Moto Z2 Play Review: Thinner, Lighter and Better But It Is Still Not The Best

Moto Z2 Play has finally made a touchdown in Indian market with a price tag of Rs 27,999 and it seems like Lenovo-owned Motorola wants to stick with modular smartphones in days when companies like Google and LG have backed off from the concept. This also means that Moto Z2 Play features a removable battery which, for some reason, has been downgraded from 3510mAh to 3000mAh.

In 2016, hidden among this modular concept, there came one of the best mid-range smartphones the Moto Z Play, Moto Z2 Play’s predecessor. It wasn’t a premium device, didn’t came with the fastest processor or best camera, and neither had the highest-resolution display. Moto Z Play ‘did’ have the best battery life in the segment and the rest of its features were good enough for an overall package.

However, this time around, the market has changed and OnePlus 3T has been ruling the segment for quite some time now. Moto Z2 Play, on the other hand, with the help of Moto Mods, is expected to recreate the magic but is it capable of doing so? Let’s see.

Moto Z2 Play Specifications

• 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080) Full HD Super AMOLED display with 401ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 2.2GHz GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC coupled with Adreno 506 GPU
• 4GB LPDDR3 RAM and 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD card
• Stock Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box
• 12MP rear camera with dual-LED flash, f/1.7 aperture, dual autofocus pixel camera and Phase-detection autofocus (PDAF)
• 5MP front camera with dual-LED flash, f/2.2 aperture and a wide-angle lens for group selfies
• Fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button and Metal Pins For Moto Mods support at the rear.
• 3000mAh battery with TurboPower Charge Support
• Dual Sim support, 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/g/b/n (2.4GHz and 5GHz), USB Type-C (3.1), NFC, a 3.5mm headphone jack, GPS/ A-GPS and FM radio
• Sensors include an accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope and proximity sensor.
• Measurement 156.2×76.2×5.99mm and the Moto Z2 Play weighs 145g

The biggest trade off for a sleeker design in Moto Z2 Play is the battery life which has been downgraded by 510mAh. Other than that, there is not much that have changed and that is the main reason for our concerns.

Yes, you get a metal back instead of a glass one, a better camera (by all means), beefed up processor (not that big of a change) and a host of Moto Mods options like JBL Sound Boost 2, Turbo Power Pack 2, GamePod Mod and Moto Style Shell support for wireless charging, but it also comes with a higher price tag.

Moto Z2 Play, as a package, might confuse many because OnePlus 3T sits right there and is asking just a couple of thousands more for more RAM, bigger processor, and a better camera and moreover, if you are looking to upgrade from Moto Z Play, there seems no specific reason to force your pocket.

However, if you a tight budget, are looking for a mid-budget smartphone and are not a OnePlus fan, Moto Z2 Play is the best buy for you. Moreover, Lenovo is giving a host of presale offer to make Moto Z2 Play a sweet deal.