motorola.
- The Moto G Stylus has a higher price point and was released more recently.
- The Moto G Stylus has a better camera setup with a 50MP wide-angle lens.
- The Moto G Stylus has a more powerful processor and more RAM compared to the Moto G Pure.
- Both phones have good battery life but slow charging speeds.
Which Android smartphone is the best bang for your buck: Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Stylus? If you’re considering either of these phones, you’re making a commendable choice. Motorola has been around since the birth of mobile phones, so they know what they’re doing.
For many of us, Motorola was the brand that produced our first cellphone. Today, Motorola remains one of the largest options for affordable smartphones worldwide.
In today’s comparison, we’ll look at the Motorola Moto G Pure and the Moto G Stylus to see which one suits you better. Both of these phones are in the entry-level to mid-range category and run on the Android platform. But they have some subtle differences that might make you think twice.
Without further ado, let’s dive into what separates these phones from each other and which one is the best.
Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Stylus: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Specifications | Moto G Pure | Moto G Stylus |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.5” HD | 6.5” IPS HD |
| OS | Android 11 | Android 13 |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G25 | MediaTek Helio G85 |
| Internal Storage | 32GB+ | 128GB+ |
| Expandable Storage | Up to 512GB | Up to 2TB |
| RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
| Ports | Type-C Charging, Headphone Jack. | Type-C Charging, Headphone Jack. |
| Rear Camera | 13MP | 50MP wide 2MP macro |
| Front Camera | 5MP | 2MP |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Network Support | 4G/LTE/3G/2G | 4G/LTE/3G/2G |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 (2.4 GHz/ 5 GHz) | 802.11 (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) |
| Manufacturer Suggest Price (MSRP) | $109.99 | $169.99 |
Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Stylus: What’s the Difference?
After reviewing the specifications above, you may wonder: what exactly is the difference between these two phones? They both feature similar specs and almost seem like they could be the same phone with different camera systems, but we will go under the hood of both phones to show you how they differ from each other.
©Haelen Haagen/Shutterstock.com
Price and Release Date
There is only a minor pricing difference between the Moto G Pure and the Moto G Stylus. The original Stylus was released in 2020, but the latest model just dropped in May of this year (2023) and retails for around $200.
On the other hand, the Moto G Pure came out in the Autumn of 2021 and retails at $109.99. Moto G Pure and Moto G Stylus are great options for shoppers on a tight budget but who need a basic smartphone.
A stylus does come with the aptly-named Moto G Stylus, and it’s a nice feature, but it doesn’t have the same integration that smartphones from the likes of Samsung have with their proprietary Stylus software.
Cameras
The quality of the cameras also differs marginally between the phones, with the Moto G Stylus featuring a 50MP wide-angle lens, and a 2MP depth sensor to make up its camera arrangement. Both phones feature a selfie camera, and the Moto G Stylus features an 8MP.
On the other hand, the Moto G Pure features a dual camera setup on its back, with a 13MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP depth sensor. For the selfie camera, Motorola has provided the Moto G Pure with a relatively weak 5MP selfie camera.
Ultimately, as the megapixels imply, the Moto G Pure features a significantly weaker camera than the Moto G Stylus. After some investigation, we were disappointed by the camera performance of the Moto G Stylus, even as a budget phone.
Cameras are everywhere now, thanks to smartphones, and many of the cameras on high-end smartphones have become powerful and sophisticated that they could almost be considered professional devices.
Budget phones like the Moto G Stylus and Moto G Power often feature weaker but still solid cameras. In these two cases, the Moto G Stylus offers solid performance in both photography and video.
Still, we found the Moto G Power to be lacking in both categories. The G Power struggled intensely in low-light photography, and zooming in at all with the camera made the image incredibly fuzzy.
Performance
Performance-wise, out of the gate, both phones make use of the Android operating system, so you can enjoy compatibility with all of your favorite apps like YouTube, Gmail, Facebook, and more.
