At the Lenovo Tech World keynote, the company's Motorola wing made an appearance to show off its new Moto Z and Moto Z Force smartphones. What is important about these two phones, however, is that they feature sixteen small pins in the back. These pins are part of the company’s new modular plan, called Moto Mods.
Moto Mods allow users to attach peripherals--modules, really--to the rear of the smartphone. This includes the InstaShare Projector, which turns your phone into a large projector; the JBL Soundboost attachment that turns the phone into a boombox; or a Power Pack for additional battery life.
There are also so-called “style shells” that allow you to change the design of the phone’s back, not unlike the Moto Maker that’s been around for some time.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Moto Z | Moto Z Force |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.5-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) AMOLED, Corning gorrila Glass | 5.5-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) AMOLED, Moto Shattershield |
| CPU | U.S.: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor (Quad-core, up to 2.2 GHz) Rest of the World: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor (Quad-core, up to 1.8 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor (Quad-core, up to 2.2 GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno 530 GPU | Adreno 530 GPU |
| Memory | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB or 64 GB, microSD card support up to 2TB | 32 GB or 64 GB, microSD card support up to 2TB |
| Camera | Rear: 13 MP (F1.8 aperture) with optical image stabilization, laser autofocus, zero shutter lag, color correlated temperature flash with dual LEDsFront: 5 MP wide field of view and extra flash | Rear: 21 MP (F1.8 aperture) with optical image stabilization, laser autofocus, phase detection autofocus, zero shutter lag, color correlated temperature flash with dual LEDsFront: 5 MP wide field of view and extra flash |
| Battery | 2600 mAh (up to 30 hours with mixed usage); U.S., Canada and Europe:TurboPower charging provides eight hours of power in 15 minutes of charging Rest of the World: TurboPower charging provides seven hours of power in 15 minutes of charging | 3500 mAh (up to 40 hours with mixed usage); TurboPower charging provides 15 hours of power in 15 minutes of charging; Charge the battery to 50 percent in less than 20 minutes |
| Dual SIM | Available in select countries | No |
| Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz with MIMO; Bluetooth 4.1 LE | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1 LE |
| I/O | Moto Mods connector, USB-C port for headphones, charging and data transfer; 3.5mm to USB-C port adapter included | Moto Mods connector, USB-C port for headphones, charging and data transfer; 3.5mm to USB-C port adapter included |
| Sound | Front-ported loud speaker, Four-Mic Array | Front-ported loud speaker, Four-Mic Array |
| Sensors | Fingerprint reader, Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Hall Effect, Magnetometer, Proximity | Fingerprint reader, Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Hall Effect, Magnetometer, Proximity |
| Colors | Black with Lunar Grey trim, Black front lens; Black with Rose Gold trim, Black front lens; Fine gold, White front lenses | Black with Lunar Grey trim, Black front lens; Black with Rose Gold trim, Black front lens; Fine gold, White front lenses |
| Availability | Summer (with Verizon), Fall (unlocked) | Summer (with Verizon), U.S. exclusive |
One major feature--or perhaps more accurately, feature omission--of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force is the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack. Lenovo said that it was removed to ensure that both devices were as thin as possible. However, there is a single USB Type-C port on the phone. You can use the included USB Type-C adapter (with a 3.5mm jack) to use your headphones.
Prices aren’t available yet for either device, but you can get the Moto Z as early as this summer, although it will be available from Verizon. The unlocked version will be available in the fall. The Moto Z Force is exclusive to Verizon customers in the U.S., and it will be available this summer, as well. The Moto Mods will launch at the same time as both phones.
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