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The £499 Moto Z and Moto Mod accessories come to the UK
This week may well be dominated by the launch of the new iPhone, but that doesn't mean Apple's smartphone rivals are holding things back. After a few months of US exclusivity, Lenovo has finally brought its super-customisable all-metal Moto Z to the UK. The 5.5-inch quad HD smartphone is now available on the Motorola store for £499, offering a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 2600mAh battery with TurboPower charging and a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. Oh, and it's ditched the headphone jack in favour of a USB-C connector.
Motorola's new Moto Z Play is cheaper, but not compromised
Well, that was fast. It's been just over a month since the Moto Z and Moto Z Force landed in the US and Motorola has already cooked up another phone to go with them. The new Moto Z Play is the last and least expensive member of the Moto Z Family, and you'll be able to nab one for yourself in the US starting on September 8. Sounds all well and good, but here's the big question: How does Motorola's modular vision scale down to more modest smartphones? Pretty well, actually.
Mini review video: Our quick verdict on the new Moto Z phones
For years, Motorola put out a flagship phone called the X, and for years it won positive reviews, thanks to its customizable design, clean software build and generally good value. This year, there's no X. Instead, we have two new Moto phones, the Z and Z Force. And it makes sense that Motorola chose a different naming scheme, because these are indeed very different devices from what the company has put out in years past. The design is no longer customizable, and with prices reaching $624 for the Z and $720 for the Z Force, they're not exactly what we'd call affordably priced either. Instead of being colorful and cheap, they have a modular design that allows you to snap in optional "Moto Mods" accessories, including a speaker, projector and battery pack. Another risk? Neither phone has a headphone jack. Oh, and they're exclusive to Verizon. While we're not too pleased about those last two caveats, the Moto Mods make the Z line the best modular phones we've seen yet. The Z in particular is exceptionally thin and charges quickly, while the slightly chunkier Z Force adds longer battery life, a shatter-proof screen and a more robust 21-megapixel camera. For that reason, we gave the Z Force the higher score. But hey, if a thin phone floats your boat, you'll be happy with the Z too.
Moto Z and Z Force Droid review: The risks are mostly worth it
Ever since the original Moto X came out, I've been fascinated by Motorola. We saw one of the biggest, oldest brands in communications take a long, hard look at where it's been and chart a thoughtful path forward. Flash forward a few years (and a few Moto Xs) and wouldn't you know it? Motorola started to lose some of its voltage when it came to its flagship phones. Don't get me wrong, the Moto X Pure Edition was a fantastic device, but in hindsight it's not hard to see that it was more of the same. While we might still see a new Moto X this year, Motorola decided to try something different. We now have two different modular flagship smartphones, the superthin Moto Z Droid ($624) and the sturdier Moto Z Force Droid ($720). Some might bristle that both are exclusive to Verizon and aren't yet slated for an international launch (I sure did), but there's no two ways about it: These are still the most exciting Motorola phones in a long time.
Moto Z Droid Edition sends original images to Google Photos for free
Motorola is bundling the Verizon-exclusive edition of Moto Z with a feature shutterbugs would love: two years of free original-quality Google Photos storage. It wasn't mentioned on stage during Lenovo's event, but 9to5google has spotted the info on the upcoming handset's web page. Motorola's website only has the "Droid Edition's" details up, so it's not clear at this point whether the unlocked version will get the freebie, as well.
USB-C and Lightning headphones aren't great news for everyone
The 3.5mm port is dying -- at least when it comes to smartphones. If the persistent Lightning headphone rumor wasn't enough to persuade you, the fact that Motorola beat Apple to the punch should be. Motorola's new Moto Z and Moto Z Force don't have that familiar circular hole for your cans to plug into, and it now seems inevitable that almost every phone within a few years will forgo the port in favor of a single socket for both charging and using headphones. This is a change that few people actually want. It's driven entirely by the makers of our phones and their desire to ditch what they view as an unnecessary port.
The Moto Z vs. the competition: Much more than a gimmick
The biggest selling point of the new Moto Z and its fancier sibling the Moto Z Force might be the trio of "Mods" that let you boost the device's battery life, pump up the volume or even make the it into a handheld projector. But how does this new handset compare with the other big accessory-adorned handset on the market, the LG G5? And should you choose either phone over more straightforward flagships like the Galaxy S7 or iPhone 6s Plus? We've lined up the specs of the Moto Z against these formidable competitors to see what it brings to the table, no frills attached.
Snap-on 'MotoMods' make the Moto Z more interesting
Google isn't the only company working on modular smartphones. Following on the heels of the LG G5 and Google's "Project Ara" concept, Motorola today unveiled its new Moto Z flagship, which makes use of various modular accessories. These add-ons, collectively dubbed MotoMods, snap onto the handset using a quartet of magnets and draw their power/data through a 6Gbps multi-pin connection. There will be three Mods available at launch: a projector, "party speaker" and an external battery.
The Moto Z and Z Force are as controversial as they are ambitious
Oh, you thought Lenovo and its Project Tango device were going to hog the spotlight today? Not quite. Motorola just revealed its new flagship phones, the Moto Z and Moto Z Force, and we've already had a chance to spend a little time with them. Spoiler: There's a lot to love here, tinged with a few things that might drive you up a wall.
The Moto Z and Z Force are Motorola's new modular flagships
So long Moto X, hello Moto Z. For its next round of Android flagships, Motorola is going for a new brand, an ultra-thin design and support for "Mods" that expand their capabilities. And yes, the Moto Z is seriously thin at just 5.19 millimeters thick. How Motorola achieved will probably be controversial, though: the Moto Z and its slightly beefier sibling, the Moto Z Force, don't have headphone jacks. Instead, you'll have to plug in the included USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter to use headphones. But is any of this enough for Lenovo to finally have a hit phone? (Take a look at our hands-on impressions of both phones here.)
What to expect from Lenovo's Tech World event this week
Lenovo is pulling out all the stops this year. While it's no stranger to big launch events, this company is hosting a Tech World keynote on June 9th that promises a little bit of everything, including Motorola's latest flagship phones and the first commercially available device using Google's Project Tango mapping technology. But what exactly are we going to see? And are there any wild cards in store? We've rounded up the leaks and rumors to give you a good idea of what to expect when Lenovo and Moto take the stage in San Francisco this Thursday.
Lenovo's new Droids might be shiny and metallic
See those phones above? They might be three versions of the Droid Lenovo's launching in an upcoming event in June. Evan Blass (aka evleaks), well-known source of device leaks, has posted the photo on Twitter, and people seem to have anointed the black-and-bronze model as the Beyoncé of this trio. While the image only shows the Motorola and the Droid logos, the phone will likely have Verizon's branding somewhere, since the line's exclusive to the carrier.
