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1-Day Woot Sale Knocks Up to $1,198 Off Samsung's The Frame 4K TVs
1-Day Woot Sale Knocks Up to $1,198 Off Samsung's The Frame 4K TVs
Samsung's "The Frame" looks like no other TV on the market right now. That's because it's as much a piece of decor as it is a screen for watching shows and movies. And right now, Woot has a rare opportunity to snag one of the latest 2022 models at a discount. Today only, Woot is offering up to 28% off The Frame TVs, with sizes ranging from 43 inches up to 85 inches. These deals are only available until 9:59 p.m. PT (12:59 a.m. ET) tonight, or while supplies last, so be sure to get your order in before then.
The Frame is more than just a TV. It's also a sleek piece of digital artwork designed to mesh seamlessly with the rest of your home. It's ultrathin at just 1 inch thick, and it features interchangeable magnetic bezels that come in a range of colors and materials, so you can find one that fits your home's style. And just because it's also a display piece, that doesn't mean Samsung skimped on the hardware. It's equipped with a 4K QLED screen, boasts support for HDR10 Plus and has a refresh rate of 120Hz for a crisp, rich picture.
It also has an anti-glare matte display, a new addition for the 2022 model, that almost entirely eliminates light reflection so you can see the screen clearly -- day or night. When it's not in use, you can also set The Frame to art mode, where it functions as a digital picture frame. You can upload your own photos, or choose from over 1,400 pieces with a $6 monthly subscription to Samsung's Art Store.
You Only Have 2 Days Left to Order Your Free At-Home COVID Tests. Here's How
You Only Have 2 Days Left to Order Your Free At-Home COVID Tests. Here's How
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the
WHO
and
CDC
websites.
Time is running out to get your free at-home COVID-19 test kits because the US federal government is ending its program soon. USA Today first reported on Aug. 26 that the decision was made due to a limited supply of tests. This comes just as the fall season approaches and as students start the new school year.
Over the weekend, US Postal Service updated its page for at-home COVID tests with an announcement that says the "order for free at-home COVID-19 tests program will be suspended on Friday, September 2, 2022."
The last day to order free COVID tests is Friday, Sept. 2.
USPS/Screenshot by Peter Butler
In January, the government launched CovidTests.gov, a website that let households order four free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests shipped by the US Postal Service. The site added four more free tests in March, and then another eight more in May.
If you haven't received any tests, you can still get all 16 free tests, but you'll need to act quickly. Luckily, it only takes two minutes to order your tests. See below to find out how to get test kits, when they'll arrive and what to do if you have problems.
How to get free COVID-19 tests
You only need to provide the US Postal Service with a few bits of information to get your free test kits. You won't be asked to provide any credit or debit card details, as both the tests and the shipping are free. Here's how to get your free test kits.
1. Visit special.USPS.com/testkits. You can also get there via covidtests.gov.
2. Enter your contact details and shipping information.
3. Click Check Out Now.
4. Verify that your information is correct and select Place My Order.
All orders will be shipped via First Class Package Service.
People who can't access the website or who have trouble ordering online can call 800-232-0233 to order their free tests.
How can I track my order?
Once you place your order, you should receive a confirmation email. When your package ships, you'll receive email notifications providing you with shipping updates, including a tracking number and estimated delivery date. Note that for the third round, you'll receive two packages that'll likely arrive on different days, so look for two confirmation emails with your tracking numbers.
Once you receive it, you can either click the tracking link or copy and paste the tracking number into the Postal Service's website's tracker.
More free COVID-19 test kits are coming.
Sarah Tew/CNET
How many test kits can I get?
According to the USPS, each residential household is eligible for three rounds of free at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests, for a total of 16 kits.
Only one person per address will be able to place an order for the free tests, even if you have multiple people living in your home.
Can I choose which brand test I get?
No, there isn't an option to choose which brand of test you will receive. All tests are rapid antigen tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, like iHealth.
When will the test kits arrive?
Tests are typically sent out within seven to 12 days of an order being successfully placed and are delivered by the USPS within one to three days of shipping.
iHealth COVID-19 rapid antigen tests are supplied for free via USPS.
