When picking out a phone case, it’s important to think about your priorities. Are you prone to dropping your phone often, or do you just want a slim sleeve to keep dust and debris away from your device? Do you want a case that adds something extra to your phone, like a credit card slot or kickstand? You should consider these questions — along with how much you’re willing to spend — when shopping for a new phone case.

I evaluated the cases below based on a variety of factors, including how much bulk they add to your phone, how easy they are to put on and remove, their build quality and how they hold up during drops. I dropped each case from a height of roughly three feet to test its durability. That might not sound very high, but it seemed like a good way to simulate the real-world experience of knocking your phone off a countertop or table, or dropping it as you take it out of your pocket. (Spoiler: Every case in this list passed the test and protected the Galaxy A53 from damage).

Speaker 1: The Moto G 5g includes some key features that might fulfill, and even Surpas your expectations for a $400 phone. It has 256 gigs of space, which is practically unheard of in this price range. [00:00:30] By comparison. Last year’s pixel five, a with 5g, and this year’s galaxy a 53 5g, both ship with 128 gigs of space and cost slightly more at four 50, it’s still a good value, but half what Motorola is offering. If somehow that’s not enough storage, you could even throw in a micro SD card to add even more. It also includes six gigs of Ram, which matches Samsung’s galaxy eight fifty three. The phone 6.5 inch screen allows you to set a 90 Hertz refresh rate, which is plenty smooth for scoring through [00:01:00] websites and apps. And the phone’s 5,000 milliamp hour battery should last you an entire day, possibly two, depending on your usage.

Speaker 1: I wrapped up five hours of screen time in one of my days of testing, where I had the phone streaming, YouTube taking video calls, playing games and reading articles. And I still had roughly 30% of battery left after that. There’s a headphone Jack two, which is important for audio flexibility lately. It seems like every time a report that a phone in this price range still has the headphone Jack. Another one seems to take it away like the upcoming 4 49 [00:01:30] pixel six, a the Moto G five G is also one of the cheaper phones to ship with Android 12. And with that you’ll get new features like customizable menus. The phone also includes Motorola’s custom gestures like the chopping motion for turning on the flashlight and a twist motion for quickly accessing the camera 5g support on this phone also includes sub six and C band, but there’s no support for millimeter wave.

Speaker 1: That’s pretty common in this price range. And frankly, millimeter wave is only available in very specific areas like sports stadiums. [00:02:00] Several of my colleagues have explainers on CNET about the different flavors of 5g. If you’re interested in that, all of these features could very well be everything you need in a phone. And in some cases like the huge amount of storage be even more than you need, but there are caveats and they start with the camera. The Moto G 5g includes the same 50 megapixel camera as the $500 Moto G stylist 5g, but lacks optical image stabilization. The Moto G 5g also comes with a lower resolution, two megapixel [00:02:30] macro camera, and two megapixel depth sensor that helps with other camera modes like portrait mode. There’s also a 13 megapixel selfie camera. I took the phone on a ferry ride in New York, south street Seaport, and my photos look fine, but they are clear step down in terms of image quality from the photos taken with a stylus 5g, considering the main camera on each phone is otherwise the same.

Speaker 1: I was a little bit surprised by the differences. I wish my Mo G 5g photos just had better detail. Motorola does include several software enhancements [00:03:00] in its camera app, including a night mode, which is very nice to see in a $400 phone video, quality is not good, which is the same criticism that I had on the motog stylist 5g. While I was shooting video on top of a windy New York city fairy audio sounded washed out and the video quality only captured some details of the water or the buildings. It’s good enough to share in a group chat, but I consider finding a separate video camera. If I were taping an event, the phone also lacks an NFC chip and considering how contactless payments are now [00:03:30] being taken everywhere from convenience stores to transit systems, I feel like $400 phone should include that feature. It’s becoming more of a necessity and it’s worth pointing out in case it’s something you need many phones, $400 and less also don’t include NFC, but it’s time for that feature to hit those price ranges.

Speaker 1: I’m not big on the phone’s main speaker, either music and video sounded a bit tin like, but that’s easily alleviated using headphones over Bluetooth or a wire. The phone also ships with a media tech processor. [00:04:00] And I actually had no issues with lag or speed when using it across apps and games. While the phone is technically less powerful than the motog stylist 5g S Qualcomm chip it’s performance is likely aided by its six gigs of memory. The Moto G 5g will only get one major OS software update to Android 13 and three years of security updates. This means after about three years, you’ll likely wanna move on to a different phone when Motorola stops providing support against security vulnerabilities for its price. [00:04:30] That might be totally okay for you, but if you’re hoping to hold onto this phone for longer, you should keep that in mind.

Speaker 1: The Moto G 5g could be a great pick for $400, especially if storage is your primary concern, a phone with 256 gigs of space for $400 is a fantastic value. Plus it runs well. And the screen’s 90 Hertz refresh rate is a nice bonus. On top of that. Motorola told us that the phone we discounted even further to 350 for a limited time. So you might even find it for less, depending on when you get [00:05:00] it. But we now know that Google’s pixel six a is arriving this July at 4 49 as well. Looking much like Google’s pixel six and including its in-house tensor chip. If you’re shopping with $400 as you’re ceiling, the Moto G 5g could be a good option for you, but if you’re shopping within the 400 to $500 range and you aren’t in need of an Android phone right now, it’ll be best to wait until July. At which point we’ll have a better idea of what’s available this year in that price range for more about the Moto [00:05:30] G 5g, check out my review on CNET or check out the links in the description. And so far in the 400, 500 range, we now have this Moto G 5g, the Samsung galaxy, a 53 and the Moto G stylist 5g, which of these phones are you the most into? Tell me about that in the comments and for more guides and review videos like these, like, and subscribe to CNET on YouTube.

