Motorola Moto G Fast vs. Moto G Stylus: Full Comparison

The Motorola Moto G Fast and Moto G Stylus are two of Motorola‘s most popular budget smartphone models. While both phones offer excellent value, there are some key differences worth considering when deciding between these two affordable options.

At a Glance Comparison

Before diving into the details, here is a high-level overview of how the specs and features of the Moto G Fast and Moto G Stylus compare:

As you can see from the table, while both phones share similarities in being affordably priced devices, the Moto G Stylus clearly leads in certain areas like battery capacity, storage, RAM, cameras and 5G connectivity.

But specs alone don‘t tell the whole story. Below we‘ll explore some of these key differences in greater detail to help you determine the better choice for your needs.

Operating System and Software

Right out of the box, there is an OS difference between these two phones – the Moto G Stylus ships with the newest Android 11 software, while the Moto G Fast currently runs on Android 10.

Android 11 brings useful improvements like conversation notifications, chat bubbles, greater privacy controls, and enhanced device communication features.

However, Motorola has stated that the Moto G Fast will be eligible for an upgrade to Android 11 later on. So its software will soon reach OS parity with the Stylus.

Outside of Android version differences, Motorola uses a very clean, stock Android experience on both phones with only minor UI customizations through their My UX app. This means you‘ll get excellent performance without heavy manufacturer skins or bloatware dragging things down.

Both phones also come with the same 2 years of guaranteed Android version updates and 3 years of security updates. So they should remain safe and relatively modern in their software experience for their lifecycle.

Winner: Tie

Design and Display

The most obvious physical difference between the Moto G Fast and Moto G Stylus is screen size:

• Moto G Fast: 6.4 inch LCD display
• Moto G Stylus: 6.8 inch LCD display

The Moto G Stylus gives you more generous screen real estate, which is better for watching videos, multi-tasking with split-screen apps, browsing websites and more.

However, some users may prefer the more hand-friendly footprint of the Moto G Fast. It‘s shorter, narrower and considerably lighter at just 189 grams versus 217 grams for the Stylus model. Those with smaller hands could find the phone easier to text quickly and operate with one hand.

Apart from size, the other major display specification difference lies in resolution:

• Moto G Fast: 720 x 1560 pixels
• Moto G Stylus: 1080 x 2400 pixels

With nearly double the pixels packed into its panel, the Moto G Stylus display is demonstrably sharper and clearer. So if display quality is a priority for gaming, streaming movies or AR applications, the Stylus has a strong edge.

On build quality, both phones use plastic polymer bodies with what Motorola dubs a "Pearlescent" finish that stands up well to averaged wear and tear. The Moto G Fast touts a water-repellent coating that gives minor splash protection, while the Moto G Stylus lacks an IP rating but has comparable water resistance according to Motorola.

One last difference – the Moto G Stylus features a convenient built-in stylus that stores neatly within the phone body, allowing for handwriting notes, precision input and drawing applications. The Moto G Fast has no such stylus.

Winner: Moto G Stylus

Performance and Battery Life

The Moto G Fast features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. The Moto G Stylus steps up to a Snapdragon 480 5G chipset with triple the RAM at 6GB and 8x the onboard storage at 256GB.

In benchmarks, this gives the Moto G Stylus a clear performance advantage:

Moto G Fast vs Moto G Stylus Benchmark Scores (via GSMArena)

For most day-to-day usage like social media, web browsing, YouTube streaming and basic gaming, you‘re unlikely to feel the difference. But the Moto G Stylus has much more headroom for demanding apps and games thanks to its newer generation CPU, faster LPDDR4X RAM and vastly higher internal storage capacity.

On battery life, the Moto G Stylus once again leads with its chunky 5,000 mAh battery compared to the 4,000 mAh capacity battery in the Moto G Fast. In typical usage scenarios, you can expect:

• Moto G Fast: 1 day of runtime
• Moto G Stylus: 1.5 – 2 days of runtime

Both batteries support 10W rapid charging. So they can completely recharge in around 2 hours when powered off.

Winner: Moto G Stylus

Cameras

The Moto G series has always had a focus on providing excellent camera quality at affordable price points. But the Moto G Stylus definitely flexes its photography muscles most with its quad camera array:

Moto G Stylus Rear Cameras

• 48MP main
• 8MP 118° ultrawide
• 5MP macro
• 2MP depth

Moto G Fast Rear Cameras:

• 16MP main
• 8MP 118° ultrawide
• 2MP macro

Upgrading from a 16MP to 48MP sensor makes a noticeable difference in the crispness, clarity and level of detail the Moto G Stylus can capture. The dedicated depth camera also enables handsome background blur in portrait shots.

