Motorola Moto Z2 Force review - "indestructible" flagship. Moto Z2 Play and replaceable modules Moto Mods enter the Russian market Lenovo presents the smartphone motorola moto z2 play

Anyone can make on top-of-the-line hardware device behind a shielded screen and put a logo on it. What if after something should be fun and unique? Look further at the Motorola Z2 Play.

Motorola's modular mobile phones got us attention when they first came out last year. Even if they were beaten on the downside by the phenomenal OnePlus 3. This year the price is better - and the hardware looks even better.

The outgoing Moto Z Play was the undisputed king in 2016 when it was running android. Therefore, the sequel must have stamina as well as skill. Recently it was reported that Intex is launching a budget smartphone "Aqua Lions 3".

At first glance, you can see the differences between the Z2 Play and last year's Moto Z Play - but that's kind of an idea. If Motorola had tweaked the design too much, it wouldn't have affected the existing Moto Mods range too much.

Thus, the basic shape remains the same, but the overall build quality has been given a positive boost. The rear glass on the Moto Z Play was a true fingerprint magnet, so it's great to see that it's made out of an all-metal design here. Your internal OCD can easily be calmed down with one of these in your pocket. Appeared on the market a new version LG Q8.

Moto has at least managed to shrink it by a millimeter, so it sits more naturally in your hand when you have the Moto Mod. He still looks naked without it, due to that bulging camera module on top and bare contact points at the base. Put some clothes on it, like a wooden cover in a box, and it will look smooth.

Okay, so the 5.5-inch bezels, the fingerprint was terrible, especially on the Fine Gold. Which I tested, but otherwise it feels every bit of high-end.

This is in part due to the redesigned fingerprint sensor, which no longer looks like a basement. The ugly square gauge is dead, replaced by a large, slippery, rounded button. It is very convenient to unlock your phone, although not as quickly as on the Huawei P10. Allows you to toggle the on-screen navigation keys for smart one-button keys and hold them to free up some extra screen space.

Motorola Z2 Play - features

Motorola on modular telephones survived an ambitious project. Ara and the LG G5's shortcomings have been addressed and it's great to see it make a comeback.

16 pins on the back allow you to insert different Moto Mods at any time, without having to close your phone first. Which makes sense, isn't it LG? Hard magnets (and that sticky camera lens) hold each Mod in place. So you won't accidentally send it every time you pick up your phone.

The back panel doesn't do anything interesting, but there is a growing list of kit you can install to update your phone. The offGrid power supply, JBL speaker, pico projector and Hasselblad optional 10x optical zoom lenses with improved cameras still work. Faster charging Turbo power pack, wireless charging cover, upgraded JBL Mod speaker coming soon enough. And even a gamepad with physical controls. This will surely be reflected on the screen when you play games. The release date of the new model LG V30 has become known.

Of course, you'll be tied to the Motorola ecosystem, and all of these add-ons can add up quickly. If you're looking to complete the set, but it's still nice to see some original innovation in the lower half of the price spectrum.

Motorola Z2 Play - screen and sound

When you balance the scales of performance and time autonomous work... There is no room for the fancy 2000s screens - they consume too much power and force the graphics chip to work overtime just by clicking on all those pixels.

This is why the Motorola Z2 Play supports Full HD resolution stretched over 5.5 inches. It's sharp enough to make your photos and videos look great, and it easily matches the competition for price.

Motorola was still finding room in the budget for an AMOLED panel. Which means impeccable contrast and inky blacks, as well as superb viewing angles. The screen is bright enough so you won't be trying to see what's on the screen when you're outdoors.

The only real weak point is color balance. Go to Settings and you will see that it defaults to Vivid Color, which mistakenly refers to oversaturation. It's not scary, but just too energetic and unrealistic. First photos of the new design of the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Go for standard mode though, and things go too far the other way. By capturing too much color and leaving things looking washed out. Stick with Vibrant - Most phones tend to bring colors slightly higher than natural. And the Z2 Play is not to blame for this, as are its rivals.

The phone receiver has perfected the audio speaker and has done a reasonable job with podcasts and YouTube clips. The vocals are clear enough with an emphasis on crisp highs. But you won't be hosting any impromptu dance parties with the Z2 Play - unless you grab a JBL speaker. It's just too quiet to force yourself to hear what's one or two feet away.

Motorola Z2 Play - cameras

Impossible to miss seeing how far it sticks out the back of the phone without the Moto Mod attached. So it’s good that the Z2 Play camera is right for viewing.

Essentially the same 12MP f / 1.7 setup shown in the cheaper Moto G5 Plus. It won't come as a shock to find out that the image quality is about the same here. But then the Moto G5 Plus showed much higher weight, so this is not entirely true.

The dual-element autofocus system uses phase detection and laser for faster focusing. But it's really noticeable when switching to professional mode. This overlays all AF points on the screen for real-time focus adjustment. In Auto, it all happens behind the scenes. It feels fast no matter what mode you are in. He can still focus on close objects. The Camera app is pretty simple, with all the more complex settings buried in Pro mode. So you don't have to bother if you don't want to. Watch the latest news on Xiaomi Mi 5X.

Motorola Z2 Play Quality

The quality is decent, though not impressive in anything other than perfect light. This is because colors lose their vibration as soon as the sun comes on, and auto tends to err to obscure your shots. Auto HDR can sometimes struggle to save dynamic range as well.

Motorola has a habit of reworking your shots, which is why they appear sharp at first glance. But they actually hide the lack of detail when you get up close. This is still true and can be really noticeable in urban landscapes and subjects with many intricate details.

Shooting with low level illumination can still be daunting. As there is no optical image stabilization - despite what this convex camera module has to offer. You will still have to pay a lot more to find a phone that can do better job... The characteristics of the new Nokia 8 smartphone have become known.

