Motorola
Moto G Stylus 2026
All concerning the pen
The Moto G Stylus 2026 options modest upgrades throughout the board, and notably makes use of the identical processor because the last-generation mannequin. The spotlight is clearly the lively stylus, which provides options like stress sensitivity and tilt detection. In any other case, the telephone sports activities a 6.7-inch show, IP69 safety, and a 50MP major digital camera.
Execs
- Lively stylus with stress sensitivity and tilt detection
- IP69 sturdiness score; Water Contact show function
- 5,000-nit show brightness
- 5,200mAh battery capability with 68W wired quick charging
Cons
- Solely two years of Android OS upgrades
- Lowly Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor
- $100 costlier than Moto G Stylus 2025
The very best stylus telephone
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely is a full-blown flagship that packs a stylus inside. It includes a “Privateness Show” that makes use of a Flex Magic Pixel OLED panel to restrict viewing angles with the press of a button. Powering the expertise is a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and One UI 8.5 based mostly on Android 16.
Execs
- Privateness Show is unbelievable at blocking undesirable viewing
- 60W wired quick charging
- One UI 8.5 with seven years of Android OS upgrades
- New 200MP major and 50MP telephoto sensors
Cons
- S Pen can solely be inserted a technique
- Comparatively small 5,000mAh battery capability
- No inbuilt Qi2 magnets for wi-fi charging
After all, Samsung killed the Galaxy Notice a few years in the past, but it surely additionally axed the S Pen for foldables with the discharge of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 simply final 12 months. It canned Air Actions, the S Pen’s Bluetooth distant management options, with the Galaxy S25 Extremely. From the skin wanting in, it appears Samsung is not prioritizing the S Pen because it as soon as did — although the newest Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely consists of one.
On the similar time, Motorola is doubling down on styluses. It introduced pens for the upcoming Razr Fold and Moto Pad, and simply unveiled the Moto G Stylus 2026. The most recent mannequin consists of an lively stylus for the primary time, including options like stress sensitivity and tilt detection. That places the Moto G Stylus 2026 in the identical league because the Galaxy S26 Extremely, which additionally sports activities an lively stylus within the S Pen.
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However is there anybody prepared to seize the $500 Moto G Stylus 2026 as a substitute of the $1,300 Galaxy S26 Extremely, and settle for the compromises that include the lower cost? Let’s discover out.
Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely: The pens
(Picture credit score: Motorola)
The 2 issues tying the Moto G Stylus 2026 and the Galaxy S26 Extremely collectively are their built-in styluses. Each telephones now assist lively styluses, which implies they use tiny inner batteries to speak with their screens. That is how options like Air View hover previews with the S Pen or pressure-sensitive drawings on the Moto G Stylus 2026 are attainable.
Motorola says its stylus will final 100 hours on a single cost, and powers up in quarter-hour when docked contained in the Moto G Stylus 2026. Samsung does not promote the S Pen’s battery life, but it surely works the identical means. When saved in its silo, the pen expenses, and it is able to go once you pull it out.
Every telephone provides distinct software program tips that make use of the pen. Motorola constructed whole Android OS behaviors across the new lively stylus, like how one can drag and drop pictures or enlarge textual content utilizing the pen. There’s additionally a brand new Handwriting Calculator that solves your math issues as you draw them. You get a button on the stylus for highlighting textual content that may be shared to the Notes app.
(Picture credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
The Galaxy S26 Extremely’s stylus has a slight design drawback — the S Pen can solely be docked in a single route. It is curved to match the curvature of the machine chassis, so it will not match if inserted the other way up. Apart from that limitation, it is as succesful as ever, with software program instruments like AI Choose, AI Drawing, and Air Instructions. Longtime S Pen customers will discover that Air Actions, in any other case often known as Bluetooth S Pen options, are lacking for the second straight 12 months.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely: Design and show
(Picture credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
The general designs of the 2 smartphones are fairly completely different. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Extremely is bigger, whereas Motorola’s Moto G Stylus 2026 is extra compact. The previous has a 6.9-inch display, and the latter has a 6.7-inch display. Samsung’s show is particular as a result of it helps the Privateness Show function that makes use of customized huge and slim pixels that may be turned off individually to restrict viewing angles.
Each shows are OLED and able to 120Hz refresh charges. The Moto G Stylus 2026 is definitely brighter than the Galaxy S26 Extremely, with a peak score of 5,000 nits in comparison with 2,600 nits. The Stylus 2026 has a Tremendous HD show, whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely has a QHD+ decision, and every has its personal quirks. Motorola’s display has a Water Contact mode that improves accuracy when the floor is moist, whereas Samsung’s Gorilla Armor 2 coating is anti-reflective.
What to learn subsequent
The Galaxy S26 Extremely is wider and taller than the Moto G Stylus 2026, but it surely’s additionally thinner, measuring 7.9mm thick. The Moto G Stylus is barely thicker at 8.3mm, and options fascinating vegan leather-based Pantone Coal Smoke and Pantone Lavender Mist colorways.
(Picture credit score: Motorola)
By way of sturdiness, the Galaxy S26 Extremely helps IP68 dust- and water-resistance, however the Moto G Stylus 2026 takes that as much as IP69. It is a fair harder normal that improves water-resistance in opposition to high-pressure and high-temperature water jets.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely: {Hardware} and specs
(Picture credit score: Motorola)
Uncooked {hardware} and specs will not assist the Moto G Stylus 2026 stand out. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 powering the expertise is the very same chip we noticed on the Moto G Stylus 2025. It is an previous, underpowered chip that does not assist Motorola justify this 12 months’s $100 value improve. The 8GB of reminiscence and 128GB or 256GB of storage aren’t something particular, both — although the Moto G Stylus 2026 does assist as much as 1TB of expandable microSD card storage.