Storage space is the clear highlight for this year’s Moto G 5G. But the phone’s 6.5-inch 720p screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, long-lasting 5,000-mAh battery, headphone jack and Android 12 also provide a lot of flexibility and functionality.

And there are features missing from the Moto G 5G that — while typical for phones at this price — are increasingly annoying to find omitted. For instance, there’s no NFC for contactless payments, which is particularly concerning as more grocery stores and transit systems move toward this system.

But if $400 is the most you want to pay for a phone, there is a lot to like about the Moto G 5G. Just be sure to keep your expectations in check. You might even find the Moto G 5G at a lower price, as Motorola said it plans to offer the phone at $350 for a limited time. Motorola’s phones generally get discounted even further with time.

Android 12 on the Moto G feels fast, even if it’s not as speedy as other phones

The Moto G 5G runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 700 chip. That’s less powerful than the Qualcomm chips typically included in phones in this price range, such as the $449 Google Pixel 5A 5G or the $500 Moto G Stylus 5G. But I didn’t notice much lag or other issues when opening and closing apps.

Multitasking on the Moto G 5G — which I often test by video chatting in picture-in-picture mode while viewing other content — also worked without any hiccups. Games also ran great, but with the 720p resolution display they aren’t pushing intensely detailed graphics.

While I can’t say for sure, I think this may have to do with the phone’s 6GB of memory, which is more than capable for handling phone calls, games, web browsers and other apps at roughly the same time. Having more memory makes it easier to switch between all of these, and 6GB is also the amount found inside the Pixel 5A and the $450 Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.

Motorola also includes several of the custom gestures that have been present on its phones for years, such as twisting the phone to launch the camera or making a chopping motion to turn on the flashlight.

The 5,000-mAh battery that powers all of this software and hardware could very well last for two days. I still had about 30% of the phone’s battery left on a day in which I racked up just over 5 hours of screen time with the screen running at 90Hz refresh rate and medium brightness. During that time, I watched a lot of YouTube, made video calls, browsed websites and sent text messages. On less intensive days when I only pulled out the phone for more occasional glances, I’d wrap with roughly 50% left. I haven’t run a full battery test on the phone, but I had a comparable battery life with Samsung’s $160 Galaxy A03S which also runs on a MediaTek chip and powers a 720p display (but that phone only includes 32GB of storage space; I did experience some performance lag while using it).

The Moto G 5G supports both sub-6 and C-Band varieties of 5G connectivity, but it does not support millimeter wave. That’s pretty common for phones in this price range, and millimeter wave frankly isn’t a must-have right now, since it’s only available in very specific areas like sports stadiums. Several of my colleagues explain the differences between the various flavors of 5G in other explainers. But for now, sub-6 and C-Band should cover most needs. Like most phones, this device supports 4G LTE networks too.

I still wish Motorola provided a longer software support timeline for its Moto G phones. This phone will only get one major software update to Android 13, but it will get three years of security updates. This bothered me quite a bit on the $500 Moto G Stylus 5G, but it’s a bit easier to swallow at $400. However, Samsung is offering four to five years of security updates for many of its cheaper Galaxy A phones. Having three years of security support is a good length for a phone at this price, but it’s still on the shorter side.

Caveats start with the cameras

The Moto G 5G includes the same 50-megapixel main camera as the Moto G Stylus 5G that I reviewed a few weeks back. Accompanying that main camera are a 2-megapixel macro camera, 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 13-megapixel front-facing camera. I really liked the photos on the Stylus 5G and was hoping that I would experience similar quality in this cheaper phone. But the Moto G 5G just lacked enough detail for me across both indoor and outdoor photography.

I tested the phone’s camera on a ferry ride to New York’s South Street Seaport on a very sunny day. While my photos came out fine, I didn’t feel like the camera captured as much detail as I expected.

The lighting conditions for the buildings and the water couldn’t have been more ideal, but I just didn’t feel like my photos had much pop.

The Moto G 5G includes night mode for capturing better photos in the dark, which is nice to see at this price. But it only improved brightness marginally when taking photos in dim indoor environments, like a bar.

The front-facing camera’s images fared slightly better in both outdoor and indoor photography, and the image quality was suitable for video calls.

Video quality — which records at 1080p — is also unimpressive. While recording on top of the windy ferry, audio sounded washed out while the video quality only captured some details of the water and buildings. I had a similar criticism of the video quality on the Stylus 5G. It’s acceptable for sharing in a group chat or even an Instagram post, but I’d want a separate camera to record a milestone personal event like a wedding.

The phone’s main speaker also left a lot to be desired. It made music and videos sound more tinny to me, so I’d recommend using wired or Bluetooth headphones. (Yes, this is one of the few phones you can buy that still has a headphone jack).