Here's the general story here - the Z2 Play's camera isn't bad for the money, but it doesn't stand out either. Compared to the Honor 9's dual cameras and smart shooting modes, you might call it boring, but when best camera in your pocket.

Motorola Z2 Play - Performance

Sure, an insane amount of power and RAM is nice to have, but for most people, the top-tier chips you'll find on flagship phones are just over the top. Motorola Z2 Play belongs to central processing unit average level, and everything is good for him.

The Snapdragon 626 is an octa-core chip and can keep Android 7.1 running smoothly with comfort. No need to use a giant battery to keep running apps. It won't beat the world's Samsung Galaxy S8 or iPhone 7 when it comes to benchmarks. But web pages, apps, and games work great - so who really cares about the user?

For the most part, games load quickly, animate smoothly, and have consistently high frame rates - which is why a 1080p screen makes so much sense here. Only very intense material will leave the Motorola Z2 Play.

4GB of RAM is a lot of features to keep multiple apps in memory while multitasking without rebooting. There's a healthy 64GB storage for your apps and games. Also a microSD card slot for adding more games, apps and movies. Recently, there was news about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Motorola's approach to Android connectivity to settings is good as well. You get a limited stock user interface, with only a few additional settings and updates. Such as an external display, for viewing at a glance without waking up the screen and gesture control to go straight into the camera or turn on the flashlight.

Motorola Z2 Play - Battery

Mid-range specs should mean fantastic battery life. But Motorola has actually cut the battery from last year's Moto Z Play, from 3500mAh to 3000mAh. This means this is not the champion we were hoping for, but it could still be impressive.

This is because it has an unnatural talent for watch on standby without wasting a lot of power. Keep your screen safe all day long with social scrolling, gaming, or video streaming. You will need to recharge before bed, but for general use, you can still use it all day.

Now that the OnePlus 5 has bumped the budget to £ 450, Motorola's second attempt looks a lot more appealing. And not only because the price rose only on the British brace.

It doesn't have the strongest parts, the battery may not be as long and durable, and the similarly priced Honor 9 could have a more complete dual-camera setup. But there is something undeniably cool about Moto Mods.

Ignore additional upgrades and it is still a very high cost mobile phone. Which is very fast to use, looks great and decent. If you don't have the money to spare on the OnePlus 5, or object to the over-support of Honor on Android, this is a great buy. Game of Thrones iPhone 7 and Nokia 3310 Revealed

The Moto Z2 Play, a mid-range smartphone from Lenovo, is thinner and lighter than last year's predecessor, while inheriting its main feature - support for removable modules, "magnetized" on back panel... Let's find out in the review whether the manufacturer managed not to spoil last year's successful "recipe", and whether the price of Moto Z2 Play matches its characteristics and capabilities.

The Moto Z line of smartphones announced last year (see our reviews and) Moto Z2 Play, which also supports plug-in Moto Mods. These add-ons add new features to the Moto Z family, but they can be replaced with a variety of decorative bezels. The accessory attached to the rear panel of the case is fixed with built-in magnets, and the necessary communication between the removable module and the smartphone is carried out through a special interface. The first collection of Moto Mods consisted of interchangeable panels, a photo module, an additional battery, acoustic stereo system and a projector. Now it includes a game module, a 360-degree camera, a second version of the speaker system, as well as fast and wireless charging. In August Moto Z2 Play will debut on the Russian market.

Moto Z2 Play review: specifications

• Model: Moto Z2 Play (XT1710-07)
• OS: Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
• Processor: 8-core, 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 (MSM8953 Pro), ARM Cortex-A53, up to 2.2 GHz, DSP Hexagon 546
• Graphics coprocessor: Adreno 506 (650 MHz)
• RAM: 4 GB LPDDR3 (933 MHz)
• Built-in memory: 64 GB, UHS-I slot for memory cards microSD / HC / XC (up to 2 TB)
• Screen: 5.5 inches, Super AMOLED, Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 401 ppi, up to 10 simultaneous touches, safety glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Main camera: 12 MP (pixel size 1.4 μm), f / 1.7 aperture, phase (Dual Pixel technology) and laser autofocus (5 m), dual LED flash (CCT), [email protected] fps, [email protected] fps, 4K (2160p) @ 30 fps
• Front camera: 5MP (1.4μm pixel size), f / 2.2 aperture, wide-angle lens, fixed focus, dual-LED flash (CCT), [email protected] fps, [email protected] fps
• Network: GSM / GPRS / EDGE, UMTS HSPA +, 4G LTE Band
• SIM type: nanoSIM (4FF)
• Number of SIM-cards: two, Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 LE + EDR, NFC, USB Type-C (USB 3.1, USB-OTG), 3.5mm for audio headset (CTIA TRRS), connector for Moto Mods
• Navigation: GPS / GLONASS, A-GPS
• Radio: FM tuner
• Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, light and proximity sensors, fingerprint scanner
• Battery: non-removable, lithium-ion, 3000 mAh, support fast charging TurboPower (50% charge in 30 minutes)
• Case feature: water-repellent nano-coating
• Dimensions: 156.2x76.2x5.99 mm
• Weight: 145 grams
• Color: dark gray, golden, silver

Moto Z2 Play review: design, ergonomics

In the design of the Moto Z2 Play, there were no significant transformations compared to that. However, there are a number of things to look out for.

So, practically unchanged in terms of dimensions (156.2x76.2 mm versus 156.4x76.4), the novelty managed to drop 1 mm in thickness (5.99 mm versus 6.99 mm), while its weight decreased even more noticeably - 145 g versus 165 g.

While retaining Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect the screen, the glass on the back has now been abandoned.

Radio transparency for antennas is provided by a continuous strip along the perimeter, which looks rather unusual. The matt water-repellent coating is designed to create a barrier that prevents small amounts of moisture from entering the interior of the device. There are already three color options for the Moto Z2 Play - dark gray, golden and silver. Among other external differences, it is worth mentioning the new shape of the touch pad of the fingerprint scanner, which from square to more elongated, almost oval. By the way, the scanner pad can be used for navigation instead of the usual on-screen buttons.

