Moto Z2 Play

In today’s saturated smartphone market, consumers are looking for a device that offers unique qualities from the get go. Though most are likely to switch to flagship devices of their favorite brands, more and more are thinking of investing in smartphones they can use for a long time. Lenovo hit the nail on the head with its modular Moto Z phones. Just recently the brand has released the second iteration of its Play model and we were fortunate to get our hands on it.

- Mia Carisse Barrientos

DESIGN

The Z2 Play takes design cues from the first generation Z Play. Apart from a slimmer body, metal rear, and wider fingerprint scanner, design-wise, everything is pretty much the same. Lenovo’s tied to keeping the size and shape of the Z family of phones the same for these phones to be compatible with the currently available batch of mods, along with future releases.

This sleek phone feels solid in the hand. It’s one of those phones you know at first contact to be a good one. The unit I reviewed was in Lunar Gray, effortlessly oozing sophistication. Physical control buttons, slots, and ports are located where you’ll usually find them: volume keys and power/lock button are on the phone’s one side; the pop-up slot for the SIM cards and microSD card is on top; meanwhile the USB-C and audio jack ports are at the bottom. The back of the device features a bump in which the camera along with the LED flash are found. The bump is an intentional part of the design, and is either a hit or miss depending on one’s preference. Also at the back is the phone’s 16-pin connector with a magnet interface meant for easily connecting moto mods.

HARDWARE