1. Specifications Comparison
Design
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 164.4 × 75.9 × 8.6 mm | 162.8 × 73.8 × 9.2 mm | The A42 is slightly taller and wider, while the Moto G Stylus is a bit thicker, potentially affecting one-handed use and pocket comfort. |
| Weight | 193g | 202g | The A42 is slightly lighter, which could be noticeable during extended use, making it a little more comfortable to hold. |
Display
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.6" | 6.6" | Both phones have the same screen size, offering an equally immersive experience. |
| Resolution | 720x1600 | 1080x2400 | The Moto G Stylus has a significantly sharper display, resulting in clearer text, images, and videos. |
| PPI | 266 | 399 | The higher pixel density on the Moto G Stylus makes the display noticeably crisper and more detailed. |
| Technology | AMOLED | IPS LCD | The A42's AMOLED offers deeper blacks, better contrast, and more vibrant colors, leading to a more visually appealing experience, especially for media consumption. |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | The Moto G Stylus has a smoother display with more fluid animations, enhancing the overall experience when scrolling and gaming. |
| Brightness | 0 nits | 0 nits | Both phones have identical peak brightness, although the practical meaning of "0 nits" is unclear, and we lack a specific brightness value. |
Performance
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 750 5G (8 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 (4 nm) | The Moto G Stylus has a newer, more efficient chipset, leading to better performance and potentially improved battery life. |
| AnTuTu Score | 392,400 | 565,000 | The Moto G Stylus offers noticeably faster app loading, smoother multitasking and better performance in resource-intensive tasks and games. |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Adreno 710 | The Moto G Stylus has a more powerful GPU, offering improved graphical performance for gaming and other visually demanding apps. |
Camera
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Camera | 48MP, f/1.8, 1/2", 0.8µm | 50MP, f/1.88, 1/1.55", 1.0µm | The Moto G Stylus has a larger sensor and pixel size, potentially resulting in better low-light performance and higher image quality. |
| Selfie Camera | 20MP, f/2.2, 1.0µm | 16MP, f/2.5, unknown µm | The A42 has a higher resolution and wider aperture, which might result in better selfies, especially in low light, although the pixel size on the Moto G Stylus is unknown. |
| Wide Angle Lens | 5MP, f/2.2 | None | The A42 has a dedicated wide-angle lens, allowing for more expansive landscape and group shots. |
| Portrait Mode (Depth) | 5MP, f/2.4 | None | The A42 has a dedicated depth sensor for improved portrait mode photos with background blur. |
| Macro Lens | 5MP, f/2.4 | None | The A42 has a dedicated macro lens for detailed close-up shots of small objects. |
| Wide Angle + Macro | None | 8MP, f/2.2 | The Moto G Stylus offers a combined wide-angle and macro lens. |
| Video Recording | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@480fps; No Stabilization | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; Yes Stabilization | Both record 4K video, however, the Moto G Stylus offers electronic image stabilization. It also offers 1080p at 60fps for smoother videos. |
Battery
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy A42 5G | Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | Both phones have similar battery capacity, likely providing comparable battery life for typical usage. |
| Charging | 15W Fast Charging | 20W Fast Charging | The Moto G Stylus charges faster, reducing waiting times for a full battery. |
2. Key Differences Analysis
Samsung Galaxy A42 5G Advantages
- AMOLED Display: Offers superior contrast, deeper blacks, and more vibrant colors, leading to a more visually appealing viewing experience.
- More Versatile Camera Setup: Includes dedicated wide-angle, macro, and depth sensors for more diverse photography options, although the lack of image stabilization is a disadvantage.
- Dual SIM Support: Allows the use of two SIM cards simultaneously, beneficial for users with personal and work numbers or when traveling.
- More Comprehensive GPS Support: Includes GLONASS and Beidou, potentially leading to more accurate location tracking.
- Additional sensors: Includes a compass sensor.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) Advantages
- Sharper Display: Higher resolution and pixel density for a more detailed and clearer viewing experience, especially noticeable when reading text or viewing images.
- Smoother Display: 120Hz refresh rate for more fluid animations and a smoother user experience, especially during scrolling and gaming.
