GE GTW810SSJWS review – CNET
The Good GE’s GTW810SSJWS washing machine looks nice, is simple to use, and offers a lot of features considering its $900 price.
The Bad It doesn’t do a great job removing stains, and the Connect Plus accessory is less convenient than a washer that’s already Wi-Fi enabled.
The Bottom Line The GE GTW810SSJWS has a lot to offer, but its disappointing performance makes it hard to recommend.
Complete with a large 5.1 cubic-foot capacity, 13 cleaning cycles and a see-through lid, GE’s GTW810SSJWS already offers more than your average top-load washer. But that’s not all: This model is also compatible with an optional $49 Connect Plus accessory. With this Wi-Fi add-on, you have access to the GE Laundry app for Android and iOS, as well as GE’s new IFTTT channel for connecting to Philips Hue bulbs and other smart home devices. The beauty here is that the whole app-enabled bit is entirely opt-in, so you aren’t paying a premium for Wi-Fi access you may not need or want.
This washer looks nice too, is easy to use, and costs just $900 ($1,000 if you want the gray metallic finish instead of white). Unfortunately, it didn’t do particularly well when we tested its stain-removal power. So despite its high-end-ish lineup of features, I can’t readily recommend this washer.
Hidden features make this GE washer smart
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Taking a closer look
$900 is a decidedly midrange price for a top-load washing machine. But GE’s GTW810SSJWS has some features that put it in the realm of premium models like GE’s own $1,200 GTW860SPJMC and the $1,199 Samsung WA52J8700.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the three washers:
| GE GTW810SSJWS | GE GTW860SPJMC | Samsung WA52J8700 |
| $900 | $1,200 | $1,199 |
| White, Metallic (for $1,000) | Metallic, White (for $1,100) | Stainless Platinum |
| 5.1 cubic feet | 5.1 cubic feet | 5.2 cubic feet |
| 13 | 13 | 15 |
| 152 kWh/year | 152 kWh/year | 165 kWh/year |
| 28 inches x 44.5 inches x 29 inches | 28 inches x 44.5 inches x 29 inches | 27 inches x 46 inches x 29.3 inches |
| 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited | 1 year, limited |
| 120V 60Hz | 120V 60Hz | 120V 60Hz |
| Yes, Android and iPhone | Yes, Android and iPhone | No |
Screenshot by CNET
The takeaway here is that the GTW810SSJWS and the pricier GTW860SPJMC are the same in terms of basic specs and features. And aside from the premium 860 model’s auto-dispensing detergent reservoir, the only other obvious difference is that the 860 already has built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, whereas the 810 model doesn’t.
Specifically, you have to buy a separate Connect Plus gizmo, available for $49 on this GE site to give the GTW810SSJWS Wi-Fi connectivity. But it’s pretty simple. Use the included Ethernet cable to plug Connect Plus into the Ethernet port on the back of the washer, download the GE Laundry app, and follow the steps to connect.
After that, you’ll be able to view the status of your current laundry cycle on your washer — and any compatible GE dryers — remotely. You’ll also have access to GE’s new laundry-specific IFTTT channel that links compatible washers like the GTW810SSJWS (if you have the Connect Plus accessory, that is) to smart home products from other manufacturers. I connected the washer to a Philips Hue BR30 downlight so that the LED blinked whenever a wash cycle ended; it worked consistently well.
Meizu MX6 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Chinese smartphone Meizu maker may not be well-known outside of its homeland, but the company has got its fans in China, thanks to its iPhone-inspired designs for its products. And on first glance, it’s obvious the Meizu MX6, launched earlier this week in Beijing, shares striking similarities with Apple’s iPhone.
That said, the Meizu phone does have its own differences. For one, the rear 12-megapixel camera is located in the middle, which makes it less likely your finger will accidentally block your shot compared with the iPhone. Another thing going for it is that unlike other Android phones, the MX6 doesn’t have the usual back and recent apps button.
Meizu’s MX6 offers plenty of familiarity
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Instead, the home button, which also serves as a fingerprint scanner, also acts as the back button with a simple double-touch of the button. You might be confused what I mean about double-touch — instead of pressing down on the button like you do the iPhone, you just need to touch the button quickly twice. It takes a while to get, but once you do, it’s actually quite easy to navigate the Meizu FlyMe OS, which is a customized version of Android 6.0.
The Meizu MX6’s rear camera is located in a more central location compared to the Apple iPhone.
Aloysius Low/CNET
I do like the design of FlyMe. Meizu has put in plenty of effort to make the UI design stand out compared to other Chinese Android skins and it shows. Each icon gets its own good-looking flat look. The end result is a UI that matches the iPhone-ish looks and could be something Apple wouldn’t mind having in its own phones.
Overall, the build and quality of the MX6 impresses, and I think the phone has what it takes to do well. And with 3.2 million preregistrations for the phone before it even goes on sale, it looks like plenty of Chinese fans think the same thing, too. The phone will go on sale in China on July 30 for 1,999 yuan (which converts to around $300, £225 or AU$400) and will be available globally through third-party online vendors soon.
What you need to know
- Deca-core (10) Mediatek MT6797 Helio X20
- 5.5-inch full-HD display
- FlyMe 5.2 OS on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- Comes in gray, silver, gold and rose gold
- 4GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage
- USB Type-C, fingerprint scanner
- 3,060mAh battery
Alcatel Idol 4s review
Alcatel made some noise last year with the release of the OneTouch Idol 3 as an affordable and attractive package that caught the eye of consumers. The OneTouch Idol 3 was very much a budget-friendly mid-range smartphone, but while its Alcatel may have dropped the OneTouch branding with its successor, the Idol 4S improves on it by offering better specs at an equally affordable price tag. On paper, the smartphone definitely looks the part, but does it deliver?
With a few tweaks since the version we saw at MWC, is the Idol 4S a smash hit or does it fail to live up to the hype of its predecessor? Let’s find out in this, our Alcatel Idol 4S review.
Design
After what can only be dubbed a successful 2015, Alcatel is attempting to progress with its smartphone offering, and the Idol 4S comes wrapped in a build that is beautifully designed and far more premium in nature when compared to last year’s product.
Thanks to its glass-meets-metal construction and the contours of the edges, the Idol 4S reminds us of recent Samsung flagships, yet it doesn’t have the refinement of the Galaxy S7. Instead, it has the same rough edges that the Galaxy S6 did, and it’s definitely very nice to hold in the phone.
What makes it a little rough are some of the design choices, in particular the boom key. One of the key features of the Idol 4S, this has some unique features – more on that below – but is designed like and placed where a power button normally would be, which is odd at best.
Where’s the power button we hear you ask? Well it’s in the upper left corner and this means you’re always having to use your index button to operate it. In fact, if Alcatel were to offer the ability to swap these two buttons around, the Idol 4S would be a more appealing smartphone.
As we mentioned at the top, the Idol 4S has had a few tweaks since Mobile World Congress, and the release version actually sports a fingerprint sensor on the back. The sensor works well enough – when you can find it that is – but as it’s not recessed, it can be very difficult to locate immediately. Alcatel is including free cases as part of the Idol 4S bundle and these help to differentiate the fingerprint sensor from the rest of the smartphone.
Without doubt, audio is becoming a very important part of today’s smartphone experience and the Idol 4S doesn’t skimp in this department, with two front-facing 3.6-watt JBL certified speakers. The audio is powerful and sounds clean, and considering the price, are definitely very impressive.
Overall, the Idol 4S is certainly an impressively-designed smartphone and the switch to a glass-meets-metal design by Alcatel has proven itself to be a worthy successor. It’s not perfect, and needs a little refinement, but the design is definitely a plus.
Display
Last year’s Idol 3 offered Full HD resolution but this year, Alcatel have gone one step further by procuring a 5.5-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED panel from Samsung that certainly looks the part at first glance.
The display definitely increases the appeal of the device and with a max brightness of over 600 nits, it’s one of the brightest on the market. However, the screen is on the cooler side with its 7500 K color temperature and tends to produce saturated, unrealistic colors.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing but it’s also not entirely accurate, but it’s a minor quibble with what is otherwise a rather impressive display. You get the standard vivid colors and deep, vibrant blacks offered by a Samsung Super AMOLED panel – likely from a couple of years ago – without having to pay a large amount for it.
