Smartphone Motorola Moto Z4 - advantages and disadvantages

Thanks to insider information about almost every smartphone model, you can find out a detailed description of the appearance and technical characteristics even before the official presentation. Therefore, it is difficult to surprise anyone with the leaked data. But the Amazon marketplace was able to impress, and not only consumers, but also the company itself. The official release of the novelty, Motorola Moto Z4, was planned for mid-June, but an error occurred and the model was available for sale on May 28th. The error was eliminated on the same day by deleting the page, but there were consequences - one buyer still managed to order a phone, which he then received and made a video review. In a brief overview, you could find out about problems with autofocus and bugs in applications.

For obvious reasons, the presentation of the novelty had to be postponed, and already on May 30 there was an official release of the Motorola Moto Z4. In this article, we will figure out whether there really are lags in applications, and whether there are problems with the camera.Also, the review will orient by price, talk about the advantages, disadvantages and functionality of the smartphone.

About Moto Mods

Before reviewing the smartphone itself, attention should be paid to the main feature of the Z line - replaceable modules. The history of creating additional features with the help of the module began in 2007. Then the Israeli company Modu produced modular smartphones, as well as covers that could improve the phone. But these devices were not widely used, and as a result, the patent for this invention was bought by Google, which in turn announced the creation of a modular phone. The project that Google worked on together with the acquired company Motorola was called Ara.

The original idea was to create a smartphone with separate hardware modules in the form of a camera, processor, battery and display, which can always be replaced. The project also dealt with the creation of additional features for modular phones using additional modules. Google released Ara, but it turned out to be an ordinary “classic smartphone without hints of modules. The company was going to release in 2016 a new version of Ara, which could be modular, but this project was not completed either.

And finally, Motorola, already “under the wing” of Lenovo, was able to improve and partially implement the idea. The Motorola Moto Z line has appeared on the market, the smartphones of which can be improved with mods. Moto Mods are attached using magnets mounted on the back cover. To get started, no applications, additional settings, reboot or disassembly of the phone are needed, they work immediately after connection. You can charge Moto Mods either separately, via a USB Type-C connector, or directly by getting power from the smartphone itself, using a special connector.

Types of Moto Mods

The following modules are currently available for purchase:

• JBL SoundBoost 2, to turn your smartphone into a portable speaker with decent sound quality. The module has a built-in equalizer, splash protection and stand. The maximum operating time on a single charge is 10 hours.
• Hasselblad True Zoom provides the phone with 10x optical zoom.
• Moto InstaShare Projector is a portable projector.
• The Moto TurboPower Pack 3490 mAh is a 3490 mAh fast charging accessory battery.
• Moto GamePad MOD. A full-fledged portable game console is a great solution for fans of active games.
• Moto 360 MOD - 360-degree shooting, with the ability to live stream and save in formats for social networks.
• Moto Style Shell with wireless charging - the panel supports the wireless charging function.
• Motorola 5G Moto Mod supporting 5G network.
• Moto Style Shell - panels for transforming the phone. Various colors and textured materials are available.

It is worth noting that the modules are suitable for all Z-series smartphones.Therefore, you can safely change the phone to a new model, without the need to change modules.

Motorola Moto Z4 review

Table with the main characteristics of the smartphone

Equipment

Motorola Moto Z4 comes in a red box containing:

• smartphone;
• a paperclip to open the SIM card slot and memory card;
• User's Manual;
• warranty card;
• USB-A to USB-C cable, medium length;
• charger unit that supports fast charging function;
• module 360 ​​Moto Mod or 5G Moto Mod.

Design

Moto Z4 can be bought in gray and white.The appearance of the smartphone practically does not differ from its predecessor, this is due to the fact that in order to match the mods, it is necessary to adhere to the same proportions of each new model. The back panel is made of etched frosted glass protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Thanks to the matte texture, the panel does not leave fingerprints and smudges. At the top of the back cover there is a rather large and convex main camera module and a dual LED flash. Below is the company logo. The branded connector for connecting Moto Mods is installed at the bottom of the panel.

The volume rocker and power button are located on the right side of the smartphone. On the bottom is a USB-C port, a microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack that has returned at the request of consumers. On the top there is a light and proximity sensor, as well as a retractable slot for a SIM card and a memory card. On the front panel there is a teardrop-shaped cutout with a front camera, above it is a speaker.

Screen and unlock

Wrapped in an aluminum frame, the display has a diagonal of 6.4 inches and a resolution of 1080 x 2340. The matrix, represented by OLED technology, with 403 pixels per inch, shows a rich image, high contrast (1000000: 1), good sharpness and eliminates screen grain. The display occupies 84.8% of the usable area, which is equal to 100.5 cm2. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is used as protection against scratches and impacts. In addition, the device is covered with a special nano-coating that protects against splashing water and rain.