That is earlier than we carry the Galaxy S26 Extremely into the dialog, which is able to unsurprisingly blow Motorola’s finances providing out of the water. It makes use of a state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor paired with both 12GB or 16GB of RAM. It is arguably the perfect chip on the Android facet of the smartphone market, and might deal with your wants of right now and tomorrow.
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Class
Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026
Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely
Show
6.7″ Excessive AMOLED, 1.5K Tremendous HD (2712 X 1220) 446ppi, 100% DCI-P3 coloration house 10-bit; Over a billion shades of coloration, as much as 120Hz refresh price, 5000 nits peak brightness, Show Shade Increase, Water Contact
6.9-inch QHD+ (3,120×1,440) AMOLED, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Charge, Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2, Anti-reflective coating, Privateness Show, as much as 2,600 nits
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
RAM
8GB
12GB / 16GB
Storage
128GB, 256GB
256GB, 512GB/ 1TB
Rear Digicam 1
50MP, f/1.8 (huge)
200MP, f/1.4,(huge)
Rear Digicam 2
13MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide)
10MP, f/2.4, 3x (telephoto)
Rear Digicam 3
N/A
50MP, f/2.9, 5x (periscope telephoto)
Rear Digicam 4
N/A
50MP, f/1.9 (ultrawide)
Entrance Digicam
32MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
Ingress Safety
IP68/IP69
IP68
Connectivity
5G (sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4
5G (sub-6GHz, mmWave), Wi-Fi 7, UWB, Bluetooth 6.0
Battery
5,200mAh
5,000mAh
Charging
68W wired, 15W wi-fi
60W, Qi 2.2 Magnetic Compatibility w/ 25W wi-fi speeds
Dimensions
162.2 x 74.8 x 8.3 mm
163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm
Weight
192 grams
214 grams
OS
Android 16 (two generations of OS upgrades)
One UI 8.5 w/ Android 16 (seven generations of OS upgrades)
The Moto G Stylus 2026 may wrestle to satisfy tomorrow’s wants, given its brief software program assist assure that spans solely two main Android OS upgrades. You do get Android 16 out of the field, however something past that may be a threat as a result of Motorola has a subpar monitor document on this space. In the meantime, the Galaxy S26 Extremely begins with the Android 16-based One UI 8.5 and comes with seven years of Android OS updates.
Motorola does win the battery battle with a bigger capability and sooner wired charging speeds. The Moto G Stylus 2026 has a 5,200mAh capability and expenses at 68W over a cable, however wirelessly it drops to 15W. The Galaxy S26 Extremely has a 5,000mAh battery and helps 60W wired charging, however provides sooner 25W speeds wirelessly.
(Picture credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
The Galaxy S26 Extremely provides the vastly superior digital camera system, with a quadruple-sensor structure on the rear together with a 200MP main shooter, a 50MP ultrawide, a 50MP 5x zoom telephoto, and one other 10MP 3x zoom telephoto. Motorola’s telephone includes a 50MP major sensor and a 13MP ultrawide on the again, however that is it. Though a light-weight sensor and flash are disguised to seem like additional digital camera lenses, they are not ones.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely: A worthy competitor?
(Picture credit score: Motorola)
In the event you’re in search of an Android telephone with a stylus, the Moto G Stylus 2026 makes you surprise how a lot smartphone you really want. Might a $500 telephone deal with your day by day messages, calls, images, and social media scrolling? It is attainable, and I am at all times able to admit that few folks actually require a flagship telephone costing in extra of $1,000. Nevertheless, Motorola did not do a lot to persuade customers that the Moto G Stylus 2026 is able to problem telephones just like the Galaxy S26 Extremely.
The Moto G Stylus 2026 is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, which is carried over from the 2025 mannequin and first launched in 2024. It is not only a low-end cell chip; it is also an getting older one. Plus, the Moto G Stylus 2026 solely comes with two years of Android OS upgrades, and we’re conversant in Motorola’s poor monitor document with software program updates. The digital camera system is similar to the one on the Moto G Stylus 2025, too.
So, if Motorola’s purpose by including an lively stylus and elevating the worth by $100 was to make the Moto G Stylus 2026 a more in-depth competitor to the Galaxy S26 Extremely, I do not assume it met the mark. The stylus is nice, and so is the show, IP69 certification, and battery. The opposite issues that make a superb Android telephone, like a quick processor, nice cameras, and lengthy software program assist, simply aren’t flagship-caliber — and are not even actually that shut.
It is the identical story as traditional for the Moto G Stylus 2026. That is an excellent telephone for the worth, and, extremely, you get an lively stylus for $500. You will simply have to surrender rather a lot in comparison with the perfect of the perfect, just like the Galaxy S26 Extremely. Contemplating Motorola’s stylus telephone is $800 cheaper than Samsung’s, that should not come as an enormous shock.
Motorola
Moto G Stylus 2026
The finances purchase
If an lively stylus is what you are after, the Moto G Stylus 2026 offers you that for $800 lower than the Galaxy S26 Extremely. Motorola appears to be doubling down on the stylus, whereas Samsung is eradicating options from it. That is inspiring, however every thing else is a bit regarding. The processor limitations and mere two years of Android OS upgrades may offer you pause.
The all-around greatest
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely is clearly the perfect Android stylus telephone, however is it $800 higher than the Moto G Stylus 2026? That is so that you can resolve. The processor, software program, and digital camera system are miles forward of what Motorola provides, and the seven-year software program assist offers you long-term confidence. Nonetheless, that is some huge cash to spend on a telephone.
