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The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is a refreshing departure from the approach of its older siblings, and it is available on Cricket Wireless, Metro by T-Mobile, and other US carriers, at fantastic discounts.
I used to be a stylus mobile user by default. Understandably, I became like that because back at the time, most phones had alphanumeric T9 keypads that made text entry difficult. Early touchscreen phones with styluses were the best options for someone who needed to be able to use their phone for heavier text input than the average person.
And so, I gravitated towards the Ericsson R380s, the Motorola Accompli A008 , and the Sony Ericsson P-series , among others. All of these were touchscreen phones that had a stylus. This was long before Apple invented capacitive touchscreen and smartphones could now be used for text entry without the need for a stylus.
But smartphones with a stylus have kept my interest over the years. This included Samsung’s now discontinued Galaxy Note series, the new Galaxy S Ultra series, and also Motorola’s Moto Stylus series. Up till now, the Moto Stylus series didn’t offer enough to make them attractive propositions to me. There was always a handful of issues with them. But the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 appears to have changed that.
First, the looks. This phone comes with a well-designed body that gets your attention. Being a budget phone, the frame is made of plastic, but the back has a nice touch of vegan/eco leather . And it retains one of Motorola’s staple feature – a water-repellent layer.
The Moto G Stylus 5G 2024.
The Moto G Stylus 2024 is available in two colors – Caramel Latte, and Scarlet Wave. I am a huge fan of the understated, elegant look of the Caramel Latte color option. Nothing screaming, garish, or outlandish for me. I do know that there are people out there who will find the Scarlet Wave preferable, even exciting. Valid, too.
For the first time, the display of a Moto Stylus smartphone is OLED. That’s a leap forward from the IPS LCD panels used in older generations.
Moving away from the brand new screen, it is time to look at the stylus, seeing as that is a tool you will be using a lot to interact with the screen. The stylus comes with improved sensitivity and the phone has new software built into it to work with the stylus, to make it easier for you to scribble, doodle, and draw. This includes the Moto Note app that pops up and lets you scribble even when the phone is locked. That’s a nice touch for making a random quick note.
You don’t get advanced stylus functionality like rotation detection, tilt detection, or Bluetooth connectivity like you would find on a Samsung Galaxy S Ultra, for example, but the Samsung costs three to four times the Moto G Stylus anyway. So, this is still a good deal.
If you have always wanted to be able to use an eSIM with your Moto Stylus, your dream comes true with the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024. It supports eSIM technology, so you don’t have to go swapping physical SIM cards any longer.
Also, you won’t be wanting for battery life on this model. There’s a generous 5000mAh capacity and there is 30W fast charging, as well as 15W wireless charging. These are serious updated over previous years; plus wireless charging isn’t common at this price range.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 Specifications
- 6.7″ FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) pOLED screen, 120Hz refresh rate, 2.5D curved glass, Peak brightness: 1200, Touch sampling rate: 240Hz, 20:9 aspect ratio display
- Octa-Core Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 4nm Mobile Platform (2.2 GHz x 4 A78-based +1.8GHz x 4 A55-based Kryo CPUs) with Adreno GPU
- 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, up to 2TB microSD card expandable
- Android 14 with My UX
- Dual SIM (1 Nano SIM + eSIM)
- 50MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, OIS, 13MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, macro + depth functions, LED flash
- 32MP front camera with f/2.4 aperture
- In-display fingerprint scanner
- 3.5mm headset jack, Dual stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos
- Dimensions: 162.56 x 74.752 x 8.295mm
- Weight: 190g
- 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, LTE, WCDMA
- Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB Type-C
- 5000mAh non-removable battery
- 30W fast charging
- 15W wireless charging
The price for the unlocked unit is $339, but you will find the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 for as low as $229 at some carriers. Both Cricket Wireless and Metro by T-Mobile have great offers that you should check out. I won’t be surprised if you find even better deals at other carriers, so look around some more.
Disappointing Software Update Policy
My excitement about the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is somewhat dampened by the fact that this phone will get only one Android OS software update. Since it launched with Android 14, that means, it will get only Android 15, and that is it. Bummer. That sucks. If it is any consolation, it will also get three years of bi-monthly security updates.