Though the phone includes Google Pay, you can’t use it for contactless payment since the Moto G 5G doesn’t have NFC. That means Google Pay is only useful for Venmo-like money transfers. With contactless payments becoming increasingly convenient, I hope cheaper phones like the Moto G start adopting that technology soon.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Geekbench 5 Multicore

Excellent value, but there are good reasons to wait

The Moto G 5G’s biggest advantage is its 256GB, which is rare in a $400 phone. Its closest competitors like the $450 Galaxy A53 5G and last year’s $449 Pixel 5A with 5G include half of that amount of space — 128GB.

If you are shopping for a phone with a $400 budget ceiling, the Moto G 5G could be an excellent choice. But if you are looking within the $400 to $500 range and don’t need to replace your phone right away, you should probably wait until the recently revealed Pixel 6A arrives this July at $449. Once that phone launches, we’ll have a better idea of what’s available this year in that price range.

Moto G 5G vs. Moto G Stylus 5G vs. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs. Google Pixel 5A 5G

	Motorola Moto G 5G (2022)	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Pixel 5A 5G
Display size, resolution	6.5-inch HD+ LCD (1,600×720 pixels)	6.8-inch LTPS LCD FHD+; 2,460 x1,080 pixels; 120 Hz	6.5-inch AMOLED (2,400×1,080 pixels); 120 Hz	6.34-inch OLED; (2,400 x 1,080 pixels); 60 Hz
Pixel density	269 ppi	395 ppi	405 ppi	413 ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.51 x 2.98 x 0.37 in.	6.65 x 2.98 x 0.37 in.	6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in.	6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 in.
Dimensions (Millimeters)	165.4 x 75.8 x 9.4 mm	168.9 x 75.8 x 9.3 mm	159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm	156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8 depth (mm)
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	7.20 oz; 204g	7.58 oz.; 215g	6.67 oz.; 189g	6.45 oz.; 183g
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 12	Android 12	Android 11
Camera	50-megapixel (main), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth)	50-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultrawide/macro), 2-megapixel (depth)	64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth)	16-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide)
Front-facing camera	13-megapixel	16-megapixel	32-megapixel	8-megapixel
Video capture	1,080p	1,080p	4K	4K
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 700	Snapdragon 695 5G	Exynos 1280	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
RAM/Storage	6GB/256GB	8GB/256GB	6GB/128GB	6GB/128GB
Expandable storage	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB	No
Battery/Charger	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (charger not included, does not support wireless charging)	4,680 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Side	Side	In-display	Back
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	Yes	Yes	None	Yes
Special features	5G-enabled	5G-enabled; OIS for main camera; NFC for Google Pay;	5G-enabled; IP67 rating; supports 25W wired fast charging, Samsung Pay	5G-enabled, Titan M chipset (security chip), Dual-pixel main camera’ IP67 water rating, Dual Sim, Stereo speakers; 18W fast charging
Price off-contract (USD)	$400	$500	$450	$449
Price (GBP)	NA but converts to £320	NA but converts to £405	£399	NA but converts to £360
Price (AUD)	NA but converts to AU$570	NA but converts to AU$715	AU$699	NA but converts to AU$640

While plenty of big, new smartphones support 5G (and have for a couple of years), and providers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all offer 5G networks for their customers, it can be hard to actually find it while out and about. It doesn’t help that those providers have coverage maps on their websites that only show where 5G is theoretically available.

The good news is that the network speed measurement tool Speedtest (Note: Mashable and Speedtest are both owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis) recently added a feature to its iOS app to fix this problem using data crowd-sourced from regular folks. Previously locked to Android, Speedtest coverage maps are now available for both of the biggest mobile operating systems.

Here’s how to see where you can actually find 5G near you.

How to find 5G coverage in Speedtest

First, download Speedtest from the App Store or Play Store. (It’d be weird if you didn’t do that by the time you got to this part of the article, honestly, but we all march to the beat of our own drum and whatnot.) The next step couldn’t be easier: Simply open the app and tap the “Map” tab on the lower right corner of the screen.

You should see something like the below image by default. Without altering any settings, you’ll get a coverage map for your phone’s mobile network, showing the best possible network type (i.e., 3G, LTE, 5G, etc.) available near you.

Thing is, that’s not much different than what you’d find on your network’s website. You might be able to get 5G in your neighborhood, but chances are it’s not the quality of speed you’ll have the majority of the time. To see a more realistic picture, tap the bottom of the screen.

Once you’re here, you can look at the coverage map for any other networks if you like. However, the most useful option is to change the map type from “Best” to “Most common.” This will show what most Speedtest users in your area connect to most often (spoiler alert: It’s probably not 5G., rather than the theoretical best network type available.

As you can see, out in a part of Queens I don’t live in (like I would dox myself for you), 5G is available but not particularly common. It’s still LTE time pretty much anywhere you go in the five boroughs.

But hey, maybe there’s a tiny sliver of land near you where 5G is bountiful. It could be fun to go there and try to watch 4K YouTube videos. The rest of us will just have to live with 720p like we have for years.

Motorola sells the Stylus 5G unlocked with a roomy 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. It also includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip, which is generally more powerful than the MediaTek one included in the $300 4G-only Moto G Stylus from earlier this year. Its 5G support includes sub-6 and C-band frequencies. A Verizon version will also support millimeter-wave 5G.

