Everything’s getting more expensive. That’s why I’m not surprised that the Moto G Stylus (2026) is getting a $100 price hike, bringing the total to $499. But rather than justifying the increase with iterative hardware upgrades, Motorola is taking a different approach that makes plenty of sense to me.
Not only is Motorola upgrading the stylus to respond to pressure and tilt — making it more like the S Pen in the Galaxy S26 Ultra — but it’s also transforming the $100 price increase into an accessory bundle offer. In fact, the $499 cost for the 128GB Moto G Stylus (2026) includes a four-pack of Moto Tags at no additional cost.
However, it gets even better if you opt for the 256GB model at $599. For that price, you’re getting the phone, a pair of Moto Buds Loop earbuds, a Moto Watch, and a Moto Tag. Now, this is the kind of price increase that’s a true win for budget shoppers.
Goodbye stone age pen, hello active stylus
This isn’t the same pointer I’ve tested in past Moto G Stylus phones; it’s now an active pen that finally provides proper pressure sensitivity and tilt detection. It functions a lot more like an actual pencil on paper, allowing for deeper strokes when pressure is applied and fainter ones with lighter strokes.
The Notes App serves this new battery-powered stylus with new tools like Sketch to Image, which uses AI to convert your drawings into realistic images. If this sounds familiar, it should, because it’s similar to what the latest Galaxy phones offer. Other new features with this active stylus include a drag-and-drop function, along with hover to magnify to preview content much closer.
Gone are the days of this stylus being a Stone Age tool — it’s now way more versatile.
Powerful dual cameras
One thing I’ve been disappointed by in other releases this year, like the Moto G (2026) and Moto G Power (2026), is that their cameras underperform. Hopefully, the Moto G Stylus (2026) fixes this with its upgraded dual-camera system, which consists of a 50MP main shooter using a Sony LYTIA 700C sensor paired with a 13MP ultrawide. There’s also a 32MP selfie camera around the front.
The hardware is backed by AI, which introduces a new photo enhancement engine that tweaks color, brightness, and textures to deliver vivid results. There are other signature styles that better cater to the scene, along with a super zoom feature that leverages hybrid zoom technology to reveal detailed shots.
Over on the video side, it can shoot in 4K across every camera — complete with enhanced stabilization.
Rugged construction meets a gorgeous display
On the front, the Moto G Stylus (2026) flaunts a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that should pair nicely with its new active stylus. This screen is also rated for a peak brightness of 5,000 nits, which I hope turns out to be true given how Moto G displays have often been dim in comparison to the competition.
Available in two Pantone colors — Coal Smoke and Lavender Mist — the Moto G Stylus (2026) offers dual IP68 and IP69 ratings that give it even better water, dust, and drop resistance than before. And if that’s not enough, the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip and equipped with a beefy 5,200 mAh battery and 68W TurboPower charging.
When it comes to the best cheap phones, it certainly still makes the cut at $499, but I wouldn’t mind spending the extra $100 to upgrade to the 256GB model, which comes with one of the most generous accessory packages I’ve seen.
You’ll be able to grab it starting on April 16 through Motorola, Best Buy, and Amazon first — with subsequent availability at Spectrum Mobile, Cricket Wireless, AT&T, Xfinity Mobile, and Optimum Mobile.
The Moto Pad (2026) marks a long-awaited return to tablets
Even more shocking is Motorola's return to the Android tablet world with the Moto Pad (2026). This long-awaited return marks 14 years since Motorola’s last commercial tablet in the U.S.: the Motorola Xyboard back in 2012.
The Moto Pad (2026) adopts the design language of the Moto G series but in a tablet form factor, complete with a sizable 11-inch 2.5K display and a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s being marketed as an entertainment beast with quad speakers that add greater audio fidelity to the experience, along with support for Dolby Atmos content.
Under the hood, it’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 5G processor and backed by a 7,040 mAh battery that reportedly provides up to 12 hours of video streaming on a full charge. In the U.S., it’ll be available through T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile starting on April 30, with a price to be announced closer to launch.
