Hands-On Look at the Moto Z2 Play: A Mid-Range Powerhouse?

Hey guys, John V here with Android Authority, and today we're taking a quick hands-on look at the Moto Z2 Play. I have to say, I'm loving the design of this phone. It feels superior compared to last year's model, and it's also thinner and skinnier. The new design has given it a sturdier built construction, which is one of the things that sets it apart from its predecessor. This is because the Moto Z2 Play features a unibody aluminum construction, which not only makes it feel super sturdy in the hand but also lighter and thinner.

One of the compromises made to achieve this design is, of course, the battery. The original Moto Z Play had a 3510mAh battery, while the new model only has a 3000mAh one. This might be a concern for some users, especially those who are used to bigger batteries in their phones. However, Lenovo does offer a Moto Mod Pack which gives it a 3490mAh battery, effectively making up for the difference. This pack is also known as a Turbo Power Pack, and it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for extra battery life.

Despite this compromise, the Moto Z2 Play still manages to impress with its build quality. The phone has kept the same modular design approach as other Motorola handsets, which means that users can easily swap out parts like the battery or storage card. This is a great feature for those who want to upgrade or customize their phone without having to buy an entirely new device. Additionally, the Moto Z2 Play still has a headphone jack at 32mm, making it compatible with all our favorite wired headphones.

The display on the Moto Z2 Play is another area where it excels. It's a 5.5-inch AMOLED display that offers great qualities like sharp details and saturated colors. The viewing angles are also exceptional, which makes it perfect for watching videos or browsing the web on the go. One potential concern with this phone is its performance in outdoor conditions, but so far, it seems to be handling tasks with ease.

Under the hood, the Moto Z2 Play features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. This makes for smooth performance, especially when compared to last year's model. The phone also runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat, which means that it has very little customizations to speak of. You can expect a near-stock experience with this device, making it ideal for those who want an uncomplicated mobile experience.

As with any Motorola phone, the camera is another area where the Moto Z2 Play shines. The rear camera features a 12MP dual autofocus sensor with an f/1.7 aperture lens, along with a dual LED flash for improved low-light performance. The front-facing camera has a 5MP snapper with a wide-angle f/2.2 lens and a dual LED flash, making it perfect for taking selfies or recording video calls.

In terms of pricing, the Moto Z2 Play is exclusive to Verizon, where it will be available later this summer for $500. This might seem like a lot upfront, but considering the phone's specs and performance, it could be worth considering if you're in the market for a new device.

Overall, the Moto Z2 Play is a solid mid-range powerhouse that checks all the right boxes. With its superior design, great display, smooth performance, and excellent camera capabilities, this phone is definitely worth looking into if you're in the market for a new device.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enit hasn't been a full year since its predecessor was released but I honestly don't think that Lenovo cares at this point hey guys John V here with Android authority and this is a quick Hands-On look at the Moto Z2 play I'm not going to lie I'm loving the design of the Z2 play it feels Superior compared to last year's model and it's also thinner skinnier this time around it has also a sturdier Built construction it just seems not as fragile as lasher's model and that's because it features a unibody aluminum construction so it feels super sturdy in the hand and at the same time too it's lighter and thinner like I said now the only compromise that's made to the handset given now it has a thinner body is of course the battery that's in here compared to last year's model this only has a 3,000 Milah one versus the 3510 mAh battery of the original so who knows how it's going to perform but again with all the optimizations with the the software and also the processor it might be the same if not more but regardless they do now offer a moto mod pack which gives it a 3490 mAh battery it's a turbo Power Pack you could get so if you're interested in battery that's going to be solution for you but it's nice to see that they've kept the 32 mm headset Jack you have the USB type-c port the same modular design approach as the other hand sets and the fingerprint sensor on here has been slightly tweaked it's now more in an oval shape and it's recessed now I honestly don't have many complaints about the display on here it's a 5.5in 1080p AML display has a lot of great qualties you have good details it's sharp saturated colors exceptional viewing angles the only concern I have is maybe its performance in outdoor conditions but right now it looks really nice it's definitely in midranger territory because it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor you have 3 GB of Ram 32 GB of internal storage and a Micro SD card slot so the performance out of the box here seems good it's running Android 7.1.1 nougat it has very little customizations you can see some of the influences from Verizon because this is a Verizon exclusive but besides that it has all the typical features of Motorola so you have things like the active display so it breathes some useful information and besides that it's pretty much a stock experience now I'm not going to go into too much detail about the rest of the phone because this is a quick Hands-On look as far as the camera is concerned here it sticks out in the rear here you have a 12 megap dual autofocus rear camera with an f1.7 aperture lens you have a dual LED flash and up to 4K video recording with this on the front you have a 5 megapixel Snapper with a wideangle f2.2 lens and also features a dual LED flash if you're interested in this handset just know that it is a Verizon exclusive but they will release an unlocked version later in the summer and that one's going to retail for $500 now who knows whether or not it's worth $500 we'll be doing a lot more testing on this handset but if you guys want to learn more about the Moto Z2 play you could check at our website androidauthority.com this is John V signing offit hasn't been a full year since its predecessor was released but I honestly don't think that Lenovo cares at this point hey guys John V here with Android authority and this is a quick Hands-On look at the Moto Z2 play I'm not going to lie I'm loving the design of the Z2 play it feels Superior compared to last year's model and it's also thinner skinnier this time around it has also a sturdier Built construction it just seems not as fragile as lasher's model and that's because it features a unibody aluminum construction so it feels super sturdy in the hand and at the same time too it's lighter and thinner like I said now the only compromise that's made to the handset given now it has a thinner body is of course the battery that's in here compared to last year's model this only has a 3,000 Milah one versus the 3510 mAh battery of the original so who knows how it's going to perform but again with all the optimizations with the the software and also the processor it might be the same if not more but regardless they do now offer a moto mod pack which gives it a 3490 mAh battery it's a turbo Power Pack you could get so if you're interested in battery that's going to be solution for you but it's nice to see that they've kept the 32 mm headset Jack you have the USB type-c port the same modular design approach as the other hand sets and the fingerprint sensor on here has been slightly tweaked it's now more in an oval shape and it's recessed now I honestly don't have many complaints about the display on here it's a 5.5in 1080p AML display has a lot of great qualties you have good details it's sharp saturated colors exceptional viewing angles the only concern I have is maybe its performance in outdoor conditions but right now it looks really nice it's definitely in midranger territory because it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor you have 3 GB of Ram 32 GB of internal storage and a Micro SD card slot so the performance out of the box here seems good it's running Android 7.1.1 nougat it has very little customizations you can see some of the influences from Verizon because this is a Verizon exclusive but besides that it has all the typical features of Motorola so you have things like the active display so it breathes some useful information and besides that it's pretty much a stock experience now I'm not going to go into too much detail about the rest of the phone because this is a quick Hands-On look as far as the camera is concerned here it sticks out in the rear here you have a 12 megap dual autofocus rear camera with an f1.7 aperture lens you have a dual LED flash and up to 4K video recording with this on the front you have a 5 megapixel Snapper with a wideangle f2.2 lens and also features a dual LED flash if you're interested in this handset just know that it is a Verizon exclusive but they will release an unlocked version later in the summer and that one's going to retail for $500 now who knows whether or not it's worth $500 we'll be doing a lot more testing on this handset but if you guys want to learn more about the Moto Z2 play you could check at our website androidauthority.com this is John V signing off\n"