All this makes the phone fit right in with midrange rivals such as the $450 Galaxy A53 and last year’s $449 Pixel 5A with 5G. But unlike Samsung and Google, which both commit to years of software updates, Motorola only promises one major software update to its G line of phones. This means that while the Stylus 5G is shipping right now with Android 12 and will eventually get Android 13, you’ll only receive three years of security updates instead of any additional feature upgrades.

Motorola says this could be a perk, offering stability and consistency with its menus and interface. But even if you buy a cheaper phone, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice updates because you probably want it to last as long as possible.

This makes the Moto G Stylus 5G worth considering if you want to hold onto the phone for two or three years, but it’s a tougher sell if you want a phone that’ll be viable for longer. It has many of the best Android 12 features, including the option to customize menus to your favorite color, and a long-lasting battery. And if a stylus is important to you on top of that, this phone could be the best pick for you.

Tall phone with a big battery

The Moto G Stylus 5G is a tall and thin phone, making it easy to hold and even text with one hand. I’m normally a fan of phones with screens longer than 6.5 inches because it’s easier to watch videos and read. But the shape of the phone leaves its top half exposed, which would make it easier for a thief to snatch if you’re not paying attention.

I can alleviate this by using the stylus and the phone’s handwriting recognition keyboard instead, which gets me a better grip on the body. Yet that comes at the expense of speed and accuracy compared to touch typing and autocorrect. Putting the phone in a case paired with a PopSocket, or something similar, could also help with that safety concern.

Otherwise the screen is great for watching and reading content, especially since it provides the option to boost the refresh rate up to 120Hz. Motorola also provides options for using a dynamic refresh rate depending on how you’re using the phone or a 60Hz option, both of which consume less power on the battery.

Yet with a beefy 5,000-mAh battery inside, the phone easily made it through a few full days of heavy usage with 120Hz on at all times. I watch a lot of YouTube, play games, take video calls, capture photos and videos and even on my longest day it still had 30 to 50% capacity when I was ready to go to bed. I averaged just over 3 hours of screen time each day but with less intensive usage patterns I’m sure the phone could easily last well into a second day.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Geekbench 5 Multicore

While all that extra power is great, it’s worth noting that the Stylus 5G does charge more slowly than rival phones. You get a power adapter — something that’s disappearing from most phone boxes lately — but it’s a 10W charger with a USB-A to USB-C cable. Motorola said that you can use a different power adapter with the phone, but the maximum speed it can charge is 15W. By comparison the Galaxy A53 also has a 5,000-mAh battery and can charge at up to 25W, but you need to buy a power adapter separately. When I ran the Stylus 5G down to 0%, it took roughly 2.5 hours to charge it up to 95% using the included charger.

Shockingly, there’s a headphone jack included, something that’s practically nonexistent for phones in this price range. Motorola includes Dolby Atmos, which can be applied to specific headphones and speakers that you connect.

Stylus features are nice, but lack impact

The Moto G Stylus 5G includes a stylus, but the best thing about it is its dedicated slot in the phone. When you remove the stylus, you’ll see a menu of shortcuts including an option to take a screenshot to annotate, take a note or open a coloring book app.

Motorola is also launching a Live Message feature, which lets you create an animated drawing and send it out through a favorite messaging app. I was easily able to make these, and send them to friends the way I’d send a GIF. My friends found the animations amusing but this isn’t something I’d do every day.

The stylus is neat, but it’s hard for me to imagine using it on a regular basis. If you need to sign a digital document, it’s now easy to get that done with a service like DocuSign, Microsoft Office or Google Docs. Unless you absolutely need a stylus, you’d be better off considering the sub-$500 phones that don’t include one.

Stable photography

The biggest improvement on the Moto G Stylus 5G over last year’s version is with the inclusion of optical image stabilization. This reduces hand shake while taking photos, helping prevent motion blur.

The main 50-megapixel camera on the back of the phone is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel depth sensor camera. On the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

I took the phone to a dog park, where I needed to move quickly to get photos of the puppies. I shot plenty of great dog photos, including of my friend’s dog Mel who got particularly aggressive with a football toy.

I also took the phone to a Korean barbecue restaurant as well as to a karaoke night, where I used the phone’s Night mode to help capture more detail in darker indoor settings. It captured all of the details of the meal, but at the theater the results were more saturated. There’s a noticeable blur on objects that were farther away.

The front-facing camera also captured a lot of detail while I made faces at the camera.

Video isn’t the phone’s strong suit. You can choose between 30 and 60 frames per second, but otherwise it’s limited to 1080p for capture. Last year’s Stylus 5G includes 4K video recording, so I was surprised that feature didn’t stick around.

The footage I took at the dog park was OK, but wasn’t particularly detailed even in good lighting. I wouldn’t expect to capture anything more than short video clips that could be shared with friends or family.

Limited software support hurts an otherwise good phone

Even though the phone’s stylus, good photography, larger screen and higher refresh rate all recommend it, it’s hard for me to ignore Motorola’s commitment to just one major Android update.

I used a Moto Z2 Play as my personal phone back in 2018. When it developed bugs, the slower software updates meant I couldn’t be confident those issues would be resolved.

Motorola pledges security updates for three years, which will at least make sure the Stylus 5G isn’t vulnerable to most malicious threats. But Samsung pledged to support Galaxy A phones for four years while Google gave the Pixel 6 three years of software updates and five years of security updates. Motorola is woefully behind in comparison.

