In 2011, Motorola, Inc. split into Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions. Google acquired Motorola Mobility in 2012 and sold it to Lenovo in 2014. The Z series smartphones are nearly stock Android with a bit of Moto customization thrown in. They compete well with flagship phones from Google and Samsung. Here’s a look at Motorola’s recent Z phone releases. Now, with an integrated fingerprint sensor on the display glass, the phone has never been more secure. And, in a move sure to please audiophiles, the 3.5 mm headset jack is back. The Z4 is compatible with Moto Mods, has a Nano SD card slot, and is available in a 128 GB version. Both smartphones are compatible with Moto Mods, have micro SD card slots, and lack headphones jacks. In addition, the phones have side-mounted fingerprint sensors located underneath the volume buttons. The Z3 comes in a 64 GB configuration, while the Z3 Play has 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB versions. The fingerprint sensor is a bit larger than the Z Force’s. It also responds better to gesture controls that enable the scanner to act as a Home, back, and current apps key. Plus, it can put the phone to sleep. The Z2 Force has two 12-megapixel cameras on the back, producing higher-quality photos than a single lens. The secondary sensor shoots in monochrome so you can get black-and-white snaps. It also helps you create the bokeh effect, in which part of the photo is in focus while the background is blurred out. The selfie camera has an LED flash for well-lit self-portraits. Otherwise, the Z2 Force is just like the Z Force. It features the same ShatterShield technology that protects it from everyday drops and bumps; however, the bezel is prone to scratches. It only has a single speaker embedded in the earpiece. To get better sound, you might consider the JBL SoundBoost Moto Mod. Neither of the Force smartphones has a headphone jack, but they come with a USB-C adaptor. Both have micro SD card slots. The fingerprint scanner works as a Home button, unlike previous models, and responds to gestures to go back and show recent apps. This design is an improvement, as many reviewers mistook the scanner for the Home button on older smartphones. Still, the gestures can sometimes be challenging to execute. The metal back is compatible with Moto Mods. Its battery life isn’t as impressive as the Z Force phones, but that can be improved by attaching TurboPower Pack Moto Mod. It also has a headphone jack, which the Z Force models lack, and a micro SD slot. Like many high-end smartphones, the Z Force Droid lacks a headphone jack but comes with a USB-C adapter. It also has a micro SD card slot. The camera, which you can launch with a twisting gesture, has optical image stabilization to combat blurry photos. The Z Play models lack the ShatterShield display featured on the Z and Z Force phones, and the back is glass rather than metal. Another difference is that the Z Play cameras lack optical image stabilization to compensate for shaky hands. Like other smartphones in the Z series, it’s easy to mistake the fingerprint scanner for a Home button. While the Verizon version comes jammed with bloatware, the unlocked version (AT&T and T-Mobile) has only a few Motorola add-ons, including a series of gestures and a one-handed mode. Smart gestures include a Star Wars-inspired Jedi move, in which you wave your hand over the smartphone’s face to light it up and show your notifications and the time. Both models have micro SD card slots for extra storage. These smartphones lack a headphone jack but come with a USB-C adaptor for your headphones. The Moto Z and Z Droid come in 32 GB and 64 GB configurations and can accept micro SD cards up to 2 TB.