Angus Mordant/Getty Images
What if I haven't received my first or second batch of test kits?
The USPS says its site has had some difficulties recognizing certain residential addresses, especially apartment buildings, multifamily homes and residences connected to commercial properties.
If you have had issues placing an order, you can file a service request online or call the USPS Help Desk at 800-ASK-USPS.
Is it OK to use a test kit that was left outside?
According to the FDA, manufacturers have ensured that the tests remain stable at various temperatures, "including shipping during the summer in very hot regions and in the winter in very cold regions."
But a test may be damaged by being left outdoors in freezing temperatures or being used immediately after being brought inside from freezing temperatures.
The ideal temperature to store rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits is between 59 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
The FDA has warned about the effect of extreme heat on COVID tests, saying that, "long exposure to high temperatures may impact the test performance," but also recommends simply confirming the test line on the kit.
"As long as the test line[s] appear as described in the instructions, you can be confident that the test is performing as it should," the FDA site says.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
My Solution to Lost AirPods: Apple Needs to Add AirTags' U1 Chip
My Solution to Lost AirPods: Apple Needs to Add AirTags' U1 Chip
The points of praise for Apple's AirPods and AirPods Pro are easy to find: simple pairing with Apple devices, solid battery life, lightweight case, good mic performance for calls. Even the design, once ridiculed, has aged well and no longer looks out of place.
One thing that's really bad, though, is how hard it is to find these small white buds or their pocketable case when they are inevitably lost.
As someone who has been an AirPods and AirPods Pro user for years, I can't count how many times I've misplaced my buds. I'm not a particularly forgetful person and would like to think I do a fine job keeping track of my devices, in general.
AirPods, however, are just a different animal, as I experienced yet again on Thursday morning. I completely forgot where I left them, so I opened the Find My app on my iPhone 13 Pro Max, thinking I could ping them.
Mistake No. 1: Apple's Find My App is great for finding missing iPhones, iPads, Macs or AirTags. It can be horrendous for finding AirPods.
The app showed that they were in my apartment, which was certainly reassuring as it meant I didn't lose them while walking to play basketball at a nearby gym the night before. (Apple does have a "notify when left behind" feature that's nice, but not applicable to my situation.) At times, though, that is the only bit of useful information the app provides.
Tapping "play a sound" did nothing as AirPods in the case can't always play audio — and it can be incredibly hard to hear when they do. Apple has a "Find Nearby" option for AirPods, but that can be similarly worthless for finding encased buds since the connection to other devices isn't consistently active.
You can get an alert when you leave the AirPods behind, which is helpful if you left them somewhere away from home.
Stephen Beacham/CNET
If one bud is lost, this actually can be useful as it uses Bluetooth, so it can help guide you in the right direction and the sound played from the AirPods is noticeably louder. In this instance, however, not so much. Unlike with the iPhone, iPad, AirTags, Apple Watches or the Mac, Apple's Find My app also doesn't show a battery life indicator for AirPods... so you have no idea how much charge remains before even those hints disappear
I spent over an hour and a half turning my apartment inside out trying to find them. I searched through boxes, checked every pocket, looked inside the couch cushions, lifted said couch and emptied out my laundry bag. Nothing.
After giving up all hope and stepping away from searching to do some work, they miraculously reappeared under the couch as I was putting the room back together.
Read more: 10 AirPods Pro Tricks You Should Be Taking Advantage of Every Day
While my latest episode had a happy ending, looking through Twitter I see I am far from alone in losing Apple's earbuds. A cursory search for "lost AirPods" finds countless examples of others sharing similar frustrations.
AirTags to the rescue.
Apple
As rumors persist that Apple has a new version of AirPods Pro in the works for late 2022, I have a simple request: Apple, please put a U1 chip inside them so we can find the damn things more easily.
Found in its AirTags, the U1 chip uses a technology known as ultra wideband (UWB) that allows for what Apple has called "precision finding." This is how AirTags not only let you know if something is nearby but also show an arrow pointing you in the right direction and show how many feet away the AirTag is if you have a compatible iPhone (an iPhone 11 or later, excluding the iPhone SE 3).