Hardware & Performance
Under the hood is where the Idol 4S seems to have had cutbacks, at least on paper. Powered by a Snapdragon 652 processor with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 510 GPU, the Idol 4S doesn’t quite appear to be on a par with devices like the Axon 7 and Xiaomi Mi 5 which all offer the newest Snapdragon 820 processor at a similar price point.
The Snapdragon 652 is comprised of a quad-core 1.8GHz Cortex-A72 chipset and a quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A3 chipset, both arranged in a big.LITTLE formation. The Snapdragon 652 SoC does hold up under most conditions but it certainly isn’t on the same level as the Snapdragon 820 and as such, you can expect to find a few glitches in performance during resource intensive tasks such as gaming. For day-to-day general usage, the Snapdragon 652 is more than capable and it definitely goes the full mile.
32GB storage also comes as standard on the Idol 4S and out of the box, you’ll have around 24GB available to use. Luckily, this can be expanded using the inclusive microSD card slot – which replaces the second SIM card slot – and lets you increase the storage by up to 256GB, although we don’t recommend using a card that’s full as read times can be particularly painful.
Call quality is surprisingly great with this smartphone. The volume output is pretty strong through the earpiece and also on speakerphone, but it’s made better with the clear tone of its quality. Voices have strong emphasis, which makes it even a breeze to chit chat when there’s some ambient noise around.
Elsewhere, other notable hardware features include Hi-Fi Audio through the excellent speakers, microUSB v2.0 (no USB-C here sadly), compatibility with Alcatel’s VR Googles and the usual plethora of connectivity options including dual-band Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and support for all US LTE bands (2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 17). If you need an affordable unlocked phone that works across GSM networks in the US, the Idol 4S certainly meets this requirement.
Battery
Under the hood, the Idol 4S is powered by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery that is quoted as offering up to two-days battery life. In general usage, the Idol 4S gets to 1.5 days with ease and with minimal usage, you can eek out two days with the device. For the most demanding users, it should be able to get through a full day’s usage.
For the times when your device is running low, the Idol 4S offers quick charging and can be charged to full in just under 90 minutes or to 60% in just 30 minutes. It’s not the fastest charging on the market but it is on par with most major current flagships. Overall, the battery isn’t the absolute best but firmly ranks as better-than-average and for the price point, is certainly impressive.
Camera
The improvements from Idol 3 to Idol 4S don’t end there as the camera also gets a welcome bump, with a new 16MP rear Sony sensor with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus and a dual-LED dual tone flash.
The camera produces details that are sufficient and colors tend to be rich in tone, but the Idol 4S struggles with dynamic range, as brighter areas tend to be overexposed. HDR does go someway to solving this problem which adjusts the exposure throughout the range but tends to make the photo appear a bit artificial.
For the most part, the camera is certainly capable and on par with others in this range but it’s not the greatest smartphone shooter and tends to be a little hit-and-miss. The lack of OIS proves to be a costly miss as shoots in both low light and day light can appear to be noisy.
In most low light conditions, the Idol 4S camera does struggle and pictures come out noisy and more susceptible to blurring. The auto-focus doesn’t quite nail exposure in low light photos but manually selecting the focal point can help find the right exposure for better low light images.
Overall, the camera certainly isn’t the best in an affordable flagship but it’s more than functional. While it mostly gets the job done, it’s worth noting that other devices do offer a better camera experience at a similar price point.
Software
The Idol 4S runs Android Marshmallow with a few of Alcatel’s UX flourishes on top and for the most part, it’s one of the more pleasant interfaces on the market. By trying to remain faithful to the stock experience, the Idol 4S UX endears itself to purists and customizers alike.
Basic users will appreciate the simplicity and straightforwardness it offers, but power users will find themselves wanting more as the Idol 4S doesn’t quite have the feature set of a power-user-friendly OEM interface like Samsung’s TouchWiz.
The simplest way to describe the Idol 4S software experience is that it is very much one-step-at-a-time; while other interfaces do offer robust multitasking and are optimised for doing multiple things at once, the Idol 4S takes a more simplistic approach. It gets the job done… for the average consumer.
On the team, both Nirave and I have the Idol 4S and neither of us finds the boom key particularly useful. In truthful honesty, if the Idol 4S didn’t have a boom key, we wouldn’t be too upset and hence Alcatel allowing users to swap the functions of the power and boom keys would help improve the overall experience.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch AMOLED display 1440 x 2560 |
| Processor | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Storage | 32GB of on-board storage |
| MicroSD expansion | Yes, up to 512GB |
| Cameras | 16MP rear camera 8MP front camera |
| Battery | 3000mAh |
| SIM type | Nano SIM |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, Micro USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 153.9 x 75.4 x 6.99mm |
Gallery
Price
The Idol 4S may not be the perfect smartphone but it does deliver in several departments and considering the price, it’s definitely a worth contender in the affordable flagship battle.
When launched stateside, the Idol 4S will come as part of a bundle that includes Virtual Reality Goggles, JBL headphones in the box (which are very, very good), a screen protector and a free case from Incipio and at a pre-order price of $349.99, the Idol 4S is definitely great value for money.
If you choose not to pre-order the handset and instead wait for it to go on sale, it’ll cost you $399.99 and at this price, it’s still a very good purchase but it is in the range of slightly better handsets such as the ZTE Axon 7. Overall though, the Idol 4S is definitely a purchase we recommend though.
Conclusion
So there you have it, our in-depth review of the Alcatel Idol 4S and it’s clear that Alcatel has certainly made some huge strides since the Idol 3. In a bid to create an excellent smartphone that is still affordable, Alcatel did have to cut a few corners but this is to be expected and for the most part, it doesn’t quite detract away from the experience.
It’s always worth remembering that Alcatel isn’t just selling a phone here and instead, they’re selling a bundled experience. At the price of $400, the Idol 4S goes head to head with the likes of the Axon 7 and the OnePlus 3 and for the most part, it very much splits these two devices.
Last year’s starting price of $250 for the Idol 3 was undeniably head turning but at $400, the Idol 4S is tougher to like. That’s not to say we don’t; the affordable flagship market is ever increasingly competitive and the Idol 4S is definitely a worthy contender for this title.
What do you think of the Idol 4S and do you plan to buy one? If not, which handset would you buy? Is a big bundle enough to make you part with your money? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Moto Z and Moto Z Force (DROID) review
Moto is back with another iteration of their flagship line, moving from X, jumping Y, and going straight to Z. With a couple of tricks up its sleeve and parent company Lenovo plainly strewn on its box, is this the next innovation in smartphones? Let’s find out in our comprehensive review of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force.
- Just add Mods: Moto Z and Z Force (Droid Edition) unboxing
- What exactly is modularity and is the Moto Z really modular?
- Moto Z and Moto Z Force hands on
We are dealing with two different versions of Moto’s new flagship device, but the differences are not vast, nor are there many. With that in mind, we will mention where the differences are and comment on them where applicable.
Buy the Moto Z Now!
Buy the Moto Z Force (Droid Edition) Now!
Design
The Moto Z Force is the larger of the two devices, with a couple of more millimeters of thickness and a significant increase in heft. While it packs a little bit more in its body as a result, credit goes to Motorola for making one of the thinnest devices out there in the Moto Z proper, with it being only about 5 mm thick, and weighing less than plenty of devices that have similarly sized screens.
A textured power button is easy to find, and is low enough on the phone for easy access. Though the flatter Moto Z is smoother all around the sides, the extra heft adds a chamfer on the Z Force. You may also notice that there is only one port on the phone, the USB-C type connector that sits alone, without there being a headphone jack.
Overall, there’s something very Lenovo-esque about these new Motos, which isn’t all that surprising, but is definitely noticeable. The all metal bodies have a distinct shine that is both eye-catching, and magnets for fingerprints. Also, the silver-lined camera package really sticks out, something that is once again eye-catching, but not particularly ideal, we think. While some might like these less subtle changes to the Moto formula, others will probably prefer to employ the included remedy.
Magnets at the top and lower thirds of the backing are accompanied by connector pins, and the Moto Mods use these to attach and connect. From a purely design-focused perspective, this is how Moto Covers can be slapped onto the back of the phones. There are also, of course, the Moto Mods, but we’ll get to them later. A dark wooden Cover came with our devices, but plenty will be made available to add further customization. It covers up the fingerprint-heavy backing, covers up the connectors, and makes the camera flush. We wouldn’t be surprised if users put their Cover on and said, “that’s more like it.”
