Tough Sell for the Price

Having used the Moto Z2 Play for a few weeks now and analyzed its strengths, it all comes down to this: I think the telephone is pretty adept in general, merely it'south simply too expensive for me to recommend.

Motorola is selling this telephone for $499 unlocked, or $408 if y'all opt to exist locked to Verizon. For $479, y'all can buy an unlocked OnePlus 5, or for less than that, you tin can import a Xiaomi Mi 6. Both of these handsets offer significantly better hardware for less money than the Z2 Play'southward unlocked price, and that makes the Play pretty difficult to recommend.

The functioning of the Snapdragon 626 inside the Z2 Play is fine, and by and large quite good for bones tasks. However Motorola missed a big opportunity to provide a genuine SoC upgrade over the Snapdragon 625 found in the Z Play, instead leaving the Z2 Play with only a modest speed bump over its predecessor. Mid-range phones, especially at this toll, should really be targeting Snapdragon 65x silicon or greater.

The other issue is the Moto Z2 Play gets obliterated by Snapdragon 835 phones, specially in graphics workloads, despite Snapdragon 835 phones like the OnePlus v undercutting the Z2 Play'southward price. And that'due south without mentioning other hardware benefits from budget flagships, like faster NAND and better wireless connectivity support.

Now, I'm willing to forgive reduced functioning compared to similarly-priced handsets if the phone in question provides some clear reward. With the Z Play, this used to be outstanding bombardment life. But the Z2 Play features a reduced battery size, leading to merely okay results, ofttimes beaten by the Xiaomi Mi 6. I'm non sure why Motorola would dispose of this articulate selling point in favor of a phone that'due south merely slimmer than its predecessor (a mere 1mm difference).

The Z2 Play'south pattern is very portable and built from premium materials withal bezels effectually the display are enormous, though the AMOLED display itself is good if y'all aren't concerned well-nigh accurateness. The Moto Mods ecosystem is genuinely useful. The Z2 Play supports the same collection of mods equally the more expensive Z2 Strength, and some mods – such every bit the battery mods, the 360-camera, and fifty-fifty the gamepad – can enhance the phone experience in meaningful ways. Motorola has nailed the modular smartphone blueprint.

The photographic camera is decent for a mid-range contender, particularly when the HDR mode gets to work. Information technology'south not the best camera going around, but results are respectable and the low-lite-friendly hardware is welcome. I've seen some very mediocre cameras in mid-range phones, so information technology's great to see Motorola working hard to avoid this consequence here.

I also really similar the utilize of stock Android equally the phone's software, for the most part. Additions are minimal, and that leads to a fast, bloat-free feel. There is no need to spend fourth dimension, money and endeavour developing a peel when Google's implementation is just fine, and Motorola has proven this in one case again with the Z2 Play.

But at the end of the day, I don't know why anyone would fork out $500 for the Moto Z2 Play when you lot can get the OnePlus 5 or the Xiaomi Mi 6 for less. Those two phones are on par with, or significantly better than the Z2 Play in a number of aspects, particularly when it comes to hardware. The only real advantage the Z2 Play has is the modular ecosystem, and I don't think that's enough to win over consumers.

Shopping shortcuts:

  • Motorola Moto Z2 Play on Amazon

The Z2 Play needs to cutting its price by at least $100, ideally $150, to make it an attractive option. At under $400, the handset would be a decent pick, but upwards against budget flagships for the same toll, it simply doesn't provide good enough value.

Pros: Super slim, well-constructed pattern. The Moto Mod ecosystem is maturing and can provide useful additions. Decent photographic camera at this price point. Near-stock Android is always welcome.

Cons: At least $100 too expensive. Underwhelming operation compared to similarly-priced budget flagships. No longer a standout telephone for battery life.