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Having already made waves with the Phab 2 Pro announcement and the power of Tango coming to smartphones, the arrival of the Moto Z and Z Force almost went under the radar.
Despite the celebrity endorsement from Ashton Kutcher these two modular phones deserve some of the spotlight themselves, because just like the Phab 2 Pro they are something of an agenda changer when it comes to the smartphone market.
Modules are on the rise this year with LG having already released the G5 and Google still ironing out the kinks in Project Ara, so where does the Moto Z fit in?
While the main conversation must be about the replaceable parts of the Moto Z, the constant is actually quite something in itself. The body is just 5.2mm thick – that is the thinnest smartphone around. Not only that but it also has a big battery, a Snapdragon 820 processor and a quite ridiculous 21 megapixel rear camera in the Z Force version.
On its own this is no also-ran, but this is just Motorola’s blank canvas before it hands personalisation to you in the form of the Mods.
These are where the Moto Z may well live and die. Bringing enough desirable Mods to market for when the Z launches will be a key test for the Motorola and Lenovo, but they appear to be off to a good start with the structure and range.
In terms of the mechanics of it, the rear of both the Z and Z Force are equipped with 16 “magic dots”, which are in fact very strong magnetics that lock the Mods in place. The dented rear of both devices mean that Mods are able to clip into place and not necessarily look completely out of place once attached. It works too.
The JBL speaker, called the SoundBoost and coming complete with a mini kickstand, drops a pretty meaty speaker onto the back of sleek smartphone and yet doesn’t compromise the look of the phone – or even the weight.
The Incipio battery pack and Insta-Share Projector offer some wider usage options for the Z too, making it last longer, and a media player with skills beyond the power of every other phone out there, and that is quite a statement.
There’s also a big fashion side to the Z too. There’s already a Kate Spade custom rear case and many more are said to be in the works to go along with small range Motorola already had to show us here.
Customisation is at the centre of this phone.
There is a lot of good to be said about the new Motos – a lot of it has already been said – but there is still a but. LG and Google are both already in the modular space and neither has had a great degree of success or critical acclaim. Lenovo and Motorola would argue that so far they’ve got it wrong, but chopping and changing aspects of your phone’s physical features still feels like a niche area, much like modifying a car or bike.
The argument stands that phones are more embedded in our every day lives and so this has more of chance, but for some there is likely to be more convincing to do.