The covers add about 30 grams of weight to these devices, making the Moto Z feel more conventional, and the Moto Z Force feel like a brick. There are a couple advantages to having the Moto Z Force however, like the larger battery, and the mere fact that when a phone is that heavy, it feels more secure in the hand. Overall handling with these 5.5-inch screens is about where one would expect, though a large bezel at the top and bottom portions of the phones can make reaching up and down a bit tough.
As you may learn in this review, there are a lot of ideas and a lot of roving parts to the Moto Z packages. They do seem more like Lenovo devices than before, but with that canvas comes a lot of room for possibilities.
Display
Both phones come with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 535 ppi. As far as displays go, there is little to complain about here, especially considering the higher saturation that AMOLED provides. Colors all look good, but can be toned down for users who find it a little too much. Text is easy to read and media consumption is enjoyable across the board, especially in our time playing games like Final Fantasy 7 and Pokemon Go.
The Moto Z Force, however, does come with the Moto ShatterShield, which keeps the display safe from cracks and shattering due to accidental drops. It is a multi-layer system that adds that little bit of protection, and so, even if this phone isn’t all that rugged, it will withstand a bit more than your average phone.
One returning feature from previous Moto devices is the Moto Display, which is an ambient display that allows for quick looks at notifications, and certain actions to be performed upon them. A sensor at the top of the device brings up the information, at which time users can tap and hold on the circles in the middle, and either swipe up to wake the phone in the app or swipe down to dismiss it. It’s still a useful Moto feature that benefits from the AMOLED screen.
Performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and the Adreno 530 GPU are at the helm of either device, providing the kind of performance any flagship should have. Even with the Verizon bloatware, the phone hasn’t skipped a beat and provides a smooth, snappy experience. Credit can also be given to the iteration of Android here, which is closer to stock Marshmallow than most other phone skins. For all accounts, apps performed without any drops and few stutters even when multitasking, which is helped along by the 4 GB of RAM.
Hardware
Before we get into the Moto Mods, let’s focus on what the phones already possess without any of those additions. Connections across the board are included, and both phones benefit from Verizon’s network. Though these phones might only be available on the CDMA Verizon network, at least for now, it is pretty well known that Verizon is one of the fastest and most reliable networks. That doesn’t much help the pain of waiting for GSM capable versions of these phones coming to the US, however.
32 GB or 64 GB are the on-board storage options that are available, but microSD cards, allowing for up to an additional 256 GB, can help make sure that you never run out of space.
The fingerprint reader found below the display is a great performer. It is easy to set up, and responds in no time. It’s an easy way of waking and unlocking the device, as always, but there is an extra function programmed into it as well. By holding down on that area while in the phone, the phone will lock. This is a nice touch, no pun intended. It took some time for us to stop pressing the sensor because it seems like a home button, but it is hard not to when the on-screen navigation keys slide out of view in certain full screen situations.
Audio is a bit of a mixed bag with the Motos, but it starts off on a good note during calls. There are 4 microphones strewn about the device, and all of them help not only with the Moto Voice activations, but outbound audio on calls end up sounding really clear. Inbound sound is also good, though the speaker on these phones is found in the earpiece, anyway. That said, the speaker benefits from being front facing, but there isn’t a particularly loud or rich sound coming out of it.
Which brings us to what has already been a polarizing detail in this new line of Motos, the lack of a headphone jack, which might end up being a hard adjustment to make for some. As prevalent as Bluetooth may be, it isn’t everyone’s ideal solution for audio playback. An adapter from USB-C to headphone jack is included in the box to help this transition, but even then it is another piece of kit that could easily be lost in a bag, or just lost in general. It might be easier to just keep the adapter connected to the headphones at all times. Even then, what if one wants to listen to content and charge the phone at the same time? That all said, the listening experience is still fairly standard, and is not any better or worse than most other phones. It’s good that there is a way to still use existing headphones, but this is a change that will take some time to normalize.
The Moto Z Force has the larger battery at 3,500 mAh, while the thinner Moto Z fits a 2,600 mAh unit. Battery life has been, for the most part, pretty decent. With pretty heavy usage days that included camera usage, YouTube viewing, and gaming, the Moto Z was able to give me about 3 and a half hours of screen on time while the Z Force managed close to 5 hours. The Z Force was able to go a full day without making me feel antsy, but the Moto Z would just barely make it after the power saving mode kicked in at 15%.
Thankfully, powering up doesn’t take much time at all. There is a trade-off between both of these phones, in that the Moto Z comes with a 15 W charger, while the Z Force has a more powerful 30 W charger. Both are USB-C chargers that are tethered to the bricks, meaning that one has to use them in order to achieve the very fast charging times that Motorola claim. They are indeed fast, as I was able to get to 50% of battery in half an hour, using the correct chargers for either phone.
Further, if you are really hurting for battery, the Moto Mods will help. These are Moto’s move into the future of smartphones, and while this is not quite modularity, it is easy to throw that term around with these phones. Instead, we will keep to just calling them mods, easily connected to the back of the phone via the magnets.
A more in-depth look at the three Moto Mods currently available can be found here, but for now it should be fairly obvious that the most useful of the bunch is the Incipio OffGrid Power Mod. This 2,200 mAh capacity battery slaps right on, and essentially makes the Moto Z a 4,800 mAh phone, and the Moto Z Force a 5,700 mAh device. Power is drained either regularly to keep the phone as charged as possible, or in an Efficiency Mode, that does enough to keep the phone at 80%. In terms of screen on time, these batteries got me about another hour, to and hour and a half, when slapped onto the phone at single digit percentages.
The other two Moto Mods are the Insta-Share projector add-on and the JBL SoundBoost speaker. In a nutshell, they are definitely convenient, and make the Moto Z family quite fun to use, but are still lesser performers than standalone solutions, like a Bluetooth speaker or a separate Pico projector. Also, they are quite expensive, especially the projector.
If modularity, and in this case, mods, are the future of smartphone experiences, then Motorola have done a great job in showing us a functional, accessible, and most of all fun way of doing it. They require no changes in the hardware or software of the device, and are quite literally the definition of plug and play, or rather, attach and play. The battery case is the most practical of them all, but we hope to see even more good ideas become reality in the world of Moto Mods.
Camera
Differences between the Moto Z and Moto Z Force start with the battery and essentially end with the cameras. The Z Force has the more powerful camera, with a 21 MP shooter, while the Moto Z proper utilizes a 13 MP sensor. Pretty much everything else remains the same, including the f/1.8 apertures, the inclusions of OIS and laser autofocus, and secondary cameras that are 5 MP, with wide angles of view and f/2.2 apertures.
The apps are fairly simple to use and don’t get too much in the way of the user, unless you get into the Professional Mode, where toggles and sliders can get a little out of hand pretty quickly. When in the regular modes, it is simply a matter of tapping on a subject to put it in focus, shifting the exposure slider accordingly, and snapping. The conjunctive team of contrast, phase detection, and laser autofocus, ensure that focusing on subjects is quick and easy. A very small delay will occur if HDR is being used, but even then, the camera app is snappy and responsive.
Before we get into the analysis, we should mention that the different megapixel counts basically mean that the Moto Z Force captures more detail overall. As you can see in the pictures, cropping into the same areas simply means that there is more data in the 21 MP photos, which isn’t a surprise. Thankfully, shooting modes, video modes, and general processing all remain the same, so the cameras aren’t so different that the gap of choice between them turns out huge.
We start off with self portraits, which include a Beautification mode, which is a first for Moto, but not a first for Lenovo at large. It mainly enhances clarity and colors while smoothing out lines on the face, to varying degrees of success. A front-facing flash makes a welcome return, and proves useful for darker situations or when you need to lighten up your face in front of a bright backdrop.
Modes on the main cameras include 4K video recording, which benefits from the optical image stabilization and some software stabilization, that results in somewhat unnatural looking movements. It seems like the video mode supports the panorama mode too, as the viewfinder seems to go into a similar mode, so the user simply has to sweep across the landscape. Panorama on the Moto Z phones, then, is actually really easy to do, but suffers in lower light situations due to the required slow shutter speeds used to provide adequate exposure.
