Motorola has updated the Moto G Stylus, its budget-friendly stylus phone, for the new year.

The new 2022 model still costs $299 in the US, but it offers a few upgrades over the previous model, including an improved triple-camera array, larger 5000mAh battery, and a faster 90Hz refresh rate

Moto G Stylus updated for 2022 with faster display, bigger battery photo 1

The 2022 Moto G Stylus retains the 6.8-inch display, but instead of a hole-punch camera in the corner of the screen, it's centered. Other features include a stylus that can be tucked inside the phone, a 3.5mm headphone jack, 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM, and Android 11 out of the box. In terms of processing power, Motorola swapped out the Snapdragon 678 chip in last year's model with a MediaTek Helio G88. Add it all up, and the Moto G Stylus is a compelling cheaper alternative to Samsung's old Note (and soon-to-be S22 Ultra) series.

Lastly, about that camera array: The rear camera went from a 48-megapixel lens to a 50-megapixel sensor, and it's matched with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide/macro lens and 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie camera - the same one from last year’s Moto G Stylus.

Moto G Stylus updated for 2022 with faster display, bigger battery photo 2

If any of this interests you, the 2022 Moto G Stylus will be available as an unlocked smartphone from Motorola, Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy for $299.99. Preorders start Thursday 3 February 2022.