8 Best Smart Phones With Stylus to Buy in 2022

From cell phone to smartphone, the evolution of connection continues apace. But one thing that remains the same is our dependence on pocket-sized technology.

As designs moved from touch-tone to keypad to touch screen, so did the way we interacted with our phones. If you find yourself fumbling with the touch screen all too often, there is a solution.

Phones with a stylus pen give you more control over phone navigation. You can have better accuracy with drawing, writing, and gaming. 

This list of the best phones with stylus offers models that will make you rethink what a stylus pen can do. 

Top Smart Cell Phones with Stylus

Ready to edit photos down to the pixel, give your thumbs a rest, or manage your calendar like a pro? Stylus phones can help.

Check out our top picks for smartphones that are either stylus-ready or have an integrated stylus pen.

With its trademark squared corners and big 6.9-inch AMOLED screen sporting a 120Hz display, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a stylus playground. 

Samsung stylus devices utilize their proprietary S-Pen. It’s a digital stylus with a nine millisecond response time that goes far beyond writing and drawing. 

It’s also a mature product that Samsung has been slowly refining since it’s original introduction way back in 2011 with the original Note.

The S-Pen is designed to work with the Note 20 Ultra without complex pairing. The built-in technology keeps the stylus and phone connected up to 30 feet.

Hold the button down on the stylus, and it becomes a navigation tool without touching the phone. These are called “air actions.” Navigate your phone, take selfies, and control video and audio playback.

Pair it with a Bluetooth speaker, and you can lay back and watch a movie or spark a dance party hands-free.

In short, there’s a lot you can do with the S-Pen, including taking notes when your phone is powered off.

While it’s not a budget phone, the features are impressive. The triple-lens rear camera setup takes stunning pictures and video.

It also comes with helpful features like Bixby personal assistant and DeX, which turns your smartphone into a mobile office. Plus, Samsung phones can sync to your PC.

This stylus phone is an excellent choice for work or play. It is pricey for sure, but one you might keep for years to come.

Key Features

• 4500 mAh battery
• Triple-lens 108 MP rear camera setup with 50X zoom
• 10 MP selfie camera
• 12 GB RAM/128 GB storage
• Octa-Core processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
• Android 10/One UI 2.0
• 6.9-inch edge dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O WQHD+ screen
• 8K video
• 1 TB Micro SD slot | Fingerprint unlock
• IP68 water resistance
• 25W rapid charger

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is a scaled down version of the Note 20 Ultra, but not by much. All in all, the core specifications are close, making it a “bang-for-your-buck” choice for those in the market for a stylus-powered phone.

You’ll get a smaller screen (6.7 compared to Ultra’s 6.9). You’ll lose some pixel quality on camera and less zoom capability. The battery is a tad smaller. 

Yet, you still get the benefits of the included S-Pen and a responsive design in a more lightweight phone. You also won’t get the 120Hz refresh rate of the Note 20 Ultra.

If the S-Pen is the main draw, you’ll be happy to know that it’s not a scaled back stylus on the Note 20. It offers the same robust features such as air commands and write to text with pinpoint precision.

The S-Pen functions as a wireless controller for the Note 20. That’s useful for audio and video playback, taking pictures hands-free, or just navigating apps.

Bottom line: it’s a great stylus phone at a lesser price point.

Key Features

• 4300 mAh battery
• Triple-lens 64 MP rear camera
• 10 MP selfie camera
• 8 GB RAM/128 GB² storage
• Octa-Core processor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
• 6.7-inch flat Infinity-O FHD+ Super AMOLED+

In a world of $1000+ smartphones, the Moto G Stylus is still a contender. Don’t let the price fool you.

The Motorola Moto G Stylus phone has a generous 6.8-inch 1080p HD+ display and a thin bezel for more screen space. This comes in handy when you are taking notes, retouching photos, or playing games.

Getting the built-in stylus out from its hiding place used to be tricky (like the board game, Operation). The updated Moto G Stylus line has an easy-release stylus with a textured grip.

