Motorola PANTONE Gibraltar Sea 128GB Review

Buy this phone for the stylus and the two-day battery, period. If you don't need the pen, your money is better spent elsewhere.

The Moto G Stylus 2025 is a phone that makes a single, compelling promise: you can have a stylus without paying flagship prices. And you know what? It mostly delivers. It's a solid mid-ranger that punches above its weight in a few key areas, but the one thing you need to know is that you're buying this for the stylus. Everything else is a bonus. If you don't see yourself using that pen regularly, there are better options for your money.

We were genuinely surprised by how well the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 handles itself. Performance lands in the 86th percentile, which means it's snappy for everyday tasks and can even handle some light gaming. It's not going to win any benchmark wars against a Pixel or Galaxy S series, but for a $300 phone, it feels fast and responsive. The real shocker is the battery life, which sits in the 95th percentile. That 5000mAh cell paired with a 4G modem is a longevity cheat code.

At around $295, it's a decent value, but only if the stylus is your main draw. You're getting a great screen, killer battery, and good performance for the money. If you don't care about the pen, you can find similar or better performance for less.

This phone lives in a weird spot. The Samsung Galaxy A-series or a previous-gen Google Pixel often offer better cameras and software for a similar price, but they lack the stylus. The OnePlus Nord series will crush it in raw performance and charging speed. And then there's the elephant in the room: last year's flagship phones, which frequently drop to this price and offer a more premium overall experience, just without a built-in pen. The Moto G Stylus wins on battery life and its unique input method, but loses on connectivity and brand cachet.

If you're a mobile gamer, a photography enthusiast, or just want the fastest network speeds, this isn't it. Go get a used flagship Pixel or a OnePlus Nord instead. You'll get a better overall experience for the same cash.

We recommend the Moto G Stylus 2025 for a very specific person: someone who wants a stylus for notes or sketches on a budget, values battery life above all else, and isn't bothered by the lack of 5G. It's a great secondary device or a practical daily driver if your needs are simple. For everyone else, the competition is just too strong.