As my colleague Stephen Shankland has noted, UWB can calculate locations to "within less than a half inch by measuring how long it takes super-short radio pulses to travel between devices."
Imagine this level of precision for finding AirPods.
Sarah Tew/CNET
As anyone who has ever misplaced AirPods could likely attest, this would be a world of improvement better than Apple's current system for finding AirPods. Throw in the ability to work on the company's Find My network, and lost AirPods left behind in a park or on a bus might no longer be gone forever.
Yes, I know there are some third-party cases that allow you to attach an AirTag to your AirPods, but it's time to go a step further. Add this chip into the AirPods charging case and finding missing headphones will become so much easier. If Apple can somehow squeeze a version of this technology into the actual buds, all the better, but at the very least start with putting one in the case.
When Apple first introduced the U1 chip with the iPhone 11, it teased that the technology was "going to lead to amazing new capabilities." This may not qualify as new, but putting the chip into AirPods would certainly, to me at least, be amazing.
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ZenFone 8 review: Asus' small but mighty phone hits the mark
ZenFone 8 review: Asus' small but mighty phone hits the mark
Asus is betting a small phone will make a big impact. It bills its new midrange ZenFone 8 as the "ultimate compact Android phone." The ZenFone 8 has a crisp 5.9-inch AMOLED display, respectable battery life, dependable cameras, stereo speakers, and powerful internals that by some measures rivals the $1,200 Galaxy S21 Ultra's performance. All this is crammed into a lightweight and slender chassis, making it one of the most compact 5G phones around.
Based on my experience with the ZenFone 8, Asus delivered on exactly what it set out to do, guided by its design mantra of creating something that's "big on performance, compact in size." The ZenFone 8 is clear about what it is and what it is not.
Like
Crisp and responsive display
Stereo speakers
Lightweight and slender design
IP rating for water and dust resistance
Don't Like
No expandable storage
No zoom capability on 64-megapixel lens
Phone gets hot
No telephoto lens
But the ZenFone 8 doesn't have everything. Asus removed the microSD slot for expandable storage in the ZenFone 8. Last year's ZenFone 7 lineup had expandable storage up to 2TB. There's no support for wireless charging, either, and it's not as petite as the iPhone 12 Mini.
ZenFone 8, which has been launched in Europe, starts at 599 euros (roughly $730, £510, AU$930). A US rollout is in the cards too, where pricing is expected to be somewhere between $599 and $799. US prices have not yet been finalized, however.
Asus
ZenFone 8's safe and durable design
Remember the ZenFone 7 and 7 Pro? The two phones, released by Asus last year, made headlines for their cool camera module that flipped over the top of the phone.
Compared to Asus' bold effort last year with the ZenFone 7 lineup, the ZenFone 8 feels like an especially safe play, even though I recognize the effort Asus made to make a slender yet powerful phone. To be clear, Asus didn't get rid of the cool flipping camera entirely -- the ZenFone 8 Flip has an upgraded version. That device will likely not see a US release, however, and I was sent the base version for review.
This year, the camera bump does not flip. Like many phones, it's in a fixed position on the upper left corner of the device, housing two lenses, a flashlight and a microphone. There's also some subtle Asus branding slapped onto the device's frosted glass rear.
On the front, you'll find a crisp 5.9-inch AMOLED screen with relatively chunky bezels for a phone in 2021, and an inconspicuous punch-hole camera on the upper right. On the right side, there's a volume rocker and a power button that can be customized to access system features and apps. I left mine on default settings, which launches Google Assistant when you double press the power button. On the bottom there's a dual-SIM card slot, a notification light and a headphone jack.
When I reflect on this phone, another word that comes to mind is durability. ZenFone 8's IP68 rating means its water and dust proof. Plus, this phone relies on the most resilient Gorilla Glass Victus shielding from Corning, to protect it from shattering when dropped.
