Motorola Moto Z2 Play Overview

Introduction

Modular Smartphones represent at least an intriguing concept. Since different smartphones are not similar to each other and possess different sizes, it makes sense to give users to choose which components are more important for them. Selling these components separately, the developers give customers the opportunity to save on the purchase of a new smartphone every time you want to change.

Attractive idea is one thing, but the realization in life is already different. Even the giants such as Google, could not cope with the embodiment of the idea of ​​modular smartphones into life.

Last year belonging to the Chinese company Lenovo Motorola made it impossible and released not just a modular smartphone, but a whole range of modular devices and modules themselves for them called Moto Mods. It was promised that this would not be a one-time action and this year a promise was kept, because a new smartphone and new modules appeared.

Can these devices be able to convince skeptics? Or the quality of the devices for this is not high enough? Let's try to understand this in the Moto Z2 Play smartphone over and three modules for it.

Supplies

• Smartphone Moto Z2 Play;
• Adapter Motorola TURBO CHARGE;
• Cable USB-C > USB-A;
• SIM card extraction tool;
• security booklet;
• User Guide.

design

Support Moto Mods modules may not be Only a plus, but also a minus. On the one hand, users can expand the functionality of the smartphone by an improved camera, an additional battery or a digital projector. On the other hand, the smartphone must be a definite size and shape so that the modules come to it. Developers can experiment with a thickness of the case, but other aspects of design, such as an absolutely flat rear surface and the protrusion of the camera in the center, should remain unchanged.

As a result, Moto Z2 Play looks and felt as a previous model, although there are differences from the original Moto Z Play apparatus. The smartphone has become thinner, without modules thickness is 5.99 mm against 6.99 mm in the first generation. As a result, the battery has decreased.

Front is the screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, under it The fingerprint scanner, above it the front camera and a rare double flash. The hybrid SIM card compartment also supports MICROSD and is located on top. The right is the power button and the volume control. Below is a USB type connector and a connector for analog headphones, which in many Moto Z smartphones is missing.

Behind is a camera that externally looks like cameras of previous models, but inside there are changes. At the bottom of the rear is the Moto Mods interface.

Smartphone is thin and light, weight is 145. It is worth only to attach the modules and this ease goes.

The first loading of Moto Z2 Play produces a good impression due to the Motorola contrasting logo. The smartphone attracts attention and emphasizes the dignity of the screen AMOLED.

Permissions 1080 x 1920 With this size, it will be enough, however, with default settings, the device does not show all available pixels, text and other elements are displayed larger than you need. Fortunately, it is easy to fix.

Although at first the screen impresses saturation and brightness of colors, the joy lasts long. By default, the ViBrant color rendition mode is set, but even in standard mode, the realistic colors did not seem. Purple color is particularly inaccurately transmitted, as a result of which the smartphone displays a bluish tint.

Disappointment continues when it comes to the brightness of the screen, which can reach a little more than 400 yarns. This is significantly less than most modern smartphones and much less than that of a more affordable Moto G5 Plus with a brightness of 600 NIT.

In general, the screen offers high detail and saturated colors, but has shortcomings in key aspects. At such a price, you expect more from smartphone screens.

interface and functionality

Motorola software envelope is one of the easiest versions of Android and Always offers various options for settings. There are no big and attracting the attention of functions, instead of this change is not so noticeable. For example, the screen switch screen allows you to block the machine in portrait mode, but Motorola has added the ability to lock in landscape mode. Although this is a trifle, an additional choice will never hurt.

Much attention is paid to the support of gestures, you can quickly launch the camera or flashlight. The smartphone knows how to determine when you pull it, it turns on and shows Moto Display notifications even without having to touch the screen.

Returning gestures on the fingerprint scanner for navigation, which are in Moto G5 Plus. No one forces them to use them, but someone such a variant of working with the interface will seem more convenient if you get used to it.

As always when using Moto MODS modules, the smartphone offers useful manuals when they are first connected to the machine.

Processor and Memory

for some time Processor Snapdragon 625 was the best choice to ensure sufficient performance with a small energy consumption, which allows smartphones to work for a long time. This processor was used in the first Moto Z Play, but now Motorola moved to more modern Snapdragon 626.

Almost all parameters are the same processor, only about 10% faster. As a result, the new smartphone does not look markedly faster compared to the previous one. There are other reasons for buying a new model, but upsets that the speed of work is not one of these reasons. The device is not faster than Moto G5 Plus compared to Moto G5, it is more expensive.

This puts it in a difficult position in the market: medium components are used here, but the price is high. Purchase additional modules makes it even higher, as a result, there may be questions, whether to buy a full flagship without any modules?

This review considered the version of the smartphone with the volume of RAM 3 GB, there are also options with 4 GB. No problems when working with a multitude of applications were simultaneously observed.

Communication

The interface USB-C is used for wired connection. Many smartphones apply a slower USB 2.0 protocol with it, but in this case a full USB 3.1 is used. The main connector is designed to install additional modules.

chambers

The smartphone has a basic chamber with a resolution of 12 megapixel and luminosity F / 1.7, as well as laser autofocus Dual Pixel. Apart from laser guidance, this is the same camera as in Moto G5 Plus. In general, the camera is not bad, but there are several problems with it.

