Review of the Motorola Moto Z Play smartphone - advantages and disadvantages

Motorola Moto Z Play is a modern analogue of the MotoMaker program, an excellent solution that was previously inaccessible to consumers on the domestic market. The revived company Motorola shows significant results in the development of modular phones and the popularity of models of this brand is growing every year. In the article, you will learn about the characteristics of Motorola Moto Z Play and the capabilities of its modules.

Motorola

Motorola is a company with a significant history that began its work in 1928 with only 5 employees. The founders are the Galvin brothers. In 1930 Motorola was documented as a brand. In 1956 the company announced the first pager, and in the 1980s it sold the first cell phone.Motorola was acquired by Lenovo in 2018.

The first company to make a great version of a modular gadget is again Motorola.

Good development, such a large company as Google did not succeed, it froze its Project Ara, but it was quite promising. The main argument was the fact that for most people this modularity is completely useless and the phone is purchased for other basic purposes. Also, LG did not provide a decent modular gadget, Lenovo Moto is also not very praised by users. As a result, the best manufacturers did not cope with the introduction of modularity into the device. Next, you should figure out how high-quality the product was released by Motorola in the new alliance.

Main characteristics

Operating system and processor

Runs on Android 6.0 with applications from Google, thanks to which the device has a nice design and user-friendly interface. Of the outsiders - the application for the operation of modules and the Moto program, it is responsible for additional functions, for example, launching the camera by turning the wrist or turning on the flashlight with a sharp movement. If you put the device face down, it will turn on the do not disturb mode.

Hardware - reliable Qualcomm Snapdregon 625. Despite the low serial number of the model, the processor has certain advantages. A powerful octa-core chipset with Cortex-A53 cores, which have a clock frequency of 2 GHz, ensures fast operation with minimal smartphone drain. The Snapdregon 625 process technology is 14 nanometers, like the popular Snapdregon 820/821, but it is not as fast, but excellent autonomy covers this shortcoming. A good advantage - thanks to the Snapdregon 625 base, the case practically does not heat up during long games and the use of heavy programs. The Adreno 506 video accelerator works well at medium graphics settings and is optimal for games.

Memory

The Motorola Moto Z Play has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Not the coolest device in terms of these characteristics. The processor uses the LPDDR3 standard, which supports 933 MHz, in single-channel mode. The speed of the eMMC 5.1 drive is enough for quality work. There is a slot for a memory card up to 2048 GB.

Camera

The Qualcomm platform has two ISP cores for working with images, which implies good opportunities, Motorola Moto Z Play is not inferior to flagship devices in terms of photo quality.

In the new Moto, a shooting key and manual settings appeared in the camera. Rear camera with 16 MP optics, f/2.0 aperture, autofocus, dual LED flash. She takes beautiful pictures indoors and outdoors. Sample photo:

The camera provides a minimum level of noise and clarity of the picture, the sharpness of the image is not very noticeable. With night shooting, things are average, and if there are several objects of different brightness in the frame, then the focus cannot cope and the picture will turn out blurry. How to photograph at night:

Therefore, for viewing it is better to take several pictures at once. The front camera has a resolution of 5 MP, f / 2.2 aperture, flash and increased pixel size. She will shoot pretty average selfie photos. Flash and image quality are optimal, but not the highest quality possible.

Screen

Display: a good color AMOLED matrix with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and FullHD resolution is included in the rating of high-quality displays. It is covered with a protective glass Garilla Glass 3 with a good oleophobic coating and rounded edges, almost invisible. Thanks to the processor, the display refresh rate can reach 60 fps.

There are no problems with brightness and readability in the sun, you can choose one of two color rendering modes. One useful feature is Active display, which allows you to display important options, such as the time or notifications, on the gadget's turned off screen without pressing the activation key. This feature is triggered by swiping the top of your hand or picking up the device.

Communication and charging

Supports 2G, 3G and LTE (800/1800/2600). Navigation - GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS. Dual band Wi-fi, NFC, FM radio, fast charging support and dual sim tray. SIM cards work alternately. Built-in Moto Z Play 3510 mAh battery, thanks to the new 14nm hardware platform, the phone lasts longer than Moto X Play.