HDR can be on auto when shooting in the normal photo mode, and it does a good job of enhancing the photo. The effect is pretty noticeable in the heightened shadows, the higher clarity, and the punched up colors. Especially when used in the right situations, HDR here is a viable tool.
Moto Z camera samples
Overall, pictures look pretty good with accurate colors, meaning that the saturation is not really overdone. The majority of pictures keep from looking too dull, but if a bit more punch is needed, throwing on the HDR mode is always an option. We notice a bit of noise reduction happening, making the finer lines of a photo look quite smudged out, especially in low light situations. However, taken as they are ,and especially in bright situations, the pictures that come out of the Moto Z and Z Force are pretty pleasing to the eye. In dark situations, it can be rather difficult to get a sharp picture, because the night shooting mode requires a very steady hand with the shutter being open for longer periods of time.
Moto Z Force camera samples
A steady hand will go a long way to making low light shots better, but in all other situations, the Moto Z line does a good job at being a pocket photography companion
Software
On the software side of things, we have Android 6.0 Marshmallow powering this version of Android, and thankfully, Moto keeps their version pretty close to stock. That basically means that all of the basics are there, with any Moto extras found when you dig deep enough. Contrary to how some other OEM skins tend to be, the additions in this version of Android are really useful.
Moto features are found in the app drawer, under an app called Moto. This is where users can toggle and customize the Moto Actions, Display, and Voice. There are a number of different gestures that can be used, including a double chop to easily activate the flashlight, and a double twist motion that opens the camera app. There is also a gesture to make the entire display easier to navigate with one hand.
We already mentioned Moto Display, where a minimal ambient display will show notifications and music controls that can be utilized even when the phone is locked. Users can also add dark hours to the Moto Display, typically to when there is no need for it.
Finally, there is the Moto Voice, the customizable way of getting the phone to unlock and go straight into a Google Voice Search. Setting it up requires a quiet room and a few repetitions of the recorded phrase, but in the end it is a great way to get a search done on the phone from start to finish, just using one’s voice. More syllables mean that typical speech patterns won’t accidentally trigger Moto Voice. You might remember that I used the phrase “X, activate” on my Moto X. Well, with the Moto Z, I use the phrase “Zero, help me out.”
Moto manages to keep the good times rolling in their version of Android that will undoubtedly satisfy Android purists, but will also please those who need a little more from their operating systems. This is because the Moto additions are useful but generally are out of the way.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 535 ppi |
5.5-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 535 ppi |
| Processor | 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Adreno 530 GPU |
2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Adreno 530 GPU |
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 32/64 GB expandable via microSD up to 256 GB |
32/64 GB expandable via microSD up to 256 GB |
| Camera | 13 MP rear camera, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera |
21 MP rear camera, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB Type-C 1.0 |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB Type-C 1.0 |
| Battery | 2,600 mAh | 3,500 mAh |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 153.3 x 75.3 x 5.2 mm 136 grams |
155.9 x 75.8 x 7 mm 163 grams |
Gallery
Moto Z
Moto Z Force
Pricing and final thoughts
The Moto Z and Moto Z Force DROIDs are available only on Verizon, for the full prices of $624 and $720, respectively. Monthly payments using Verizon’s financing put the Moto Z at $26 a month and the Z Force at $30 a month.
While we hope that the new Motos are eventually made available unlocked and/or GSM compatible, there is one undeniable fact: if you are on Verizon, this is the phone to beat. Despite changes to the overall Moto formula, the aspects that made previous Moto X devices great are found here in one way or another.
Adding the Moto Mods brings versatility, and if the mods continue to bring convenient but useful features, the packages of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force can be really hard to pass up. As phones on their own, the new Motos are still worthy of their flagship designation, boasting every feature that a high-end device should have, and the user experience that can prove reliable on the daily.
- Just add Mods: Moto Z and Z Force (Droid Edition) unboxing
- What exactly is modularity and is the Moto Z really modular?
- Moto Z and Moto Z Force hands on
What do you think of the Lenovo-made Motorola Moto Z and Z Force? Do you plan to buy one or both of them and what about Motorola’s exclusivity deal with Verizon? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Buy the Moto Z Now!
Buy the Moto Z Force (Droid Edition) Now!
Alcatel Idol 4S Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Haven’t considered buying an Alcatel phone before? The unlocked Idol 4S — made of metal, glass and moxie — will work its butt off to change your mind. The phone boasts a large screen and excellent audio quality; a 16-megapixel camera and an 8-megapixel camera with front-facing flash; a convenience key to quickly launch apps; a fingerprint scanner; and a screen layout that orients itself as “up” no matter which way you pick up the phone. With competitive pricing (see below) and a list of impressive specs (full list also below), the Idol 4S is aggressively taking on the excellent OnePlus 3, a CNET editor’s choice phone. (Note that there’s an Idol 4, too. See those specs, you know, below.)
Let’s just make one thing absolutely crystal clear. I’ve been playing around with hardware and software on a prefinal Idol 4S meant for the US, which means there could be slight changes between this model and the completely finished, boxed-up unit. Since this version of the phone isn’t identical to one you’d be able to buy yourself, I’m holding off on a rated review for now and focus on my general impressions here. When I get the final version, the full court press — with my recommendations on whether or not you should buy the phone — is on.
In the US, the Idol 4S goes on sale July 15 for $350 presale or $400 outright. It comes bundled with a case, glass screen protector and Alcatel’s VR headset.
Flagship Alcatels bring the boom key
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The most important thing you need to know is that the Idol 4S is all about throwing you everything that Alcatel thinks a buyer wants in a phone, plus extras like a case, screen protector and possibly VR headset — for the same price of a midrange flagship phone (that doesn’t come with those extras). You may not want the VR headset that Alcatel will bundle in the box for US buyers, but the tempered glass screen protector and Incipio case do come in handy.
The second most-important thing to know is that it’s an unlocked phone that runs on the GSM network. In the US, that means you’ll have to buy a SIM card that works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless or MetroPCS.
Using the Idol 4S
These dual speakers can crank out sound.
Josh Miller/CNET
Here’s what I noticed about the phone’s biggest features during this week — remember, this is prefinal-everything, so my impressions are subject to change when I get the real thing.
Boom key (convenience key): You can program this to open apps, like the camera, which is a shortcut. I love this in theory, but in practice, I kept accidentally taking unintended photos. Either it needs some finessing handling it, or I do.
Cameras: Overall, photos looked bright and colorful — so far I’ve mostly taken them of food, friends and flowers. Focus on the 16-megapixel camera seems a little relaxed, but a last-minute software update could very well enhance and sharpen the focus. We’ve seen this happen many times before. The flash on the 8-megapixel front-facing camera can be extremely useful, and harsh at times. Generally, I like having this as an option.
Fingerprint scanner: Located on the back beneath the camera lens, the fingerprint reader is small and not terrifically accurate. It helps to register multiple fingers, so if you don’t have a case on you can kind of drag them along the back. If you do, you’ll have to hit your target, but in a way that the case also helps position your finger. There is NFC, so you can use Android Pay for mobile payments as well as for unlocking your phone.
The fingerprint reader feels smaller than some.
Josh Miller/CNET
Reversible layout design: There’s technically an “up”, and the Reversible OS, which is entirely optional, is meant to help you use the phone right away no matter if you pick it up rightside up or upside down. What I noticed is that if you have the fingerprint reader turned on, it very much matters which way is “up” — you can only unlock the phone from a single orientation. And it’s confusing to think about the location of the Boom key if you want to use it.
Built-in JBL speakers: Audio is loud and rich for a smartphone. This is a great little extra if you play videos and music for others.
Worth watching
So yes, with its hardware and software so far, the Idol 4S is one to keep an eye on when our final review unit comes in. Alcatel’s huge value play is also unignorable for people who are interested in a high-performing midprice phone, one that could be a true contender against the OnePlus 3.
