As expected, Lenovo has announced the latest Moto high-end Android phone: the Moto Z. The Moto Z comes in two variants the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force.
Whilst similar, there are a few subtle differences between them. The Moto Z Force includes Lenovo’s new ‘Shattershield’ screen technology that comes with a guarantee that the screen won’t shatter or crack, a larger battery 3500 mAh up from 2600 mAh, and a 21MP rear camera instead of the 15MP shooter on the base model.
The available specs on both models are below:
| Lenovo Moto Z | Lenovo Moto Z Force | Release date | June 2016 | June 2016 | Screen size | 5.5-inch | 5.5-inch | Screen technology | AMOLED | AMOLED | Resolution | 2,560 x 1,440 | 2,560 x 1,440 | PPI | 534 | 534 | Rear camera | 13MP | 21MP | Rear aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 | Front camera | 5MP | 5MP | Front aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 | Chipset | Snapdragon 820 | Snapdragon 820 | Core config | 2.15 GHz x 2 + 1.6GHz x 2 | 2.15 GHz x 2 + 1.6GHz x 2 | Ram | 4GB | 4GB | Storage | 32GB/ 64GB | 32GB/ 64GB | MicroSD | Yes, up to 2TB | Yes, up to 2TB | Battery | 2,600 mAh | 3,500 mAh | Battery removable | — | — | Connector | USB C | USB C | Headphone Port | — | — | Headphone Location | USB C adapter | USB C adapter | Speaker Configuration | Loudspeaker (ear piece) | Loudspeaker (ear piece) | WIFI standards |
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| NFC | Yes | Yes | Location | A-GPS | A-GPS | Android OS | Android 6.0.1 | Android 6.0.1 | Vendor skin | — | — | Dimensions | 153.3 x 75.3 x 5.19 mm | 155.9 x 75.8 x 6.99 mm | Weight | 136g | 163g | Colours |
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For the eagled eyed amongst you, you may have spotted that Lenovo has dropped the headphone connector. All power, data and now Audio will be accessed via the single USB-C connector. During Dan’s initial hands-on time with the Moto Z, he has confirmed that the Moto Z line does not include a 3.5 mm headphone connection.
The Moto Z will come with a 3.5 mm to USB-C headphone port adapter included with the device. This is a bad move and one which I hope we won’t see repeated, but fear we will. The use case of listening to wired audio whilst charging is something may people do daily.
The phones are only half the story, however. With the Moto Z, Lenovo also introduced their first range of MotoMods, swappable backplates that allow users to customise the hardware of their device, to a point.
As expected, at launch the MotoMods include:
- Instashare Projector
- JBL Soundboost
- Battery pack
- Style Shells
The Mods snap onto the device magnetically and can be hot swapped using a specialised 16-pin connector without having to restart the device. During the demo, the JBL speaker mod was attached to the device and the audio playing seamlessly switched to the new speakers. The MotoMods are being advertised as compatible with future Moto Z phones, a good decision considering the potential costs of some of these mods.
The Style Shells come in a range of colours and finishes including real wood, leather and patterned fabric. All of the mods announced today will be available at launch.
Moto Mods will be coming from a variety of partners, including fashion designer Vivienne Tam who will create a Mod collection for release at her fashion show at the New York Fashion show in September this year. Other partners also on board include Incipio and Tumi for other cases and mods.
The Moto Z will launch Globally in September however, the Moto Z Force is currently exclusive to the US market. With Dan Tyson live on the ground at Lenovo World Conference 2016, we will be bringing you all the details as they come to light.
How is the New Moto Z line and MotoMods looking to you? Let us know below.