The type of charging connector is a modern USB Type-C. With a light load, you can count on 2 days of work and 8 hours of a burning screen. Charges in about 1.5 hours from a complete 15W hardware device. The processor includes Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology, which theoretically allows you to charge the phone up to 68 percent in 0.5 hours, a very convenient feature for active games.

Moto has only one speaker, but this does not affect the quality, it does a good job of sounding the call and multimedia functions. Headphone jack 3.5 mm. The device combines external and conversational speakers.

additional characteristics

Sensors

An accelerometer performs similar functions to a gyroscope, but they are not the same thing. It provides the function of auto-rotation, control of some types of games, recognizes gestures (knock on the body, shaking, the position of the device on the surface down with the screen), determines the user in space and displays it in programs such as Google maps, and also monitors the physical parameters of the user, is applied like a pedometer.

And also there are standard light sensors, proximity, a gyroscope, a magnetometer and a fingerprint scanner. Unlocking with a scanner works great without using additional buttons.

Equipment

The package includes the Moto Z Play itself, a charger, a back panel, a paper clip and headphones. Cord length is standard.

Design

Traditionally for Motorola, the mobile has large dimensions 156.4x76.4x6.99, weighs 165 grams, the body is made of aluminum alloy and glass, comfortable and pleasant to the touch. Aspect ratio of 16:9 is optimal. In the process of use, the smartphone has proven itself well, despite the variety of elements on the front panel, the protruding edges of the case and the camera. The sides are smoothed out, the optics do not stand out so much if you insert the complete cover into the back. The volume buttons are spaced apart and the same size.

Replaceable Moto Mods

The introduction of modularity is Motorola's attempt to differentiate its products from the competition.Previously, the company focused on changing the appearance, but now it has added an easy and convenient way to expand the hardware capabilities. All modules are attached with magnets on the back of the gadget.

Next, let's look at what new products the manufacturer has developed in the Motorola Moto Z Play model. After reviewing each additional device, you will no longer have a question how to choose one or another mod.

Camera module

The body of the Altek Hasselblad True Zoo camera module hides a mod with a resolution of 12 megapixels, a xenon flash and a lens with 10x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, which allows you to take macro shots from 5 to 1.5 cm. Aperture f / 3.5-6.5, two microphones, optical stabilization and electronic for video, it is possible to record in RAW. There is no built-in battery, there is a separate activation button, it weighs 145 grams, dimensions are 152.3x72.9x9.0 - 15.1 mm. Due to its compactness, it is practically not noticeable how the gadget takes pictures and is perceived in the hands of a person as a regular phone.

Video recording is carried out in FullHD (1920x1080) with 30 frames per second. There is a shoot and start button, a zoom control, autofocus illumination. Optical characteristics are comparable to ordinary digital apparatus. Advantage - Zoom and xenon flash, which provides uniform illumination of the subject being shot. However, the Altek Hasselblad module will not turn the device into a full-fledged and high-quality camera.

Acoustic system

The next device is the Moto JBL Soundboost speaker system. It makes a mini boom box out of the device thanks to a powerful and compact speaker. It is attached in the form of a thin panel on the back. It has two speakers, 27 mm in size and 3 W each, from 200 Hz to 20 kHz, with a volume of up to 80 dB.

The mod is also equipped with a 1000 mAh battery, which will allow the system to work 10 hours offline. A special stand will allow you to conveniently place your smartphone for better sound quality. In the room, the sound is perceived quite loudly. On the street it will fit only for the background. Weight - 147.3 grams, thickness - 13 mm. This is the largest module of all presented.

portable projector

There is also a module - a portable projector Moto InstaShare, for which a brightness of 500 lumens and a resolution of 854 × 480 pixels are declared, the projection diagonal can reach 70 inches, it works using DLP technology. With it, it becomes possible to display any image or video on the surface. The brightness and tilt of the output image can be changed to suit your needs.