Bonus: when you pop the Moto G stylus out, a stylus menu also opens on the cell phone screen. You can leave it as is or change the app shortcuts to reflect the way you use your smartphone.

The Moto G stylus tip is more rounded than the previous one, but accuracy doesn’t seem to suffer. It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done.

The Motorola Moto G Stylus phone produces good photos and video — especially with good lighting.

Overall, it’s a good stylus phone for the money. It’s not a smartphone for a superuser by any stretch. It’s an upgraded budget buy for grown-up everyday tasks, but it’s also fun to use.

Key Features

• 4000 mAh battery
• 48 MP rear quad pixel camera system | 16 MP selfie camera
• 4 GB RAM/128 GB storage
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 678
• 6.8-inch Max Vision FHD+ screen
• Built-in passive stylus

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ debuted in 2019. Years later, it is still a solid smartphone stylus combo and it comes with the coveted S-Pen.

For display comparison, it has the same screen size as the less expensive Moto G Stylus and LG Stylo 6 phones (6.8 inches). But the display specs on the Note 10+ are far more intriguing.

The dynamic AMOLED display on the LG Stylo is like an infinity pool. You can hardly see the edge. This means more screen space for gaming, streaming movies, or living your amateur photog dreams.

The rear camera system takes crisp photos, is feature-rich and fun to use. The selfie camera is one of the best we’ve seen. Video capture and features are excellent.

The main draw, as with other Samsung Notes, is the S-Pen. All of the real estate you get with the massive screen on the Note 10+ makes this heaven for stylus lovers.

The S-Pen on the Note 10+ has similar functionality, but unlocks more available features on the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. The responsiveness is a bit slower, but not enough to matter.

The stylus gives you tons of options. You can use it directly on the phone or in the air up to 30 feet away.

All in all, this is a great looking phone suitable for work or recreation. There are lots of great features to explore.

Key Features

• 4300 mAh battery
• 12 MP wide angle/16 MP ultra-wide angle/12 MP telephoto/3D depth
• 10 MP selfie camera
• 8 GB RAM/256 GB storag
• Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Samsung Exynos 9825
• Android 9 Pie
• 6.8-inch edge dynamic AMOLED infinity screen |

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t come with an integrated stylus. Yet, it’s so future-forward that we couldn’t leave it off of this list. 

It’s designed to work with the celebrated S-Pen. S21 Ultra + S-Pen = match made in tech heaven.

There isn’t a dedicated cubby on the S21 Ultra to store your S-Pen, but a case can fix that.

Let’s focus on what doesn’t need fixing.

The metal camera housing is more shallow than other Samsung smartphones. This gives you less rocking when you’re using your S-Pen to write, edit photos or navigate while the phone lays flat

The S21 Ultra has an adaptive refresh rate from 10 to 120 HZ. That means the smartphone can adjust its responsiveness automatically based on your usage.

For example, watching a movie might only require a refresh rate of 25 HZ, while gaming could max out at 120 HZ. The point is, you’ll get seamless performance with efficient battery use.

This refresh rate works wonders for navigating this stylus phone with the S-Pen. No lag means your built-in stylus strokes are seen instantly across the generous 6.8-inch curved edge display.

From air motions to remote shutter control, you’ll get the same functionality you can enjoy on the Galaxy Note series of smartphones.

Besides that, you’ll get an excellent camera that takes crisp photos and video. Samsung has added features like scene optimization and flaw detection to improve the experience.

The S21 Ultra is one of the most robust Android phones in glass housing that is fun to use. Add the rich features of the S-Pen and it’s a combination that is hard to beat.

Key Features

• 5000 mAh battery
• 12MP ultra wide/108MP wide-angle/10MP telephoto (10X)/ laser AF/10MP telephoto (3X)
• 40MP selfie camera
• 100X Zoom
• 12 GB RAM/128 GB storage
• Octa Core
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
• Android 11
• 6.8-inch Quad HD+ dynamic AMOLED 2X

The SAMSUNG Galaxy S20 FE 5G shines with a professional grade triple-lens camera, with high powered pro lenses to take pictures in any light. The selfie camera has a huge 32 MP, while the main camera has 12MP. 