Unless you crave the stylus and want a phone for $500 or less, I suggest waiting a few more weeks until after Google I/O. It’s rumored Google will announce a cheaper Pixel 6A, possibly in the $450 to $500 price range. Motorola’s $400 Moto G 5G, sans stylus, will also launch in the coming weeks. Once those phones are released, we’ll have a better overall idea which is the best phone in this price range.

Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) vs. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, Google Pixel 5A with 5G, Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Google Pixel 5A with 5G	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)
Display size, resolution	6.8-inch LTPS LCD FHD Plus; 2,460 x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.5-inch AMOLED 2,400×1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.34-inch OLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 60Hz	6.8-inch LCD FHD Plus; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 60Hz
Pixel density	TBD	405ppi	413ppi	386ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.65×2.98×0.37 in	6.28×2.94×0.32 in	6.1×2.9×0.3 in	6.67×3.05×0.39 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	168.9×75.8×9.3 mm	159.6×74.8×8.1 mm	156.2×73.2×8.8 mm	169.54×77.48×9.35 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	7.58 oz; 215 grams	6.67 oz; 189 grams	6.45 oz; 183 grams	7.67 oz; 217.5 grams
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 12	Android 11	Android 11
Camera	50-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultrawide/macro), 2-megapixel (depth)	64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth)	12-megapixel (wide), 16-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 2-megapixel (depth sensor)
Front-facing camera	16-megapixel	32-megapixel	8-megapixel	16-megapixel
Video capture	1,080p	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 695 5G	Exynos 1280	Snapdragon 765G	Snapdragon 480 5G
Storage	256GB	128GB	128GB	256GB
RAM	8GB	6GB	6GB	6GB
Expandable storage	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB	None	Up to 1TB
Battery	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (charger not included)	4,680 mAh (18W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)
Fingerprint sensor	Side	In-display	Back	Back
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	Yes	None	Yes	Yes
Special features	5G-enabled; OIS for main camera; NFC for Google Pay, Stylus	5G-enabled; IP67 rating; supports 25W wired fast charging, Samsung Pay	5G-enabled, IP67 water rating, Dual Sim	5G-enabled, Stylus,
Price off-contract (USD)	$500	$450	$449	$400
Price (GBP)	Converts to £320	£399	Converts to £345	Converts to £285
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$560	AU$699	Converts to AU$620	Converts to AU$515

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Samsung’s Galaxy S phones tend to get most of the attention, but the company’s cheaper Galaxy A lineup has been a quiet success. Galaxy A devices accounted for 58% of Samsung’s overall smartphone unit sales in 2021, while other models made up the remaining 42%, according to Counterpoint Research.

Overall, the Galaxy A53 5G offers more value for your money. It has a large screen with a high refresh rate for smoother scrolling, a decent camera for the price and impressive battery life. However, there are reasons why it costs $250 less than the Galaxy S21 FE. You might have to put up with some performance lag on the Galaxy A53, unlike the S21 FE. And Samsung’s more expensive phone has better cameras that can take clearer photos from a distance.

While the Galaxy S21 FE checks all the boxes for the most part, it also feels overpriced compared to the Galaxy A53 5G. The Galaxy S21 FE would be a much more tempting choice if it were regularly priced at $600, putting it right smack in the middle of the $450 Galaxy A53 and $800 Galaxy S22.

The good news is both phones are well positioned to last for a while. The Galaxy A53 and S21 FE are both guaranteed to get at least four years of Android operating system upgrades and five years of security updates. They also support all 5G frequencies: sub-6, C-band and millimeter wave.

Here’s a closer look at how the two phones compare when it comes to design, performance, battery life and camera quality.

Similar phones, with slight differences

The Galaxy A53 5G and S21 FE essentially look the same, but with some minor differences. Both phones have a borderless screen with a centered hole punch cutout for the selfie camera. The back of each device is smooth with a matte finish, and unfortunately they both collect fingerprint smudges easily.

But the Galaxy S21 FE’s brushed metal edges and heavier build create a more premium look than the Galaxy A53 5G. Samsung also took a different approach with the camera module on each phone. The Galaxy S21 FE’s camera bump blends in with the edge of the device just like on the Galaxy S21 and S22 series, while the Galaxy A53’s has a full outline.

The Galaxy S21 FE is also more durable than the A53 5G. It has an IP68 rating, meaning it can withstand submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. The Galaxy A53 5G’s IP67 rating means it can be dunked in one meter of freshwater for the same amount of time. Either way, Samsung doesn’t advise using these phones in the pool or at the beach.

Design shouldn’t be much of a factor when deciding between the two devices. They’re essentially the same, aside from a few minor tweaks. The same goes for display quality; both screens are roughly the same size (6.4 inches for the S21 FE versus the A53 5G’s 6.5 inches) and can each crank their refresh rates up to 120Hz.

The Galaxy S21 FE has better performance, but the A53 5G excels in battery life

The Galaxy A53 5G often feels more expensive than it is, but performance is one area where its price starts to show. There are times when the Galaxy A53 5G’s Exynos 1280 processor struggles to keep up as I’m scrolling and using apps. I noticed an occasional lag when closing apps and navigating between home screens and settings menus, but it’s not frequent enough to ruin my experience with the phone. However, I didn’t notice stuttering like this during my time with the Galaxy S21 FE, which runs on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip as last year’s Galaxy S21.

