Reflections on Moto Z Play

At IFA Motorola a new midrange Z Play was presented. I share my thoughts on this device.

Moto Z Play specifications from Lenovo

  • Body materials: metal, plastic, glass
  • Operating system: Android 6
  • Networks: GSM / EDGE, UMTS / HSDPA, LTE (dual SIM)
  • Screen: AMOLED, 5.5 “diagonal, resolution 1920 × 1080 pixels (FullHD), ppi 403
  • Platform: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
  • Processor: eight-core, 64-bit, Cortex-A53 at a frequency of up to 2 GHz (two clusters of 4 cores)
  • Graphics: Adreno 506
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Storage memory: 32 GB
  • Memory card slot: yes, microSD (separate slot)
  • Main camera: 16 megapixels, f / 2.0, pixel size 1.3um, laser autofocus, dual LED flash
  • Front camera: 5 MP, f / 2.2
  • Interfaces: Wi-Fi Dual-Band, Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP, LE), NFC, USB Type-C for charge / sync, 3.5 mm headset / headphone jack
  • Navigation: GPS (support A-GPS), Glonass
  • Optional: fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, moisture protection
  • Battery: 3510mAh
  • Dimensions: 156.4 x 76.4 x 7 mm
  • Weight: 165 grams

Blurred lines between flagships and mid-range

Over the past one and a half to two years, companies have reached the limit in terms of technical characteristics, further growth is possible, but the average consumer will no longer see much difference between displays or operating speed. At the same time, the difference in the cost of the flagships and the middle segment is still quite significant. Therefore, right now, mid-range phones are the most interesting from the point of view of price-performance ratio.

Take the same Moto Z Play. Yes, it is not as thin as the flagship Z, there is no 2k display, and the chipset is 'just' Qualcomm Snapdragon 625. However, its characteristics are enough for the eyes for all use cases, from texting and watching videos to the most productive games.

Design

Usually any line of smartphones has the same design, and the main differences lie in the characteristics, the same happens with Moto Z devices.Yes, the Z Play is a little thicker, but otherwise it looks the same: an unusual design, a scanner under the screen, a protruding camera peephole, contacts for the docking station, except that a 3.5 mm jack has been added.

It seems to me that this is the right decision, because usually the design of flagships is given a lot of attention, and it's nice to get it, but in a device of the middle segment.

Accessory Compatibility

I am glad that each of the Moto Mods is compatible not only with the flagship models, but also with the mid-range Z Play. Therefore, if desired, this smartphone can also be turned into a projector, a wireless speaker, or significantly improve the capabilities of the camera.

The cost

Unlike the flagships, the Moto Z Play will cost 35,000 rubles, while, as I wrote above, it will not be much inferior to the flagships in terms of everyday use. Even Moto Mods will work correctly with it, and of the obvious advantages – the presence of 3.5 mm for headphones and a more capacious battery compared to the original Z.

IFA 2016. Moto Z Play

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