Moto Z Droid, Moto Z Force Droid, and Moto Mods hands-on: coming soon to Verizon
The year's hottest new smartphone trend may just be modular design, letting users add functionality to their phone by swapping in and out extra hardware. LG got the ball rolling with the G5, but limited availability of its so-called “LG Friends” has managed to take the wind out of those sails a little. And while we look forward to seeing what Google manages to deliver in terms of its modular Project Ara phone a little later this year, right now the most promising names in modular phone hardware are Lenovo and Motorola, with last month's launch of the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, and the Moto Mods platform.
As Verizon gets ready to share its release plans for the new Motos, we checked back in with the handsets as they'll be landing at the carrier, getting another up-close look at both well-equipped Androids, as well as the family of Moto Mods accessories that will accompany them.
Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid
The Moto Z Force Droid starts with the same basic hardware and adds a few upgrades. While it's got the same 5.5-inch quad-HD display, Motorola blesses that screen with the same ultra-durable ShatterShield construction as last year's Droid Turbo 2.
There is one big trade-off with the Moto Z Force Droid, as it's not quite so super-thin, coming in a hair under 7mm thick. That space doesn't go to waste, though, as Motorola upgrades the phone's battery to a 3,500mAh component.
Both handsets provide fingerprint scanners, USB Type-C interfaces, and the sort of polish we'd expect from a manufacturer's annual flagship model – and that's saying something, with Motorola managing to keep the Moto Z Droid feeling solid even with its incredibly thin frame. But the phones themselves are only half the story here, and we came to see what the Moto Mods can do.
Moto Insta-Share Projector
Maybe the most impressive thing about the Moto Insta-Share Projector is the way it's able to automatically adjust its output for the screen (or wall, or sheet, or whatever) it's being displayed on, correcting keystone and focus on the fly – and you can always manually tweak both of those in a pinch. Its internal 1,100mAh battery should be sufficient for an hour or so of playback, and it can always tap into the connected phone's battery for a little extra juice.
JBL SoundBoost Speaker
Power Pack
Options like the Incipio offGRID, Tumi, and even a designer kate spade Power Pack are on the way, each delivering extra juice (2,200mAh in the case of the Incipio unit, good for up to 22 hours of additional phone life) to keep you operating throughout even the longest day – and into the next. Select models will also support wireless charging, for keeping them full of power when you need it.
Moto Style Shell
More than offering a variety of colors, Style Shell options include a variety of material selections as well, including wood and some interesting textured backs. And measuring only 2mm thick, you can slap one on your Moto Z Droid without drastically changing the feel of your handset.
Stay tuned for Verizon to reveal all the details of its Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid retail launch, including pricing and availability specifics.
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