Moto Z Play, analysis and opinion

The arrival of the Lenovo brand at the direction of Motorola has allowed North Americans to continue to maintain their philosophy of content prices and quality software. And the line Motorbike by Lenovo is an example of it.

Today I bring you a full video analysis of the Moto Z Play, a device that bets on a modular design and that has some very interesting surprises. 

Designer

The construction of the Moto Z play is undoubtedly the main credential of the terminal and where the brand has put the most effort so that having it in hand offers a very pleasant feeling. And it succeeds.

We are talking about a phone built around a chassis u metallic ending in a high quality sandblasted aluminum frame. The overall finish is robust, with two  crystals Gorilla Ice cream set both at the front and at the back, which give the device great resistance to shocks and falls.

As I said, the feeling in the hand is very good and shows the good work done by Motorola in this regard. Of course, the size is not very well optimized since to have a 5.5-inch screen, the phone is large(156.4 x 76.4mm) counting on a huge bottom frame, which is where it houses the fingerprint reader.

Yes, their 7 mm of thickness they make the device a very fine terminal. In addition, its weight of 165 grams means that the Moto Z Play does not bother the hand after a few hours of use.

Highlight that the Moto Z Play has a front speaker That sounds really good, acconnector for Moto Mods on the bottom rear, reversible USB Type-C connector and the standard 3.5mm audio jack on the bottom.

In general, a clean design which shows the good work of the manufacturer in this regard, providing the Moto Z Play with quality finishes that make the new phone in the Moto Z line a very desirable option.

Technical characteristics of the Moto Z Play

[table]
Device , Moto Z Play
Dimensions, 156.4 x 76.4 x 7 millimeters

Weight, 165 grams
Operating System, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Display, 5.5-inch IPS with 1.920 x 1.080 pixel resolution and 401 ppi
Processor, Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625 with eight Cortex A53 cores at 2.0 GHz power
GPU, Adreno 506
RAM, 3GB
Internal Storage, 32 GB expandable via MicroSD up to 128 GB
Rear Camera, 16 megapixels with f/2.0 27 / OIS / autofocus / face detection / panorama / HDR / Dual LED Flash / Geolocation / 1080p video recording at 30fps
Front Camera, 5 MPX / 1080p video
Connectivity,DualSIM Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n / dual band / Wi-Fi Direct/ hotspot/ Bluetooth 4.0/ FM radio / A-GPS /GLONASS /BDS / GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 ; 3G Bands (HSDPA800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 – NXT-L29 NXT-L09 ) 4G Bands (1(2100) 2(1900) 3(1800) 4(1700/2100) 5(850) 6(900) 7(2600) 8(900) 12(700) 17(700) 18(800) 19(800) 20(800) 26(850) 38(2600) 39(1900) 40(2300) – NXT -L29) / HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps and LTE Cat6 speed 300/50 Mbps
Other Features, Fast Charging System / Fingerprint Sensor / Type C Port / Waterproof Nano Coating (Splash Resistant) / Compatible with Moto Mods
Battery, 3.510 mAh non-removable
Price, On sale on Amazon for only 379 Euros clicking here

[/ Table]

With this configuration, which we have already seen in other devices, we are facing a mid-range that will more than meet the needs of any user. After having tried it for a month I can confirm that the terminal works very smoothlyIt does not suffer from jerks and, as you may have seen in our video analysis, the Moto Z Play can move any game, no matter how much graphic power it requires, without major problems.

The device navigates Android 6.0 quickly and smoothly, offering excellent performance in all aspects. Let us also remember that Motorola is committed to minimal customization, something that I personally love and makes the terminal work really well and without a trace of junk applications.

The reader  fingerprint of the Moto Z Play works quite well, offering a quick and accurate fingerprint reading. Of course, it seems to me that the size is excessively small, especially if we take into account the space at the bottom of the front of the device. I think that in this aspect Motorola should have made a bigger biometric reader.

A screen that more than meets what is expected in a mid-range

Motorola tends to bet on Samsung's solutions to give life to its terminals and the Moto Z Play is a new example of this. Obviously you had to cut costs and get away from the QHD 1.440p panels, but anyway the screen that the Moto Z Play mounts is really good.

I'm talking about ap5.5-inch Super AMOLED panel with full HD 1080 resolution py that leaves a density of 41 pixels per inch, which translates into an excellent user experience.

These panels are more than known, but for those who do not know this technology, say that Super AMOLED screens guarantee very vivid colors with exceptional brightness and virtually infinite viewing angles, as well as the deepest black tone you can achieve on a smartphone.

To say that the whites are also very good and, in general, the terminal offers great clarity. We can also calibrate the saturation level according to our tastes.

Outdoors lthe screen works very well, allowing its content to be viewed in the brightest environments, in addition Motorola's Ambient Display allows the time and notifications to be displayed with the screen off and it consumes little resources thanks to the technology used in the panel.

Moto Mod, testing the JBL SoundBoost speaker

One of the most differentiating elements of the Moto Z line comes with the Moto Mod. And it is that, in the purest Project Ara style, the manufacturer has incorporated a connector at the back of the device to connect different peripherals. I have tried the JBL Sound Boost speakers for Moto Z and the result has been incredible.

In terms of design, the JBL Sound Boosterst has a very attractive design and very premium finishes. One detail that I liked is that it comes with a piece that will serve as support inviting us to enjoy multimedia content or video games in company.

Another remarkable detail comes with the fact that the JBL speakers have a own battery So we will not consume the battery of our Moto Z or Moto Z Play, but they are different elements.

The sound quality is quite good, far exceeding what was achieved with the speaker located on the front, but its 115 grams of weight and moreu hefty prices (89 euros) make more than one user think twice.

An inexhaustible battery

The other great strength, along with its exquisite design, is without a doubt the autonomy of this terminal. The Moto Z Play rides a 3.510 mAh non-removable battery.  

We know that with this battery the Moto Z Play would offer a good performance, added to the fact that it comes in the box a charger TurboPower which, according to the manufacturer, charges up to 9 hours of autonomy in just 15 minutes when plugged in.

It is a pity that the charger has USB Type C incorporated so we will not have a cable that allows synchronization with the PC. Returning to autonomy, say that I have been able to use the phone without problems for 2 days in a row, something that very few terminals achieve.

When I have given it more intensive use, the Moto Z Play has endured a day and a half without problems, so I can say that its performance in this aspect is more than correct, surpassing most of its competitors.

Camera

Finally we enter the section of the cameras. And yes, the manufacturer has done a good job in this section as well. His 16 megapixel camera with dual-tone flash performs Very good captures as long as we are in well-lit environments. 

Indoors and with the help of the flash we can take pictures without excess noise, but when trying to photograph night images we will find the dreaded noise.

The camera software has different functions, such as the Manual mode that will allow us to adjust any parameter of the Moto Z Play camera, such as the white balance or the ISO level, but it is a very simple interface, the one that comes in pure Android.

Photographs taken with the Moto Z Play camera

Conclusions

The Moto Z Play is very well built. Is a phone that will attract many looks and that it has good hardware and a higher than average autonomy. Is it the best upper mid-range on the market? About tastes, colors, but it is certainly in the top 3.

Editor's opinion