Motorola Edge 60 Stylus review: setting a new standard for mid-range phones

Motorola’s latest addition to the Edge 60 lineup brings a feature I’ve been waiting to see across different price categories for a long time. The company has finally introduced stylus support – not on a flagship device, but on a mid-tier product – while maintaining the Edge 60 series’ core ethos of durability, sleek design, and a vivid display. Unsurprisingly, Motorola has named it the Edge 60 Stylus, making its standout feature immediately clear to users.

While stylus support in the sub-Rs 25K segment is a fresh sight for Indian smartphone users, Moto isn’t new to the tech. It’s been offering stylus-equipped devices under its Moto G series in global markets for a while. But does the latest iteration bring meaningful improvements? Is the stylus experience close to what Samsung offers with its ultra-premium S25 Ultra (review)? Are there any compromises? Let’s find out.

Verdict

The Edge 60 Stylus stands out as one of the best choices for productivity users in the sub-Rs 25K segment. Whether it is AI, display quality or cameras, Motorola’s latest offering covers all the essentials. What truly sets this apart is the bundled stylus, a feature previously seen only on Samsung’s “Ultra” smartphones. While the implementation is not flawless, Motorola has raised the bar by making stylus support accessible at this price point.

Design and display

Despite housing a fairly tall stylus, the Edge 60 Stylus boasts a considerably slim design, measuring only 8.29mm thick. Motorola deserves credit for keeping the weight in check, as the phone does not feel like a brick in your pocket. Unlike the previous Motorola smartphones equipped with a stylus, the latest iteration looks and feels similar to the latest Edge 60 Fusion (review) and Edge 60 Pro with a vegan leather back and Pantone-validated colour.

I reviewed the “Pantone Surf the Web” variant, which features a striking bright blue finish. My favourite is the “Pantone Gibraltar Sea” option, which uses the same blue base but with a deeper contrast. I wish Motorola had considered offering a classic white or black variant, which would’ve looked great with the leather finish and the bundled stylus.

Speaking of the stylus, it sports a metallic grey finish that feels reasonably durable, considering its slim profile and lightweight design. The metal body offers a solid, premium feel, though getting accustomed to its contours and flat surface might take some time. The tip features a mesh cover instead of hard plastic, which is a thoughtful addition that slightly improves its longevity. During my review, the mesh didn’t leave any scratches on the screen, but I’d still recommend using it carefully and avoiding too much pressure.

Like the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, the Edge 60 Stylus skips the protective case in the box. Future devices in the Edge lineup will likely continue this trend, though Motorola has significantly improved its phones’ durability this year. The Edge 60 Stylus has flagship-grade IP68 and MIL-STD-810H certifications to ensure protection against dust, water, and accidental bumps. However, customising your phone with trendy covers can be challenging, given the limited options available online.

While the body gets superior durability, the screen has a standard Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Sadly, there’s no pre-applied film or screen guard; therefore, you have to spend a little extra for third-party solutions. There are rarely any complaints about Motorola’s screen quality, and the Edge 60 Stylus’ 6.67-inch pOLED 2.5D display offers a fantastic viewing experience. With 1.5K resolution (2,712 x 1,220 pixels), 120Hz refresh rate support, and 10bit colours with HDR support, the image quality is punchy and vibrant, at least indoors.

Notably, the Edge 60 Stylus also offers a headphone jack, which many users, myself included, appreciate for content viewing. I would’ve preferred the bezels a tad slimmer, though it’s not a dealbreaker. Based on our lab test, the Edge 60 Stylus recorded the highest audio output at 79.7 decibels, a little shy of the segment average of 81.6 decibels.

Cameras

Motorola’s main focus with the Edge 60 Stylus is productivity, combining a clean Android interface, AI features, and stylus support. Notably, the company hasn’t made any major compromises in the camera department, with specifications identical to the recently launched Edge 60 Fusion.

That means the rear panel houses a 50MP OIS-enabled primary sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide lens that doubles as a macro shooter. The squarish module also houses an additional “3-in-1 Light sensor (Ambient light + Flicker reduction + RGB Sensor)”, which theoretically improves the video performance. The fourth cutout includes the LED flash. On the front, there’s a 32MP camera that is capable of recording videos at 4K 30FPS.

In our detailed comparison with the Edge 60 Fusion, the Edge 60 Stylus handled exposure more effectively with its primary camera, both in daylight and low-light conditions. Otherwise, both smartphones deliver almost identical results in terms of colour science, detail, and focal length. That means the Edge 60 Stylus continues to prioritise punchy colours and deep shadows. Portrait shots can struggle with accurate skin tones, though the images still look visually appealing. The same holds true for the selfie camera.

I was equally satisfied with the video performance, even though the phone occasionally struggles with contrast. The Edge 60 Stylus can capture stable footage even at 4K 60FPS. The front camera’s video performance is also decent at its highest settings.

Meanwhile, we also clicked comparison shots with Edge 60 Stylus, Nothing Phone 3a, and POCO X7 Pro. Here’s how the three smartphones fared against each other.

Daylight

We took this shot simultaneously with all three smartphones. Moto’s daylight shot stands out with a cool tone and prominent shadows. The Phone 3a, on the other hand, prioritises natural tones and is closer to reality. Notably, the Edge 60 Stylus captures more detail, especially if you look at the signs in the background.

The POCO X7 Pro’s output is more vibrant than the rest. However, its image doesn’t lose aesthetic appeal, and the level of detail is on par with the Edge 60 Stylus.

Ultra-wide

There’s a slight inconsistency between the Nothing Phone 3a’s daylight and ultra-wide shots, though the difference isn’t significant. The Edge 60 Stylus maintains consistent colour science across different lenses in the same lighting conditions.