The Moto G Pure features the MediaTek Helio G25 processor, while the Moto G Stylus features the much more powerful MediaTek Helio G85 processor. In mobile benchmark tests, the MediaTek Helio G85 is around 3x as powerful as the MediaTek Helio G25.
- 6.5" Max Vision HD+ display
- Super responsive
- Compatible with major carriers
- Dual-camera system with night vision
- Water-repellent design
The Moto G Stylus comes out of the box with 4GB of integrated RAM, while the Moto G Pure only features 3GB of integrated RAM. So, the Stylus wins in that category too.
Storage-wise, the Moto G Stylus wins once again thanks to coming with 64GB or more, of integrated storage space and an external microSDXC slot which can upgrade the Moto G Stylus’s storage capacity to a whopping 2TB.
On the other hand, the Moto G Pure has a meager 32GB of storage space and only features a microSD slot, which can upgrade the Moto G Pure’s storage by 512GB.
When it comes to performance, the Moto G Stylus is the clear winner; it features more RAM, a powerful chipset that is capable of some light gaming, and a better overall camera.
©Koshiro K/Shutterstock.com
Battery Life
As smartphones became the norm, we actually saw a decline in cellphone battery life! But in today’s world, companies understand the need for all-day battery life, and Motorola has given both phones large batteries, with the Moto G Pure coming with a 4000mAh battery and the Moto G Stylus a 5000mAh battery.
Both phones can easily handle a full day. Some reviewers have even reported that with light usage, both phones can easily make it through two full days without needing a recharge.
Charging, however, is not the smoothest experience with either phone. The Moto G Stylus and Moto G Power are both only capable of USB Type-C 10W charging, which feels extremely sluggish in today’s world of 25W fast charging.
On average, the Moto G Stylus and Moto G Pure take between an hour and 45 minutes to two hours to fully charge once they hit 0%. Overall, we were very pleased by the strong battery performance of both phones but then were let down by the slow 10W charging that both phones employ.
What surprised us most is that neither phone has an optional fast charger you can buy separately, an annoying but common practice today in the smartphone market.
Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Stylus: 5 Must-Know Facts
- The Motorola Moto G Pure and Moto G Stylus are both unlocked in the United States for all carriers.
- Both phones feature a 6.5” display, but the Moto G Stylus has bigger bezels, making the phone measure 6.6”.
- Both phones are water-repellent but not entirely water-resistant.
- Both phones come with the Android 11 operating system, but the Moto G Stylus can be upgraded to Android 13 if you wish to do so. You can often find it preinstalled with Android 13, too.
- The Moto G Pure can capture 1080p video at 30 frames per second, while the Moto G Stylus can capture 1080p video at 60 frames per second.
Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Stylus: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Use?
Both of these phones are good mid-range options with strong battery life for users who find themselves on a tight budget. Both come with the same Android operating system, but as we pointed out previously, you can upgrade the Moto G Stylus to Android 13.
Ultimately, with phones being so close in price, we think the better buy is to go with the Moto G Stylus.
You get a stronger performing phone that is snappy and responsive and can even handle some light gaming with its MediaTek Helio G85 chipset and 4GB of RAM.
The Moto G Pure isn’t by any means the worst mid-range phone we’ve tested, and if you find yourself on the tightest of budgets, it’s still a good option if you are looking for just a standard smartphone that lets you text, take calls, and do some light browsing or work.
When it comes down to it, both phones are great options for a budget buyer, but if you need some power behind your smartphone, the Moto G Stylus is the way to go. If you don’t need a lot of power or a great camera behind your smartphone and you simply want a phone, then the Moto G Pure is a great option at a great price point.
- 6.5" Max Vision HD+ display
- Super responsive
- Compatible with major carriers
- Dual-camera system with night vision
- Water-repellent design
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Haelen Haagen/Shutterstock.com.
