Both phones also run Motorola’s slight twist on Android 7 Nougat [the new Android 8 Oreo is promised, but not out yet]. Most of what’s here is identical to other Android phones, but there are a few Moto Action gestures that I like to use. You can twist the phone to open the camera and swipe it down and up like you’re swinging an ax to turn on and off the flashlight. Even better are the home button gestures, which let you dump the onscreen back, home, and multitasking buttons in favor of swiping left, right, and pressing on the home button. It takes a good day to get used to it, but swiping is very intuitive, and a great reason to stick with a phone with a home button fingerprint sensor, like this one.
The 12-megapixel rear cameras perform similarly, as well. I snapped some lovely night photos on a trip to New York City, and the camera did a decent job balancing dark areas and bright Christmas light displays at Saks Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center. The Moto Z2 Play has been my go-to camera for three weeks now. Despite what feels like a second of lag when pressing the shutter button, it hasn’t hampered my ability to take timely shots. The 5-megapixel front camera on each is decent, but has had some trouble in low-light situations. The rear camera’s 4K [30fps] video support is also nice. If you’re picky about your photos though, neither of these can match the shooters on the new iPhone X or Pixel 2.
The Difference Between Us
Both Z2 models will work on most wireless carriers, have 64GB storage [with MicroSD slots], and 4GB of RAM. Still, there are a few vital differences between these phones that I’m going to sum up quickly.
The Z2 Force is the fancier $720 version. It has an extra rear camera [that, to be honest, does not add a whole lot to the experience], a cutting-edge Snapdragon 835 processor [this does speed the phone up substantially if you use intense apps or games], and a higher-resolution Quad HD screen that will supposedly withstand falls better. It also comes with a "Shattershield" screen cover stuck on it that’s sharp around the edges. What you lose is a headphone jack and a few hours of battery life. It’s also imperceptibly thicker.
The Moto Z2 Play has a weaker Snapdragon 626 processor, larger battery, FM radio, and standard HD screen. I was legitimately shocked when I found out both screens had a different resolution, which shows just how adequate a 1080p screen still is. Both Super AMOLED displays look excellent.
I still like having a headphone jack and the slightly slower performance of the Moto Z2 Play is an easy tradeoff for the savings. The $500 64GB Unlocked version of the Moto Z2 Play is my favorite model [linked in the Buy buttons on this review], though there is a Verizon-only edition for $408.
It's a Moto of Choice
There are a few truly high-end phones you can buy for $500 or less, like the OnePlus 5T or Essential Phone, but neither of them have Moto Mods. That’s the reason to choose a Moto Z phone.
The 64GB Unlocked Moto Z2 Play is a fantastic phone, if Moto Mods interest you. If they don’t, I can’t help but direct you to the other Moto in the room, the Moto X4.
Motorola recently held its
hellomotoworld event in New York City, and though the Lenovo subsidiary did not unveil the rumored Moto X4, it did announce the Moto Z2 Force, the successor to 2016’s Moto Z Force. With a Snapdragon 835 and a dual-camera system, the Moto Z2 Force looks to be the closest thing to a flagship that Motorola will have this year.
However, Motorola’s naming conventions during the past year with its Z-line of handsets might make it a bit difficult for some folks to tell the difference between the Moto Z2 Force and other Z-branded phones. It also does not help that Motorola launched two flagship Moto Zs last year and only launched one for this year.
Today, we’re going to clear the air a bit and minimize some of that confusion for you by comparing the Moto Z2 Force to the Moto Z2 Play and the Moto Z Force.
Moto Z2 ForceMoto Z2 PlayMoto Z Force
Display
Moto Z2 Force
5.5-inch Super AMOLED ShatterShield 2560 x 1440 resolution 535 ppi
Moto Z2 Play
5.5-inch Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 resolution 401 ppi
Moto Z Force
5.5-inch Super AMOLED ShatterShield 2560 x 1440 resolution 535 ppi
Processor
Moto Z2 Force
2.35 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Moto Z2 Play
2.2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626
Moto Z Force
2.15 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
GPU
Moto Z2 Force
Adreno 540
Moto Z2 Play
Adreno 506
Moto Z Force
Adreno 530
RAM
Moto Z2 Force
4 GB [U.S.] 6 GB [Rest of world] LPDDR4
Moto Z2 Play
3/4 GB LPDDR3
Moto Z Force
4 GB LPDDR4
Internal storage
Moto Z2 Force
64 GB [U.S.] 128 GB [China] microSD expansion up to 2 TB
Moto Z2 Play
32/64 GB microSD expansion up to 2 TB
Moto Z Force
32/64 GB microSD expansion up to 2 TB
Headphone jack
Moto Z2 Force
No
Moto Z2 Play
Yes
Moto Z Force
No
Cameras
Moto Z2 Force
Rear camera 1: 12 MP IMX 386 color sensor with 1.25 µm pixels, ƒ/2.0 aperture, PDAF, laser-assisted autofocus Rear camera 2: 12 MP IMX 386 monochrome sensor with 1.25 µm pixels, ƒ/2.0 aperture, PDAF, laser-assisted autofocus