- More Powerful Chipset: The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 is more efficient, resulting in better performance and potentially improved battery life.
- Faster Charging: 20W charging will reduce the time spent plugged into the wall.
- Superior Audio: Offers Dolby Atmos, stereo speakers, and dual microphones for a more immersive and higher-quality audio experience.
- Advanced Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.2 LE with features like Apt-X and LDAC, for higher-quality and low-latency wireless audio experience
- Better Video Recording: Includes electronic image stabilization and 60fps recording.
- Night Mode: Improved low-light camera performance.
- Optical Image Stabilization (OIS): Improves camera performance, especially in low light, and reduces blurry photos and videos.
- Updated Android Version: Ships with Android 13 and thus will have longer software support.
Trade-offs
- Samsung A42 5G: Trades off display sharpness and performance for a superior display technology (AMOLED) and more camera versatility. The A42 also lacks OIS and a high refresh rate. It also lacks the updated Android version.
- Moto G Stylus 5G: Trades off the versatility of dedicated camera sensors for overall better performance, a smoother display, and higher image quality. The Moto G Stylus also lacks a compass sensor.
3. User Profiles & Recommendations
Samsung Galaxy A42 5G Ideal Users
- Casual Media Consumers: Users who prioritize a vibrant display with high contrast for watching videos and browsing content.
- Photography Enthusiasts (Budget-Conscious): Users who want a wide array of camera options at a more budget-friendly price point, even if they don't get the best performance.
- Users Needing Dual SIM: Individuals who need to use two SIM cards for personal and work purposes.
Specific Use Cases:
- Enjoying movies and videos on the go, where the AMOLED display shines.
- Taking various photos with different perspectives (wide-angle, macro, portrait).
- Traveling and needing to use local and home SIMs simultaneously.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) Ideal Users
- Performance-Focused Users: Those who value smooth performance, responsiveness, and fluid animations, particularly for gaming and multitasking.
- Users Seeking Better Multimedia: Those who need high-quality audio, smoother video recording, and a sharper display, even if it is not AMOLED.
- Users Who Want Longer Software Support: Those who want a phone with the latest version of Android that is likely to get more updates.
Specific Use Cases:
- Playing mobile games with smoother graphics and animations.
- Enjoying music and audio with better clarity and sound quality through stereo speakers.
- Taking videos with better image stabilization.
- Day-to-day use cases that require more processing power.
4. Decision Framework
Key Questions for Buyers:
- What type of display is more important to you: vibrant colors and deep blacks (AMOLED) or sharpness and smoothness (higher resolution and refresh rate)?
- How important is camera versatility versus overall performance and image stabilization for you?
- Do you need the extra features of the A42 such as a separate macro or wide angle lens or is the combined lens of the G Stylus enough for your use case?
Scenario-Based Recommendations:
Scenario 1: Budget-Conscious Media Lover: If you are on a tight budget and prioritize a vibrant, immersive display experience, the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G is suitable despite its older chipset and lower resolution, offering an AMOLED panel, a quad-camera system, and dual SIM capabilities.
Scenario 2: Performance-Minded Multimedia Enthusiast: If you value smooth performance, a sharper display, better audio, and smoother video, the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) is the superior choice, offering a more powerful chipset, 120Hz refresh rate, and superior audio quality and a higher resolution display.
Scenario 3: Balanced User: If you need a balanced option for all tasks, the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) is likely to be the better choice due to it's better chipset and camera. The A42 has a more versatile camera system, but the quality and the lack of image stabilization makes it a worse overall camera.
My Choice
I would choose the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023). While the AMOLED display of the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G is attractive, the overall package of the Moto G Stylus is significantly more compelling for my needs. The 120Hz refresh rate, sharper display, superior performance thanks to the more powerful chipset, and better audio experience are aspects I highly value. The newer version of Android is also a big bonus, as it indicates longer software support. The inclusion of image stabilization on the camera is another key factor that tips the scale. While I appreciate the versatility of the A42’s camera system, in most scenarios, the superior performance and image quality of the Moto G Stylus 5G's camera (OIS + 1um pixels) will lead to a better user experience.