ZenFone 8's impressive display
The ZenFone 8 has a flat 5.92-inch OLED panel from Samsung. I was able to use it in various lighting scenarios thanks in part to its high peak brightness of 1,110 nits. In addition, it has full HD plus resolution (2,400x1,080 pixels) and 120Hz display, which can be dialed back to 90Hz or 60Hz to preserve battery life. Most phones have refresh rates of 60Hz, which means the screen refreshes 60 times in a second. 120Hz displays can look a lot smoother when scrolling through webpages by comparison. That's the same speed seen across Samsung's latest Galaxy S21 lineup, including the $1,200 (£1,149, AU$1,849) Galaxy S21 Ultra, as well as Xiaomi's superluxe flagship, the Mi 11 Ultra.
The display was also ultra-responsive, with a 240HZ touch-sampling rate and 1-millisecond response time. There's also an in-screen fingerprint reader. Taking all this into consideration, the ZenFone 8 has a fantastic display for its price range. And even though it's not a WQHD display, I think it's one of the ZenFone 8's most attractive features.
The ZenFone 8 features a dual rear camera system.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
ZenFone 8's dependable dual cameras
The ZenFone 8 rear camera module consists of a 64-megapixel main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. That's one less than last year's pricier models, which featured a third telephoto lens. In front, there's a 12-megapixel selfie shooter. The ZenFone 8's main camera relies on Sony's IMX 686 sensor, the same one used in last year's ZenFone 7 and 7 Pro and several budget Xiaomi phones.
In general, the camera produced solid images whether I was clicking away in bright, indoor, and even dark environments. Because there's no telephoto camera on this device, all of its zoom is digital, and that digital zoom maxes out at 8x zoom. Note also that there's no zoom capability when you're taking 64-megapixel photos. The ZenFone 8 also shoots 8K video.
On the spectrum of smartphone cameras, this isn't the best camera I've ever used (not even close) nor is it the best phone camera for its price range. But I think that's forgivable, because the camera isn't the main selling point of the ZenFone 8, nor is it marketed to be. And as I said earlier, my pictures were respectable in most lighting environments. Here are the cameras in action.
Ultrawide example shot.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Default mode.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
8x zoom images tend to turn out blurry on the ZenFone 8.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Another 8x zoom example.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Taken on default settings.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
The ZenFone 8 did a good job of brightening up images taken at night. Here's a photo of Hong Kong's iconic skyline.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Taken on a cloudy day on a Hong Kong hiking trail.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
The ZenFone 8 captured the depth of field well in this close-up shot of my dog's stuffed toy.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
The selfie camera whitened me, and isn't an accurate reflection of what I look like in person. The iPhone XS Max photo below this does a better job of capturing true-to-life colors.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Taken with 2018's iPhone XS Max. Notice how much warmer it is than the image above. It's also much more color accurate.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Battery care tools extends battery longevity
The ZenFone 8's battery lasted me roughly 25 to 26 hours of what I'd describe as medium use. That means I didn't use the phone for power-intensive games. I used it for things like reading the news or emails, making a few short phone and video calls, scrolling through my social media feeds, taking photos and uploading them to the cloud, watching YouTube videos, scrolling through my social media feeds again and running one benchmark test.
I'd expect less than a day's worth of battery life when you're gaming or using the phone for more extensive tasks. But if you want the charge to last longer, you can take advantage of a suite of battery care tools tucked away in the settings menu.
ZenFone 8 has five system modes that lets you optimize battery life depending on your needs. For demanding tasks, you can crank the system all the way up to High Performance Mode. When juice is running low, the phone intelligently switches to "ultra durable" mode to preserve as much power as possible. In that setting, the device switches to dark mode. When I was running on 1% battery life, the phone lasted me some 30 minutes, before it died. And if you can even fine-tune system performance yourself on Advance mode, and increase the system performance for things like CPU, GPU and RAM performance.
When I eventually ran out of juice, I used the bundled 30-watt charger to replenish the 4,000-mAh battery. It took about an hour and 20 minutes to hit a full charge, but within an hour I'd hit 90%, and within just 30 minutes the battery refilled more than halfway.