Idol 4S versus Idol 4: What’s the difference?
| Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow |
| Reversible OS | Reversible OS |
| 5.5-inch 2,560×1,440-pixel AMOLED screen | 5.2-inch, 1,920×1,080-pixel IPS |
| 16-megapixel camera | 13-megapixel camera |
| 8-megapixel camera with flash | 8-megapixel camera with flash |
| 1.8GHz + 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 | 1.7GHz + 1.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 |
| 3.6 watt JBL dual speakers for front and back | 3.6 watt JBL dual speakers for front and back |
| 32GB storage, 3GB RAM, up to 512GB Micro-SD card slot | 16GB and 2GB RAM, up to 512GB Micro-SD card slot |
| 3,000mAh battery (quick charge) | 2,610mAh battery with quick charge |
| Standard Micro-USB port | Standard Micro-USB port |
| Yes | Yes |
| $400 (or $350 presale). ~450 euros, converts to £385, AU$780 | ~280 euros, converts to $310, £215, AU$435 |
Hopsy HomeTap Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Hopsy
In pursuit of beer nirvana, the Hopsy HomeTap lets you pour a pint of your favorite microbrew, fresh from the tap on your kitchen counter. A Bay Area product only for now, the HomeTap is the newest piece of the Hopsy beer delivery service. Order a growler of your favorite local brew, and if you have the HomeTap, Hopsy will deliver it in a specialized canister you can plug in and pour.
Beer gadgets
- Synek Counter Top Beer Dispenser
- Fizzics
- PicoBrew Zymatic
The containers hold a little more than a growler, actually — 2 full liters (around 68 ounces) vs 1.9 liters (64 ounces). Slide one into the cylindrical HomeTap, connect the tube to the tap, and close the door on the front. Then pull the tap handle and HomeTap will pour you a frothy glass of beer while keeping the contents of the container cool and fresh. Hopsy claims that the beer will last up to two weeks after you plug it into HomeTap.
If you’re in the Bay Area, you can preorder HomeTap now. Expect delivery starting at the end of this month. On its own, HomeTap costs $150, but you can also get it as part of various subscription plans to Hopsy’s delivery service. Since the HomeTap only works with proprietary bottles, you’ll need to use Hopsy’s service to use HomeTap. Later this year, Hopsy will expand to San Diego, and the growing business will hopefully reach markets outside of California before too long.
Hopsy
Krups, makers of the popular Nespresso, made the HomeTap for Hopsy. Handily, it cools and pours your beer without forcing you to hassle with a carbon dioxide canister. HomeTap bottles keep your beer pressurized in a bag inside of the hard exterior of the container. HomeTap pours your beer by using oxygen to squeeze the bag. That’s an interesting way to get around the need for carbon dioxide, but you can’t switch out bottles once you’ve plugged them into HomeTap without losing pressurization.
Outlook
Since Hopsy works directly with breweries, even once the company expands, you’ll likely be limited to using HomeTap with local beers. I like the idea of fresh beer delivered straight from the brewery, and Hopsy promises to deliver varieties you won’t be able to get in bottles. But $150 is a lot to spend on a device that keeps the selection so local. That said, if I lived in Hopsy’s service area, I’d be excited to give HomeTap a try.
Motorola Moto Z review – CNET
The Good The Motorola Moto Z is thin, fast and (literally) snappy. Those magnetic Mods accessories are practical and easy to use.
The Bad The phone looks naked without the Mods, and its fingerprint reader can be easily mistaken for a home button.
The Bottom Line Ambitious, quirky and ultimately useful, the Motorola Moto Z is the most polished customizable, modular phone yet.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
With the Moto Z (or Moto Z Droid Edition as it’s called by US carrier Verizon), customization isn’t about what your phone looks like. It’s about what it does. Snap-on “Moto Mods” give your phone a meatier battery, turn it into a boombox for your weekend cookout and transform it into a video projector for an impromptu movie night.
These Mods aren’t perfect. They add a layer of bulk when they snap onto the phone’s back and you’ll need to cough up extra dough to buy them. On top of that, the phone ain’t cheap. Motorola hasn’t said how much it costs worldwide, but it will sell with US carrier Verizon for $624. International prices aren’t available but it converts to about £475 or AU$835.
That said, the whole modular ecosystem is simpler and more approachable than Google’s intricate (and still developing) Project Ara. It’s also easier to use than LG’s clunky G5, which forces you to remove the battery, thereby turning off the phone, if you want to swap parts.
Lastly, the Moto Z is a reliable and powerful device that can stand up to most of the top-of-the-line phones — and that’s even if you strip away the compelling modular factor. But you wouldn’t do that, would you, because those modules are half the fun.
If you’re not interested in snapping on an extra battery, or case, or speaker, then skip the Moto Z and buy something else. But if you can’t wait to be on the cutting edge of smartphone design, the Z here is actually useful while still being different and cool. (And if you’re from the US, you might also want to check out the Moto Z’s meatier counterpart, the Moto Z Force Droid Edition.)
Motorola’s Moto Z and Z Force: Customization…
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Moto Mods: Useful, easy and brimming with potential
Without a doubt, the Moto Z’s biggest draw is its Moto Mods, hot-swappable accessories that can decorate the back or, better yet, add extra functionality — such as a battery pack or audio speaker.
Motorola’s take is polished and well-executed because attaching the Mods is as easy as lining up magnetic parts — science does the rest. You can change Mods in seconds and won’t have to power off the phone to do so. There’s a decent variety of starter Mods, and Motorola’s parent company Lenovo says it’s lining up more partners.
Companies such as Incipio, Tumi and Kate Spade make battery packs that can wirelessly charge the phone while also extending battery life. JBL’s snap-on speaker rests on a kickstand while it cranks out tunes louder than the phone’s built-in speaker. Perhaps the quirkiest Mod, however, is from Motorola itself: the Insta-Share Projector beams images, videos and the Moto Z’s display onto any surface. Check out Moto Mods pricing and availability here.
By and large, the Mods stay put. Slimmer “Style Shells” (think of this as a customized back plate) hugged the Moto Z when we dropped it from every angle onto carpet. The bulkier speakers sometimes popped off (which we expected), but otherwise, you’ll pull them off when you want to.
Moto’s magnetic Mod accessories just click
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Design: Thin, but awkward when bare
The Moto Z is a thin phone, but sturdy and well built. But the more I admire its svelte design, the more awkward it looks without any accessories. The camera bulges out brazenly, the magnetic pins on the back cry out for a mate, and the phone’s sharp sides dig into my hand. A backplate, however, can round out the rough edges.
And then there’s the no-headphone jack thing. Instead, there is just the USB-C port and a headphone jack adaptor dongle, which makes wired headphones work. But you won’t be able to charge the phone while listening to music this way, and if you lose the adaptor, you’re toast. The industry seems to be going this way, but it’s still annoying if you don’t have any Bluetooth headphones.
Still, the Moto Z’s most maddening detail is the bulbous fingerprint reader on the front. It looks like a home button, but does nothing other than read your fingerprint. You know how many times I pressed it instinctively expecting it to take me to the home screen? A lot. If Motorola can’t turn it into a home button, it should move it to the power/lock button or the back.
Without a Mod, the camera’s bulge is too big to ignore.
Josh Miller/CNET
Software: Nothing we haven’t seen before
The handset runs Google Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. You’ll still get the usual lineup of Google apps, deeper integration with Google’s digital assistant known as Now on Tap, a battery saving mode called Doze and Android Pay. We don’t know the timeline for an update to Android Nougat, so you’ll have to wait for Google’s savvier assistant and multiple windows.
Motorola does include some of its signature software features too, like twisting your wrist to launch the camera and a wave gesture to show your missed notifications, even when the device is sleeping.
Motorola Moto Z Force Droid Edition review – CNET
The Good The long-lasting Motorola Moto Z Force Droid has a durable display and its modular accessories are useful and easy to attach.
The Bad You can only buy the Force in the US. On Verizon. It feels hefty with the Moto Mods snapped on, and its fingerprint reader confusingly looks like a home button.
The Bottom Line The Moto Z Force Droid sounds better on paper, but the thinner, cheaper Moto Z is the one we actually want to use.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
With its swappable Moto Mod accessories that connect through magnets, and its premium hardware, the Motorola Moto Z Force Droid Edition is a powerful handset (with an overly long name) that’s available only to US customers. On Verizon. For $720. Ick.
You have to really, really want this phone, and in my opinion, you’d be better off with the standard Moto Z, which is also available on Verizon (as the Moto Z Droid Edition), cheaper at $624 and thinner, which makes it generally better to use.
