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Moto Z3 review: When novel ideas get old
2016's Moto Z and Z Force proved that a company could make sophisticated, truly modular smartphones. Need better battery life? Slap a new one onto the Z's back. Not loving the built-in camera? Go ahead and add one made by Hasselblad. The list goes on. Motorola's system of magnetically attached Mods was -- and remains -- an elegant way to make a phone better than it was out of the box.
Motorola's new Moto Z3 is a Verizon exclusive with 5G ambitions
We're not sure that Moto's Mods were the game-changers they were intended to be, but that hasn't stopped Motorola from making one more modular smartphone. The Lenovo subsidiary just unveiled the new Moto Z3 at its Chicago headquarters, and there are a few things worth noting right off the bat.
Motorola's smartphone Mods weren't the game-changers we hoped for
Two years ago, Lenovo-owned Motorola embarked on a grand plan to build modular smartphones that weren't cumbersome. It worked. Moto Mods are accessories that magnetically attach to the company's Moto Z smartphones, and they let people easily expand their phones' feature sets. And later this week, we're expecting Motorola to unveil what might be its most ambitious Mod yet: a 5G modem for high-speed data. (Never mind the fact that, as of this writing, there are no commercially accessible 5G networks in the US.) The brand's execs first started talking about the possibility of a 5G mod in late 2016, and the idea of adding next-generation wireless performance to an existing smartphone is as enticing as ever.
Despite layoffs, Motorola says Moto Z line is alive and well
There were rumors this week of a 50 percent reduction in Motorola's Chicago workforce and that the Moto Z line was finished. Given that we're still hearing about upcoming products for Moto Z phones like a VR headset Moto Mod, the news is confusing at the least. We reached out to parent company Lenovo, and a spokesperson confirmed that while there have been some layoffs, both rumors are incorrect.
Motorola's newest mod puts an Alexa speaker on your phone
Ever wanted to have an Amazon Echo speaker with you wherever you are, rather than relying on your phone's built-in voice assistant? Motorola is betting you do. As promised, it's releasing an Alexa-powered Moto Mod (the Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa, to be exact) that slaps an Echo-like device on the back of compatible phones like the Moto Z2 Force or Z Play. The key, as you might guess, is that it delivers that across-the-room voice control in a way your phone can't by itself.
Moto’s chunky gamepad arrives August 25th
Motorola has announced the release date and price of its gamepad Moto Mod. On sale August 25th, the attachment costs $80 and is only available through Verizon.
The Moto Z2 Force is a powerhouse that plays it safe
Motorola's press conference is over, and we're now gearing up to put the Moto Z2 Force through the review wringer. (For those wondering, yes, I'm going to run this thing over with a car again.) I've been playing with Motorola's new flagship for a few hours now and it seems like the company tried to combine the best things about last year's Z and Z Force into a single phone. It's a great idea in theory, but we'll have to see how well the plan works in practice. We're not ready to render a verdict yet, but for now, you can read on for our first impressions.
Upcoming Moto Mod could add a 360-degree camera to your phone
Motorola's Moto Z Mods have quite a bit of promise to turn your phone into pretty much anything, including a gamepad, a walkie-talkie, and even a mobile Alexa station. The company has been pushing these pretty hard lately, holding hackathons that produced some pretty innovative add-ons and promising at least 12 of these new peripherals each year. At a small event in Ghana, West Africa, Motorola showed off a few new Mods, including a 360-degree camera, two Marshall-branded audio Mods and a DirecTV Mod, which seems to come with a Chromecast-like HDMI stick to plug into your HDTV. The presentation also included a DSLR Mod, along with a rotatable, GoPro-style action cam Mod.
Motorola's Z2 Play sacrifices battery life for sleekness
Motorola's first Z-series smartphones were as impressive as they were divisive. Remember, the Z was insanely thin, the Z Force was nearly indestructible and both could be augmented with Moto Mods, but they were among the first devices to completely give up on the headphone jack. Then came the Moto Z Play, which felt like a more sensible spin on the Z formula: It wasn't quite as fast, but it was cheaper, still modular, and ushered in the return of that classic audio port. Is it any surprise that Motorola wanted to build a sequel?
Moto X returns in Motorola's leaked 2017 phone lineup
Motorola is going to have a very busy 2017, if you believe tipsters. Well-known leaker Evan Blass has obtained a presentation photo that purports to show the Lenovo brand's phone roadmap for the year, and there will be no less than nine devices by the time it's all said and done. Most notably, the Moto X (apparently called the Moto X4) is finally slated to return after a long absence. This image doesn't reveal much beyond the 5.2-inch "3D glass" display and a "SmartCam," but details gleaned from a video hint that it's an upper mid-range phone with the shiny new Snapdragon 660 processor, a hefty 3,800mAh battery, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of built-in storage and a fingerprint reader.