The ZenFone 8's power button can be customized to do tasks like firing up Google Docs or opening an app of your choice.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Blazing fast performance
Powering the ZenFone 5 is the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, along with 12GB of RAM, or 16GB in the most expensive model with 256GB of storage. The pricier Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also has 16GB RAM.
But this isn't just about the numbers. When I put the ZenFone 8 through its paces, it was peppy and fast, and handled everything I threw at it without a hitch. In 3D Mark benchmark tests, it performed somewhere between the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 12 lineup, signaling this phone is nothing short of a powerhouse. I wasn't able to get an overall score for 3D Slingshot Unlimited, which didn't output an overall score because the phone was apparently "too powerful."
One thing to note: When I ran those tests, the phone got quite hot, and I noticed the same issue when charging the phone.
HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 review: A solid mainstream touch-screen Win 8 laptop
HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 review: A solid mainstream touch-screen Win 8 laptop
Laptops with touch screens aren't new territory for HP. Windows 8 and its touch-friendly interface, however, gives consumers more of a reason to have one, even on traditional laptop designs like the HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 (4t-1100 series to be precise).
It looks like a pretty standard laptop, albeit a nice-looking one, with brushed black metal on the outside with nothing but a simple HP logo decorating the lid. There's silver trim around the outside, giving you a hint about the brushed silver metal inside surrounding the keyboard.
The ultrabook branding may make you think the Envy is especially thin and light; it is not. However, at a little less than an inch thick and weighing 4.5 pounds, it's certainly not huge and heavy.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Open it up and you'll see there's barely a bezel around the 14-inch touch screen, so you can more easily take advantage of Windows 8's active edges for opening the Charms bar, closing apps, or flipping through your open windows. The screen's hinges are fairly stiff, but there is still some bounce when tapping and swiping the screen (just how much depends on the angle of the screen and strength of your taps). It does not go all the way flat, so drawing or writing or using the onscreen keyboard isn't a great experience; a Windows 8 tablet or something like the Dell XPS 12 would be a better choice.
For those expecting a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution display, you'll have to spend more money for the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart; the Envy's resolution is 1,366x768 pixels, which is what we're seeing on many sub-$1,000 ultrabooks. The quality is good with nice color and contrast, though it does invert when you're looking up at it. Off-angle viewing to the sides is fine, though.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The keyboard is shallow, so there's not much key travel. But that can be said of many ultrabooks with island-style keyboards; it's something that gets sacrificed with slimmer bodies. It's otherwise a nice keyboard, with big, square well-spaced keys.
The touch pad is big, but it lacks discrete mouse buttons. Instead you'll just see a line sectioning off the bottom of the pad for left and right clicks. The touch pad is a bit too sensitive to brushes from your palm when typing at the default settings, but it can be adjusted somewhat with its software. A double tap in the upper left corner quickly shuts the pad off.
Sarah Tew/CNET
You can also turn on and off multitouch gestures for pinch-to-zoom, rotate, and two-finger scrolling. And for those times when you don't feel like getting fingerprints on your screen, you can use the touch pad for the active edge functions of Windows 8, such as bringing up the Charms bar.
The speakers are under a grill above the keyboard and are fine for casual listening. They're capable of pushing out decent audio, but, regardless of their Beats Audio processing, you won't mistake them for a good set of external speakers.
Above the screen is an HP TrueVision HD Webcam. It works well with the bundled Cyberlink YouCam software, but you'll still want good lighting to avoid noise and off colors.
Sarah Tew/CNET
HP Envy TouchSmart 4
Average for category [14-inch]
Video
HDMI
VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data
2 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, SD card reader
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, SD card reader
Networking
Ethernet, Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi
Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive
None
DVD burner
Though you won't find the Thunderbolt port that's on the Spectre XT TouchSmart, you do get a good assortment of connections. On the left you'll find Ethernet, HDMI, two USB 3.0, and a memory card reader. The right side has the power jack, a USB 2.0 port, and headphone and mic jacks. There is no optical drive or VGA-out if those things are important to you.
