Smartphones have changed a lot since Motorola launched its first Moto Z smartphone in 2016. Display aspect ratios are wider (or taller, I guess). Bezels are slimmer. Notches are a thing.
That presents special challenges for a line of phones that have one distinctive feature: support for modular add-ons that snap onto the back of the phone. The company has had to make recent phones the same size and shape as their predecessors in order to keep compatibility with existing Moto Mods.
And it looks like the company is going to keep doing that this year — CompareRaja and @OnLeaks have posted a set of images that allegedly show what the upcoming Moto Z4 Play will look like when it launches later this year.
The phone is said to have a 6.2 inch display and a waterdrop-style notch in the screen where you’ll find a front-facing camera. It’s unclear if the phone also has an in-display fingerprint sensor, but since there’s no visible fingerprint scanner on the back or sides of the phone, that does seem likely.
Despite the modern screen specs, the phone measures about 158mm x 75mm x 7.25mm, making it pretty close in size to older Moto Z phones. That means you should be able to use existing Moto Mods to add a battery, speaker, projector, or other accessory to the upcoming phone.
The Moto Z4 leak is based on CAD design files, so there’s no information about the processor or other specs. But it looks like the phone features a single-lens rear camera, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Wondering if the phone will include 5G.
All existing phones will be replaced by 5G
capable ones. Although there is a Moto Mod
which will retrofit all Moto Z Play phones to 5G.
Availability of the mods has plummeted in the past year. The best battery mod is moto’s turbopower, mostly for the usbc port on it so it’s easily charged separately from the phone, you can just slap it on, charge anywhere and then put it back on the charger freeing you up to use a style back or controller or whatever. Out of stock everywhere, they sell for double msrp on ebay, and msrp wasn’t exactly a bargain to begin with.
Love my Z Play, but moto finds all kinds of ways to undermine user loyalty.
The idea behind Moto Mods is really smart.
You can practically sell a show phone (ie/ 5mm thin, slippery, smudge-magnet, fragile, glass-unibody) which can appeal to all Marketing Departments and certain people. Just skimp on the battery, make it house a 2,000mAh cell.
…however, the implementation (and pricing!) is what makes/breaks it.
For instance;
– you could sell (US$19 ?) MODS that can add an extra 3mm for another 2,000mAh battery, which gives you the utility of a removable battery (hot-swapping) without compromising on the Wireless Charging and IP68 waterproofing. It would be wise to throw one in the box for free, to appeal to the Spec Sheet Enthusiast.
– Or buy and use a different mod (US$39 ?) that adds a ruggedised body for extra protection, beefing it up an extra 6mm but adds another 4,000mAh unit for your average Road Warrior.
– And lets not forget about a Mod (US$49 ?) that gives you a great Qwerty keyboard, where it might beef it up an extra 5mm and add another 2,000mAh battery for your Business Client person.
– Of course, there should be a (US$49 ?) Mod for a Gamepad (with quad shoulder buttons, dual-sliders like PSP), also adding an extra 5mm thickness with an extra 2,000mAh boost for your Gamer Community.
– Not to forget a Mod (US$69 ?) that gives the phone a powerful LED torch, and bracket to mount DSLR Lenses. Again possibly making it thicker by say 8mm but providing an extra 4,000mAh to take longer videos/more photos/studio lighting for those Photographer.
– And lastly, a Mod that allows you to slot the phone and become a Trackpad in the shell of a Laptop. The Yoga-like laptop (US$499 ?) wouldn’t be very thick/wide/long/heavy and wouldn’t have much in the way of ports (eg MacBook). But something with a decent 11-13inch 1080p-4K screen and >56Wh battery (or 15-20hrs Battery Life) would be high on people’s wishlist.
However, the phone itself needs to be priced and specced correctly. If it was US$499, that allows it to undercut the competitors largely and allows wiggle-room for people to buy the Mods. Though it needs to come with something like AndroidOne to relieve software-support anxiety. And should come with the latest SoC (eg Snapdragon 855), a high quality 1080p AMOLED screen, front-firing stereo loudspeakers, a headphone jack, proper USB 3.0-typeC, and high quality phone reception and microphones.
I just don’t see Lenovo doing this, or any OEM for that matter.
A thinkpad dock would be off the hook. And if it used my Z Play’s speaker, it would be the best sounding thinkpad I’ve ever used.
Now imagine if they let you dual boot windows if you were using a sd845+ Z. Ohhhh, yeah. But never gonna happen. Would be too cool.
Honestly, Microsoft is in a unique position to do this with something like a Surface Phone.
However, don’t hold your hopes up since they can’t even manage to add a proper ThunderBolt3 port to their Surface Laptops.
That’s how incompetent they are.
I’m sold! Which alternative universe need I travel to for buying this?