Smartphone Motorola Moto Z2 Play 64GB - advantages and disadvantages

Residents of our country associate the word "motorola" with old push-button phones that have long since left the market, the so-called "bricks". Once a world leader, Motorola ceased to exist in 2011, effectively splitting into two new companies. Motorola Mobility LLC is now a division of the Lenovo Group, which is still engaged in the creation of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and a wide variety of software.

The developers of Motorola and Lenovo continue to delight their fans by joint efforts, releasing smartphones that are gaining popularity. Moto Play phones are currently on sale, the first version received the prefix Z, the second, respectively, Z2. Both versions turned out, in fact, interesting and worthy of attention. In the article, we will analyze in detail all the advantages and disadvantages of the newer Motorola Moto Z2 Play and compare it with its predecessor.

In fact, by purchasing a modular phone, the buyer gets to use a real designer, and then buy additional interesting details in the form of a wide variety of covers that improve the characteristics of the device. The easy-to-use modules are attached using ordinary magnets and do not require additional manipulations, since the connection takes place automatically, instantly supplying the phone with new "chips". A camera, a projector, a portable speaker, an external battery, a game console - all this can be easily carried in your pocket, because Moto Z2 Play can be transformed into any other gadget at the request of the user.

First look and equipment

• Smartphone;
• Charger supporting fast charging;
• Wired stereo headset;
• Clip to remove the SIM tray;
• Additional panel for the rear wall;
• Instruction.

The smartphone entered the markets in three colors: Lunar Gray, Fine Gold, Nimbus Blue.

When you first look at the device, you just want to say “WOW!”. Manufacturers rarely create unique and unusual phones, because such risks are not beneficial for the company, so most modern devices are made in a classic style that is guaranteed to attract the user, because familiar = good.

Even many state employees and flagships do not differ much from each other and are similar to the results of cloning, but Motorola was able to surprise.

The first thing that catches your eye is the ultra-thin body (6 millimeters) and the low weight of the device (145 grams).The physical dimensions are 156.2x76.2x6 mm.

In the hand, Moto Z2 Play lies quite confidently, in general, it is quite pleasant to the touch, and the design immediately attracts the eye. The metal matte case looks very high quality and reliable.

However, the camera window protrudes too much, which can bring some inconvenience, but this drawback is easily masked when using a cover-lining.

Moto Z2 Play received Gorilla Glass (3rd generation), covered with a decent oleophobic coating that has successfully passed the test and is guaranteed to protect against fingerprints and greasy marks.

Under the glass is a fingerprint scanner connected to the One Button Nav button (which we will talk about a little later) and a microphone. The scanner works quickly and accurately, and a long press turns on the device lock mode. The center button also supports gestures, allowing you to perform simple actions like going back to the previous window or returning to the home screen. This is not to say that the navigation mode turned out to be particularly convenient (the button still has a modest size), but reviews say that the function can be quickly learned to use, which speeds up some tasks.

There is also a Type-C charging socket and a standard 3.5 mm mini-jack input at the bottom.

Above the screen are a motion sensor, a front camera with flash and a speaker. There is also a compartment on top that supports 2 Nano SIM cards and a MicroSD card. There is no backlight indicator light, which for some will be a significant drawback.

The Moto Mods Connector contact block is located on the back of the phone, it is to it that the overlays purchased by the user will be attached.

Physical buttons are located on the right side face. They are small and quite thin. The keys respond well to pressing, do not sink. The volume rocker is divided into 2 parts, and the on / off button has a ribbed surface, which eliminates the possibility of confusing and pressing it by mistake. Pretty good solution.

Main characteristics

Display

Motorola has equipped the smartphone with a Super AMOLED display with parameters of 68 × 121 mm with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. Resolution 1920×1080, dot density 401 ppi.

Brightness is set manually or through automatic settings based on a light sensor. The display supports up to ten clicks at the same time.

The color balance is quite good, but sometimes you can notice a slight flicker, from which the eyes will be noticeably tired. The black color is saturated, but the white color goes a little yellow.

AMOLED is not suitable for all people due to its oversaturation of colors, so the developers have added a feature that makes them more muted.

The screen does not have the highest maximum brightness, however, the anti-glare properties are quite good. The phone is comfortable to use both in a dark room and outdoors on a sunny day.

Some reviews say that the phone is not suitable for e-book lovers, as some of them had significantly tired eyes or dizziness when reading for a long time.

Camera

Front camera Moto Z2 Play has a matrix with a resolution of 5 megapixels, a pixel size of 1.4 microns. Aperture f/2.2. There is support for slow motion video.

The main camera has a 12-megapixel matrix, f / 1.7 aperture. There is also a dual LED flash.

In general, the pictures are detailed and bright. Camera settings allows the user to adjust the white balance, ISO, manual focus.

Video recordings are of high quality, without noise and with good quality. Resolution 4k (30fps) / 1080 (60fps).