Price as reviewed
$974.98
Processor
1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U
Memory
4GB, 1,600MHz DDR3
Hard drive
500GB 5,400 HDD hybrid with 32GB SSD
Chipset
Intel HM77
Graphics
Intel HD 4000
Operating system
Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)
Dimensions (WD)
13.4x9.3 inches
Height
0.78 inch
Screen size (diagonal)
14 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter
4.5 pounds / 5.3 pounds
Category
Ultrabook
Pricing for the Envy TouchSmart starts at $799, but the configuration we're currently testing is $974.98 because of a step up in processor from Core i3 to i5, a backlit keyboard, and Windows 8 Pro. (Since this system is aimed at consumers and not business, Windows 8 is standard and shaves $70 off the price making it $904.98. Depending on promotions, it can be found for less.)
For that price you'll also get a 500GB hybrid hard drive with 32GB of flash memory, 4GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 RAM, and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. The laptop is configurable through HP, but despite what HP initially told us, options for solid-state drives and discrete AMD graphics are not available. However, you can increase the amount of memory to 8GB (1 or 2 DIMMs) or get things like an external optical drive.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Its performance is on par with similarly configured Windows ultrabooks like the Sony Vaio T13 Touch. Like that laptop, it's a good mix of components for everyday tasks and entertainment and it did well against similarly configured Windows 7 systems, beating or keeping pace with them in our tests.
The system also booted up pretty fast in less than 15 seconds. That's not as fast as SSD-based ultrabooks I've tested, but faster than a system running on only a regular 5,400rpm hard drive. Any additional demands that the touch display may have on system performance didn't seem to slow it down. Everything operated smoothly with no lag when quickly switching between Windows Desktop and Windows 8 style interface. Apps opened quickly and swiping between open windows was breezy.
The Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics, by the way, can't handle mainstream PC games all that well, but for casual games, such as those available in the Windows app store, it's sufficient.
HP claims up to 5 hours of battery life for this Envy and, going by our tests, that's exactly what you can expect. On our video playback drain test, the laptop shutdown after 5 hours and 4 minutes. Though that's certainly a very good battery life for a mainstream laptop, it is more than 30 minutes less than what you'll get from the Sony T13.
HP's Envy line gets only basic default warranty protection. In this case, that's one year of parts and labor coverage. Upgrading to two years will cost $89, while two years of accidental damage protection and on-site service (with a three-day window), is $140.
Conclusion If you're looking for a Windows 8 laptop for everyday use with the benefits of a traditional design and a touch screen, the HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 is a good way to go. However, it is similar in price, size, and performance to the Sony Vaio T13 Touch, so you may want to consider that one as well. The Sony costs a bit more, has a 13.3-inch screen and lacks a backlit keyboard, but has more RAM and slightly better battery life, among other things.
Motorola's Moto Z is a premium phone that made waves with its magnetic snap-on accessories. Unlike the LG G5, which also had swappable components, Motorola's take on modularity made a lot more sense and was easier to use.
With its Moto Z Play, the company trimmed down the hardware but beefed up the battery, retained the quirky Moto Mod feature and slapped on a cheaper price. And what can I say? I'm all for it. Affordable, reliable and boasting super-long battery life, the Z Play is an excellent midrange phone even without the Mods.
The device is available in the US on Verizon for $408, but an unlocked version that's compatible with GSM networks will be available globally in October for $450 (or £347 and AU$590, converted). Compare that with the original Z and its other counterpart the Z Force, which costs an additional $200 or more, the Z Play offers you all the goodies from Motorola's Z series, without breaking your wallet.
What makes this phone unique again?
The Z Play is a fully functioning handset, but on its back are two rows of magnetic bumps that let you attach and swap out accessories called Moto Mods. These Mods have a variety of uses and can be as simple as a decorative back cover (those covers come in a variety of patterns and textures) or as complex as an extra battery case, a snap-on speaker with kickstand or a projector. Motorola's newest Mod, a point-and-shoot camera accessory with a 10x optical zoom, is called the Hasselblad True Zoom.
