Motorola Moto Z Play review: A battery beast

Motorola Moto Z Play review: A battery beast

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 Play 810 2640 14168 Motorola Moto Z 1733 4093 29675 Motorola Moto Z Force 1730 4181 30468 OnePlus 3 1750 4089 30337 Alcatel Idol 4S 1459 3415 17627

• 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	Notifications toggle, dual-SIM, Dash Charging	Boom Key (programable key), reversible OS, dual-SIM	Dual-SIM
Price off-contract (USD)	$450	$399	$400	$400
Price (GBP)	£347 converted	£329	£385	Converts to £345
Price (AUD)	AU$590 converted	Converts to AU$530	AU$470	Converts to AU$605

---

Source

Tags:

• Moto Z Battery Mod
• Moto Z Play Review
• Moto Z Play Droid Battery
• Motorola Z2 Play Battery
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play Review
• Motorola Moto Z Play
• Motorola Moto G Play Review
• Motorola Moto Z3 Play Review
• Motorola Moto Z Play
• Motorola Moto Z3
• Motorola Moto Z2

Moto g stylus 5g review great specs for 500 butternut moto g stylus 5g review great specs for pc moto g stylus 5g review great specs in northampton moto g stylus 5g review great courses moto g stylus 5g review great american moto g stylus 5g review great clips moto g stylus 5g 2022 review moto g stylus 5g 2021

Moto G Stylus 5G Review: Great Specs For $500 But Limited Software Updates

Moto G Stylus 5G Review: Great Specs For $500 But Limited Software Updates

Motorola's Moto G Stylus 5G has everything you want from a sub-$500 phone at first glance. At $500 (which roughly converts to £320 and AU$560) it has higher-end features normally found on more expensive phones, including a 6.8-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 50-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. You also get a built-in stylus, a feature that Samsung is now only providing for its luxe $1,200 Galaxy S22 Ultra. The phone has great battery life to boot. It all sounds great for the money, but there are some important details to keep in mind if you go with this phone.

Motorola sells the Stylus 5G unlocked with a roomy 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. It also includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip, which is generally more powerful than the MediaTek one included in the $300 4G-only Moto G Stylus from earlier this year. Its 5G support includes sub-6 and C-band frequencies. A Verizon version will also support millimeter-wave 5G.

All this makes the phone fit right in with midrange rivals such as the $450 Galaxy A53 and last year's $449 Pixel 5A with 5G. But unlike Samsung and Google, which both commit to years of software updates, Motorola only promises one major software update to its G line of phones. This means that while the Stylus 5G is shipping right now with Android 12 and will eventually get Android 13, you'll only receive three years of security updates instead of any additional feature upgrades.

Motorola says this could be a perk, offering stability and consistency with its menus and interface. But even if you buy a cheaper phone, you shouldn't have to sacrifice updates because you probably want it to last as long as possible.

This makes the Moto G Stylus 5G worth considering if you want to hold onto the phone for two or three years, but it's a tougher sell if you want a phone that'll be viable for longer. It has many of the best Android 12 features, including the option to customize menus to your favorite color, and a long-lasting battery. And if a stylus is important to you on top of that, this phone could be the best pick for you.

The Moto G Stylus 5G has a few different apps optimized for the stylus.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Tall phone with a big battery

The Moto G Stylus 5G is a tall and thin phone, making it easy to hold and even text with one hand. I'm normally a fan of phones with screens longer than 6.5 inches because it's easier to watch videos and read. But the shape of the phone leaves its top half exposed, which would make it easier for a thief to snatch if you're not paying attention.

I can alleviate this by using the stylus and the phone's handwriting recognition keyboard instead, which gets me a better grip on the body. Yet that comes at the expense of speed and accuracy compared to touch typing and autocorrect. Putting the phone in a case paired with a PopSocket, or something similar, could also help with that safety concern.

Otherwise the screen is great for watching and reading content, especially since it provides the option to boost the refresh rate up to 120Hz. Motorola also provides options for using a dynamic refresh rate depending on how you're using the phone or a 60Hz option, both of which consume less power on the battery.

The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 5,000-mAh battery.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Yet with a beefy 5,000-mAh battery inside, the phone easily made it through a few full days of heavy usage with 120Hz on at all times. I watch a lot of YouTube, play games, take video calls, capture photos and videos and even on my longest day it still had 30 to 50% capacity when I was ready to go to bed. I averaged just over 3 hours of screen time each day but with less intensive usage patterns I'm sure the phone could easily last well into a second day.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)

Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

Note:

Higher scores are better

Geekbench 5 Multicore

Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)

Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Note:

Higher scores are better

While all that extra power is great, it's worth noting that the Stylus 5G does charge more slowly than rival phones. You get a power adapter -- something that's disappearing from most phone boxes lately -- but it's a 10W charger with a USB-A to USB-C cable. Motorola said that you can use a different power adapter with the phone, but the maximum speed it can charge is 15W. By comparison the Galaxy A53 also has a 5,000-mAh battery and can charge at up to 25W, but you need to buy a power adapter separately. When I ran the Stylus 5G down to 0%, it took roughly 2.5 hours to charge it up to 95% using the included charger.

Shockingly, there's a headphone jack included, something that's practically nonexistent for phones in this price range. Motorola includes Dolby Atmos, which can be applied to specific headphones and speakers that you connect.

