Brand loyalty is big in the world of smartphones, but some people have very specific needs. Maybe a microSD card slot is an absolute must-have, or you want a phone with a built-in stylus. It could be that you live and die by the headphone jack. There's really only one smartphone in the US that delivers on all of those fronts: the Moto G Stylus 2026.

Unfortunately, like most of its competitors, Motorola has had to jack up prices due to the memory shortage crisis, meaning this budget-to-midrange phone is firmly midrange after a $100 price increase, up from its $400 predecessor. At $500, it’s in league with the Google Pixel 10a, Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, and Samsung Galaxy A57. It really should not cost this much, but for some people looking for a very specific mix of features, it might be the only phone worth the money.

The big change with the latest entry in Motorola's long-running Moto G Stylus series is that the embedded stylus here is now active rather than passive. That means it supports tilt and pressure in supported apps but also requires a rechargeable battery. It’s not a problem, though, since you stow the stylus in the phone and it automatically recharges—unless you plan to write notes with it for more than four hours. Like the phone, the stylus is also IP68/69 water-resistant.