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The mythical Galaxy Note 21 is not here yet (and it will probably never happen), the S Pen-wielding Galaxy S22 Ultra merely feels like it's official after roughly a billion different leaks in the last few weeks alone, but stylus enthusiasts do have something new and (fairly) interesting they can pre-order today.
Of course, just like its forerunners, the aptly (read confusingly) named Moto G Stylus (no official 2022 suffix added, at least at Motorola) aims to cater to a far less demanding and more budget-focused audience than Samsung's flagships.
For an affordable mid-ranger, however, this 6.8-inch giant definitely has some cool and even original stuff going for it, undoubtedly starting with an unrivaled built-in stylus in the sub-$400 price bracket.
No 5G for this particular model
At $299.99 with 128 gigs of internal storage space, 5G connectivity was likely too much to ask from the latest addition to the Moto G Stylus lineup. Of course, this shortcoming makes the new 6.8-incher considerably less desirable than last year's Moto G Stylus 5G (no 2021 suffix for that either) as far as speed junkies are concerned.
The "old" Moto G Stylus 5G is available at $399.99 in a 256GB storage variant, mind you, while packing a modest Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor.
The "new" Moto G Stylus 4G LTE comes with a similarly unimpressive MediaTek Helio G88 SoC under its hood, as well as a totally unchanged 5,000mAh battery promising "up to two days of endurance" between charges.
The aforementioned 128GB local digital hoarding room is paired with a generous 6 gigs of RAM, while the very familiar-looking body of this handset is apparently made entirely from plastic, which is really not very surprising or disappointing considering Motorola's asking price here. But the big surprise is yet to come, and it's a decidedly positive one.
90Hz refresh rate at last!
While all of the best high-end smartphones out there are capable of refreshing their content at a 120Hz rate nowadays, it's still nice to see a low-cost mid-ranger upgrade its predecessor's good old fashioned 60Hz screen to 90Hz technology without increasing the price.
Believe it or not, both the 4G LTE-only Moto G Stylus (2021) and the one and only Moto G Stylus 5G come with traditional 60Hz display refresh rate technology, which means that this new non-5G model should deliver a smoother overall viewing experience than its $100 pricier "cousin."
The 6.8-inch "Max Vision" screen looks more or less unchanged otherwise, sporting a Full HD+ resolution of 2460 x 1080 pixels and squeezing into a relatively heavy 216-gram package with reasonably thin bezels and a centered hole punch housing a 16MP selfie shooter.
Around the back, the primary 48MP camera of the G Stylus 5G is replaced with a 50MP snapper featuring f/1.9 instead of f/1.7 aperture, while a secondary 8MP sensor promises to take care of both ultra-wide-angle and macro shots, with a third and final 2MP depth shooter likely to prove, well, largely useless in most everyday photography scenarios and settings.
Available in eye-catching Metallic Rose and Twilight Blue paint jobs, the Moto G Stylus Gen 3, as Motorola seems to alternatively call this device, comes with a single-colored pen as standard that the company advertises as "perfect for navigating, highlighting, editing, and completing any task that requires pinpoint precision."
Although there's definitely a bit of hyperbole involved there, especially if you compare this writing and sketching accessory to Samsung's state-of-the-art S Pen, our past experiences with older members of the Moto G Stylus family strongly suggest you'll find this thing handy or at least occasionally amusing.
Sold unlocked and compatible with all major US carriers, Verizon included, the new stylus-wielding phone is slated to start shipping on February 17. Anyone planning to pre-order one?
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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