Benchmark tests that measure general performance and graphics showed similar results, as you can see below.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Geekbench 5 Multicore

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

Both phones also offer long enough battery life to get you through more than a day of usage, and they each support 25-watt fast charging. (Just remember you’ll have to purchase that power adapter separately). But the Galaxy A53 5G doesn’t support wireless charging, which likely isn’t a deal-breaker but could be worth considering if you already own a charging pad.

The Galaxy A53 5G’s 5,000-mAh battery had 50% of its battery the next morning after a full day, while the Galaxy S21 FE had 32% of its 4,500-mAh battery left after a day and a half. That’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but it indicates they can last for a day and then some.

The Galaxy A53 5G blew the Galaxy S21 FE out of the water during CNET’s battery test. It lasted for 20 hours and 35 minutes, outperforming not only the S21 FE but the entire S22 lineup. The Galaxy S21 FE, on the other hand, drained its battery after 15 hours and 46 minutes. For this test, I continuously played local video on the device in airplane mode with the screen brightness set to 50%. Both phones also had the display motion smoothness setting set to high, which boosts the refresh rate to 120Hz.

The Galaxy S21 FE has a better camera, but sometimes it’s close

The Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy A53 5G each have multilens cameras, but the difference is in the details. The S21 FE has a standard wide camera, an ultra-wide camera and a telephoto camera, while the Galaxy A53 5G has a main camera, ultra-wide camera, macro lens and depth camera. The main cameras on both phones also have optical image stabilization. But the key takeaway is the Galaxy A53’s lack of a telephoto lens means you won’t be able to take great photos from far away.

Many phone manufacturers tend to highlight megapixel count as being the primary metric for measuring a device’s camera quality. But elements like shutter speed, aperture (the camera’s opening for taking in light), and the size of both the sensor and the pixels themselves have a bigger impact on a camera’s ability to take great photos.

I’m far from a photography expert, but bigger is generally better when it comes to pixel size. For aperture, lower numbers are usually better. As you can see in the table below, the Galaxy S21 FE’s main camera has larger pixels than the A53 5G’s.

Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy A53 5G Camera Specs

Cameras	Resolution	Aperture	Pixel size (larger is better)
Galaxy A53 5G wide	64-megapixels	f/1.8	0.8um
Galaxy S21 FE wide	12-megapixels	f/1.8	1.8um
Galaxy A53 5G ultra wide	12-megapixels	f/2.2	1.12um
Galaxy S21 FE ultra wide	12-megapixels	f/2.2	1.12um
Galaxy S21 FE telephoto	8-megapixels	f/2.4	1.0um

When it comes to general image quality from the main wide camera lens, the results were mixed. Photos taken on the Galaxy A53 5G and S21 FE looked very similar in some cases.

But in other instances, there was a clear winner. Take the photos of bushes below as an example. The Galaxy S21 FE’s photo looks sharper and more colorful with better lighting. But in the second photo set, the picture of my cat taken on the Galaxy A53 5G looked crisper than the A53 5G’s. The images of pink-flowered trees essentially look the same on both phones.

However, the Galaxy S21 FE was better at taking pictures in more specific circumstances. That includes capturing photos from a distance, in the dark and in portrait mode, as shown below.

Let’s be honest: Neither of these photos taken at a 10x zoom looks great. But the Galaxy S21 FE’s image is noticeably clearer than the A53 5G’s.

I also preferred the S21 FE’s brighter portrait mode photo over the A53’s. Even with the intentionally blurred background, the S21 FE does a better job of making the tree stand out against the sky.

My cat Buddy almost stayed still long enough for me to take the same photo with both phones. Even though the photos are slightly different, you can tell the Galaxy S21 FE’s picture is more detailed.

Despite image quality sometimes looking the same, I think the Galaxy S21 FE’s telephoto lens and better low light performance ultimately gives it the upper hand. But if you don’t care about that and just want an inexpensive phone that takes decent photos, the Galaxy A53 5G will do just fine.

Which one should you buy?

The answer depends on your budget and priorities. The Galaxy S21 FE is a better all-around phone for several reasons. The build quality is slightly better, the performance is smoother and the camera takes sharper photos in low light and from a distance. That being said, it’s hard to recommend the Galaxy S21 FE without encouraging you to consider the Galaxy S22, which starts at $800. It has a better camera and a more refined design, although you’ll have to compromise on battery life and display size. Check out our full story for more details on how to decide between the Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy S22.

The best thing about the Galaxy A53 5G is its low price. At $450, it’s $250 less expensive than the Galaxy S21 FE. The Galaxy A53 punches above its weight most of the time — especially when it comes to battery life — making it easy to forget how cheap it is. But there are moments when the software will stutter or lag. You also won’t get the same camera quality as Samsung’s higher-end phones, although the A53 takes good photos for the price.

