Motorola is trying their hand at a modular smartphone with the Moto Z range. Two modular smartphones have been announced, the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. This range doesn’t appear as exciting at Google’s Ara device. It does show that Motorola wants to keep up with smartphone technology.
Moto Z
The Moto Z has a 5.5 inch, quad HD AMOLED display. The processor is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4GB RAM. There is a 13-megapixel camera with f/.8 lens and optical image stabilisation. Storage is either 32GB or 64GB with SD card expansion.
The battery is small at 2600mAh. According to Motorola, the Moto Z is the thinnest premium smartphone, but this doesn’t include added modules. The thickness is 5.2mm, but this is at the cost of a bigger battery and headphone jack. An adapter comes with the device to plug into the USB-C port. Alternatively, you can use Bluetooth headphones. There is also a fingerprint scanner on the device.
Moto Z Force
The Moto Z Force is a slight improvement on the standard model. Only the battery (3,500mAh), camera (21-megapixel) and a shatter proof display panel have been upgraded. The thickness is 7mm, a recognisable difference. The other features are the same on both phones.
Add-Ons, Customization, and Mods
Motorola want this range to be customizable for users. A single Style Shell Mod come with each device. This will give users the ability to make their smartphone different. There will be a range of styles, finishes, and materials available (Such as nylon, wood, and leather). A problem with the Style Shell is that it will increase the thickness of the devices.
So far there aren’t many mods available and will have to be purchased separately. The SoundBoost Mod was created with JBL. This adds audio capabilities to the device with 1000mAh in extra battery power. A Power Pack Mod adds 2,220mAh battery power. A projector called the Insta-Share Mod will project the phone’s display up to 70 inches wide with 480p resolution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2L1zQkJ8UA
The Mods are connected by magnets. They can be taken on and off without the device being rebooted. Motorola has a Moto Mods Developer Program to allow developers to create new mods.
In the U.S., the Moto Z Droid and Force Droid will be available through Verizon, Best Buy, and moto.com during the summer. An unlocked version with is available this fall. Globally, the Moto Z will be out around September.
Source: Motorola