At this point you’re going to say something about the Droid Force’s higher-megapixel camera and longer battery life, or maybe its heartier display. On paper, these add up to a “better,” more capable phone. But in testing, the negatives — the thicker design and higher price — outweigh its minimal real-life performance gains. Instead, you’re just left with…an excessive use of Force. (Yeah, I went there.)
P.S.: If Verizon isn’t your carrier, read my full Moto Z review for a full rundown. You can also check out pricing and sale dates for Moto Mod accessories here.
Motorola’s Moto Z and Z Force: Customization…
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Wait, what’s with this phone again?
The Moto Z Force is a fully functioning phone, but it has these little magnetic bumps on the back that allow you to attach and swap out accessories called Moto Mods. They’re really cool, actually, and they either act as a customizable back cover or can enhance the phone by increasing battery life or pumping out music through a speaker. There’s even a snap-on projector.
They’re also incredibly user-friendly. With the audio speaker, music automatically starts playing when attached, and the projector hardly required any setup.
What’s the difference between this and the Moto Z?
The Moto Z Force has a bigger battery — 3,500 mAh compared to the Moto Z’s 2,600 mAh — that lasted longer: 15 hours 45 minutes for the Force, while the Moto Z lasted 12 hours 27 minutes.
It’s thicker too, and gets even heftier when you attach even the thinnest Moto Mod. The Moto Z’s slimmer frame doesn’t get as bulky.
The Moto Z Force also has an extra-tough display to protect itself from rough drops and falls. We first saw ShatterShield in the Droid Turbo 2 and — spoiler alert — it really is durable. I also noticed that its screen is notably brighter and whiter than the Moto Z when viewed side by side (though it’s not exactly clear why).
Finally, there’s the Moto Z Force’s 21-megapixel camera versus the Moyo Z’s 13-megapixel shooter. The extra megapixels get you higher resolution photos and images appeared a tad sharper on the Moto Z Force. Similar to the Moto Z, however, the wonky white balance can turn objects too yellow or too blue. For more about photo quality, check out the images below and click on them to view them at their full resolution.
2017 Chrysler Pacifica review – Roadshow
Jul 2016
The Good Svelte looks encase a well-designed, quiet minivan with loads of thoughtful touches, including tops-in-class convenience features and advanced safety tech.
The Bad The transmission lacks manual downshift capability, while infotainment goes without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Bottom Line Chrysler’s clever Pacifica charges to the head of the carpool lane with the nicest interior and smart, family-minded technology.
I am not myself these days.
Ever since my Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA National Championship in improbable and spectacular fashion last month, I find I’m more optimistic and increasingly willing to give people and situations the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe again.
It’s even true with cars. Take this all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, for example. Before the Cavs’ historic win, I probably would’ve told you that this Pentastar is perhaps the nicest minivan I’ve yet driven. The best appointed. The quietest. The sharpest looking. The smartest in terms of safety and in-cabin tech.
It is, after all, all these things.
Chrysler’s new Pacifica is sexier than your average minivan.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
But I likely would’ve ended my review with a downer caveat about Chrysler’s quality problems, of its history of producing vehicles that ultimately aren’t as reliable as competitors. Blame years of boundless optimism, only to be beaten down repeatedly by the cold hand of futility in The Big Game. Rooting your entire life for Cleveland sports teams and enduring a 52-year championship drought will do that to a man.
In the face of such odds, it’s often easier to encourage the more conservative, safer choice to avoid heartbreak — in the Pacifica’s case, that would mean recommending a model from Honda, Toyota or perhaps Kia.
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But I’m not going to do that here. Because in many ways, the Pacifica is substantially and demonstrably smarter than today’s Odyssey, Sienna or Sedona. Instead, I’m going to mention Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ quality question mark as a small footnote instead of a conclusion. Why? Because I genuinely believe the Pacifica is worth pinning to the top of your family hauler consideration list.
It all starts with a new generation that’s around 250 pounds lighter than its predecessor, yet its chassis is markedly stiffer than its Town & Country forebears. The good points continue with curvy bodywork that borders on sexy — at least for a minivan. And they’re furthered by an evolution of the company’s well-liked 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine giving 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque — enough chutzpah to make this 4,300-pound minivan one of the quickest in its class. Even the standard nine-speed automatic that I’ve found undisciplined in vehicles such as the
Roof rack crossbars stow neatly to reduce wind noise when not in use.
Chris Paukert/Roadshow
Take a trip
With a multi-purpose vehicle like a minivan, it takes a higher-than-normal number of miles to uncover all of its hidden triumphs and foibles, so I signed up this Pacifica Touring L Plus tester for a proper road trip. I got my family together, piled a mess of vacation gear inside, and motored from metro Detroit all the way to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It’s a 1,700-mile round trip that’s in my blood. I’ve been making this yearly migration every year of my life, like clockwork, and I’ve completed this trek in countless big SUVs, crossovers and minivans.
In other words, when it comes to assessing these big ol’ kinschleppers, I know what works.
My secret OBX route is a great way to get the measure of the Pacifica and vehicles like it, not only because it tests cargo space, fuel economy and long-distance seat comfort, but also because it has ton of driving scenarios. The route runs through the flat, dull turnpike slog in Ohio to the mountains of Pennsylvania, the meandering backroad hills of West Virginia and on to the heat-soaked, bumper-to-bumper grind of summer beach traffic.
So what did I learn? The Pacifica is pretty much good at everything, and it’s often great.
With a minivan, it’s all about the interior, and thankfully, the Pacifica’s exterior sleekness carries over to its cabin. Gobs of storage space and sensible ergonomics make nice with good-quality materials and unexpectedly premium flourishes such as a flush-mount, bezel-less center screen and cognac and toffee-colored trim.
The Pacifica’s cabin is both surprisingly stylish and feature-packed.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
A cabin built for cruising
Chrysler’s old Town & Country was always a leader in terms of seating flexibility, and the new Pacifica handily carries the torch, with a second row that’s now easier to stow in the floor wells thanks to a button that motors the front seats forward for clearance. The seats themselves have thicker padding for improved comfort, and all flipping and folding motions are counterbalanced and spring-loaded for easy maneuvering, even by young people. Those with baby seats will appreciate that Latch points are easy to locate.
Chrysler’s well-regarded UConnect infotainment system returns with some updates, and its 8.4-inch touchscreen is nicely responsive, with a good selection of apps including things like Yelp and iHeartRadio. It may not have the Google Earth overlays found in some premium cars, but it does have neat features including a phone-like drag-and-drop menu bar and Siri Eyes Free. Niggles? While there’s an optional Wi-Fi hotspot, it’s oddly only 3G, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not yet available. I could grouse about these issues more, but no other vehicle in the minivan segment includes these features anyhow.
Moto Z and Z Force Droid review: The risks are mostly worth it
Ever since the original Moto X came out, I’ve been fascinated by Motorola. We saw one of the biggest, oldest brands in communications take a long, hard look at where it’s been and chart a thoughtful path forward. Flash forward a few years (and a few Moto Xs) and wouldn’t you know it? Motorola started to lose some of its voltage when it came to its flagship phones. Don’t get me wrong, the Moto X Pure Edition was a fantastic device, but in hindsight it’s not hard to see that it was more of the same.
While we might still see a new Moto X this year, Motorola decided to try something different. We now have two different modular flagship smartphones, the superthin Moto Z Droid ($624) and the sturdier Moto Z Force Droid ($720). Some might bristle that both are exclusive to Verizon and aren’t yet slated for an international launch (I sure did), but there’s no two ways about it: These are still the most exciting Motorola phones in a long time.
Note: For the sake of brevity, I’m not going to bother calling these things “Droid Editions” for the rest of the review.
Hardware
At 5.2mm thick, the Moto Z is the thinnest flagship phone I’ve ever used, and it’s just stunning. In fact, when it comes to design, the Moto Z couldn’t be any more different from the flagship Moto Xs that came before it — the friendly curves and sloping back are gone, leaving us with something more angular and elegant. Think of it as the lightweight Lamborghini to the Moto X Pure’s friendly VW Beetle. If I’m honest, I was concerned that a phone this thin would feel insubstantial, but Motorola dodged that issue too. Aside from the pane of Gorilla Glass covering its 5.5-inch, quad HD AMOLED display, the Z’s body is crafted entirely of metal, lending it a crucial air of rigidity. Fair warning, though: Our review units came in a two-tone black and gray finish that both looks lovely and acts like a fingerprint-and-schmutz magnet.
