LG Stylo 5 expands to its first major US carrier with built-in pen and mid-end specs

Unfortunately (and somewhat predictably), Sprint is charging its postpaid subscribers significantly more money outright for the Stylo 5 than daughter carrier Boost or the AT&T-owned Cricket prepaid operator. Namely, $288 compared to $200 and $230 respectively, although for what it's worth, you can easily bring that full price all the way down to $115. 

You just have to agree to an 18-month Sprint Flex lease plan and pay $25 upfront, as well as $5 a month for a year and a half. Of course, at the end of the agreement, you won't technically own the device, but odds are you'll want to upgrade to something newer and faster anyway.

That's because the LG Stylo 5 is not exactly a powerhouse, packing a Snapdragon 450 processor that feels modest even by mid-range standards nowadays. The SoC is paired with a decent 3GB RAM, and a sizable 3,500mAh battery is in charge of keeping the 6.2-inch FHD+ lights on. That stands for a respectable resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, mind you, which equates to a 2:1 aspect ratio, with relatively thin bezels in tow and no need for a notch to achieve a fairly attractive "FullVision" design.

While the real-life photography performance of the new 6.2-inch handset will best be evaluated in upcoming in-depth reviews, we don't expect anything out of the ordinary from a single 13MP rear camera and 5MP selfie shooter that seem identical to the ones featured by the Stylo 4. But just like its predecessor, the LG Stylo 5 stands out from the sub-$300 crowd with a built-in pen allowing users to write, doodle, sketch, color, and jot down notes on the go with that lovely tactile feel.