The stylus inside the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Stylus features are nice, but lack impact

The Moto G Stylus 5G includes a stylus, but the best thing about it is its dedicated slot in the phone. When you remove the stylus, you'll see a menu of shortcuts including an option to take a screenshot to annotate, take a note or open a coloring book app. 

Motorola is also launching a Live Message feature, which lets you create an animated drawing and send it out through a favorite messaging app. I was easily able to make these, and send them to friends the way I'd send a GIF. My friends found the animations amusing but this isn't something I'd do every day.

The stylus is neat, but it's hard for me to imagine using it on a regular basis. If you need to sign a digital document, it's now easy to get that done with a service like DocuSign, Microsoft Office or Google Docs. Unless you absolutely need a stylus, you'd be better off considering the sub-$500 phones that don't include one. 

The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor camera.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Stable photography

The biggest improvement on the Moto G Stylus 5G over last year's version is with the inclusion of optical image stabilization. This reduces hand shake while taking photos, helping prevent motion blur.

The main 50-megapixel camera on the back of the phone is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel depth sensor camera. On the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

I took the phone to a dog park, where I needed to move quickly to get photos of the puppies. I shot plenty of great dog photos, including of my friend's dog Mel who got particularly aggressive with a football toy.

Photo taken on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Mel, the dog pictured here, wouldn't let any other dog near this football. Photo taken on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

I also took the phone to a Korean barbecue restaurant as well as to a karaoke night, where I used the phone's Night mode to help capture more detail in darker indoor settings. It captured all of the details of the meal, but at the theater the results were more saturated. There's a noticeable blur on objects that were farther away.

Night mode on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Night mode on the Moto G Stylus 5G.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Photo taken on the Moto G Stylus 5G's front-facing camera.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

The front-facing camera also captured a lot of detail while I made faces at the camera.

Video isn't the phone's strong suit. You can choose between 30 and 60 frames per second, but otherwise it's limited to 1080p for capture. Last year's Stylus 5G includes 4K video recording, so I was surprised that feature didn't stick around. 

The footage I took at the dog park was OK, but wasn't particularly detailed even in good lighting. I wouldn't expect to capture anything more than short video clips that could be shared with friends or family.

Limited software support hurts an otherwise good phone

Even though the phone's stylus, good photography, larger screen and higher refresh rate all recommend it, it's hard for me to ignore Motorola's commitment to just one major Android update.

I used a Moto Z2 Play as my personal phone back in 2018. When it developed bugs, the slower software updates meant I couldn't be confident those issues would be resolved.

Motorola pledges security updates for three years, which will at least make sure the Stylus 5G isn't vulnerable to most malicious threats. But Samsung pledged to support Galaxy A phones for four years while Google gave the Pixel 6 three years of software updates and five years of security updates. Motorola is woefully behind in comparison.

Unless you crave the stylus and want a phone for $500 or less, I suggest waiting a few more weeks until after Google I/O. It's rumored Google will announce a cheaper Pixel 6A, possibly in the $450 to $500 price range. Motorola's $400 Moto G 5G, sans stylus, will also launch in the coming weeks. Once those phones are released, we'll have a better overall idea which is the best phone in this price range. 

Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) vs. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, Google Pixel 5A with 5G, Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)

	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Google Pixel 5A with 5G	Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2021)
Display size, resolution	6.8-inch LTPS LCD FHD Plus; 2,460 x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.5-inch AMOLED 2,400x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.34-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60Hz	6.8-inch LCD FHD Plus; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60Hz
Pixel density	TBD	405ppi	413ppi	386ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.65x2.98x0.37 in	6.28x2.94x0.32 in	6.1x2.9x0.3 in	6.67x3.05x0.39 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	168.9x75.8x9.3 mm	159.6x74.8x8.1 mm	156.2x73.2x8.8 mm	169.54x77.48x9.35 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	7.58 oz; 215 grams	6.67 oz; 189 grams	6.45 oz; 183 grams	7.67 oz; 217.5 grams
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 12	Android 11	Android 11
Camera	50-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultrawide/macro), 2-megapixel (depth)	64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth)	12-megapixel (wide), 16-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 2-megapixel (depth sensor)
Front-facing camera	16-megapixel	32-megapixel	8-megapixel	16-megapixel
Video capture	1,080p	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 695 5G	Exynos 1280	Snapdragon 765G	Snapdragon 480 5G
Storage	256GB	128GB	128GB	256GB
RAM	8GB	6GB	6GB	6GB
Expandable storage	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB	None	Up to 1TB
Battery	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (charger not included)	4,680 mAh (18W wired charger included)	5,000 mAh (10W wired charger included)
Fingerprint sensor	Side	In-display	Back	Back
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	Yes	None	Yes	Yes
Special features	5G-enabled; OIS for main camera; NFC for Google Pay, Stylus	5G-enabled; IP67 rating; supports 25W wired fast charging, Samsung Pay	5G-enabled, IP67 water rating, Dual Sim	5G-enabled, Stylus,
Price off-contract (USD)	$500	$450	$449	$400
Price (GBP)	Converts to £320	£399	Converts to £345	Converts to £285
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$560	AU$699	Converts to AU$620	Converts to AU$515

---

Source