Moto G Fast (left) vs Moto G Stylus (right) camera samples (via Developersinfo

The bottom line: the Moto G Stylus delivers clearly better image quality – especially in dim lighting where its superior lenses and sensors make the most impact. It also provides more shooting flexibility with the addition of its 5MP macro camera.

Winner: Moto G Stylus

Connectivity and Features

One major benefit the Moto G Stylus enjoys over the Moto G Fast is 5G connectivity thanks to its integrated Snapdragon 480 5G modem.

5G grants you access to blazing fast next-gen data networks with peak download speeds around 10-20x faster than 4G LTE networks. So if you do a lot of mobile gaming, video streaming or need rapid large file downloads on the go, this can be a worthwhile upgrade.

Do keep in mind 5G infrastructure remains limited. So you‘ll only see dramatic speed boosts in areas with proper network coverage. Another caveat – the Snapdragon 480 5G tops out at around 200 Mbps in labs, while high-end 5G chips can exceed 1 Gbps. Still, it‘s great to have future-proofing.

Both phones omit NFC, meaning no Google Pay tap payments. And oddly neither has a 3.5mm headphone jack. So you‘ll need to rely on wireless audio unless you use a USB-C adapter.

In terms of security and unlocking, both phones utilize rear mounted capacitive fingerprint readers for biometrics. The Moto G Fast embeds this in its Motorola logo, while the Moto G Stylus houses it underneath the camera module.

Winner: Moto G Stylus (for 5G)

Price and Value Comparison

The Moto G Stylus 5G usually retails around $400 USD, although it‘s often discounted $50-100 below that price point at major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. At launch, the Moto G Fast retailed for $200 USD and continues to sell around that price bracket.

Obviously at half the cost, the Moto G Fast is easier on your wallet. For more budget-conscious buyers, it remains a great choice offering good triple camera performance, solid internals and adequate battery life. Plus its compact chassis is appealing for some.

But for just $200 more, the Moto G Stylus grants you a significantly larger and sharper display, massively upgraded storage, way more RAM, two extra camera lenses, double the battery life and future-proofing via 5G connectivity. It‘s arguably the better all-rounder with bells and whistles you‘d expect in far pricier flagships.

Ultimately your choice comes down to budget flexibility. The Moto G Fast satisfies if saving every dollar is critical. But on pure value, the Moto G Stylus still brings premium features that belie its midrange cost.

Recommendations Based on User Priorities

Determining whether the Moto G Fast or Moto G Stylus best fits your needs depends greatly on what features or capabilities rank highest on your priority list.

Good battery life is most important

Moto G Stylus – Twice the battery capacity means worry-free 2 day usage per charge.

You have a strict budget under $200

Moto G Fast – Best frugal choice with solid performance for everyday functions.

Small size for pocketability & one-handed use matters

Moto G Fast – More palm-friendly dimensions and lower weight.

Need lots of storage for apps, media & games

Moto G Stylus – 256GB built-in storage leaves ample room even for heavy usage.

Watch movies/videos and play games frequently

Moto G Stylus – Giant 6.8" ultra sharp 1080P display provides immersive viewing.

Photography quality from your phone is paramount

Moto G Stylus – Significantly better shooters with 48MP sensor + depth and macro lenses.

You want longevity from future network standards

Moto G Stylus – 5G connectivity ensures you benefit from fast data speeds as coverage spreads.

Conclusion

While the Moto G Stylus wins out on our spec sheet comparisons and checklist of features, the Moto G Fast still has plenty of appeal to shoppers wanting solid performance without breaking the bank. Ultimately, determining the better choice rests on your budget flexibility and which capabilities or attributes rank as highest priorities for your personal usage needs.

Both remain excellent showcase examples of how much value Motorola can pack into affordably priced handsets. Unless you must have bleeding edge processing power or camera performance rivalling $1000 flagships, it‘s tough to go wrong with either pick here.

At the end of the day, those who can stretch their dollars furthest are rewarded most with the well rounded feature set of the Moto G Stylus 5G. But budget buyers can rest assured knowing the Moto G Fast still punches far above its weight – costing hundreds less than competing models with comparable specifications.