Overall, the Galaxy A53 5G is the right choice for those shopping for a phone on a tight budget, as long as you’re willing to cope with the occasional performance hiccup. The Galaxy S21 FE is a solid phone, but it feels a little lost in Samsung’s lineup at $700.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs. Galaxy S21 FE

	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Display size, resolution	6.5-inch AMOLED (2,400×1,080 pixels); 120 Hz	6.4-inch AMOLED; FHD Plus (2,400×1,080); 120 Hz
Pixel density	405 pixels per inch	401 pixels per inch
Dimensions (Inches)	6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in	6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm	155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	6.67 oz; 189g	6.24 oz; 177g
Mobile software (at launch)	Android 12	Android 12
Camera	64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 8-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera	32-megapixel	32-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Exynos 1280	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (in the US)
Storage	128GB	128GB/6GB; 128/8GB; 256GB/8GB
RAM	6GB	6GB/8GB
Expandable storage	Up to 1TB	None
Battery	5,000 mAh (charger not included)	4,500 mAh (No bundled charger)
Fingerprint sensor	In-display	In-display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	5G-enabled (Sub-6 and mmWave); IP67 rating; 120Hz display;supports 25W wired fast charging, lacks wireless charging; Samsung Pay	5G (Sub-6GHz and mmWave), 120 Hz display, IP68 rating, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging
Price off-contract (USD)	$450	$700 (6GB/128GB); $770 (8GB/256GB)
Price (GBP)	£399	£699 (6GB/128GB); £749 (8GB/256GB)
Price (AUD)	AU$699	AU$899 (6GB/128GB); AU$999 (8GB/256GB)

Motorola sells the Stylus 5G unlocked with a roomy 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. It also includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip, which is generally more powerful than the MediaTek one included in the $300 4G-only Moto G Stylus from earlier this year. Its 5G support includes sub-6 and C-band frequencies. A Verizon version will also support millimeter wave 5G.

All this makes the phone fit right in with midrange rivals such as the $450 Galaxy A53 and last year’s $449 Pixel 5A with 5G. But unlike Samsung and Google, which both commit to years of software updates, Motorola only promises one major software update to its G line of phones. This means that while the Stylus 5G is shipping right now with Android 12 and will eventually get Android 13, you’ll only receive three years of security updates instead of any additional feature upgrades.

Motorola says this could be a perk, offering stability and consistency with its menus and interface. But even if you buy a cheaper phone, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice updates because you probably want it to last as long as possible.

This makes the Moto G Stylus 5G worth considering if you want to hold onto the phone for two or three years, but it’s a tougher sell if you want a phone that’ll be viable for longer. It has many of the best Android 12 features, including the option to customize menus to your favorite color, and a long-lasting battery. And if a stylus is important to you on top of that, this phone could be the best pick for you.

Tall phone with a big battery

The Moto G Stylus 5G is a tall and thin phone, making it easy to hold and even text with one hand. I’m normally a fan of phones with screens longer than 6.5 inches because it’s easier to watch videos and read. But the shape of the phone leaves its top half exposed, which would make it easier for a thief to snatch if you’re not paying attention.

I can alleviate this by using the stylus and the phone’s handwriting recognition keyboard instead, which gets me a better grip on the body. Yet that comes at the expense of speed and accuracy compared to touch typing and autocorrect. Putting the phone in a case paired with a PopSocket, or something similar, could also help with that safety concern.

Otherwise the screen is great for watching and reading content, especially since it provides the option to boost the refresh rate up to 120Hz. Motorola also provides options for using a dynamic refresh rate depending on how you’re using the phone or a 60Hz option, both of which consume less power on the battery.

Yet with a beefy 5,000-mAh battery inside, the phone easily made it through a few full days of heavy usage with 120Hz on at all times. I watch a lot of YouTube, play games, take video calls, capture photos and videos and even on my longest day it still had 30 to 50% capacity when I was ready to go to bed. I averaged just over 3 hours of screen time each day but with less intensive usage patterns I’m sure the phone could easily last well into a second day.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Geekbench 5 Multicore

While all that extra power is great, it’s worth noting that the Stylus 5G does charge more slowly than rival phones. You get a power adapter — something that’s disappearing from most phone boxes lately — but it’s a 10W charger with a USB-A to USB-C cable. Motorola said that you can use a different power adapter with the phone, but the maximum speed it can charge is 15W. By comparison the Galaxy A53 also has a 5,000-mAh battery and can charge at up to 25W, but you need to buy a power adapter separately. When I ran the Stylus 5G down to 0%, it took roughly 2.5 hours to charge it up to 95% using the included charger.

Shockingly, there’s a headphone jack included, something that’s practically nonexistent for phones in this price range. Motorola includes Dolby Atmos, which can be applied to specific headphones and speakers that you connect.

Stylus features are nice, but lack impact

The Moto G Stylus 5G includes a stylus, but the best thing about it is its dedicated slot in the phone. When you remove the stylus, you’ll see a menu of shortcuts including an option to take a screenshot to annotate, take a note or open a coloring book app.

Motorola is also launching a Live Message feature, which lets you create an animated drawing and send it out through a favorite messaging app. I was easily able to make these, and send them to friends the way I’d send a GIF. My friends found the animations amusing but this isn’t something I’d do every day.

The stylus is neat, but it’s hard for me to imagine using it on a regular basis. If you need to sign a digital document, it’s now easy to get that done with a service like DocuSign, Microsoft Office or Google Docs. Unless you absolutely need a stylus, you’d be better off considering the sub-$500 phones that don’t include one.

Stable photography

The biggest improvement on the Moto G Stylus 5G over last year’s version is with the inclusion of optical image stabilization. This reduces hand shake while taking photos, helping prevent motion blur.