It is also equipped with its own 1100 mAh battery and Type-C for charging. The projector is capable of working offline for about an hour; a special stand is attached to it. When the battery runs out, the module will work from the device. If you use Moto InstaShare in a dark room, the image is quite clear, comparable to the issued Lenovo Yoga tablet. The life of the lamps in the projector is 10,000 hours, if you use the gadget every day for about 2-3 hours, then the service life will be about 9-12 years. The only negative is that with the purchase of a projector, only a large picture is realized, the module does not affect the sound quality in any way.

battery cover

An optional Incipio offGRID Power Pack is available on the Moto Z Play. Battery capacity 2220 mAh, thickness from 6.2 mm, weight from 83.3 grams. Allows you to increase the operating time by 22 hours. Convenience is obvious - you do not need to carry a charger with you and depend on the presence of a nearby outlet.At any moment, the case thickens for a while and automatically continues to work in the usual mode, does not require connection to a USB module. In general, the period of work from using such a charger increases by about 2 times.

Decorative modules

There are 5 interchangeable Moto Mods covers: three wood grain plastic, nylon and leather. Their dimensions are 154x72x2, depending on the material used, the weight of the covers ranges from 25 to 32 grams. It is very convenient to change them, thanks to the magnets, the lid itself falls into place. We can say that the modules replace the need for the previously inaccessible MotoMaker service - the appearance and functionality can be selected depending on the preferences of the consumer. It is likely that Motorola releases new models according to this service.

Price

The average price of Moto Z Play in stores is about 28,000 rubles. We will also orient at the price of replaceable modules. The covers are inexpensive, they will cost about 1,000-2,000 rubles apiece, an additional battery will come out 4,000 rubles, a column - 7,000 rubles, a camera module costs 20,000 rubles, and a mini-projector about 23,000 rubles. It is not difficult to calculate how much the entire set of modules costs, the pleasure will cost about 85,000 rubles.

By modern standards, this is not a budget cost, but the manufacturer assumed that smartphone users would purchase exactly the mod that they need the most, according to their personal needs. Therefore, the modules are of sufficient quality, but not cheap even in 2018 prices. Online stores such as M Video or DNS are the best places to buy a gadget at the moment.

Comparison with Motorola Moto X Play

The new improved version of Motorola has qualitatively changed its parameters compared to its predecessor. Next, consider the popular Moto Z Play and Moto X Play models according to their main characteristics.

The main selection criteria in the Motorola Moto Z Play model are better performance, hardware and higher data transfer speed. The Moto Z Play has a slightly larger screen and is thinner, the materials are aluminum alloy and glass versus polycarbonate in the Moto X Play. The screen type is higher in quality (AMOLED instead of LCD IPS). The resolution and image density settings are the same, but only the Z Play has physical buttons.

The operating system has been slightly improved, in the updated smartphone Android 6.0.1 instead of Android 6.0. The processor in Moto Z Play is more powerful and has a higher clock speed: 2 GHz versus 1.7 GHz. Higher class and video accelerator Adreno. Added fingerprint scanner, gyroscope, Hall and magnetometer.

The range of data transmission has expanded from 2G to LTE. Sim cards became two. Bluetooth and satellite settings remain unchanged. The battery capacity has slightly decreased (3510 versus 3630 mAh in Moto X Play).

All in all, it can be said that the new Moto Z Play has improved in every important way as a modular phone. And after reading the article, there will be no question of which company is better to buy the best modular gadget.

• Modularity;
• active display;
• Optimization and high-level hardware;
• LTE support.

• Front and rear camera of average quality;
• For additional functions, the battery capacity is small;
• The price of a smartphone and additional modules is quite high.

The new Moto Z Play does not look like the usual Motorola, but inside everything remains the same: high-quality Android, good optimization, excellent hardware and the Active display function. With each new version, Lenovo alliance devices show a qualitative improvement in almost all parameters. Customer reviews in online stores equally praise the smartphone for good hardware, performance and the ability to model the phone to fit your needs. Now users will not worry about which model is better to buy, because they choose the design and specialization of the device themselves.