So, the front side of the new smartphone, including the screen, is completely covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with an oleophobic coating.

Around the speaker slot, they assembled an LED flash (left), a front camera (right), as well as light and proximity sensors (right). The flash is now dual - CCT (Color Correlated Temperature), that is, it provides more natural lighting when shooting. The speaker, as before, acts in two forms - as "spoken" and "multimedia".

The on-screen buttons ("Back", "Home" and "Recent Applications") are made in the form of "triangle", "circle" and "square" icons.

The hole for the "spoken" microphone remained on the insert under the screen, to the left of the fingerprint scanner platform.

The left edge of the case is as usual empty.

And on the right edge there are still separate, unusually small, volume control keys, as well as a power / lock button with embossed notches that allow you to distinguish it by touch. But the volume up and down buttons can be confused with each other quite easily.

At the bottom, where the symmetrical connector is located USB Type-C(with support for the high-speed version of the USB 3.1 interface), there were no "casualties", keeping the 3.5 mm audio headset connector. On a thin smartphone, at the present time, this is almost an achievement.

The upper end, which was occupied by the second microphone and the closed slot, remained unchanged. In it, on a special tray, on one side, there are places for two subscriber identification modules of the nanoSIM (4FF) format, and on the other, for a microSD memory card. Such a solution may well serve as an example for other manufacturers, who often "save" by using a combined slot for expanding memory.

The back panel of the smartphone is traditionally decorated with the graphic Motorola logo.

In its lower part, in addition to the proprietary connector for plugging in replaceable Moto Mods modules, there is a hole for a third microphone,

and at the top there is a place for placing the main photo module. At the same time, the latter protrudes noticeably above the plane of the rear panel. In addition to the lens itself, the photo module also includes laser rangefinder and dual LED flash (CCT). The area of ​​the NFC antenna is located just in the area of ​​the photo module.

Thanks to the "rounded" design of the case, the Moto Z2 Play smartphone is quite comfortable in the hand, even without the removable back panel. Someone, of course, may be confused by the defiantly bulging photo module and the conspicuous golden contacts of the connector for Moto Mods. But this is purely a matter of taste. In addition, the matte back panel of the Moto Z2 Play does not stain at all.

But for the installation of replaceable modules you have to pay with an increase in the weight and overall thickness of the device.

Moto Z2 Play review: screen

The new smartphone, like its predecessor, was equipped with a 5.5-inch screen based on a Super AMOLED matrix, while maintaining the Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080 pixels). Thus, the density of dots per inch is 401 ppi. The energy efficient display of this type undoubtedly contributes to the overall energy saving of the smartphone. Recall also that the screen protection is assigned to Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and the oleophobic coating applied to it contributes to the easy removal of fatty stains. The ratio of the area of ​​the screen to the front surface of the smartphone is about 70%.

AntTuTu Tester and MultiTouch Tester were able to recognize ten simultaneous clicks on the capacitive touch screen. The backlight level can be adjusted manually or automatically (option "Auto brightness"). With the minimum screen backlight, it is quite comfortable to read in the dark, and at the maximum, the image can be viewed even in sunlight.

The size of interface elements on the screen is set in the section of the same name. Separate adjustment of the font size is also supplemented by its preview. There are two display modes in the settings. In "Normal" the colors look calm and warm, but the choice of "Vivid" responds to the richer hues inherent in a Super AMODED display. Activating the Moto Display option allows you to display the battery charge value, the current time and date, and various notifications on the locked screen. To see this information, you need to take the device in your hand or bring your palm to its display.

Moto Z2 Play review: cameras

Recently, many manufacturers have stopped recklessly chasing a simple increase in the number of megapixels in their smartphones' cameras. For example, the Moto Z2 Play photo module was equipped with a 12-megapixel sensor. While a year ago we settled on a 16-megapixel sensor. Note that the relatively large pixel size (1.4 μm) increases the chances of good shooting in low light.

Returning to the main camera of the Moto Z2 Play, we note that it has a dual-tone LED flash (CCT), a lens with a large aperture of f / 1.7, as well as phase and laser (infrared) autofocus. At the same time, phase detection autofocus uses a "dual pixel" technology (Dual Pixel). As you know, in this case, one image element consists of two parts (hence the name), both of which are used both for phase focusing and for obtaining the picture itself. The maximum resolution of the main camera is achieved with the classic aspect ratio of the frame (4: 3) and is 4032x3024 pixels (12 MP), and with a widescreen (16: 9) - 4032x2268 pixels (9.1 MP). Examples of photos can be viewed.

The Moto Z2 Play's front camera is known to have an f / 2.2 wide-angle fixed focus lens with a pixel size of 1.4 microns. Yes, and it has a double LED flash. The maximum resolution of a selfie with a classic aspect ratio (4: 3) is 2592x1944 pixels (5 MP), and for a widescreen gruff (16: 9) - 2592x1458 pixels (3.8 MP).

The main camera can record videos in 4K resolution (3840x2160 pixels) at a frame rate of 30 fps. In addition, the Full mode was added to her. [email protected] fps. But the front camera is limited in quality (1920 x 1080 pixels) @ 30 fps. Both photo modules are designed for shooting slow motion video [email protected] fps (1280x720 pixels). All content is saved in MP4 container files (AVC - video, AAC - sound).

The interface of the "Camera" application, in comparison with, has not changed at all. You can take a picture either by touching the screen anywhere, or by tapping on the "Shutter" icon. To the right of this button, an icon was placed to select the current mode - "Photo", "Video", "Panorama", "Slow motion" and "Professional mode".