Alternatives and Competitors
The main reason anyone wants the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is the stylus functionality, and for that reason, this phone has no competition or alternatives. It comfortably occupies a spot in the market that no-one else is attending to. If you want another phone with a stylus, you will have to fork out $1,300 for Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 goes for a mere $400.
Verdict
Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 brings a more stylish design, better display, longer battery life, and improved software at a comfortable price. It is the best Moto G Stylus smartphone ever and is only let down by Motorola’s crappy software update policy.
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
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“Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 have IR blaster?” is a question I have been asked a few times. Infra-red ports are no longer the rave they used to be years ago on mobile phones, but some manufacturers still use them. And some Samsung fans are bitter about it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 foldable phone
Back in the day, the most advanced mobile phones would have an infra-red port. It was used for data transfer, including internet sharing. Yes; those were the days before Wi-Fi became a thing. To share your phone’s internet, you used an old-school data cable or infra-red.
With the presence of Wi-Fi, the need and demand for infra-red blasters diminished. In recent years, Xiaomi has put an IR blaster in many of its phones. This time, these ports enable the phones to be used as TV controllers. Yes; mobile phones have taken over the roles of everything else; why not add TV controller to it?
It also enables the ability to control the DVD player, air conditioner, and some other household appliances. But a more accurate version of Face ID uses infra-red and, so, we are seeing an upsurge of IR ports in smartphones. So, perhaps, a new IR revolution may yet happen based on this.
I have owned or reviewed a number of phones with an infra-red blaster and enjoyed using the feature. However, I cannot say that I have missed it in all the other phones I have used that did not have it. It has never felt like an essential to me.
- Does Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 have IR blaster?
- Does Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 Have IR Blaster?
- The Last Samsung Phones With IR Blaster
- Your Best Options For Phones With IR Blaster
- Deal-breaker or not?
Does Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 have IR blaster?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is a 2024 smartphone, and it does not have the feature. Some people think that the phone would be even better if it has one. Unfortunately, it does not. Fans were disappointed that recent Galaxy flagship phones like the S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra , and others did not have an IR blaster, either. Same thing goes for Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6: it does not have one either.
Does Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 Have IR Blaster?
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 does not have an IR blaster, as well.
Some Samsung fans have based their phone buying decision on this factor and moved on to other smartphone brands. Here is an example of one of such conversations on Samsung’s own community website.
There are scores of other online platforms where fans are griping about the matter. But I doubt that the answer to the simple question, “Does Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 have IR blaster” will have any impact on Samsung’s sales in any way. Maybe all of a few hundred people will refuse to buy it for that reason.
The Last Samsung Phones With IR Blaster
The last Samsung models that had an IR blaster were the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy Note 4. Since then, Samsung has ignored infra-red. And it does not look like the S10 range of phones will have this feature.
Your Best Options For Phones With IR Blaster
If you want a smartphone with an infra-red blaster, your best options are in the direction of Xiaomi and Huawei. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and other models in the Note 13 range are extremely popular with young people and both have IR blaster built in. Others include Xiaomi 14 series. Huawei has a number of models with an IR blaster. These include P20 Pro, Mate 10 Pro, and Honor View 10, among others.
Gionee produced a few smartphone models with infra-red blaster. It is unfortunate that the company has declared bankruptcy. Some of their phones are still available in the market though. I have reviewed a few LG smartphones and enjoyed using their IR blaster to control the TV. But it looks like LG might be dropping the feature too.
Deal-breaker or not?
There is a vocal enough community of smartphone enthusiasts who are put off by the Galaxy Z Fold6 not having an Infra-red blaster. I am not sure that it is a large enough community to make a big dent in the fortunes of these products. But then, I have not conducted any scientific survey to arrive at that conclusion. Still, including an infra-red port cannot cost much if Xiaomi is putting it in their budget phones.
Who knows, part of why Xiaomi and Huawei devices are selling so well (besides pricing) might be that those brands are now on the heels of Samsung? What are the chances that having an IR blaster in key models could be a factor? After all, so many people around the world watch TV, play videos and play music on infra-red controlled home systems.
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Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
