Last month, Motorola announced the Moto Z2 Force at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. In addition are the two new Moto Mods for its Moto Z devices, which includes the 360-degree camera that went on sale today for $299. Also part of this lineup is the JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker, the Moto TurboPower Pack battery mod, and some shell cases with wireless charging capability.
Among these exciting and interesting gadgets is the Moto Gamepad, which serves as a dedicated gaming control when clipped onto phones. The company promised to launch 12 Moto Mods this year and the Moto Mod is the first to be released for mass production.
What you need to know about Gamepad Motopad
The Gamepad Moto Mod transforms any compatible phone into a portable gaming console with physical controls. With a simple pop of the smartphone on the Gamepad, the user is good to go. The device has two separate joysticks on either side and a handy D-pad. Most Android games are actually compatible with gamepads, thus allowing users to play smartphone-installed games on the Moto Mod.
Just like any other mobile game controller, the Gamepad Mod does not require wires or Bluetooth pairing prior to usage. Considering most Bluetooth controllers have issues with input lag, this device keeps the lag out. The battery life is also impressive with 1035 mAh built-in capacity that lasts up to 8 hours with a single charge.
It's also a bonus to know that there is no need to share the phone's battery power with gaming. While the actual game will use up the phone's battery, the accessory will not, which altogether saves the user some battery life.
Availability details
Among the lineup included in the announcement, the Moto Gamepad was the last of them awaiting availability details.
With the recent release of information, it has been confirmed that the Gamepad Moto Mod will be an exclusive product of Verizon Wireless and will be officially on sale starting August 25. It will share the same price as the TurboPower Pack and the SoundBoost 2 at $79.99.
The tag price is relatively high for the snap-on accessory and interested buyers simply have to wait and see how well the device plays out.
However, for approximately $80, you get more than a plastic shell and some buttons. The Moto 360 camera that is worth $300 does not even have its own battery. And the fact that there is no need to worry about pairing with Bluetooth certainly makes it more convenient.