Quality of photographs

The results of the shooting resemble photos from Moto G5 Plus. Quality is usually good, but about one of ten photos, problems with exposure or other malfunctions can be observed, because of which they have to be deleted. Quality with weak lighting leaves much to be desired, despite advanced autofocus, problems also occur with it periodically.

The main advantages of this camera are not the lenses or the sensor itself, but the Motorola software. The Auto HDR mode works very well, it optimizes the exposure for each scene, and the presence of special gestures allows you to quickly launch the camera even without a hardware button for this.

There is a 5MP front camera with dual LED flash. Some apps like Snapchat are having trouble using this flash, but it still doesn't hurt.

Movie recording

Video quality is mixed. There are many options for settings, 4K, HDR, stabilization, although you can’t use all of them at the same time. They provide enough variety and you can find something to your liking. HDR video is especially good.

As with the Moto G5 Plus, high compression artifacts are observed, which reduces image quality. These artifacts are especially noticeable at 1080p at 60 frames per second.

Multimedia

The disadvantages of the screen have already been mentioned above. Its advantages in the form of bright saturated colors make it comfortable to watch videos. However, video still needs high-quality sound, and there are problems here. The smartphone has a front speaker, which is also an auricle, it does not help the speaker at the bottom, like on many other smartphones.

The sound is quite loud, but it lacks bass and comes out with a tinny tone, which can be corrected by connecting a JBL SoundBoost speaker. You can also improve the sound when you connect headphones.

Call quality

The pinna is used as the only speaker, the developers should have paid more attention to it. Indeed, the sound quality during a telephone conversation is at a high level. You hear your interlocutors well and the interlocutors hear you well.

autonomous work

The original smartphone Moto Z Play possessed the amazing duration of work and developers remained Just do not spoil anything. However, the smartphone has become thinner and the battery is reduced to 3000 mAh. With the almost as the same processor, this means that the time of work has decreased.

If it was 14 hours earlier, then it fell to 9 and a half. This is still a good result, although some users would prefer the smartphone to stay thicker, but the battery 3510 mAh was used.

Another minus of the smartphone is the recharging time above average. She leaves for more than two hours, while in recent times you can find smartphones with the recharging time at one and a half hours.

Modules Moto MODS

, together with a smartphone, three new accessories are presented. The first of these is the cover of Wireless Charging Style Shell. Last year, there were already similar covers, only without wireless recharging. It would be better if the recharging was built into the smartphone itself, but the developers decided that it deserves extra charge.

The case looks good and works, although it will require a 10-W compatible QI standard adapter. The cover has an attractive embossed surface, but it is quickly wearing around the edges. The case will start selling at the end of July at a price of about $ 40.

The battery capacity of the smartphone doubles the Moto Turbo PowerPack module, where there is a battery 3490 mAh. This module has a rubberized coating that collects dust and dirt on itself. The module can be charged directly through the USB type connector from the side, the back button allows you to quickly check the charge level using four LEDs.

The software of this module provides a high level of customization. You can choose a turbo when the energy is given to the smartphone as quickly as possible, or more energy efficient mode when the level of charge of the smartphone is held by 80%.

This module is thicker than the wireless recharging module and significantly increases the weight of the smartphone, but the form makes it more convenient than additional third-party batteries. Sales will begin at the end of July at a price of $ 80.

Finally, there are dynamics of JBL SoundBoost 2, which overlook the first generation from last year's summer. The location of the elements remains the same: the pair of stereo speakers are separated by the stand. This stand enhances the convenience of viewing the video and makes the module attractive compared to the external speakers Bluetooth.

The sound quality is at a good level, the appearance is also attractive, the module is protected from water. Attaching the smartphone makes the device to thick, so we can carry it with you in this form, it is unlikely to want. The speaker contains its own battery, which is charging separately from the smartphone and provides about 10 hours of playback.

Sales of this module will begin on July 10 for $ 80.

Conclusion

Moto Z2 Play is an important smartphone, because it continues to promote the concept modular devices. The project has already existed longer than many assumed, many large manufacturers like LG and Google could not stand so much.

This smartphone has many advantages. It has good performance for this price category, high battery life, an acceptable price. However, some steps ago were made. Among them can be called a bright screen and a weak speaker. It does not look a full-fledged successor of the original Moto Z Play. It did not noticeably better and it seems not a continuation, but a branch.

If you look at the other Motorola smartphones, you need to be a comparison with Moto G5 Plus. It has a similar productivity and is almost twice as cheaper. Buyers have to decide whether they need the possibility of installing modules, due to which the smartphone costs $ 150 more expensive plus price of the modules themselves.

If you like the idea of ​​modular devices, Thin smartphones, saturated screen colors instead of high brightness, Moto Z2 Play will not disappoint. This high-quality apparatus and its modules help eliminate some of its disadvantages. However, there is a lot of place for improvements, so I want to hope for the appearance of the next Moto Z smartphone, which will be even better.

Pros

Minuses