IFA 2016 has been the bearer of some exciting products so far. Lenovo is adding on to that list by announcing the Moto Z Play, the third member in the Moto Z family along with dropping some other tidbits related to their other products.
Moto Z Play
Unlike the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force, the Moto Z Play is a mid end offering and not a flagship. But that does not stop the device from picking on what the Z lineup does: modularity.
For the design, the Moto Z Play largely picks up on the Moto Z Force in terms of design and dimensions. So you get a similar looking device, but with a glass back instead of metal. Unlike the Moto Z Force, this is not shatterproof though, so you would need to be careful of how you handle this device. The Moto Z Play’s front is dominated by the 5.5″ FHD Super AMOLED display along with the fingerprint sensor, the front camera and its accompanying flash. The back of the device is again sporting the Moto camera hump and the 16-pin connector for MotoMods.
On the inside though, the Moto Z Play showcases its mid range specs, but not in an entirely bad way. The performance of the device is handled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC. The device sports 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. The battery is of a pretty decent 3,510 mAh capacity. Combined with the lower requirements of the screen and the Cortex-A53 cores in the SoC, the battery life of the device should be quite good. Lenovo promises “50 hours” of use (single charge length, not screen on time), but as good as it may sound, we’d take the optimistic number with a pinch of salt.
For the camera, the Moto Z Play comes with a 16MP rear camera with laser autofocus. The front is a 5MP wide angle snapper, which comes with its own LED flash as we mentioned earlier.
The Lenovo Moto Z Play runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and the phone is compatible with the existing MotoMod hardware. The phone will be rolled out globally in September for €499. In the US, Verizon has an initial exclusivity period yet again, and the Moto Z Play will sell under the Droid banner initially for $408 from September 8th. In October, the device will be available from Motorola for $449.
Hasselblad True Zoom Mod
In addition to the Moto Z Play, Lenovo also added on to the MotoMod family with the Hasselblad True Zoom Mod. Essentially, this is a snap-on mod for Moto Z lineup, which promises to enhance the camera capabilities of the devices. You get a 12Mp sensor with a f/3.5-6.5 aperture, along with 10x Optical Zoom and OIS. The mod can also record videos in 1080p at 30fps with EIS. There’s a Xenon flash to help you light up your subject if needs be, and there’s a two-stage shutter button with zoom controls. But, the Mod does skimp out on battery, so the mod will use up the battery of your device to power itself.
The Hasselblad True Zoom Mod will be available for purchase for $299, and $249 through Verizon. Considering that this is an additional accessory that does not work standalone, the price is steep since you would also need to purchase a compatible phone for this mod to be of any use.
Moto Z — US Pricing
The Moto Z is on its end of its exclusivity with Verizon. September 15th onwards, the unlocked version of the Moto Z that works on GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile will be available for purchase “just” $699.99. Shipping begins in October though, so you still need to wait a bit more. No news has originated for the Moto Z Force and the end of its exclusivity with Verizon, so more waiting is to be expected.
With the Moto Z lineup and the MotoMods, Motorola and Lenovo took a risk in not only design and research and development of pseudo-modularity, but also in pricing. Considering the fledgling nature of the modular scene right now, the company might find it difficult to find as many takers, considering the gameplan of other OEMs.
What are your thoughts on the Moto Z announcements? Let us know your thoughts on all of them in the comments below!
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