I got excited when I heard the Samsung Galaxy A36 is powered by the same Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset as the Moto G Stylus 2025. It makes for an interesting competition between midrange devices, and I appreciate the dedication Samsung and Motorola have shown to producing quality smartphones at an affordable price. You don’t need to spend $1,000 to get an excellent phone anymore, and both of these devices prove that.
I’ve been lucky enough to test both, and while each phone has distinct advantages, I do enjoy using one far more than the other. If you’ve got $400 to spend, and you want to compromise as little as possible, here’s the phone you should set your sights on in 2025.
The Moto G Stylus 2025 gets a lot right for $400
Gorgeous display and fantastic battery life
I keep coming back to the display on the Moto G Stylus 2025, because it’s a significant selling point of the phone. It’s one of the best panels I’ve seen on a device under $400, and I never get tired looking at it. It features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 1220 x 2712 resolution, which is slightly higher than the Galaxy A36. I didn’t notice the difference in resolution, but I did see how much brighter and vibrant the G Stylus screen is. I loved watching movies on it, and Pokémon GO looked fantastic. A gorgeous display is vital on a smartphone, and the G Stylus comes out ahead.
Motorola has different priorities for build quality compared to Samsung on the Moto G Stylus 2025. It features a plastic frame and eco-leather construction, but Moto has improved durability across its lineup this year. The G Stylus is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance and MIL-STD-810H drop test compliant. Drop your phone the wrong way once, and it’ll break. No amount of durability can determine your luck, but holding both in the hand, it feels like the G Stylus can take an extra drop or two without significant damage. Moto did away with the 3.5mm headphone jack on the G Stylus 2025, but it still retained the microSD card slot — something missing on the Galaxy A36.
I’m confounded by the noticeable performance gap between the Moto G Stylus 2025 and the Samsung Galaxy A36. Both are powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, but the G Stylus is smoother. I experience fewer slowdowns, and navigating through the UI is a more pleasant experience on the Moto. Gaming is also slightly better on the Moto G Stylus. I’ve said it many times, because it’s crucial — extra RAM on budget and midrange phones makes all the difference. Moto fitted the G Stylus with 8GB of RAM, while Samsung limited the Galaxy A36 to 6GB, and it feels like the Galaxy A36 suffers as a result.
Since I’m focused on the display and performance, it’s hard for me to recommend the Galaxy A36 over the Moto G Stylus 2025.
The battery life on the Moto G Stylus 2025 is superb. I easily get two days of mixed use on a single charge from its 5,000mAh battery. Recharging is also an excellent experience, with 68W fast charging and 15W wireless charging available. The phone’s 68W charging handily bests the 25W wired charging on the Galaxy A36, so if topping off in a hurry is a priority, you’ll want to consider the G Stylus.
One thing that always surprises me when using the Moto G Stylus 2025 is the camera. Its 13MP ultrawide sensor works fine in a pinch, but I enjoy the photos I get from its 50MP primary lens, especially in good lighting. Moto’s color science adds a bit more saturation to the images than Samsung’s, but point-and-shoot photos are crisp and look fantastic. I don’t mind a bit more saturation in my photos, as I think it makes them social media-ready, but that’s my personal preference.
The Samsung Galaxy A36 is no slouch
More software support and a premium design
Since I’m focused on the display and performance, it’s hard for me to recommend the Galaxy A36 over the Moto G Stylus 2025. However, Samsung’s midranger does have substantial advantages over the Moto. Samsung promises the Galaxy A36 will receive six years of OS updates and security patches, compared to only two years of Android upgrades for the Moto G Stylus 2025. I don’t claim to know what performance will be like on your Galaxy A36 six years from now, but I credit Samsung for committing to bringing optimized and secure software for years to come.
One UI 7 is also a much different experience on the Galaxy A36 than Hello UI on the Moto G Stylus. Both run Android 15, but One UI 7 is more feature-rich. It’s not all positive, as I attribute some of the slowdowns to Samsung’s software being slightly heavier than Moto’s, which taxes the midrange chipset powering the A36. Still, between support and the UI experience, Samsung comes out ahead in terms of software.
The Galaxy A36 has a plastic frame, but it’s protected front and back by Gorilla Glass Victus+, making the screen more durable than the Moto’s. Sure, a case and screen protector could bring both devices to the same level, but I prefer having better glass protecting my screen. Although I favor the display on the Moto G Stylus, the Galaxy A36 boasts a crisp and vibrant 6.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED panel. Movies and games look amazing, but the screen doesn’t get as bright.
I may get a more saturated image from the Moto G Stylus, but the point-and-shoot imagery from the Galaxy A36’s 50MP primary sensor is closer to what I saw. If you enjoy natural tones for your photos, the Galaxy A36 will do a better job without requiring any editing. Galaxy AI tools, such as Object Eraser, also performed well and finished the editing process faster than I expected. I wouldn’t trust the secondary sensors on either device, as the images quickly lose detail and colors fall off.
There’s a clear winner between the two
I enjoy using the Samsung Galaxy A36, but the Moto G Stylus continues to impress me more every time I return to it. Between its display and performance, it’s my clear choice between these two midrangers. I don’t expect them to stay at the same price for long. While Samsung offers sales throughout the year, the best way to save on a Galaxy A36 is through carrier discounts. By comparison, the Moto G Stylus 2025 is expected to enjoy aggressive sales and discounts, often priced around $300. If your budget is $400, and you’re not tied to any ecosystem, the Moto G Stylus 2025 is worth considering.
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Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025)
- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
- RAM
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8GB
- Storage
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128GB/256GB
- Battery
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5,000mAh
Motorola’s new Moto G Stylus looks to keep the great design from its predecessor and match it with some more modern specs. Whether that’s enough to shy buyers away from the best of Samsung and Google, however, remains to be seen.
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Samsung Galaxy A36
- SoC
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Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
- RAM
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6GB
- Storage
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128GB
- Battery
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5,000mAh
- Operating System
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One UI 7, Android 15
- Front camera
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12MP
The Samsung Galaxy A36 has officially landed. This budget-friendly phone packs a bright Super AMOLED display, a sharp 50MP main camera, and a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip under the hood. But keep in mind—it only gets a trimmed-down version of Galaxy AI, not the full package.