All that said, this phone certainly isn’t for everyone. Some people I’ve shown the phone to (here’s looking at you, Devindra) think the Moto Z is too skinny to feel comfortable in-hand. More important, you can’t build a phone this thin without making a few compromises. Motorola could only squeeze a relatively modest 2,600mAh battery into the Z’s body. The 13-megapixel camera juts out from the back in a circular hump. And the most divisive change? The phone’s slim frame meant Motorola had to ax the headphone jack. Motorola is convinced it’s on the right side of history with this move, but in the short term, you’re stuck buying either a pair of USB Type-C headphones or using an adapter that comes in the box.
I’ll delve more into the audio quality a little later, but right off the bat, the change presents some tricky issues to tangle with. Let’s say you’re a klutz like me: You’re probably going to lose that dongle before long. And if you’re listening to music through wired headphones, you can’t charge the phone at the same time. Inconvenient at best; counterproductive at worst.
Motorola is so sure of this decision that the Z’s cousin, the Moto Z Force, lacks the headphone jack as well, even though its thicker body could definitely have accommodated one. Throughout my week of testing, I’ve been looking at the Z Force as the Moto Z for everyone else: It has the same new look, paired with a bigger 3,500mAh battery and Motorola’s Shattershield design to keep you from cracking your screen. Throw in an improved 21-megapixel rear camera and we have a package that more than makes up for Z Force’s heftier dimensions. If owning an incredibly thin smartphone isn’t high on your list of priorities, you’re probably better off looking at this version of the Z instead. It’s just too bad neither of these phones are waterproof: They’re nano-coated to resist splashes, but that’s it.
Despite their differences, the slim Moto Z and the sturdy Z Force share some powerful silicon. Thrumming away inside both devices is a quad-core Snapdragon 820 chip paired with 4GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU — just like almost every other flagship Android phone released this year. The similarities don’t end there, either: Both sport an excellent fingerprint reader beneath the screen, either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for as much as 2TB of extra space, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. A trio of tiny volume buttons and a sleep/wake key poke out of both phones’ right side, and on the bottom is a solitary USB Type-C socket for power, data transfers and audio.
Both devices are showcases for Motorola’s impeccable workmanship, but they’re made even more interesting by the array of golden contacts on their backs. Those 16 points make up what the company calls its Moto Mod connector, which allows power and data to flow between the phone and optional accessories that magnetically latch to the phones’ backs. The first batch includes a tiny projector, battery case and a JBL speaker, and they add a lot to the Moto Z/Z Force formula, so I’ll be sure to dig deeper on these in just a moment. For now, just know this: Motorola’s approach to modularity is the most elegant you’ll find on the market right now.
Display and sound
Both Moto Z phones feature 5.5-inch AMOLED displays running at 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, and they’re pretty great. In addition to very accommodating viewing angles, you’ll get the usual punchy colors that come with AMOLED screens. If they’re a little too punchy for your liking, though, you can hop into the device’s settings and poke around: The “Vibrant” color mode is enabled by default, but there’s also a “Standard” option that attempts to render colors more realistically. I’ve come to prefer the slightly oversaturated look you’ll see by default, but hey, it’s nice to have choices.
It’s also worth noting that these displays don’t look identical. My Moto Z’s panel seems a little more high-contrast than the Z Force’s screen, and I’m willing to bet that’s because of the Z Force’s Shattershield construction. In case you never owned a Droid Turbo 2, here’s the skinny: Above the AMOLED panel itself, there’s a redundant touch-sensing layer and two protective lenses, all meant to keep the screen from breaking if the Z Force takes a tumble. I reluctantly treated this thing like a jerk throughout my week of testing, dropping it on concrete for laughs and lobbing it onto my desk from across the room. The damage? A couple nicks on the screen and some scuffs on the phone’s aluminum edge. Shattershield is a welcome feature indeed, but it’s important to remember that it doesn’t make the Moto Z Force invincible.
Both phones also have a single speaker above the screen, nestled in the same place as the earpiece. It’s a far cry from the stereo setups we’ve seen in other smartphones, but you know what? The Z/Z Force’s speakers consistently churned out crisp (if not terribly loud) audio. It’s not a surprise, really: Lots of companies sort of phone it in when it comes to speaker quality, and it’s clear Motorola would like you to buy one of JBL’s sweet speaker Mods.
Now, about that pesky headphone issue. I’ve used the included USB Type-C dongle with several pairs of cans and in-ears, and it doesn’t seem to affect audio quality at all when playing high-quality tunes saved on Spotify. If anything, my biggest gripes were logistical: When I didn’t keep the dongle attached to headphones, it got lost in the depths of my backpack. When I did keep it attached, it sometimes made the cord long enough to be cumbersome when jamming everything into my pocket (especially when those headphones had an L-plug).
Are these huge issues? No, not really (and if you’re a Bluetooth headphone person, basically none of these gripes apply). Still, these sticking points aren’t going away for a while, so keep that in mind before you buy.
Camera
Let’s be honest: Motorola isn’t exactly known as a leader in photography. That’s why the company’s work this year is so surprising: We now have two Motorola phones with seriously good cameras. If the normal Moto Z is your thing, you’ll get a 13-megapixel main camera with a f/1.8 aperture lens and a laser autofocus module. My expectations were set needlessly low. As it turns out, the Z’s camera takes bright, nicely detailed shots with vivid colors almost across the board. It does stumble a bit in low light, where you’ll plenty of grain and soft edges, but really, what smartphone doesn’t? The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are still better all-around performers, but for once, Motorola has done well to close the gap.
Meanwhile, the Moto Z Force’s camera does a slightly better job of capturing fine detail, which really isn’t surprising — it’s a 21-megapixel sensor, after all. What is surprising is how tight the image-quality race can be sometimes. For a while, the Moto Z seemed a little better at rendering accurate colors, but then photos with the Z Force started coming out a little better. Then back. Then forth. You get my drift. What makes this whole thing even stranger is that the Moto Z Force was occasionally slower to focus on subjects than the Z, despite having phase-detection autofocus in addition to a laser-autofocus module. A quick tap or two is all it takes to set it right, but that’s still a little odd. It’s the Z Force’s low-light performance that clinches the deal here: It’s not quite Galaxy S7-level, but it’s closer than I dared dream.
Despite some curious performance quirks, I’d ultimately go with the Z Force as my shooter of choice — it’s as good a camera as Motorola has ever made, even if the underlying software needs some extra polish. Still, the standard Moto Z is no slouch.
Beyond the intricacies of their sensors, the Z and Z Force camera experiences have a lot in common. They share a 5-megapixel, wide-angle camera for selfies that does a generally lovely job of capturing those fleeting moments of vanity. Speaking of vanity, there’s also a new Beauty Mode that irons out the wrinkles and blemishes that might mar one’s selfies. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if this was a feature that parent company Lenovo insisted on; these sorts of cosmetic enhancements have popped up, and continue to pop up, in Lenovo smartphones.
It’s too bad it doesn’t work very well. I snapped selfies at both ends of the Beauty mode spectrum and neither did much for my looks. This year, Motorola also added a Professional Mode that allows for more granular control over your photos. Once enabled, you’ll get full control over ISO, white balance, shutter speed and exposure — change any of those settings and you’ll get a live update on your display. Just maybe don’t go too crazy with them. I managed to crash the camera app a few times doing that.
Moto Mods
Of course, the story of the Moto Z and Z Force extend beyond the devices themselves. Motorola has a vision centered on accessories that snap onto the phone with magnets. Not only is this less annoying than LG’s attempt with the G5 — it’s simpler and cleaner too. Motorola has also said that these first-generation Moto Mods will work with next year’s model as well, though the company isn’t promising anything beyond that.
First up: Motorola’s Insta-Share projector. When fully charged, the projector will run for about an hour on its own before using the battery in your phone. Stick it far enough away from a wall and you can get a picture that’s about 70 inches diagonal, a pretty big jump from the clunker of a TV I bought on sale years ago. Your environment needs to be superdark, and it can be tough to get the focus right, but once everything came together, I had a bit of a “wow” moment I didn’t see coming. There are, however, two potential issues to keep in mind. First, the speakers baked into the projector aren’t great, so you’ll want an external set if you’re really after something resembling a movie-theater experience. Second, it’ll set you back $299. If you’ve got money to burn, then by all means, go for it, but for most, it won’t be worth it.