The Mods are incredibly easy to use. With the audio speaker, music automatically starts playing when attached,and the projector requires hardly any setup. Even the True Zoom takes only a few seconds to ramp up and start capturing pictures.
Connecting the point-and-shoot camera accessory with the Moto Z Play.
Josh Miller/CNET
What's the difference between this Z Play and the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force?
The Z Play looks like the Z and Z Force (they share that annoying fingerprint sensor on the front that can be mistaken too easily for the home button), but as the more affordable midrange option, its specs vary. For one, instead of ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack like the other two, the Z Play still has its jack. That means its USB Type-C port and headphone jack exist side by side, together and happy, and you don't need a dongle adapter to listen to your music. You can also charge your phone while listening to beats. With even the Apple iPhone 7 losing its jack, maybe there's hope for your wired headphones in this cruel post-headphone-jack world, after all.
Though Z Play's 5.5-inch display is the same size as the other two, but it has a 1,080-pixel resolution compared with the others' 1,440p, and it isn't as durable as the Z Force's ShatterShield display. The Z Play also has a less powerful processor and a bit less RAM and its 16-megapixel rear camera sits between the Z and the Z Force's in terms of megapixels (compare all specs below). The camera lacks optical image stabilization too, so your photos might look blurrier if you have an unsteady hand.
From left to right: Motorola's Moto Z Play, Z and Z Force.
Josh Miller/CNET
Lastly, the Z Play is a tad thicker and heavier than the already weighty Z Force. This is because the former packs a slightly larger battery. Motorola says this is the "longest-lasting phone battery" on a Moto phone, which I'll get to later. For a quick comparison, check out our chart below:
Motorola Moto Z series
Motorola Moto Z Play
Motorola Moto Z
Motorola Moto Z Force (US only)
Display size, resolution
5.5-inch; 1,920X1,080 pixels
5.5-inch; 2,560x1,440 pixels
5.5-inch; 2,560x1,440 pixels
Pixel density
403 ppi
535 ppi
535 ppi
Dimensions (Inches)
6.16x3x0.28 in
6.11x2.96x0.2 in
6.14x2.98x0.28 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)
156.4x76.4x6.99 mm
155.3x75.3x5.19 mm
155.9x75.8x6.99 mm
Weight (Ounces, grams)
5.82 oz; 165 g
4.79 oz; 136 g
5.75 oz; 163 g
Mobile software
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera
16-megapixel
13-megapixel
21-megapixel
Front-facing camera
5-megapixel
5-megapixel
5-megapixel
Video capture
4K
4K
4K
Processor
2.0GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Storage
32GB
32, 64GB
32, 64GB
RAM
3GB
4GB
4GB
Expandable storage
Up to 2TB
Up to 2TB
Up to 2TB
Battery
3,510 mAh (nonremovable)
2,600 mAh (nonremovable)
3,500 mAh (nonremovable)
Fingerprint sensor
Below screen
Below screen
Below screen
Connector
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
Special features
Headphone jack, Moto Mod snap-on accessories and dedicated accessory port on back
Moto Mod snap-on accessories and dedicated accessory port on back
Moto Mod snap-on accessories and dedicated accessory port on back
Price off-contract (USD)
$450 unlocked
$699 unlocked
$720 (on Verizon)
Price (GBP)
£347 converted
£499
£555 converted
Price (AUD)
AU$590 converted
AU$905 converted
AU$944 converted
How's the camera?
The phone's 16-megapixel camera took clear, decent photos and its shutter operated quickly. Though I didn't have as a noticeably rough time with the camera's white balance as I did with the Z and Z Force, some images I captured still had white hues that were slightly tinted blue. Dimmer environments understandably featured more graininess, but the camera was altogether satisfactory for quick, casual shots. For more about photo quality, check out the images below and click on them to view them at their full resolution.
A sunny outdoor shot shows objects that are bright and in focus.
Lynn La/CNET
In this well-lit indoor image, you can see a few blue tints against the white background.
Lynn La/CNET
In this closeup image, you can see the fine detailing of the shrimp cakes.