Please note that the P2i Nano Coating will not protect the device from water, but will only protect against possible rain or water splashes.

The device is unlocked using the built-in fingerprint sensor.Consumer feedback suggests that you should not expect a high reading speed of the registered print. There is also a face recognition function using the front camera. Recognition works without delay.

Camera and its features

The rear camera is represented by a single module with a resolution of 48 megapixels. The Sony IMX586 sensor has a small pixel size of 0.8 microns and an aperture of F/1.7. The camera shows high quality photos taken both at night and in the sun. The camera has the following features:

• Optical image stabilization for crisp images;
• Quad Bayer filter combining four pixels into one, with a side size of 1.6 microns, for better image quality in low light conditions;
• Dual tone LED flash;
• Night vision and auto snapshot mode;
• Laser autofocus.

The front camera has a resolution of 25 megapixels, f / 2.0 aperture and a pixel size of 0.9 microns. The camera supports portrait mode and Quad Bayer technology, and, like the main one, shows high image quality.

Device performance

The Motorola Moto Z4 is equipped with Qualcomm SDM675 Snapdragon 675, which surprised users a lot, since, for example, the previous model had Snapdragon 835. But despite the strange decision, Snapdragon 675 is a reliable chip that shows good performance.

The 11nm Snapdragon 675 is a gaming processor for mid-range devices, delivering high performance for mid-range gaming.Of course, when playing games with high requirements, the chip will slow down, but this is not scary, because the processor already positions itself as an average level. The chipset has 8 cores Kryo 460, where two cores operate at a frequency of 2 GHz, and six at a frequency of 1.7 GHz. The display is updated at a frequency of 120 Hz.

The Adreno 612 GPU works with cross-platform API, Open CL and OpenGL ES 3.2 API. The smartphone has 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. It is possible to increase the volume using a memory card. The maximum possible increase is 512 GB.

The Moto Z4 runs on a clean Android 9 Pie operating system with features such as Moto Actions, which allows you to use gestures to interact with your smartphone.

Scored in testing programs

Motorola Moto Z4 dials:

• 162,475 points in AnTuTu 3DBench;
• 2381 points in Geekbench 4 CPU (single-core);
• 6411 in 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme (multi-core);
• 1053 to Vulcan.

Sound

In the previous model, there was no headphone jack, which caused a number of discontent among users. Motorola listened and brought back the 3.5mm jack. The device supports the advanced aptX HD Bluetooth codec, which provides clear and high-quality sound in headphones. The Moto Z4 has only one speaker, which significantly reduces the sound quality, but this is not a problem, because you can use the built-in JBL SoundBoost 2 module for listening.

autonomy

The smartphone has a non-removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 3600 mAh. With an average workload, the charge will last for 2 days. Z4 supports the fast charging function, which provides a 15-watt charger.And for wireless charging, you can use the Moto Style Shell with wireless charging module.

Communications and connections

Motorola Moto Z4 supports technologies such as GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE, GPRS and EDGE. As well as the following communications:

• NFC and radio;
• GPS navigation with programs such as BDS, GLONASS, A-GPS and GALILEO;
• WiFi Direct and WiFi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, dual band;
• Bluetooth 5.0;
• Magnetic, reversible Type-C 1.0 and USB 3.0 connectors.

How much does a smartphone cost?

A smartphone with a 360 Moto Mod or 5G Moto Mod will cost $500. In the network, many criticize such a high cost of a smartphone with average indicators, pointing out that the maximum allowable price for such a device should be no more than $ 200. But keep in mind that when buying individual Moto Mods, you need to pay over $200 for each module, and Moto Z4 comes with one of them right away. Therefore, the price of this phone is quite acceptable. Of course, the question is why not sell a smartphone without a module in the kit, but this is rather done on purpose, to increase the sale of the modules themselves.

Advantages and disadvantages of Moto Z4 from Motorola

• The device is very convenient - it does not cause discomfort when used even with one hand;
• Back and front protection with tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3;
• Splash proof P2i;
• No fingerprints or smudges on the matte back surface;
• The presence of a headphone jack;
• Thin frames, lack of "chin" and "bangs";
• Fast and efficient processor, which is perfect for games;
• Excellent cameras showing high results;
• High level of contrast, saturation and clarity of the display;
• The smartphone works with all manufactured modules of the "Z" line.

• The main camera module has a pronounced bulge;
• Slow response of the fingerprint sensor.

Conclusion

Motorola Moto Z4 is a great solution for those who prefer a daring and unusual design, a good camera, high performance, long battery life and, of course, the ability to upgrade their smartphone using built-in modules.