Battery

The built-in Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh can withstand up to 40 hours of phone operation with an average backlight setting.

The battery here is really good, the phone can easily go two days without charging, which is an excellent result. With constant video playback at the highest brightness, the device will work for about 17 hours. An hour spent playing games drains the battery by about 8% at average screen brightness.

The kit comes with a TurboPower high-power charger that can charge the device from 0 to 50 percent in half an hour.

The full battery charge time is on average a little less than an hour and a half, there is support for fast battery charging.

Connection

• 2G, 3G, 4G (bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41)
• 2 x Nano SIM
• Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz, 802.11 a / b / g / n), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
• navigation: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS

The call quality in the gadget is excellent, the interlocutor is heard clearly and distinctly, thanks to the excellent noise reduction system.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work flawlessly. Separately, we note the presence of an NFC module, which is mandatory for a modern phone.

Performance and system

Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 (eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 2.2 GHz), Adreno 506 graphics module (650 MHz). Moto Z2 Play allows you to play the latest games without worrying about performance and speed.

Work occurs without freezes and slowdowns, moving between programs is fast and stable. In this regard, Moto stands alongside popular flagships, not inferior to them in performance.

With memory here, too, complete order. RAM 4 GB, ROM 64 GB, Micro-SD up to 2 TB - all your files and documents will fit in the gadget.

Pure Android 7.1 Nougat has a nice and simple interface, updates come regularly, which guarantees the protection of the device.

Sound

Music lovers will be pleasantly surprised by the sound of the gadget. The sound, both from the speaker and from the headphones, sounds voluminous, bright, the dynamic range is quite wide, which allows you to listen to your favorite tracks anytime, anywhere.

Bass, mids, highs - none of the components are lost in the recordings, the sound is pretty good without crackling and noise.

Modules

Separately, it is worth talking about the purchased Moto Z2 modules. Each of them is unique, they all provide the gadget with new "superpowers", each user can choose what he likes. Although the price for the pads will be quite high, it is still worth considering buying at least a pair of them, because they are really unusual and functional.

• JBL Sound Boost 2

A module that is ready to turn a smartphone into an excellent portable speaker with very good sound quality. SoundBoost will please music lovers up to 10 hours of continuous work. The interface allows you to change the sound settings using the equalizer. The overlay itself is stylish and pleasing to the eye, and the stand will allow you to conveniently place the phone on a flat surface.

• Moto Style Shell

A module that has a simple but important function - it makes the phone look more prestigious and more expensive. The cover is presented in different colors and materials (plastic or noble wood).

• Hasselblad True Zoom

The module will appeal to beginners and experienced photography enthusiasts, turning the phone into a powerful camera. The 10x zoom lets you capture crisp, detailed shots wherever you are. Shutter button, flash, eyepiece - everything is like in a real camera.

• Moto InstaShare Projector

For fans of movies and TV shows, Motorola has made a wonderful gift in the form of a portable projector. The idea is great, you won’t need a laptop anymore on a trip, because now you can watch the latest cinema on the wall. A convenient stand will fix the smartphone, allowing you to project an image on any surface. The resolution is 480p, but this is not so important, the picture will still be pretty good. Blurring is adjusted using the wheel (on the right side of the module).

• Moto TurboPower Pack 3490 mAh

An extra charge never hurts! TurboPower has a capacity of 3490 mAh, which will allow you not to charge your phone for up to 4 days. The model has a light alert and a Type-C socket for charging. No need to worry that on a long trip you will be left without communication, this smart case will help out at any time.

• Moto GamePad MOD

Your gadget can be turned into an excellent game console, which will please not only an adult user, but also a child. It is inconvenient to play on the touch screen, but the GamePad MOD solves this problem in a couple of minutes. Convenient cross, buttons and levers will allow you to enjoy with your favorite game. Do not worry that the game will not support the case, this is out of the question. All modern developers support this game mode in their products.

• Moto 360 MOD

Now you can shoot in 360-degree format. Take panoramic pictures, all files will be saved on your smartphone and will remind you of the happiest moments of your life.

• Moto Style Shell with wireless charging

The module allows the phone to support wireless charging mode. The cover turned out to be a little larger than its colleagues, but it has a nice design and will generally be useful for buyers.

Outcome

What can be said about the new Motorola? The phone turned out to be quite interesting, it will certainly appeal to sophisticated users, because its system of modules is new and unique. Design, reliability and ergonomics - Lenovo and Motorola care about users, so smartphones are not inferior to many modern flagships released in 2018.

The company managed to make a device that will suit almost any category of people. Gamers, music lovers, amateur photographers, just fans of everything unusual - everyone will appreciate the Moto Z2 Play and provide themselves with a reliable companion for many years to come.

• Interesting system of modules;
• Good iron;
• Unique design.

• Screen flickering;
• Too saturated colors;
• Expensive replacement pads.

And finally, a comparative table of parameters of Motorola Moto Z2 Play and Moto Z.