[Moto G Stylus 5G] XDAv1d:
Hi Karin,

I appreciate your help and advice very much. Thanks.

Regarding 5G and the Testing Menu, *#*#4636#*#* works on the 2023 model, also. However, I had different results. First, the phone I am evaluating is the Xfinity version of the 2023 Moto G Stylus 5G -- not the unlocked generic version like your 2022 model. So the phone in front of me is locked to Xfinity Mobile.

With that in mind, when I summon the Testing Menu and tap on "Phone information", my "Set Preferred Network Type:" was set to "NR/LTE/GSM/WCDMA" by Xfinity/Motorola. And I assume that the reason CDMA and EvDo were not included is because Verizon (whose network Xfinity Mobile uses) has discontinued them. Most, if not all, of the 1G, 2G and 3G stuff is being shut down (much already has). As for why PRL (Preferred Roaming List) was not included is a mystery. Perhaps it isn't needed since all carriers will be supporting just LTE and NR in the future.

So I thought I would play it safe and just drop NR. That would leave LTE/GSM/WCDMA. But this is not offered. If I want to change the order, I could select GSM/WCDMA/LTE (PRL). But, if the order is how they are prioritized, then I don't want that because I want 4G (LTE) to be the priority (GSM is 2G and WCDMA is 3G -- WCDMA is also sometimes referred to as 3G GSM).

Strangely, if I choose the LTE/CDMA/EvDo/GSM/WCDMA (PRL) as Ethrem suggested in your screen capture, when I close the Testing Menu and reopen it, my preferred network type is automatically set to GSM/WCDMA/LTE (PRL). Evidently CMDA and EvDo are not allowed, at least not in this combination. But, again, my phone is locked on Xfinity.

So I set my preferred network back to the setting it came with until I have time to do some testing. Since I have no cell coverage at home, I'll have to wait until I need to go to town before I'll be near a cell tower.

As for the comparison of the 2022 and 2023 phones, respectfully, you made a mistake. You selected the 4G models. The 2023 5G models are very different. This is why I'm buying a 5G phone. I don't want the 5G radio, but the Stylus 5G model has the most powerful CPU and GPU of all the Moto G models. Its display is also larger and has a higher resolution than the 4G model. Even the cameras are better. I found this awful because I would have liked the 4G model to be identical to the 5G model except for the absence of the 5G radio. But I guess Motorola is thinking that 5G needs more performance so it gets the good stuff. The same is true for all the Moto G phones that offer both 4G and 5G versions -- the specs are different in many fundamental ways.

If you compare the 2022 Moto G Stylus 5G to the 2023 5G model, you'll see a different picture than your 4G comparison. The 2023 model is superior in every way with two exceptions: the display and the RAM. The 2022 Stylus 5G has a 6.8" display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels; whereas the 2023 Stylus 5G has a 6.6" display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. I've been informed that Motorola got complaints about the 2022 screen being a bit too big for some users, causing difficulty typing with just one hand. My family would prefer the larger display and we think that a couple extra millimeters is not bad for small hands. But both displays are so close and they both have snappy 120 Hz refresh rates. As for RAM, as we discussed previously, the 2022 model is available with 4, 6 or 8 GB of RAM; whereas the 2023 model is available with only 4 or 6 GB of RAM. So the faster CPU, better camera, and newer version of Android were the deciding factors for us.

The camera issue is a sticky one. None of the Moto G phones have a decent camera. Some users have said they wish Motorola would learn a thing or two from Google (their moderate Pixel 7a has excellent cameras). When I was using a Galaxy Note, I enjoyed its primary camera and used it quite a bit. Motorola will have me reaching for my dSLR kit instead. The main advantage of the 2023 model is that the forward primary camera has a larger image sensor so each receptor can gather more light. This should produce better photos in low light. However, every review I have read says it is still awful and my guess is because they chose a sensor with too high a resolution, so the receptors are still too tiny. 50 Mp is insane, to me. The 2022 model has a smaller image sensor. Plus it has a third forward camera whose sole purpose is to provide a blurry bokeh (background) for the primary camera so it can emulate the effect of a high-quality lens with a large aperture and corresponding shallow depth of field. Motorola's implementation failed utterly. So they dropped the third camera in 2023.

Sorry for the long message. I'll try to keep them shorter and on topic.

Kind regards, David