Front: 5 MP sensor with ƒ/2.2 aperture, 85-degree wide-angle lens, dual-tone flash
Moto Z2 Play
Rear: 12 MP Dual Autofocus Pixel sensor with 1.4 µm pixels, ƒ/1.7 aperture, PDAF, laser-assisted autofocus
Front: 5 MP sensor with 1.4 µm pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, wide-angle lens, LED flash
Moto Z Force
Rear: 21 MP sensor with 1.12 µm pixels, ƒ/1.8 aperture, OIS, PDAF, laser-assisted autofocus
Front: 5 MP sensor with 1.4 µm pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, wide-angle lens, LED flash
Battery
Moto Z2 Force
2,730 mAh Non-removable
Moto Z2 Play
3,000 mAh Non-removable
Moto Z Force
3,500 mAh Non-removable
Water resistance
Moto Z2 Force
Water-repellant nano-coating
Moto Z2 Play
Water-repellant nano-coating
Moto Z Force
Water-repellant nano-coating
Software
Moto Z2 Force
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Moto Z2 Play
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Moto Z Force
Android 7.0 Nougat
Dimensions and weight
Moto Z2 Force
155.8 x 76 x 6.1 mm 143 g
Moto Z2 Play
156.2 x 76.2 x 5.99 mm 145 g
Moto Z Force
155.9 x 75.8 x 7 mm 163 g
All three phones rock 5.5-inch displays, but the Z2 Play sticks to Full HD resolution. The Z2 Force and the Z Force, meanwhile, bump things up to Quad HD resolution and feature ShatterShield technology. Marketing jargon aside, the two flagships feature displays that promise not to shatter or crack from everyday falls. However, since the front layers of these displays are plastic, the Z2 Force’s and original Z Force’s displays will scratch easier than others, though the front layer can be replaced.
Under the hood, the biggest differences between these phones are their processors
Moving to the raw guts, the Z2 Force features Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835. By comparison, the Z2 Play sticks with the midrange Snapdragon 626, while the Z Force gets by with the Snapdragon 820. In real-world use, you might not see a substantial difference between the three phones, thanks in part to Motorola taking a mostly hands-off approach with the software.
When it comes to more intensive applications, however, the Z2 Force would be the better option, given its more capable GPU. The Z Force should keep up just fine, since its processing package is still somewhat fresh, though the Z2 Play certainly shows its midrange nature in this context.
The camera situation also differs drastically across all three phones. Starting with the brand new hotness, the Z2 Force is Motorola’s first foray into the world of dual rear cameras, with both weighing in at 12 MP. One camera shoots in color, while the other shoots in monochrome, though both cameras will talk to each other to create higher-quality images than if you had just one sensor. By comparison, the original Z Force only features one 21 MP resolution, while the Z2 Play rocks a 12 MP sensor.
We do hope that Motorola made improvements in the camera department, however. The Z2 Play’s and Z Force’s cameras performed fine, but we’d be lying if we said they did not leave us wanting for more. Hopefully the Z2 Force makes the jump it needs to in order to keep up with the pack when it comes to the camera.
Motorola needs to prove itself in the camera department this year
Differences in RAM are extremely negligible, at best – the Z2 Force rocks either 4 [U.S.] or 6 GB [rest of the world] of RAM. By comparison, the Z2 Play and Z Force also feature 4 GB of RAM, but keep in mind that there is a slightly cheaper Z2 Play that features 3 GB of RAM.
Internal storage is a similar story, with all phones featuring 64 GB of on-board storage. There are versions of the Z2 Play and Z Force that feature 32 GB, while the Z2 Force’s Chinese variant will feature 128 GB. Either way, all three feature microSD card slots, so folks will not be left wanting for more storage.
Finally, the other significant points all tie around the dimensions. The Z2 Force, Z2 Play, and Z Force feature similar dimensions, though the thinner profiles of the former two allow them to weight less than the latter. This does have an adverse effect on battery life, however – the Z2 Force features a 2,730 mAh battery, significantly smaller than the original’s 3,500 mAh power pack. The Z2 Play features a 3,000 mAh battery, but even that is smaller than the original Z Play’s 3,300 mAh power pack.
This might have partly been due to Motorola’s want to sell more Moto Mods, which will work across the board just fine. This makes the jump from a Z Force to a Z2 Force a little easier to swallow, but Motorola put itself in a weird corner. It’s nice that Moto Mods made in 2016 will work with Z-branded smartphones released in 2017 and 2018, but this means that Motorola cannot drastically change how they look. As a result, they will look a bit more dated by then, given how other companies are starting to shift to near bezel-less front panels on their smartphones.
Is the Moto Z2 Force really that much different from the Moto Z2 Play or last year's Moto Z Force?
Overall, the Z2 Force is an impressive smartphone with powerful internals and what will hopefully be a great camera. However, the smaller battery and similar style to the Z2 Play and Z Force might make people think twice about picking it up, particularly if they own the latter.