In the case of a "pro", the orbital settings independently set the values ​​of ISO, shutter speed, exposure levels, white balance and focus. At the same time, the Auto HDR option is provided for both cameras. You can change the scale (x1-x8) on the viewfinder by moving your finger across the display up or down. Swiping to the left takes the screen to the picture gallery. Swipe to the right opens the settings panel. The Quick Capture option lets you open the Camera app or switch from the main camera to the front camera (and vice versa). To do this, you need to quickly turn your wrist twice with your smartphone. To adjust focus and exposure, the "paperclip" in the viewfinder should be dragged to the desired location, where the control can easily adjust the brightness (exposure) of the picture.

Moto Z2 Play review: sound

The decent sound quality of the speaker, which acts as "spoken" and "multimedia", has been preserved in the Moto Z2 Play as well. The smartphone's own audio player is still missing, you have to use it " Play Music". Interestingly, an FM tuner has appeared that can record stereo broadcasts in AAC format (44.1 kHz, 2 channels). wired headphones the output automatically switches to them. However, you can also listen to the radio through the speaker.

Well, it's best to enjoy your favorite tracks through a replaceable JBL SoundBoost / SoundBoost 2 speaker module,

the first version of which came to our test along with a smartphone.

Recall that this device has two dynamic emitters (each with a diameter of 27 mm), while the total power reaches 6 W (2x3 W). The capacity of the built-in battery (1000 mAh) provides a battery life of up to 10 hours.

The overall dimensions and weight of JBL SoundBoost are 152x73x13 mm and 145 g, while the second version (JBL SoundBoost 2) is 1.5 mm thicker and 10 g lighter. Externally, the updated device can be distinguished by its color scheme, water-repellent nano-coating, and, most importantly, by a different, non-circular hole shape for the main photo-module.

JBL SoundBoost connects and recognizes almost instantly. During testing, there were no problems with music playback. All in all, a decent alternative to a portable speaker. The only pity is that the first version of this replacement accessory does not work with the My JBL SoundBoost 2 app.

Moto Z2 Play review: stuffing, performance

The Moto Z2 Play has only taken a small step in updating the base platform. So, the 8-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (MSM8953) chip was replaced with a slightly faster Snapdragon 626 (MSM8953 Pro).

ARM Cortex-A53 cores can now be clocked at 2.2 GHz instead of 2.0 GHz. At the same time, the graphics accelerator Adreno 506 remains the same. All the same X9 LTE ​​modem provides data transmission LTE Cat.7 / 13 (300/150 Mbit / s) and work with Wi-Fi networks up to the "ace" standard. The basic configuration of the Moto Z2 Play (model XT1710-07) is supplemented with 4 GB of LPDDR3 RAM (933 MHz).

On the main synthetic benchmarks, the Moto Z2 Play scored good but average results. Note, for example, that the frame rate remained practically unchanged on the High Performance and High Quality settings of the Epic Citadel visual test.

The new smartphone (model XT1710-07) has 64 GB of internal memory on board. To expand this storage, the Moto Z2 Play has a dedicated slot for a microSD / HC / XC memory card up to 2TB. In addition, thanks to the support of the USB-OTG technology, it is easy to connect USB sticks to the device.

Two subscriber identification modules of the nanoSIM (4FF) format are connected to one radio module and operate in DSDS (Dual SIM Dual Standby) mode. In the set of 4G frequency bands, the necessary "three cards" are available - "triple" (B3, 1800 MHz), "seven" (B7, 2600 MHz) and "ace" (B20, 800 MHz). Among other wireless communications, we note the Wi-Fi module 802.11 a / b / g / n / (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), as well as Bluetooth 4.2 LE + EDR and NFC interfaces.

The NFC interface allows you to use the service Android Pay, and its support for the Mifare Classic technology makes it possible to find out the balances transport cards"Three" and "Arrow".

Satellite GPS systems and GLONASS are used for positioning and navigation. A-GPS mode (coordination over cellular and Wi-Fi networks) is also supported.

The graceful body of the smartphone made itself felt - capacity non-removable battery decreased to 3,000 mAh. Recall that this parameter is 3510 mAh. Thanks to TurboPower technology, the Moto Z2 Play's battery fills up in just 15 minutes so it can keep your smartphone running for 8 hours. Supplied with a 15-watt Charger, rated for a current of 3 A, with a "tightly" fixed cable. At the same time, an empty "tank" is filled in about half in 30 minutes. According to the manufacturer, a 100% charged battery will last for 30 hours of phone calls.

The AnTuTu Tester battery test program showed a very good result of 13,559 points. At the same time, every hour of continuous video playback (in MP4 format with hardware decoding in Full HD quality and at full brightness) reduced the battery charge by 7.5-8% (for 7 hours). This result, of course, is slightly worse than that of (6% per hour), but also impressive.

The power saving mode in the smartphone, as usual, is activated, either forcibly or automatically, when the battery level is 5% or 15%.

Moto Z2 Play review: software features

The Moto Z2 Play smartphone is running operating system Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with no frills on top of its interface.

With the help of a fingerprint scanner (after registering a fingerprint, of course), it is convenient to lock and unlock a smartphone.

The Moto app supports gestures and voice commands, and controls on-screen notifications using the Moto Display option. At the same time, activating the night mode adds warm tones to the image on the screen. Voice commands ("Moto Voice") like "Show the weather forecast" or "Show Chrome" were not very impressive, but I liked the navigation ("Moto Actions") using the fingerprint scanner pad.

So, the transition to the main screen is done with a quick touch of the capacitive pad, the "Back" button replaces the movement of your finger from right to left, and to see "Recent applications" you must, on the contrary, slide your finger from left to right.

