After much speculation and an onslaught of various leaks, Moto’s successor to the successful modular Z series, the Z2 Play officially goes live, along with a bevy of new modules this time around. Buyers will be able to look forward to a slightly new design, improved camera and battery as well. Here are five features of the Z2 Play that make it a perfect purchase for those who would like to get in on the modular scene.
Capable internals
The new Moto Z2 Play will feature Snapdragon’s new 626 coupled with 3GB of RAM or 4GB, depending on the variant, along with 32GB or 64GB of internal storage options as well. Users will also have the ability to expand storage via a microSD card slot. Just because the processor does not fit with the 800-series chips, buyers need not worry, since the new 600-series chips already out-weigh the 820 and 821 chips that were flagship-grade in the beginning of the year. Even the ports are solid, with Motorola maintaining the headphone jack along with USB Type-C. Other connectivity options also include NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, A-GPS/GLONASS and Wi-Fi 802.11n dual-band. The screen on the phone consists of an AMOLED FHD display at 5.5-inches.
Optics
The phone features a 12MP camera on the back this time around with dual pixel phase detection autofocus and f/1.7 aperture. The camera can also comfortably do 4K video. The camera could possibly be the same one used on the Moto G5 Plus. On the selfie-side, there is a 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture with wide-angle lens that will be perfect for those group selfies. There is also a dual LED flash on the front of the phone as well.
Build and convenience
The phone this time around looks very similar to its predecessor, and that is a good thing, which will be elaborated upon in the next point. Motorola has made the phone water repellent thanks to a nano-coating splash protection covering. The phone is just 5.99mm thick and weighs in at 145g. Motorola will also provide a redesigned fingerprint scanner for improved scanning times and provide features such as voice controls to draw out more information on the display without having to touch the phone. All in all, the phone is thinner, lighter and more intuitive than last year’s iteration.
Mods galore
As was with the previous model, the new Moto Z2 Play is compatible with all of last year’s mods, thanks to the company keeping in with the same design language. The new model also comes with a few new mods such as the JBL SoundBoost 2, the Moto TurboPower Pack, Moto Style Shells with Wireless Charging and the Moto GamePad. The Style Shells will sell for $40 and the other modules will sell for $80.
Pricing and availability
Motorola has kept pricing extremely competitive with the Z2 Play, with the 64GB variant costing just $500, enough to compete with the premium mid-rangers and the low-budget flagship devices out there. The phone will be Verizon exclusive and unlocked. The phone will be available in Brazil right now, but will gradually be available globally by the end of the month.