Last year Motorola, Lenovo’s new company, released a modular phone which made airwaves for its amazing Moto Mods. We had the pleasure of using it for a week – you can find the detailed review here– and we came out very impressed. Moto mods are hardware components that are attached to the rear of the device via magnetic snap to add extra functionality. The company promised to continue with the trend in all their future offerings. This means that all Moto Z series phones will have same length and width dimensions and will be compatible with all Moto mods ever made.
Yesterday, Motorola launched the sequel and, true to their promise, it supports Moto Mods. Meet the new Moto Z2 Force, the successor to both the initial Moto Z and the Moto Z Force. This year, they will only release one phone in the high end Z series. This new Z2 Force will encompass the best attributes from the 2 prior devices.
Moto Z2 Force
The Moto Z2 Force comes with a redesigned back; there will be no more glass parts at the top and bottom. Instead, the antenna line will run through the entire back outline circumventing the metallic rear casing. The fingerprint on the front is now oval shape rather than the rectangular of the initial Moto Z.
The display is now shatterproof, a technology that was exclusive to last year’s Moto Z Force thanks to Shatter Shield Glass. The screen remains at QHD resolution with a 5.5 inch P-OLED AMOLED display. It comes with 12MP dual rear cameras. One is monochrome –black and white- the other one is colored, this combination helps with better low light photography. These cameras are accompanied with laser auto focus and dual LED dual tone flash. The front camera is 5MP which also happens to pack a dual LED dual tone flash for better night selfies.
True to Motorola’s Google roots, the phone comes with the latest android 7.1.1 nougat in an almost stock version. It runs on a Snapdragon 835 with 4GB or 6GB RAM depending on regions. The storage base starts at a generous 64GB and is expandable to 256GB. The Bluetooth 4.2 LE will be upgraded to the new and powerful 5.0 once the Android O update comes in.
Just like last year, no 3.5mm audio jack is available, so earphones will have to go through the USB type C port or via the packaged adapter (USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack).
Now to the not-so-good part, the new Moto Z2 Force inherited the anorexic waistline of the Moto Z, unfortunately, the battery had to be shaved off to fit. We now have a 2730mAh battery down from the great 3500mAh of the previous Z Force to achieve the 6.1mm waist. Fortunately the turbo charger 15W is still available for quick top ups. Motorola says that despite the smaller battery, the phone can still give a whole day of usage. You can find full specifications here.
Moto 360 Camera Mod
The Moto 360 camera mod is the latest addition to the modular units. Just as the name suggests, it is a camera attachment that can shoot 360 degree videos; it snaps on the back of the phone magnetically. (It can also work with last year’s Moto Z)
It comes with video editing software that users can access through the camera interface. The software lets you trim, add effects and even make a flat 1080p video from the 360 degree one right on the go, you no longer need a computer to do this. The Mod can also record 3D audio for an immersive experience.
Pricing and Availability
The Moto Z2 Force will be released first in the US then Brazil, Asia and Africa will follow. It will be sold at $720, while other reports point to $799. Pre orders in the US are already on going with shipments to be made from August 10th. Early birds will get a free Projector Moto Mod valued at $300. The Moto 360 Camera Mod will go for $299.