Moto Z2 Play review: purchase, conclusions

Outwardly, it differs from its predecessor Moto Z2 Play in a thinner and lighter body. Moreover, even with a reduced battery capacity, this device managed to maintain a good autonomy. Its undoubted advantages also include the ability to connect replaceable Moto Mods, TurboPower fast charging, separate trays for two SIM cards and a memory card, and, in addition, a fresh version of Android OS (Nougat).

Having lost, in comparison with, in autonomy, updated smartphone, unfortunately, did not rise too much in terms of performance. Judging by the characteristics, Moto Z2 Play belongs to the middle class, which cannot be said about its price at the start of sales - 34,990 rubles. For that kind of money, you can find a worthy rival in Russian retail. For example, for the ZTE Axon 7 4GB / 64GB released a year ago with a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen, large retailers asked for the same amount (at the time of testing Moto Z2 Play), and the average price for Yandex.Market was 27 940 rubles. Although the body of the ZTE Axon 7 is not so elegant (7.9 mm thick), it has a more powerful processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820), a higher screen resolution (2560x1440 pixels), a larger battery (3 250 mAh), and the main camera ( 20 MP, f / 1.8) with optical stabilization.

However, to the ZTE Axon 7, as, indeed, to other competitors Moto Z2 Play, plug-in modules are not connected. But it is precisely such accessories that allow you to quickly customize your smartphone for accentuated in this moment user needs - autonomy, music, photos, games, etc. So in promoting Moto Z2 Play on the market, a lot, perhaps, will depend not only on the price of replaceable modules, but also on their wide availability.

The results of the review of the smartphone Moto Z2 Play

Pros:

• Slim and lightweight design
• Connecting Moto Mods
• Decent autonomy
• TurboPower fast charging
• Separate trays for two SIM cards and memory card
• Fresh version of Android OS (Nougat) and Moto software

Minuses:

• Average productivity
• Autonomy is worse than its predecessor
• High price at the start of sales

Not so long ago, Lenovo acquired the rights to use the Motorola brand. At one time, these phones were very popular, surprising users with excellent innovative designs and features. The new smartphone released under this brand, which was named Moto Z2 Play, was no exception. The device is equipped powerful processor, a large amount of memory and the ability to use special modules that will expand the functionality of the smartphone. This combination of characteristics undoubtedly arouses the interest of many users, so we will devote today's review to a modular smartphone from Motorola.

Moto Z2 Play appearance and packaging

Like most modern smartphones, Moto Z2 Play comes in a cardboard box and comes standard with:

• the phone itself;
• charger with fast charging function;
• wired stereo headset;
• clip;
• additional panel;
• technical documentation.

Most manufacturers of modern smartphones do not deviate from typical manufacturing patterns, and each subsequent model is manufactured according to a general scheme. The use of an unusual case carries certain risks, so manufacturers are striving to standardize the design of their devices. This model was no exception, although it received a number of certain chips.

The front panel is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass, which is designed to preserve the screen and protect it from numerous mechanical damages. At the bottom is a mechanical control button similar to those used by Samsung. One of the features of this button is that it combines the function of a fingerprint scanner. The sensor works quickly enough, however, if fingers are dirty or wet, then there may be problems with their recognition. In addition, a long press on the button locks the phone screen, which also makes it easier to work with the smartphone. Above is the 5-megapixel front camera lens, earpiece, flash and sensor, thanks to which the screen backlight turns on automatically when a hand approaches.

The rear panel houses the main camera lens. Unlike most modern devices, a smartphone Motorola moto Z2 Play received a huge round module that protrudes from the body for a considerable distance. The solution is rather non-standard, considering the fact that it creates certain inconveniences when using it, clinging to pockets or clothes. You can fix this flaw using an additional panel. Also at the bottom there is a contact panel, which is used to connect additional modules. We will stop at this point in our review later.

At the top, the manufacturer has placed a compartment for 2 sim cards and a memory card. At the bottom there is a USB-C 3.1 connector for connecting a power cable and a standard headphone jack.

The main feature of the Moto Z2 Play smartphone is its thickness. It is, as we said, only 5.99 millimeters. The previous model was also quite thin, but this time the smartphone exceeded all expectations. As for other parameters: length - 156.2, width - 76.2. The weight of the smartphone is only 145 grams, which is achieved through the combined use of metal and plastic. The smartphone comes in two colors: moon gray and gold. The colors are quite restrained.

Moto Z2 Play display

• excellent color reproduction and support for up to 16 million colors;
• good pixel density (401 ppi), which provides excellent picture quality;
• decent viewing angles;
• high energy efficiency.

Among the interesting features of the screen is the presence of the function "Moto display". It allows the user to view notifications and time without activating the backlight. The use of this technology increases the battery life of the device.

Moto Z2 Play specifications

Motorola Mobile Computing is responsible for the speed of data processing in the device. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor has 8 active cores with a frequency of up to 2.2 GHz. This chipset can hardly be called powerful and fast, since it is only a slightly overclocked version of the 625. However, in combination with a large amount of RAM, the Moto Z2 Play smartphone shows good performance and multitasking. The graphics information is processed by the Adreno 506 accelerator. On the whole, it is a weak representative of its class. You should not expect outstanding performance from him.

The device has been tested on the following games:

• Doodle Jump;
• Lara Croft;
• Godfire: Rise of Prometheus;
• World of Tanks Blitz.

The operating system is Android version 7.1.1 without any third-party shell. The system is completely cleared of any third-party interventions, thereby providing the user with the opportunity to either enjoy the clean version, or independently change it at will. The menu has the ability to customize voice commands to control a smartphone, but by tradition there is no support for the Russian language.

In general, the operating system works very quickly, without brakes and lags, there are flexible options for customizing and adjusting to your own needs. To summarize, in terms of performance, the Moto Z2 Play has good specs.

Moto Z2 Play multimedia experience

The manufacturer did not focus on the camera. There are two of them:

• 12 megapixel main;
• 5 megapixel front.

