Moto Z Play is an Android

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

developed by

Motorola Mobility Motorola Mobility LLC, marketed as Motorola, is an American consumer electronics manufacturer primarily producing smartphones and other mobile devices running Android OS, Android. It is a subsidiary of the Chinese multinational technology company ...

. Unveiled in August 2016 at

IFA Berlin The IFA ( ) or Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (International radio exhibition Berlin, a.k.a. 'Berlin Radio Show') is one of the oldest industrial exhibitions in Germany. Between 1924 and 1939 it was an annual event, but from 1950 it was ...

, it is a mid-range version of the

Moto Z Moto Z is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. Unveiled on June 9, 2016, as its flagship model for the year, the Moto Z is distinguished by the "Moto Mods" technosystem which allows case accessories to be magnetically attached t ...

, distinguished primarily by its larger battery (thus making it a ''de facto'' successor to the

Moto X Play Moto X Play is an Android (operating system), Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. Unveiled on July 28, 2015, it was one of three devices that succeeded the Moto X (second generation), second-generation Moto ...

, a similarly-positioned counterpart to the company's 2015 flagship, the Moto X Style). As with the Moto Z, the Z Play is compatible with "

MotoMod Moto Z is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. Unveiled on June 9, 2016, as its flagship model for the year, the Moto Z is distinguished by the "Moto Mods" technosystem which allows case accessories to be magnetically attached t ...

s" accessories that can be magnetically attached to the device to provide additional functionality.

Specifications

The Moto Z Play's chassis utilizes a metal frame and body; it is thicker than the flagship

model, at , and includes a

USB-C USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C) is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector. The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be confused with the conne ...

connector and a 3.5 mm

headphone jack A phone connector, also known as phone jack, audio jack, headphone jack or jack plug, is a family of electrical connectors typically used for analog signal, analog audio signals. A plug, the Gender of connectors and fasteners, male connect ...

. The rear of the device contains

pogo pin A pogo pin or spring-loaded pin is a type of electrical connector mechanism that is used in many modern electronic applications and in the electronics testing industry. They are used for their improved durability over other electrical contacts, a ...

connectors used to communicate with "MotoMod" accessories. The Moto Z Play includes a 1080p display, an octa-core

Qualcomm Snapdragon Snapdragon is a suite of system on a chip (SoC) semiconductor products for mobile devices designed and marketed by Qualcomm Technologies Inc. The Snapdragon's central processing unit (CPU) uses the ARM architecture. A single SoC may include mu ...

625 system-on-chip, and 3GB of RAM. The Moto Z Play includes 32GB of internal storage, expandable via

MicroSDXC Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDis ...

card, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and a fingerprint scanner.

Reception

''CNET'' noted that the Z Play had advantages over the standard model, including a bigger battery and a headphone jack, although it was thicker and heavier, and the fingerprint sensor was once again criticized for looking too much like a home button. The camera was considered to be "altogether satisfactory for quick, casual shots", with fewer white balance issues than the Moto Z, but grainy low-light shots. In a test of "mild" real-world use, the device's battery lasted four days on a single charge. While judged as being slower in tests than the competing Alcatel Idol 4S and

OnePlus 3 The OnePlus 3 (also abbreviated as OP3) is a smartphone produced by OnePlus. It was revealed on 14 June 2016. The phone was unveiled in a virtual reality event and OnePlus offered its customers Loop VR headsets to experience the event using th ...

, it was felt that the Moto Z's performance was "enough to satisfy your common phone needs", and was not sluggish in launching apps and performing common tasks. In conclusion, it was felt that the Moto Z Play was "an affordable phone with an impressively enduring battery life."

References

{{Android tablets Android (operating system) devices Motorola mobile phones Mobile phones introduced in 2016 Modular smartphones