Accessories
Moto Z DROID & Moto Z Force DROID First Impressions [Video]
With the Moto Z and Moto Z Force DROID release date quickly approaching, we wanted to share a quick video of these two interesting and unique smartphones coming soon to Verizon and the rest of the world. This is our hands-on, unboxing and first impressions of the Verizon Moto Z DROID and Moto Z Force DROID.
Back in early June at Lenovo Techworld Motorola and Lenovo announced both new phones, then confirmed they’d be available starting in July exclusively with Verizon Wireless. The thinner regular Moto Z will be available for everyone else shortly after.
Read: Moto Z Release Date Breakdown
Being two hotly anticipated all metal and modular phones, we wanted to share our thoughts with potential buyers. Odd names aside these are two stunning and well made smartphones with a lot to offer. Check out our hands-on video below, followed by some pictures and additional details.
For starters potential buyers will want to start with the video above, as we explain what both phones have to offer, what makes them different and give you a quick look at the customizable wood back, contents in the box and more. That being said, lets get started.
We already got a look at these phones back in June at Lenovo’s event, but the Verizon release date is expected to be any day now as the company promised a July arrival. As a result, Motorola sent us both phones and all three awesome looking MotoMods for review. They don’t look like any phone we’ve ever used, and the lines of lazer-etched metal on back is quite attractive in real life.
As a basic rundown the new Moto Z DROID and Moto Z Force DROID are two all metal premium Android smartphones running nearly stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, with the latest improvements from Motorola. They have 5.5-inch Quad-HD AMOLED screens that look beautiful and crisp, a powerful quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Essentially the same setup as the Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5 from earlier this year.
Buyers will also get a micro-SD slot to expand storage, a new USB Type-C port for TurboPower Quick charging, customization options, and what looks to be an impressive camera experience.
The Verizon-exclusive Moto Z Force however, has a higher 21 megapixel camera and a shatterproof display, along with a bigger 3,500 mAh battery. The regular Moto Z that will soon be available for other carriers is razor thin but only has a 2,600 mAh battery and a 13 megapixel camera. That said, these cameras have a fast f/1.8 aperture, image stabilization, lazer auto focus and there’s even an LED flash for the front camera.
The big deal about these phones though, is MotoMods. Easily replaceable and removable back covers that essentially turn the phone into something much more powerful. Like a pico-projector to watch movies, a JBL Sound-Bar with a kickstand and built-in extended battery, battery packs from popular brands, wood or leather backs for customization and more. It’s a modular smartphone similar to the LG G5, but done in a more practical way and with tons of mods to choose from. It’s a big deal.
Read: 14 Exciting MotoMods for the Moto Z
Motorola sent over the Pico Projector, the JBL Speakers, an Incipio 2,200 mAh battery pack mod and a real wood back for us to try out.
As you saw from our hands-on video above, these are slick looking smartphones. Motorola ditched the entire approach and customization of the Moto X in favor of an all metal design, and it looks and feels amazing. The Moto Z is thin, well made and a good size coming in at 5.5-inches just like the Galaxy S7 Edge.
These phones can be a regular device owners will love, long-lasting with MotoMods, a projector for movie night and presentations or even a boombox and portable speaker by the pool. These are just the first three of many MotoMods, and we’ll have plenty of coverage on all three in the near future.
So far our first impressions of the new Moto Z and Moto Z Force are rather favorable. It’s a bold new look and approach that may or may not pay off, but we’ll have to wait and see. It will be interesting to see how buyers respond to the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack, as users will need to use an adapter or buy some upcoming USB Type-C headphones.
At the end of the day these phones are very intriguing, unique, and potentially have a lot to offer compared to the competition. In the coming days and weeks we’ll be taking a look at all three of the MotoMods we received, testing out the software and camera, using the new fingerprint scanner and preparing for a full review. Not to mention comparisons to other popular phones available today.
For now though, take a look at the rest of the photos above and stay tuned for more details. An official announcement regarding the release date and pricing should be available soon, and we’ll update the moment we know more.