Moto Z2 Play: overview of wireless interfaces

• Wi-Fi 802.11 (2.4 / 5 GHz);
• Bluetooth 4.2 LE;
• A-GPS;
• GLONASS.

Moto Z2 Play smartphone offline

However, it should be noted that a small battery shows excellent battery life:

• 6 hours of screen operation;
• 14 hours of video at full brightness with maximum resolution;
• 12 hours of work with games.

Moto Z2 Play Modules

1. Hasselblad True Zoom. This module is simply irreplaceable for those who like to use a smartphone as a camera. This photomodule allows you to turn your phone into a real camera with a 10x zoom. Responsible for the development is a company that specializes in the production of photographic equipment. Hasselblad True Zoom is additionally equipped with xenon flash and optical zoom. Its dimensions are 152.3x72.9x9-15.1 mm, and its weight is 145 grams. When using it, the device becomes almost 3 times thicker. Activation takes place in a few seconds. The module has a traditional arrangement of buttons for cameras. Filming takes place through a standard application. The main advantage of the add-on is the presence of zoom and optical stabilization. Thanks to its use, the final photos are obtained on a solid 5-ku. Of course, it cannot be compared with SLR cameras, but the functionality of the base camera increases significantly. One of the disadvantages is the lack of its own battery. It should be noted that 100 shots consume approximately 30 percent of the total battery charge of the Moto Z2 Play smartphone. Not such a bad indicator.
2. Insta-Share Projector. This module turns a smartphone into a full-fledged projector that can project an image onto a screen up to 70 inches. Its dimensions are 153x74x11 mm, and its weight is 125 grams. The possibilities are quite enough for home use. In a dark room, the brightness of the screen (nominal 50 lumens) is enough with a margin and you can comfortably watch movies and videos. Contrast - 400 to 1. The lamp is designed for 10 thousand hours. The module has its own 1100 mAh battery, which is enough to continuously project video for 1 hour. Installation of additional applications is not required. Install Insta-Share Projector, place it in front of the screen, focus and enjoy the picture that appears. The add-on will automatically adjust the image.
3. JBL Soundboost 2. It is a portable speaker for the Moto Z2 Play smartphone. The volume reserve of standard speakers is clearly not enough, therefore, for those who like to listen to music on the street, outdoors or in an apartment with friends, this module is a must. Its volume can be up to 80 dB. Frequency range from 200 Hz to 20 kHz. There is a built-in 1000 mAh battery, which is enough for 10 hours of continuous operation. The quality of the music is sufficient, however, wheezing is still heard at maximum volume. The total power of the speakers is 6 watts. The dimensions of the JBL Soundboost 2 are 152x73x14.5 mm, and the weight is 135 grams. There is splash protection.
4. Moto Turbo Power Pack. External battery at 3000 mAh. The module itself has acceptable dimensions and, unlike portable speaker, does not make the smartphone bulky. But it will allow you to double the battery life. The only downside is the need to disconnect the module for charging. It is not possible to charge the main and additional batteries at the same time. There is support for the fast charging function.

Moto Z2 Play: price, pros and cons

Of the bright minuses, one can single out:

• average performance by modern standards;
• sufficient weak standard cameras;
• a battery with a small capacity.

The recommended price for Moto Z2 Play in Russia is 35,000 rubles. Far from the most a budget option, because among the Chinese counterparts, you can find devices with better quality hardware. Whether the modular functionality of a smartphone is worth the money is up to you. Although the Moto Z2 Play had a release date in Russia back in June. Until now, most of the modules are not on sale, which is also not very encouraging. If necessary, they can be ordered from foreign online stores. More information about the device in the video below:

Motorola has begun updating the Moto Z line of smartphones with the younger model Moto Z2 Play in an all-metal body. Along with the gadget, the company announced new modular accessories Moto Mods, which are attached to the back panel and are compatible with all representatives of the Z-series.

Refined style

As expected, the Moto Z2 Play features a vibrant 5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display. In the dark, the panel changes to softer tones thanks to the Night Display function. The heart of the smartphone has become an eight-core Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 626. It differs from the SoC Snapdragon 625 in last year's increased model clock frequency 2.2 GHz. The amount of RAM has increased to 4 GB, built-in - 64 GB expandable with microSD cards. A 3/32 GB modification will also be available in some countries. The rear 12-megapixel f / 1.7 aperture and dual-color LED flash features improved laser autofocus with a range of up to 5 meters, which has tripled its sensitivity when shooting in low light conditions. The 5-megapixel front camera also has its own flash.

The Moto Z2 Play is almost 6 mm thick and has a 3,000 mAh battery. The manufacturer promises up to 30 hours of operation, with only 15 minutes of recharging after USB port Type-C provide up to 8 hours of smartphone operation. This is an excellent result for a slim device, although in terms of autonomy, the new product is inferior to its predecessor. The operating system is "pure" Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Motorola branded chips. The model is available in silver and gold colors. There is a 3.5mm audio jack, and a button with a fingerprint reader under the screen can replace the on-screen buttons.

New Moto Mods

Motorola has officially unveiled the Moto GamePad, which is back at MWC 2017 in Barcelona. The accessory turns your smartphone into a handheld game console. For control, there are two analog sticks, a D-Pad, four buttons and a pair of triggers, and an additional 1035 mAh battery allows you to arrange long gaming sessions.

The updated JBL SoundBoost 2 modular speaker is now splash-proof and available in red, blue and black. The built-in battery provides up to 10 hours of music listening time. The Moto TurboPower Pack module with 3490 mAh battery will provide an additional 50% charge within 20 minutes after connecting to the device. Replaceable panels Moto Style Shell's new generation features up to 10W wireless charging and are available in a variety of designs.

