Forget hot foldable summer; this season is warming up to mid-range phones fromjust about every major manufacturer, including Google, Samsung, and now Motorola. The latest handset comes in the form of the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024), a$399 Android phone with a sizeable 6.7-inch OLED display, a 5,000mAh battery, a 50MP camera system, and a built-in stylus.

A built-in stylus! It's still a thing.

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Generally speaking, the new Moto G Stylus 5G brings relatively modest upgrades from last year's model, with megapixel bumps in the ultrawide (from 8MP to 13MP) and front-facing cameras (from 16MP to 32MP), 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB), and faster 30W wired charging (up from 20W). There's also wireless charging now, a feature less common in this price tier.

The processor has been kept the same as last year, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 that I found to be justcapable enough for daily use when I tested the previous Moto G Stylus 5G, so I can't complain.

As for what's different, the design jumps out the most, with this year's mid-range model available in two flavors: Caramel Latte, which shimmers in gold and silver tones, and Scarlet Wave, which I can only describe as lipstick-colored vegan leather. From a first look, I'm a fan of both options; a little personality with phone colors goes a long way.

Motorola says it's also improved the stylus experience, with a larger contact area (read: a bigger, flatter display) and "reduced latency for a smoother experience." The UI has been updated too, letting you set your favorite apps that pop out when the stylus is ejected.

Also: I switched to this$300 Motorola phone for two weeks and was pleasantly surprised

With the new 50MP camera sensor, Motorola is touting Ultra Pixel technology that pixel-bins four pixels into one 2