Compared with that, the $79 JBL speaker Mod seems way more modest. I probably pissed off a few people in the office by cranking it up all the way, which can be almost unpleasantly loud depending on the kind of music you’re listening to. It lasts about 10 hours on a charge, and the speaker burns through that juice before switching to the phone’s battery for power. Alas, the audio doesn’t sound as meaty as I imagined; it seems to do better with podcasts and songs with lots of action in the mid and high range. Here’s my issue, though: You could get a portable Bluetooth speaker that sounds better (and works with any smartphone) for around the same price. Either way, you’d have to carry around a second piece of hardware. On the plus side, though, it has a kickstand to prop up the phone — a helpful touch when you’re watching videos.
Really, though, the best Moto Mod is a battery back that basically doubles the Moto Z’s battery life while still managing to feel like a natural extension of the phone. If you buy a Moto Z, this needs to go with it.
By building the Moto Mod connector and inking deals with companies like JBL, Motorola is admitting that we can’t always have everything we want in one single device. The beauty of Motorola’s design, though, means the things we add to the Moto Z feel like seamless parts of the device itself. It’s still early days for the Moto Mods program, and the only way to ensure it goes anywhere is to buy this stuff. Hopefully, enough people invest in this new ecosystem of hardware to keep it alive. It would be a shame to see such an elegant solution flounder.
(Side note: if you’ve got a brilliant idea for a Moto Mod of your own, Motorola is opening up its developer program in August — $125 gets you a hardware-development kit for bread-boarding and hashing out initial designs.)
Software
Motorola is well known for releasing smartphones that run very clean, almost stock versions of Android… unless those smartphones are Verizon exclusives like these. The broad strokes of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow are still there, and for the most part, Motorola seemed happy to leave well enough alone; the most notable visual tweak is a dark theme applied to the familiar Marshmallow menus and app launcher.
Still, Verizon’s influence is undeniable. There’s a separate-but-optional setup process to get started with Verizon’s cloud upon first boot, and lots of preloaded software I never touched. I’m talking VZ Navigator, VZ Protect, Message+, Caller Name ID and a cloud app, not to mention NFL Mobile, Slacker, Audible and a ton of derivative games. You can delete some of them, but the rest need to be disabled in the settings and I couldn’t so this fast enough.
Curiously, the Motorola-made apps that used to come preloaded on the company’s Verizon-bound phones aren’t here anymore. If you want Loop and Zap (which let you keep tabs on loved ones and share content with people nearby, respectively), you’ll have to get them from the Play Store. I love it when companies stop trying to force apps of dubious value on us — HTC recently did this too — but Verizon pushed enough bloatware that Motorola’s cleanliness almost went unnoticed.
On the plus side, Motorola’s thoughtful software tricks are all still here. The sensors on the Z’s face can still detect your hands as they approach, and they’ll light up part of the display to show you the time and your notifications. Like before, you can double-twist your wrist to launch the camera, and a double karate chop turns on the flashlight. As it happens, Motorola added a new gesture this year: If you swipe up from the bottom of the display, the on-screen view will shrink so you can reach the notification shade without having to reposition your hand.
The Moto Z siblings are great at listening for your voice commands, too. Once you’ve trained them to listen to your activation phrase (mine is the dull “OK, Moto Z”), the phones will wake up and take requests like a proper assistant. That might not sound like a high bar to clear — after all, virtual assistants have come a long way since the earliest days of Siri and Google Now — but Motorola was one of the first companies to go big on phones that always listened, and they’re still very good at making them.
Performance
We can keep this part simple: The Moto Z and Z Force are damned fast. Is that really any surprise? Both run with the same high-end Snapdragon silicon as most other flagship Android phones I’ve played with this year, and they’ve all been really fast too. As always, my week of testing included all the usual, frenzied multitasking for work, along with loads of Real Racing 3, Mortal Kombat X, Hearthstone and Pokémon Go when the news died down. Try as I might — and trust me, I tried — the Moto Z and Z Force handled all of my trials with gusto. (They do get noticeably warm when you starting to push them, though.) Ultimately, now that premium smartphones like the Moto Z and its ilk all fall into the same performance range, the details that make these devices different are more important than ever.
| AndEBench Pro | 16,678 | 16,455 | 14,168 | 16,673 |
| Vellamo 3.0 | 5,613 | 5,727 | 4,285 | 4,876 |
| 3DMark IS Unlimited | 29,117 | 28,964 | 28,529 | 26,747 |
| GFXBench 3.0 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (fps) | 49 | 49 | 45 | 48 |
| CF-Bench | 45,803 | 44,977 | 51,227 | 49,891 |
| SunSpider 1.0.2: Android devices tested in Chrome; lower scores are better. |
Consider batteries, for instance. Thanks to its slim body, Motorola fitted the Moto Z with a 2,600mAh cell. Not bad, but definitely not great. I’ll admit, even though I’ve used smartphones with similar specs and battery sizes before, I went into this review expecting the worst. Thankfully, that was unwarranted. On days of heavy use, the Z would get me through the work day but give up the ghost not long after. That works out to about 11 hours of pretty continuous use, though you can stretch that up to about a day and a half if you’re a very, very cautious user. In our standard Engadget rundown test (looping a video with the screen brightness set to 50 percent and WiFi connected), the Moto Z lasted about just north of 10 hours. That’s on par with the LG G5 and HTC 10.
This means the Moto Z’s battery will probably cut it for most people, but anyone on the fence should consider the next step up. As you’d expect, the Moto Z Force blew its skinny sibling out of the water. I routinely got two full days of use out of its larger 3,500mAh battery, and got closer to three days over a particularly quiet weekend. Not bad at all. And in our rundown test, the Z Force looped the same sample video for 14 hours and 12 minutes, just 18 minutes less than Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge.
The competition
I probably sound like a broken record saying this, but there’s really never been a better time to buy a top-tier Android phone. While some are better suited to certain situations than others, there really isn’t a bad choice among them. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are waterproof and still lead the pack in camera performance, though you’ll have to deal with the (much improved!) TouchWiz interface that’s layered on top of Android Marshmallow. The HTC 10’s fit and finish is first-rate, and it handles media better out of the box: It’ll tune your music for your preferences and headphones, for one, and it’s the first Android phone to officially support Apple’s AirPlay streaming standard. Meanwhile, if you’re shopping for flagship power on a budget, the reasonably priced OnePlus 3 brings the speed for a fraction of what the Moto Z and Z Force cost.
But if we’re looking at the Moto Z and Z Force as modular phones, first and foremost, the only real comparison this year is LG’s G5. The broad strokes are similar — Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, a circle of “Friend” accessories — but the Moto Z’s elegant execution gives those two phones a clear edge. Just look at LG’s setup: modules connect to the bottom of the G5, requiring you to remove the phone’s battery, attach it to the new module, stick that whole thing back into the phone and power it up. At best, it’s an annoyance. On the plus side, though, you’ll be able to swap batteries willy-nilly, and you have a really neat dual-camera setup to play with.
Wrap-up
I have to give Motorola credit for doing what LG couldn’t: building modular smartphones that are convenient, cool and worth using. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the Moto Z and Z Force are two of the best-made devices in Motorola’s history, and that they can go toe-to-toe with any other flagship Android phone out there. These devices represent Motorola at the top of its phone-making game.
It’s a shame, then, that some curious decisions have kept me from loving the Z and Z Force more fully. Part of it is the lack of a headphone jack. Maybe I’m old-school, but I can’t be the only one who misses it. Part of it, too, is that some of the Mods are of dubious value. Worse, only a certain chunk of people — Verizon customers — can buy these phones. Ultimately, though, the strength of the Moto Z line and the potential of Moto Mods outweigh the few cons. If you’re a Verizon customer on the hunt for a powerful smartphone, pay attention to these two. (And if you’re a klutz, pay closer attention to the Z Force.) The rest of us will just have to hang in there — Motorola can’t let phones this good stay exclusive for too long.
AIVAnet 