The price of the issue

In the US, the Moto Z2 Play will cost $ 500 for the top 4/64 GB version. Additional Moto Style Shells will cost $ 40 apiece, while the battery module, speaker and gamepad have a $ 80 price tag. Smartphone sales will start in the summer, we will have it in August. Among the competitors of the novelty are numerous Chinese flagships, such as the OnePlus 3T (which breathes in the back), but only Motorola produces smartphones with modular accessories.

Motorola unveils second generation Moto Z Play and new Moto Mods

Since the launch in 2016 of the Moto Z TM line with Moto Mods TM, millions of users have opened up smartphone possibilities that they could not even dream of. From a projector module that allows you to broadcast video with a diagonal of up to 70 inches on any vertical surface to a module that transforms your phone into a camera with 10x optical zoom. All this is a Moto Mods platform with unparalleled innovation. The ecosystem of modules continues to expand the line. The next generation of products will allow you to go even further in transforming the capabilities of the smartphone.

Moto Z 2 Play: thinner, lighter, faster

On June 1, 2017 Motorola Mobility presented the next generation of the Moto Z 2 Play smartphone. It is lighter and thinner, but even more powerful. The smartphone received an all-metal durable body and a 5.5 "Full HD Super AMOLED display, which guarantees extraordinary brightness of the picture, no matter which side you look at. The battery capacity provides up to 30 hours of operation without recharging, and the 8-core processor with a frequency 2.2GHz is blazing fast, plus up to eight hours of flash recharge in just 15 minutes additional work Moto Z 2 Play.

Improvements have also been made to the camera - the laser autofocus of the second generation smartphone has a range of up to 5 meters, and now, in low light conditions, focusing on objects has become three times more sensitive. High-quality selfies are provided by a 5-megapixel front camera with flash and dual color correction.

The Moto Z 2 Play continues the tradition of Moto features. The Night Display function automatically switches the display settings to softer tones at night. Another innovation - Moto Voice, allows you to instantly unlock your phone, get information from the calendar, find out about the weather or automatically launch the application. It is also possible to turn the updated fingerprint scanner into a navigation button: in the smartphone settings, you can disable the on-screen buttons and use only the touchscreen for control.

Moto Z 2 Play runs pure Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS with Google Assistant. The smartphone is available in Lunar Gray and Fine Gold colors. The approximate start date for sales in Ukraine is August 2017.

Moto Mods: Smartphone Super Features

Moto Mods were created to bring features that are not available in other smartphones. Motorola Mobility today unveiled new modules for Z-series smartphones. Most anticipated of these, the Moto GamePad turns the Moto Z into a full-fledged gaming console. Dual control sticks, D-Pad and four navigation buttons for real gamers. An additional battery built into the module has a capacity of 1035 mAh and will allow you not to be interrupted at the most crucial moment of the game.

The updated JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker module can continuously play music in flawless quality for 10 hours and is compatible with the new JBL EQ app. The module is now splash-proof and has three color options - red, blue and black.

One of the most popular modules, despite the capacious built-in batteries of Moto Z-series smartphones, is the additional battery. Moto TurboPower Pack instantly extends battery life at maximum power. In 20 minutes after connecting the module to a smartphone, the user receives an additional 50% charge.

Finally, Moto Style Shell. Now they with wireless charging up to 10 W solves the problem of forgotten wires once and for all. The module is ultra-thin and available in a variety of designs.

Moto Z2 Play review - one of the most innovative smartphones of the past few years. In this article I will tell you why you should pay attention to this unusually beautiful and technological device.

The review is written based on the use of Moto Z2 Play 4/64 GB.

Moto Z2 Play specifications

• Screen: 5.5 inches, Super AMOLED, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 401 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, 8x Cortex A53 up to 2.2 GHz, graphics processor Adreno 506
• Front camera: 5 MP (Omnivision OV5695) f / 2.2, LED flash
• Main camera: 12 MP (Sony IMX362), f / 1.7, phase detection autofocus
• RAM and permanent memory: 3/32 GB of memory or 4/64 GB of memory, memory cards up to 256 GB
• Battery: 3000 mAh, mixed mode up to 40 hours, fast charging
• Ports: USB Type C, 3.5mm audio jack
• Wireless interfaces: Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n, NFC, GPS / GLONASS
• Communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz || LTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41, 66
• Dimensions - 156.2x76.2x6 mm, weight - 145 grams
• Operating system: Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, promise Android 8.0 Oreo
• Features: Moto Mods

Design

The appearance of Moto Z2 Play, from the front side, strongly resembles Chinese famous brands, on the other hand, it is the most unusual smartphone due to the design of the antennas, as well as thanks to the replaceable back panels.

The Moto Z2 Play is similar to its predecessor, but its body is a whole millimeter thinner and about 30 grams lighter.

Taking another look at the Moto, I want to especially highlight its rear panel. In the middle there is the famous Motorola logo, a little higher is the protruding camera lens, and magnets for Moto Mods are installed at the bottom. Everything is balanced and looks decent.

The phone was painted a pleasant moon-gray color. This can be called a truly successful decision.

The front glass is Gorilla Glass 3. One of the most reliable solutions today, although not the most top-end. During my use of the smartphone, new scratches did not appear, and the oleophobic coating has not yet been erased, given that the phone has already been visited by many reviewers - this is a good indicator. It's not 2.5D glass, but trust me, the phone hasn't lost anything.

There are no unpleasant or depressing moments in the design, except for the volume and lock buttons. Why did the company's designers decide to make such microscopic buttons on such big phone- unclear. Because of this, you constantly confuse the volume and lock buttons.

Otherwise, everything is done as it should: there is both USB-C, and a headphone jack, even a flash was installed near the front camera. The touch button One Button Nav is located under the screen. Feels like it recognizes prints quickly.

The convenience of use

For the first time when I saw the phone live, I thought: how convenient will it be to use one touch button?

I looked at it with disbelief and for the first couple of days I used the on-screen ones, but then I turned on navigation by touch and my idea of ​​control changed again. It first happened with the iPhone X, and now it has happened with the Motorola Z2 Play.

