The original Moto Z Play was a popular device amid those who wanted a massive bombardment in a mid-range device with decent hardware and software. The three,510 mAh battery delivered some of the best results of the twelvemonth, and when combined with Moto Mod functionality, the Z Play at its $400 toll indicate was 1 of Motorola's most successful devices.

The Moto Z2 Play is a picayune different. Information technology's still a mid-range offering, slotting between the flagship Moto Z2 Force at the top, and the quality upkeep Moto G phones below. But instead of targeting battery enthusiasts like its predecessor, the Moto Z2 Play is a more traditional mid-range handset that offers admission to modular functionality at a lower price point.

The battery has been reduced to three,000 mAh, which is average for a mid-tier handset, equally Motorola has opted for a slimmer handset over better battery life. The phone still uses a mid-range Snapdragon 62x series SoC, with a v.five-inch 1080p AMOLED display. It'due south still available unlocked and with stock Android on board.

The virtually curious aspect to the Moto Z2 Play is its price point. The telephone is available for $408 locked to Verizon, or $499 every bit an unlocked device. This places information technology dangerously close to budget flagships like the Xiaomi Mi half-dozen and OnePlus five, which offering better hardware for a lower price.

Sure, the Moto Z2 Play is cheaper than most loftier-end phones similar the LG G6, Galaxy S8, Moto Z2 Forcefulness, and then forth, simply the market is more crowded than that, and the Z2 Play will have to offering something special to compete strongly. So let's accept a expect.

The about striking aspect to the Z2 Play is its slim body. At under six.0mm thick, yet still packing a three,000 mAh bombardment, the Z2 Play is i of the slimmest phones on the market right now. As before, this has come at the expense of bombardment capacity: the Z2 Play is a millimeter slimmer and 20 grams lighter than the Z Play, but its battery is xv percent smaller. The Z Play wasn't a fatty phone by any stretch, so information technology's interesting that Motorola felt the demand to make the Z2 Play slimmer. Personally I'd prefer to continue the larger battery, simply the Z2 Play's slender construction is certainly pretty remarkable.

Opting for such a slim body has resulted in a very prominent round photographic camera bump on the rear, which protrudes several millimeters out to accommodate the 12-megapixel sensor and f/1.7 lens. From a pattern standpoint, the protruding bump doesn't look bad, though when viewing the phone at off angles it can look somewhat foreign. Equally an selection, you tin buy "style shells" that clip onto the back and reduce the bear upon of the bump; one is included in the box.

The build quality of the Z2 Play is very adept beyond the board. The phone is mostly made of metal around the sides and rear, with a polycarbonate antenna band wrapping around the entire rear slab in a way that looks adequately respectable. The design and copious use of metal makes the handset easy to grip and hold, which isn't the case with competing phones with slippery glass backs. The front is protected by Gorilla Glass.

My main issue with the design is the massive amount of bezel around the brandish. This is quite conspicuously a 5.five-inch screen in a 5.7-inch body, with large bezels above and below the display, as well equally a gap on either side. Modern smartphone pattern trends are virtually reducing bezel size, merely Motorola hasn't bothered here, which leaves their design looking dated. Naturally they do have some design restrictions to keep the Moto Z line uniform with Mods, but a larger screen would have been appreciated non just on the Z2 Play, simply Motorola's other Z phones too.

Speaking of Moto Mods, the Z2 Play is compatible with the entire line-up released then far. Motorola is the simply visitor with a successful modular phone lineup – other companies similar LG tried and failed – and part of the success has come from having multiple phones that support the same mods. The Moto Mods ecosystem has grown slowly merely steadily, and it's reached a point where in that location are some genuinely useful additions.

My personal favorites are the battery packs from third parties such as Incipio and Mophie. The new 360-degree camera, forth with the gamepad, are likewise clever additions that some may savor. All mods magnetically attach to the rear, and connect through the large pins on the bottom. Mods are easy to attach and detach when you want, and magnets are potent enough that mods won't autumn off during everyday utilize. The implementation is clever and it just works.

The remainder of the phone is pretty well featured. There's a fingerprint sensor on the front, below the brandish, though I feel it would exist better if information technology doubled as a home button aslope capacitive navigation buttons; instead the Z2 Play opts for on-screen buttons. There'due south besides a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack (not establish on the more expensive Z2 Forcefulness), and a water repellent nano-blanket that protects against pocket-sized splashes. The Z2 Play doesn't have an IP rating and information technology isn't water resistant, simply information technology should survive if you accidentally spill some water on information technology.

Like some other Motorola phones of late, the Z2 Play has a single speaker higher up the display, which is used for both telephone calls and equally a loudspeaker. The volume this speaker produces is average, and the quality is okay, though it'd have been nice to see an boosted speaker on the bottom edge (or forepart) for a stereo feel.