That said, the Edge 60 Stylus’ ultra-wide shot still leans toward a cool tone. I found the distortion around the edges to be minimal in Moto’s image. However, the Phone 3a has a slight edge in detail.

POCO’s daylight and ultra-wide shots also show noticeable differences in colour science. Additionally, its ultra-wide image has a strong red tone across the building. The X7 Pro also lags behind the Edge 60 Stylus in detail.

Portrait

As mentioned, the Edge 60 Stylus brightens skin tones, though its images still look aesthetically pleasing. The Phone 3a, on the other hand, remains the top performer in the segment for accurate skin tone detection. Otherwise, both smartphones capture similar facial detail.

However, I found the POCO X7 Pro’s portrait shot the best of the three. While its skin tone isn’t entirely accurate, the image offers a pleasing finish in terms of colour and detail. Moreover, the X7 Pro excels at edge detection, and its rich bokeh effect makes the image more social media-ready.

Selfie

I noticed similar colour science in the selfies. The Phone 3a struggled slightly with exposure, and there’s a noticeable red tint across the subject’s face. Otherwise, it balances detail well between the foreground and background.

The POCO X7 Pro’s selfie is decent but looks flat compared to its rivals.

Low-light (night mode enabled)

Motorola’s boosted colour approach didn’t perform well in low-light conditions, even with night mode enabled. By comparison, Phone 3a’s shot is noticeably brighter and more pleasing, though not perfect.

The POCO X7 Pro’s image looks over-processed-but in a good way. I also found its image the most social media-ready. In terms of detail, it’s on par with the Edge 60 Stylus’ low-light shot.

Performance and software

While the Edge 60 Fusion uses a MediaTek chipset, the Edge 60 Stylus features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM. Motorola has also been thoughtful by offering 256GB of storage for the base variant, although it utilises UFS 2.2 technology. As we’ve seen in the past, the older storage type isn’t necessarily a problem on Motorola devices, as the company optimises the hardware well enough to ensure smooth performance. Based on CPDT memory tests, the Edge 60 Stylus achieves 30.84MBps random write speeds and 25.15MBps random read speed – well above the segment average of 25.9MBps write and 20.7MBps read.

However, in other benchmarks, the Edge 60 Stylus achieves modest scores. In my daily usage, I didn’t experience any app crashes, though there were occasional stutters, especially during booting and heavy multitasking. In all fairness, these didn’t hamper my daily work.

Otherwise, Motorola’s software experience remains among the best across any segment, and tools like Moto Connect remain my favourite for seamless connectivity between the smartphone and any Windows PC. Cellular connectivity is also top-notch, as Motorola continues to offer support for 11 crucial 5G bands-more than most rivals at this price point.

Gaming performance is decent, if not the best, though rivals like the iQOO Z10 and Vivo T4 are raising the bar. The good news is that I didn’t encounter any heating issues, even after long gaming sessions. Unfortunately, we couldn’t run the CPU throttle performance as our go-to Burnout app kept crashing.

This year, a standout across Motorola smartphones is the addition of AI-backed features through the Moto AI suite. We’ve already covered these in detail in our Edge 60 Fusion review, but Motorola deserves credit for integrating genuinely useful tools that enhance productivity. In my daily usage, the “Catch Me Up” tool for de-cluttering notifications and “Remember This” for quick notes became indispensable. You’ll also benefit from features like Google’s Gemini Live and Circle to Search, available with the Android 15 update.

Stylus

To further boost productivity, Motorola’s bundled stylus is one of the best additions this year – especially in a segment where it’s increasingly critical for OEMs to stand out with unique features. The stylus makes it effortless to take quick notes, though AI integration with handwritten input still has room for refinement.

Motorola has done a great job on the software side too. As soon as you pop out the stylus, you’re presented with a range of options. Beyond the standard note-taking pad, there are additional tools (see image below) that prove useful in various scenarios. Stylus-to-screen latency is well optimised, although I’d have preferred more paper-like experience, something Samsung nails with its premium “Ultra” smartphones.

Overall, it’s a strong addition, though there’s room for improvement. For instance, palm rejection isn’t fully reliable yet, and hopefully, a future OS update can fine-tune the experience.

Battery and charging

Apart from the stylus, what’s equally impressive about the build is that the Edge 60 Stylus carries a standard 5,000mAh battery (no compromises there). The phone is capable of offering reliable standby time and with moderate usage, I got almost a full-day battery.

During our 90-minute gaming session, the battery dropped by 7 percent (average), which is a decent mark if not the best.

Its charging speed also remains among the best in the segment, thanks to the 68W input support. With the bundled charger, it took only 35 minutes to go from 20 to 100 percent.

Final verdict

The Motorola Edge 60 Stylus is thoughtfully designed for value-conscious users who are always looking for that little extra from their device. It is safe to say that the stylus support on Motorola’s latest offering puts it in a league of its own. Even for those who prioritise clean software, reliable cameras, and solid battery life, the Edge 60 Stylus ticks all the right boxes.

That said, gamers might want more power for longer sessions, making the iQOO Z10 a strong alternative. The segment also features the Nothing Phone 3a, which is worth considering if you are drawn to bold, eye-catching designs.

For productivity-focused students and working professionals, the Edge 60 Stylus remains an easy recommendation.

Editor’s rating: 8.1 / 10

Reasons to buy:

• The Motorola Edge 60 Stylus boasts a slim design with vegan leather.
• It boasts a vibrant display, plus a headphone jack.
• It offers practical AI features.
• The charging speed is fantastic.

Reasons not to buy:

• Palm rejection while using the stylus needs to improve.
• Low-light photography can be hit-and-miss.