The main 50-megapixel camera on the back of the phone is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel depth sensor camera. On the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

I took the phone to a dog park, where I needed to move quickly to get photos of the puppies. I shot plenty of great dog photos, including of my friend’s dog Mel who got particularly aggressive with a football toy.

I also took the phone to a Korean barbecue restaurant as well as to a karaoke night, where I used the phone’s Night mode to help capture more detail in darker indoor settings. It captured all of the details of the meal, but at the theater the results were more saturated. There’s a noticeable blur on objects that were farther away.

The front-facing camera also captured a lot of detail while I made faces at the camera.

Video isn’t the phone’s strong suit. You can choose between 30 and 60 frames per second, but otherwise it’s limited to 1080p for capture. Last year’s Stylus 5G includes 4K video recording, so I was surprised that feature didn’t stick around.

The footage I took at the dog park was OK, but wasn’t particularly detailed even in good lighting. I wouldn’t expect to capture anything more than short video clips that could be shared with friends or family.

Limited software support hurts an otherwise good phone

Even though the phone’s stylus, good photography, larger screen and higher refresh rate all recommend it, it’s hard for me to ignore Motorola’s commitment to just one major Android update.

I used a Moto Z2 Play as my personal phone back in 2018. When it developed bugs, the slower software updates meant I couldn’t be confident those issues would be resolved.

Motorola pledges security updates for three years, which will at least make sure the Stylus 5G isn’t vulnerable to most malicious threats. But Samsung pledged to support Galaxy A phones for four years while Google gave the Pixel 6 three years of software updates and five years of security updates. Motorola is woefully behind in comparison.

Unless you crave the stylus and want a phone for $500 or less, I suggest waiting a few more weeks until after Google I/O. It’s rumored Google will announce a cheaper Pixel 6A, possibly in the $450 to $500 price range. Motorola’s $400 Moto G 5G, sans stylus, will also launch in the coming weeks. Once those phones are released, we’ll have a better overall idea which is the best phone in this price range.

Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) vs. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, Google Pixel 5A with 5G, Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Google Pixel 5A with 5G	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)
Display size, resolution	6.8-inch LTPS LCD FHD Plus; 2,460 x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.5-inch AMOLED 2,400×1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.34-inch OLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 60Hz	6.8-inch LCD FHD Plus; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 60Hz
Pixel density	TBD	405ppi	413ppi	386ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.65×2.98×0.37 in	6.28×2.94×0.32 in	6.1×2.9×0.3 in	6.67×3.05×0.39 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	168.9×75.8×9.3 mm	159.6×74.8×8.1 mm	156.2×73.2×8.8 mm	169.54×77.48×9.35 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	7.58 oz; 215 grams	6.67 oz; 189 grams	6.45 oz; 183 grams	7.67 oz; 217.5 grams
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 12	Android 11	Android 11
Camera	50-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultrawide/macro), 2-megapixel (depth)	64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth)	12-megapixel (wide), 16-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 2-megapixel (depth sensor)
Front-facing camera	16-megapixel	32-megapixel	8-megapixel	16-megapixel
Video capture	1,080p	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 695 5G	Exynos 1280	Snapdragon 765G	Snapdragon 480 5G
Storage	256GB	128GB	128GB	256GB
RAM	8GB	6GB	6GB	6GB
Expandable storage	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB	None	Up to 1TB
Battery	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (charger not included)	4,680 mAh (18W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)
Fingerprint sensor	Side	In-display	Back	Back
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	Yes	None	Yes	Yes
Special features	5G-enabled; OIS for main camera; NFC for Google Pay, Stylus	5G-enabled; IP67 rating; supports 25W wired fast charging, Samsung Pay	5G-enabled, IP67 water rating, Dual Sim	5G-enabled, Stylus,
Price off-contract (USD)	$500	$450	$449	$400
Price (GBP)	Converts to £320	£399	Converts to £345	Converts to £285
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$560	AU$699	Converts to AU$620	Converts to AU$515

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The latest quarterly network speed report from Speedtest (Note: Speedtest and Mashable are owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis) dropped Monday. For the most part, it confirmed what we already knew: T-Mobile still has the fastest and most widely available 5G network in the country. But this time, at least in terms of median download speed, the gap between first and second place has shrunk:

1. T-Mobile: 191.12Mbps (up from 187.12Mbps)
2. Verizon: 107.25Mbps (up from 78.52Mbps)
3. AT&T: 68.43Mbps (down from 68.82Mbps)

That, dear readers, is solid evidence that Verizon’s new “C-Band” 5G spectrum that it turned on in January is producing results. What that means is Verizon basically added another lane to its metaphorical 5G “highway.” In doing so, Verizon made its 5G network more powerful, thus increasing its median download speed.

However…there’s still plenty of catching up to do if either Verizon or AT&T want to match T-Mobile’s 5G offerings. For instance, 49.4 percent and 28.2 percent of devices maintained steady connections to AT&T and Verizon’s networks, respectively. To put that in perspective, 65 percent of T-Mobile users had reliable 5G connections.

So while it’s great that Verizon’s speeds have gone up, that doesn’t help much if people can’t reliably use the network to begin with. Even T-Mobile’s market-leading network isn’t doing much for 35 percent of its customers. So if you’re waiting for 5G to change your life, patience is going to be your best friend.