The 30X space zoom lets you take fantastic pictures close up or far away, and night mode captures high quality images in low light. One tap of the screen takes multiple images and videos all at once.

There’s super fast charging on a 4,500 mAh battery that lasts at least 2 days without a charge. The S20 FE 5G comes with either 128GB or 258GB of storage, and 6GB of RAM. And it runs on the 5G network where it’s available.

What’s really wonderful about this smartphone is the 6.5 inch Infinity-O Display, that feels like it reaches forever. It has bezels that are barely there surrounding the flat edges, and a really small push hole for the camera. It makes any video or picture come to life.

This stylus phone comes in six colors and a matte finish.

While the screen is beautiful, there are some issues with it unlocking in people’s pockets with ghost touches. As of right now, there have not been software updates that have helped this problem. 

Key Features

• 120Hz refresh rate display
• 6.5” Infinity-O Display
• 32MP selfie camera
• 12MP main camera
• 30X zoom
• 4,500 mAh battery with super fast charging
• Infinity-O Display

The LG Stylo 6 offers an edge-to-edge experience on a huge 6.8” display, with full HD+ resolution to lose yourself in. The built-in stylus pen allows you to write, edit, doodle, sketch, color, and jot down notes on the go. 

Use it to send animated messages, write or draw out texts, or sketch an idea. The stylus has virtually no lag and is only limited by your creativity with it.

The triple camera system captures the fine details. Wide expansive views are supported by the ultra wide-angle, 120 degree camera, and the selfie camera comes in at a respectable 13MP. Dual speakers with DTS:X 3D surround sound deliver rich audio in surround sound. 

No need for a separate speaker to get wrapped up in the movies or music you love.

All your creative endeavors are supported by a 4,000 mAh battery for hours of use and creation, and 64 GB of storage plus 3 GB of RAM. Intuitive Google assistant capability means you can keep creating with the stylo while finding things with voice commands.

Key Features

• 6.8” FHD+ FullVision Display
• Built-in Stylus Pen
• Triple Camera System
• 4,000 mAh Battery
• 64 GB + expandable microSD Storage
• 3GB RAM

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 with the S-Pen Case has a massive, 2X 120Hz AMOLED screen, a big beautiful 7.6 inch display that can’t be beat. It’s like a folding tablet that fits in your hand, and at 120Hz everything is brilliant and dynamic. 

Not only that, but the nearly invisible camera is a unique concept that gives you an uninterrupted view of the screen, thanks to the Under Display Camera.

It can open in up to three multi-windows where you can schedule, edit, build presentations, or sketch and take notes with the included S Pen. 

This pen lets you draw, scribble, doodle, and send art, and it’s actually a pleasure to create on such a big screen. The Flip Cover case also provides stability, so you can put your phone on a table and start writing or drawing without your phone moving.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is water resistant, with a main camera at 12MP wide, with 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. The selfie camera is 10MP. It comes with a 4,400 mAh battery with super fast charge, 12GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.

Key Features

• 7.6” Infinite Flex display
• 256 GB Storage
• 12 GB RAM
• Main Camera 12 MP
• Selfie Camera 10 MP
• 4,400 mAh Battery with Super Fast Charge

Summary

Samsung Galaxy smartphones have the most new and ongoing smartphones with a built-in stylus option. They are also the priciest. 

The S-Pen is an advanced stylus that offers more features than most. Depending on what you are looking for, a passive stylus like the one on the Moto G Stylus may be all you need.

If you want the best of both worlds: a responsive stylus and a robust, feature-heavy smartphone, you’ll have to stretch your budget and shoot for Samsung Galaxy. 

We looked at some good LG smartphones with styluses, but since LG is ceasing smartphone production, we couldn’t recommend them.

Just be sure to do your research to lock in on the features that matter to you. And, check with your network before purchase. Sometimes networks stop supporting specific unlocked stylus phones without much warning.