The Moto Z2 Play looks very familiar
You probably picked up the Moto Z Play for its long battery life, mid-range price and compatibility with Motrola's flagship modular backs. If you were worried that those components wouldn't work on the next version of the handset, don't -- leaked images of the Moto Z2 Play from TechnoBuffalo suggest that the device will be almost visually identical to the original. Well, there is one notable change: the Moto Z Play's square button has been replaced with a round one.
Future Moto Mods could offer sticky notes and improved audio
In its continuing bid to stay relevant in a competitive market, Motorola is trying to build up a community of hardware designers for the Moto Z's modular add-ons. Yesterday, the company brought together several winners of regional hackathons to a pitch event in Chicago, hoping to find the best of these innovative, indie creations. The judging panel -- which includes execs from Lenovo and Verizon -- selected two teams for up to $1 million in investment funding from Lenovo Capital, as well as eventual distribution by Verizon.
Motorola's Alexa mod is just the start of an important AI plan
Motorola might have lured people to its MWC press conference with the promise of new phones, but the real talking point came toward the end of the event. After hyping a pair of midrange devices and some fun Moto Mod concepts, the company confirmed that it's working with Amazon to bring Alexa to Moto phones. While the first steps of Motorola's Alexa partnership are now well-known, it's the stuff that Motorola later told Engadget about its plans that seems most exciting.
Moto Z Mod puts a walkie-talkie on your phone
Motorola has been encouraging enterprising hardware hackers to create Mods at contests around the globe for the Moto Z smartphone, though so far results have been somewhat limited. The latest Mod to make its way to an Indiegogo project is the Linc radio -- a nifty little walkie-talkie Mod that the creators say will let you stay in touch at a range of up to six miles without cell service.
Moto Z hackathons create more interesting Mods than Motorola
The modular Moto Z was the tool of choice at the latest Motorola hackathon in San Francisco this past weekend. Developers and entrepreneurs took on the task of hacking the mobile phone with a variety of other hardware to come up with innovative add-ons. While available mods are thought of as too high-priced and non-essential, competitions like these show off some intriguing potential.
Moto Z Play review: Buy it for the battery life
You should've seen this one coming. Of course Motorola wasn't going to just release two versions of the Moto Z and call it a year. While the first two -- the Moto Z and Moto Z Force -- had to bear the weight of flagship expectations and justify the lack of a headphone jack, the Moto Z Play merely had to be inexpensive and not terrible. Well, mission accomplished ... mostly. At $449, the Z Play isn't the cheapest mid-range phone out there, but it clears the "not terrible" bar with more room than I imagined. All right, all right, there's no point in being coy. The Moto Z Play is actually pretty great.
12 tech gifts for the geekiest people in your life
There's one in every family: The uber geek who pretty much has it all when it comes to tech basics. They don't need a laptop or a fancy TV. But don't worry, there's always some gap in their collection of gadgets that you can easily fill. And remember, the more niche the product, the better gift it is for these folks. You could get them started on building out their smart home with a lock like August or Kevo. Or maybe they need a central hub to control their sprawling network of connected goods from, like an Amazon Echo Dot. If the nerd in your life is too young for a smart home, you can always pick them up a high-tech take on the paper airplane or a box of tinker toys like LittleBits, to get them start on their journey to become the next great inventor. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Motorola is thirsty for new Moto Mods
Motorola's dream of a slick, modular smartphone is struggling to take off. The base handset is perfectly capable, but the ecosystem of Moto Mods is still pretty sparse. After its launch accessories, we've seen a Hasselblad attachment and little else. To solve the problem, Motorola is teaming up with Verizon and Indiegogo for a new developer competition. The challenge is simple: Create the best Moto Mod out there. If the Moto team likes your work, you'll be invited to a hackathon and encouraged to set up a crowdfunding campaign. Finalists will pitch at Motorola's headquarters in Chicago for "a shot at funding" and distribution in Verizon stores.
Lenovo's Moto M reportedly features a nice metallic unibody
We don't have an official release date for Lenovo's next Moto handset just yet, but we do have a leaked set of specs that hint at what's to come. According to some grainy renders that made the rounds earlier this week, the Moto M aka "Kung-Fu" will be the first Motorola smartphone to feature a rear-facing fingerprint sensor and its unibody frame puts it solidly in the mid-tier of current generation handsets. Its 5.5-inch 1080p display should also serve well in the Asian markets.
The Pixel XL vs. the competition: The bigger flagships face off
Once more, Google is giving us two flagship phone sizes to choose from. But this time, the company's releasing them under its own brand, Pixel. There are great features like Google Assistant and a new camera to check out, but how does the new XL's hardware compare to its competition? We've sized up the specs of the larger Pixel versus premiere handsets like the iPhone 7 Plus, Moto Z and even the recalled Galaxy Note 7 (we hope you've exchanged yours by now) for a better look.
