Lenovo Moto Z: A Svelte Modular Concept

Just different. That was the first thing that came to my mind when I first saw the Moto Z. Yeah you heard it right and i assume you are wondering whether the Motorola of yesteryear is back. Lenovo has done something unique with this device; making it the first modular phone I’ve ever laid my hands on. Apart from the aircraft-grade aluminium and stainless steel it is built with, the device has a lot more to offer.

Design

At just 5.2mm thick, 136g weight and its metallic build, the Moto Z is probably the thinnest flagship phone I’ve ever seen. The device has a 5.5 inch, quad HD AMOLED display, with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. And yes, it’s covered with a corning gorilla glass 4 for protection. It has a water resistant coating and a finger print sensor as well.  It uses a USB Type-C 1.0 reversible connector for charging.

Although the Moto Z doesn’t have a headphone jack which is really annoying, a headphone can be connected through a USB Type-C adapter. So, it’s not so bad.

FingerPrint Sensor

The fingerprint sensor is quite impressive and at the same time, confusing. I say impressive because it is fast to detect and learn finger print, setting up is easy and fast and it detects the registered finger no matter the angle it is placed.

The sensor is placed right in the middle of the phone’s chin which is often confused as the home button. Although, I kind of understand why it’s placed at that position; it’s probably faster to access. However i still prefer the sensor placed at the back.

Operating system

The Moto Z runs on Android OS, version 6.0.1 Marshmallow which can be upgraded to version 7.0 (Nougat).

Camera

With a 13MP, laser autofocus back camera and a 5MP front facing camera, I think that’s quite impressive under natural lighting and abundant light conditions but not so mind blowing – it is not so great in low light (someone pls turn on the light!) The camera also comes with a dual LED flash at the back and surprisingly, for the front as well. Say hello to night selfies!

Memory

It runs on 4GB RAM with an internal memory of 32GB which is expandable with a microSD to up to 256 GB.

Battery

It is kept running by a 2,600mAh Li-Ion battery which charges quite fast; it delivers 8hrs of use when charged for just 15 mins and almost a full day when fully charged. I have to say that this phone was made for heavy users like me. I really don’t know how the guys at Lenovo were able to achieve that with a 2,600mAh battery.

Most Interesting Feature

Lenovo brought in the modular concept into this device, calling it the Moto Mods. The Moto Mods are interchangeable magnetic backs that snap on to the phone. With these, the device can be used as a projector, a mega speaker, a zoom lens and many more. That’s like the coolest thing ever!!

My Verdict

From the battery life, to the camera, the device rates a 7 out of a 10 for me. The finger print sensor would have made up the remaining 3 but it looks like a home button which is quite confusing to me. But it still wins with its ‘every angle detection’.

The holy grail here is the Moto Mods which has just topped the game. If not for anything, I would definitely hang on to the Moto Z just because of the Mods. But overall, the device is a ‘take home to mama!’