It is very convenient to use swipes, at first you need to get used to them, but after some time, the control becomes very comfortable: switching from applications, closing, acting back - the sensor works very quickly, without errors.

Like any aluminum smartphone except for the iPhone 7 Jet black, this phone fits perfectly in the hand. Moto is almost impossible to get dirty. Both front and back fingerprints are erased with a bang.

Also, the set comes with a replaceable black panel, it absorbs all scratches, various dirt and it is quite easy to clean.

Screen

Without exaggeration, I can say that the quality of the screen plays the most important role when choosing a smartphone. Moto Z2 play is equipped with a 5.5-inch Super Amoled display with FHD (1920 × 1080) resolution.

The Moto's matrix is ​​not the most advanced, it becomes obvious with use. At the corners, the color rendition goes to green and blue. Colors generally look unnatural. Why didn't they put the matrix at $ 10-20 more expensive remains a mystery to me.

In addition to incorrect color reproduction, pixels are striking, which can be seen if you bring the screen closer to your eyes. Yes, perhaps you need to look closely to see the "ladders", but why do the same Meizu not have such a problem, but here they are?

In the screen settings menu, unfortunately, you cannot adjust a warm or cold shade, we are given only two options to choose from: rich or natural color rendition, which resembles an RGB palette.

The stock of brightness is enough in the bright sun, in the dark, the eyes are comfortable, there is also night mode, but this has already become a standard feature for phones in 2018, except for Sony, which are still lazy to add such a mode to their flagships.

Camera

I don't want to talk about the Moto Z2 Play camera for a long time and admire anything. This is the most common mid-budget mobile camera, it cannot boast of any super capabilities. But, like any other camera, there is still something to say.

Installed here Sony sensor IMX368 with a maximum resolution of 12 megapixels, f / 1.7 aperture. Lenovo did not install a dual camera and I think this is more than the right decision. Even with one camera, you can achieve incredible quality pictures.

Daytime shots are at a decent level. The picture is moderately saturated and well detailed, even small objects can be discerned.

In low light, detail and contrast drops sharply, but thanks to the high light sensitivity, the pictures are good. While there is of course a lot of noise, using the Moto Z2 Play's camera for artistic photography at night will be difficult.

There is an HDR feature that I advise everyone to turn on to achieve a wider dynamic range. There is also a laser autofocus, aiming at the subject is fast.

The front camera received a 5 megapixel module from Omnivision with a sensitivity of f / 2.2. HDR mode and soft skin effect are also supported. Daytime shots are good, perfect for Instagram.

Software

At the time of this writing, the Moto Z2 Play has firmware installed on Android base 7.1.1 Nougat and the February 2018 security patch. The beta test has already started, but Final version is still unavailable, and it is not clear when Russian Moto users will expect it.

But even so, there is something to say about the firmware. It is slightly different from stock Android, although it does not have its own shell like MIUI or Flyme. Of course, I believe that it was the right decision not to reinvent the wheel and create your own shell, but only to add your own software chips to bare Android.

Here are two of them that deserve attention:

Moto actions.

This feature allows you to choose between on-screen button and touch button gestures. As I wrote above, swipes are much more convenient than onscreen buttons.

You can also choose to turn on the flashlight with a sharp "hack" motion of the phone and a circular motion of the wrist for quick access to the camera. A sharp swipe from the center of the screen can reduce the image area for easier one-handed use.

And the most important function is analog, the phone recognizes when your palm is close to the phone and the screen starts displaying the time, notifications and the percentage of the charge.

Is it a crooked analogue of Siri or Google now... In fact, I still do not understand why this function is here, if the phone has a built-in Google Assistant that performs the same actions, only many times better. If Lenovo hadn't done this, they wouldn't have lost much of it.

Moto Mods

What is it? Mods appeared in the first generation of the Z series of Moto smartphones. These are specially designed modules that use the magnet on the back of the Moto smartphone to connect, and allow for significant expansion functionality smartphone.

In addition to additional linings made of wood or any other material, you can buy a modular JBL column SoundBoost, a camera module from Hasselblad, an InstaShare projector, a modular Amazon Alexa speaker and all sorts of power banks, thanks to which the phone can work for an honest 4 days.

A JBL column and a Hasselblad camera were added to our editorial office. Lenovo also offered us a projector, but unfortunately I had nowhere to test it. Later, there will be separate reviews for both the JBL SoundBoost speaker and the Hasselblad camera.

Now I can say that these modules are an extremely successful solution, albeit an expensive pleasure. The column allows you to abandon a separate wireless system (if you are not too finicky in terms of sound), and the camera provides photo capabilities like a good soap dish.

Performance and runtime

Moto Z2 Play is powered by the Snapdragon 625 chipset, built on a 14nm process technology and includes 8 cores at a frequency of up to 2.2 GHz along with an Adreno 506 graphics accelerator

Even before the review, I thought that the phone would be weak, given the screen resolution, but all my fears were in vain. The smartphone is quite nimble and copes with all typical tasks with a bang.

RAM is also pleasing, applications linger in it for a long time and because of this, the transition between programs is fast. I would also like to note the built-in memory, which, although it does not reach the UHS-II standard, but applications are loaded quite quickly.

In benchmarks, the results are not impressive, but who needs these numbers? There are no problems in the games, at least in those that I played, and some serious tasks like editing photos or working with files will take place without any problems.

Working hours

Over time, my specimen is doing just fine. Even though the FHD screen is installed here, the phone lives up to the end of the day. I have Android constantly connected Wear watch, sometimes a wireless speaker, besides, I have LTE working almost all the time, and my phone is under constant load (social networks, instant messengers, browsing).

With not too intensive use, the Moto Z2 Play can last two days, and by purchasing a module with a battery, the battery life can be more than three days.