The Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) is like an improved version of the original Moto G Stylus 5G released in 2022, but with a newer Snapdragon chipset, improved stylus latency, 120Hz display refresh rate; a 6.8-inch FHD+ screen, 256GB of storage, and 5,000mAh battery capacity also make the Moto G Stylus 5G's specs strong.

Stylus smartphones are apparently alive and well, and the Moto G Stylus 5G aims to take advantage among the best smartphones with pen functionality in terms of price. $399 is hardly a premium phone, but instead, it also benefits from 5G data speeds It offers an accessible combination of stylus experience for users who want to take advantage of it.

We went hands-on with the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023). In addition to our first impressions, here's everything you need to know about availability, battery life, camera, and more.

The Moto G Stylus 5G is priced at $399.99 and is available on Cricket as of June 2, 2023. The device is then available on AT&T, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Google Fi Wireless, UScellular, Consumer Cellular, Optimum Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, Xfinity Mobile, Boost Infinite, Boost Mobile, and many other blue-chip mobile carriers.

The Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) will also be available unlocked on Amazon.com, Best Buy, and Motorola.com starting June 16.

The Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) is available in this beautiful Rose Champagne color that many will find attractive, but there is also Cosmic Black if you are looking for something simpler. The back chassis has a matte finish, making it more fingerprint resistant than last year's model. We also like how this device has moved to a flat edge - it just makes for a better hand feel.

Turning to the display, it's a 6.6-inch Full HD+ screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz, up from 60Hz on the previous model. This means smoother scrolling, whether with a finger or the included stylus.

The stylus pops out from the bottom to launch a quick menu of favorite apps; I had no problem jotting down to-do lists quickly, and the latency was snappy enough. That said, we'd like to compare the Moto G Stylus 5G's stylus to something like the Galaxy Z Fold 4's S Pen to see the difference between a value-class stylus phone and a premium-class stylus phone.

The Moto G Stylus 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and runs Android 13; it will be updated to Android 14, but that's it in terms of OS upgrades, which is a bit disappointing for the price of this phone. However, users will receive a three-year security upgrade.

Otherwise, the device comes with up to 256 GB of storage, expandable up to 2 T with microSD.

The extra storage could come in handy for taking lots of photos and videos with the phone. As for camera performance, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) offers a 50MP main camera that combines an 8GB ultra-wide and macro vision lens. There is also a 16MP selfie cam on the front.

From the various sample shots, the device appears to be capable of taking adequate photos and videos. For example, it does a good job of reproducing clouds enveloping a Chicago skyscraper on a rainy day. However, a closer look at the photos is needed to compare them to other phones in the same price range.

If you were to take this phone outside, the 5,000mAh battery should give you two days of battery life. To verify its veracity, we would have to put the Edge Plus through a continuous web-surfing battery test, but Motorola phones typically provide strong stamina.

The previous generation Moto G Stylus 5G scored an impressive 10 hours and 50 minutes in our benchmark. While this did not quite make the list of best phones battery life, it is better than the average smartphone. As long as one did not strain the phone by gaming, video chatting, or watching videos for hours on end, the phone was able to get through the day.

It is far from a replacement for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) is likely to be a worthy alternative for note-takers who delight in the feedback of pushing pen to paper, or rather stylus to screen.