Motorola has apparently received praises for its Moto Z Play last year, considered by most critics as the highlight of the brand's 2016 lineup. Now, the company is gearing to release a follow-up smartphone conveniently called the Moto Z2 Play. The new model aims to deliver some improvements from its predecessor and maintain a competitive price point. Reviewers supposedly loved the battery life of its predecessor as well as its performance. Therefore, the electronics firm has huge expectations to meet this time around.
Design and features
The Motorola Moto Z2 Play might seem like it just copied the same design as its predecessor but it does feature some noticeable differences.
The front of the device is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 panel. The top half features an earpiece set in the center and flanked by a two-tone LED flash on the left, which is a change from single one on the original model. The right portion sports a proximity sensor and its front-facing shooter. The bottom portion of its front fascia holds a fingerprint sensor that has been redesigned into an oval shape compared to the square from the older model.
Unlike its former glass panel-backed model, the rear panel of the new model is made of metal with its antenna lines integrated around the borders. The proprietary magnetic contact points for Moto Mods is still located at the bottom of its back cover, while its primary camera still sits on a noticeable bump centered towards the top.
A small dual-led flash strip is installed just below the image sensor and within the circular bump.
Its uni-body metal frame carries a SIM-tray on the top portion, which can hold two nano SIM cards for a dual-network setup or a MicroSD card on the other slot to expand storage. The bottom frame sports a USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm headset jack beside it.
The right side houses its volume rockers and a textured power button, while the left is totally barren. The second-generation version comes in three colors, Lunar Gray, Fine Gold, and Nimbus Blue.
Hardware and specifications
The Motorola Moto Z2 Play still uses a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display similar to its older model. However, it now relies on a 2.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 CPU with an Adreno 506 GPU combo.
Internal storage options will be available in 32GB and 64GB with a 3GB and 4GB RAM respectively. Its primary camera sensor is now a 12MP shooter compared to the 16MP of its predecessor, while its front-facing shooter still uses a 5MP sensor. Furthermore, its battery capacity has been lowered to 3000mAh from the 3510mAh of the older model.
Moto Mods, price, and release date
Motorola has ensured that the Moto Z2 Play will remain compatible with existing Moto Mods that were released together with the original model. The Smartphone will have an estimated price of $499, which is a $100 more expensive than its predecessor. It is expected to hit markets sometime in June 2017.
