Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely: Two styluses, two value factors

Motorola

Moto G Stylus 2026

All about the pen

The Moto G Stylus 2026 features modest upgrades across the board, and notably uses the same processor as the last-generation model. The highlight is clearly the active stylus, which adds features like pressure sensitivity and tilt detection. Otherwise, the phone sports a 6.7-inch display, IP69 protection, and a 50MP main camera.

ProsActive stylus with pressure sensitivity and tilt detectionIP69 durability rating; Water Touch display feature5,000-nit display brightness5,200mAh battery capacity with 68W wired fast chargingConsOnly two years of Android OS upgradesLowly Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor$100 more expensive than Moto G Stylus 2025

The best stylus phone

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a full-blown flagship that packs a stylus inside. It features a “Privacy Display” that uses a Flex Magic Pixel OLED panel to limit viewing angles with the press of a button. Powering the experience is a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and One UI 8.5 based on Android 16.

ProsPrivacy Display is incredible at blocking unwanted viewing60W wired fast chargingOne UI 8.5 with seven years of Android OS upgradesNew 200MP main and 50MP telephoto sensorsConsS Pen can only be inserted one wayRelatively small 5,000mAh battery capacityNo inbuilt Qi2 magnets for wireless charging

Of course, Samsung killed the Galaxy Note many years ago, but it also axed the S Pen for foldables with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 just last year. It canned Air Actions, the S Pen’s Bluetooth remote control features, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. From the outside looking in, it seems Samsung isn’t prioritizing the S Pen as it once did — even though the latest Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra includes one.

At the same time, Motorola is doubling down on styluses. It announced pens for the upcoming Razr Fold and Moto Pad, and just unveiled the Moto G Stylus 2026. The latest model includes an active stylus for the first time, adding features like pressure sensitivity and tilt detection. That puts the Moto G Stylus 2026 in the same league as the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which also sports an active stylus in the S Pen.

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Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: The pens

(Image credit: Motorola)

The two things tying the Moto G Stylus 2026 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra together are their built-in styluses. Both phones now support active styluses, which means they use tiny internal batteries to communicate with their screens. This is how features like Air View hover previews with the S Pen or pressure-sensitive drawings on the Moto G Stylus 2026 are possible.

Motorola says its stylus will last 100 hours on a single charge, and powers up in 15 minutes when docked inside the Moto G Stylus 2026. Samsung doesn’t advertise the S Pen’s battery life, but it works the same way. When stored in its silo, the pen charges, and it’s ready to go when you pull it out.

Each phone offers distinct software tricks that make use of the pen. Motorola built entire Android OS behaviors around the new active stylus, like how you can drag and drop images or magnify text using the pen. There’s also a new Handwriting Calculator that solves your math problems as you draw them. You get a button on the stylus for highlighting text that can be shared to the Notes app.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s stylus has a slight design problem — the S Pen can only be docked in one direction. It’s curved to match the curvature of the device chassis, so it won’t fit if inserted upside down. Aside from that limitation, it’s as capable as ever, with software tools like AI Select, AI Drawing, and Air Commands. Longtime S Pen users will notice that Air Actions, otherwise known as Bluetooth S Pen features, are missing for the second straight year.

Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Design and display

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The overall designs of the two smartphones are quite different. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is larger, while Motorola’s Moto G Stylus 2026 is more compact. The former has a 6.9-inch screen, and the latter has a 6.7-inch screen. Samsung’s display is special because it supports the Privacy Display feature that uses custom wide and narrow pixels that can be turned off individually to limit viewing angles.

Both displays are OLED and capable of 120Hz refresh rates. The Moto G Stylus 2026 is actually brighter than the Galaxy S26 Ultra, with a peak rating of 5,000 nits compared to 2,600 nits. The Stylus 2026 has a Super HD display, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a QHD+ resolution, and each has its own quirks. Motorola’s screen has a Water Touch mode that improves accuracy when the surface is wet, while Samsung’s Gorilla Armor 2 coating is anti-reflective.

Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Hardware and specs

(Image credit: Motorola)

Raw hardware and specs won’t help the Moto G Stylus 2026 stand out. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 powering the experience is the exact same chip we saw on the Moto G Stylus 2025. It’s an old, underpowered chip that doesn’t help Motorola justify this year’s $100 price increase. The 8GB of memory and 128GB or 256GB of storage aren’t anything special, either — though the Moto G Stylus 2026 does support up to 1TB of expandable microSD card storage.

That’s before we bring the Galaxy S26 Ultra into the conversation, which will unsurprisingly blow Motorola’s budget offering out of the water. It uses a state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor paired with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM. It’s arguably the best chip on the Android side of the smartphone market, and can handle your needs of today and tomorrow.

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Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: A worthy competitor?

(Image credit: Motorola)

If you’re looking for an Android phone with a stylus, the Moto G Stylus 2026 makes you wonder how much smartphone you really need. Could a $500 phone handle your daily messages, calls, photos, and social media scrolling? It’s possible, and I’m always ready to admit that few people truly require a flagship phone costing in excess of $1,000. However, Motorola didn’t do much to convince users that the Moto G Stylus 2026 is ready to challenge phones like the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The Moto G Stylus 2026 is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, which is carried over from the 2025 model and first released in 2024. It’s not just a low-end mobile chip; it’s also an aging one. Plus, the Moto G Stylus 2026 only comes with two years of Android OS upgrades, and we’re familiar with Motorola’s poor track record with software updates. The camera system is identical to the one on the Moto G Stylus 2025, too.

So, if Motorola’s goal by adding an active stylus and raising the price by $100 was to make the Moto G Stylus 2026 a closer competitor to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, I don’t think it met the mark. The stylus is great, and so is the display, IP69 certification, and battery. The other things that make an excellent Android phone, like a fast processor, great cameras, and long software support, just aren’t flagship-caliber — and aren’t even really that close.

It’s the same story as usual for the Moto G Stylus 2026. This is an outstanding phone for the price, and, incredibly, you get an active stylus for $500. You’ll just have to give up a lot compared to the best of the best, like the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Considering Motorola’s stylus phone is $800 cheaper than Samsung’s, that shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.

Motorola

Moto G Stylus 2026

The budget buy

If an active stylus is what you’re after, the Moto G Stylus 2026 gives you that for $800 less than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Motorola seems to be doubling down on the stylus, while Samsung is removing features from it. That’s inspiring, but everything else is a bit concerning. The processor limitations and mere two years of Android OS upgrades might give you pause.

The all-around best

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is clearly the best Android stylus phone, but is it $800 better than the Moto G Stylus 2026? That’s for you to decide. The processor, software, and camera system are miles ahead of what Motorola offers, and the seven-year software support gives you long-term confidence. Still, that’s a lot of money to spend on a phone.

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