Lynn La/CNET
The small text in this picture is still readable, especially at full resolution.
Lynn La/CNET
Does it perform well?
The most outstanding thing about the Z Play is its battery life. For our lab tests (we conducted two trials) of continuous video playback in Airplane mode, the device lasted an eyebrow-raising 23 hours and 3 minutes. Outside the lab, with mild usage it lasted four whole days without a charge. Four! The handset also comes with a 15W Turbo Charger for fast charging. Within an hour it regained 56 percent of its power and it was fully charged after 1 hour and 48 minutes.
As for its processor, the Z Play's Snapdragon 625 chipset isn't as advanced as the Snapdragon 820 on paper. Our benchmark tests confirmed this when I compared it with the Z and Z Force. The OnePlus 3, which also has the 820 processor but costs the same as the Z Play, outscored the Z Play as well on all tests, and the Alcatel Idol 4S, which has a 652 processor, beat the Z Play too.
But with day-to-day usage, you won't be able to discern much of a difference. The Z Play is fast enough to satisfy your common phone needs, and I didn't notice any sluggishness or delay with real-world tasks like opening the app drawer, calling up the keyboard, and launching apps like games and the camera.
Motorola Moto Z Play Benchmark Scores
Motorola Moto Z Play810264014168Motorola Moto Z1733409329675Motorola Moto Z Force1730418130468OnePlus 31750408930337Alcatel Idol 4S1459341517627
Geekbench 4 Single-Core
Geekbench 4 Multi-Core
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Should I get it?
Although it isn't as fast on paper as its Z and Z Force brethren, or its fellow $400 rivals like the OnePlus 3, Alcatel Idol 4S or ZTE Axon 7, the Motorola Moto Z Play is still worth your consideration. Sure, if you're on a tighter budget and don't find its Moto Mods completely necessary, I say go for the OnePlus 3. You'll be saving some dough and you'll have a more attractive handset by far.
Of the three Moto Zs in the series, the Z Play has the most value.
Josh Miller/CNET
But if $450 is still within your price range (or £347 and AU$590, converted) and you want a phone that you can go days without charging, get the Moto Z Play. You won't have to use its Mods if you don't want to buy them (though they are fun to play around with), and you'll still get an enduring handset (with a headphone jack!) that'll outlast the next $400 or even $700 phone by far.
Motorola Moto Z Play comparison chart
Motorola Moto Z Play
OnePlus 3
Alcatel Idol 4S
ZTE Axon 7
Display size, resolution
5.5-inch; 1,920X1,080 pixels
5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels
5.5-inch; 2,560x1,440 pixels
5.5-inch; 2,560x1,440 pixels
Pixel density
403 ppi
401ppi
534 ppi
538 ppi
Dimensions (Inches)
6.16x3x0.28 in
6.01x2.94x0.29 in
6.06X2.97X0.28 in
5.97x2.95x0.31 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)
156.4x76.4x6.99 mm
152.7x74.7x7.35 mm
153.9x75.4x6.99 mm
151.8x75x8.7 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)
5.82 oz; 165 g
5.57 oz; 158 g
5.26 oz; 149 g
6.53 oz; 185 g
Mobile software
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Camera
16-megapixel
16-megapixel
16-megapixel
20-megapixel
Front-facing camera
5-megapixel
8-megapixel
8-megapixel
8-megapixel
Video capture
4K
4K
4K
4K
Processor
2.0GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
1.8GHz + 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652
2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Storage
32GB
64GB
32GB
64GB, 128GB (varies by region)
RAM
3GB
6GB
3GB
4GB, 6GB (varies by region)
Expandable storage
Up to 2TB
None
Up to 200GB
Up to 128GB
Battery
3,510 mAh (nonremovable)
3,000mAh (nonremovable)
3,000mAh (nonremovable)
3,000mAh (nonremovable)
Fingerprint sensor
Below screen
Home button
Back cover
Back cover
Connector
USB-C
USB-C
Micro-USB
USB-C
Special features
Moto Mod snap-on accessories and dedicated accessory port on back
