Motorola adds new premium phone for mid-end market

July 6, 2017 - 7:54 AM
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A large Motorola Z2 Play promotional display outside a popular mall in Bangkok, Thailand. InterAksyon file photo

BANGKOK, THAILAND — A year after the launch of the Moto Z series, Motorola introduced the latest member of the premium smartphone family, the Moto Z2 Play, as the tech company, now under the Lenovo Mobile Business (LMB) group, strengthens its business in the ASEAN region.

The second generation Moto Z2 Play now has a thinner and lighter design than its predecessor, complimented by a faster performance and, according to company executives, much better battery life

The Z2 Play has a 13.97cm (5.5-inch) Full-HD AMOLED display that could deliver razor sharp details, plus 24 hours of battery life running a 2.2GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 octa-core processor. Motorola said that in just 15 minutes of charging, the user can get up to seven hours of mobile phone power.

The phone can also take brighter, sharper photos even on low-light environment on its 12-megapixel rear camera in combination with its laser autofocus and dual-auto focus pixel technology. This next generation laser autofocus, the company said, now has an expanded range of up to 5 meters, so users of the Moto Z2 Play can “focus on objects 3 times further in a virtually dark environment”.

In addition, the 5-megapixel front camera is supported by a “dual-color corrected flash” that could help take great selfies any time of the day.

A redesigned fingerprint reader on the phone has removed the familiar 3 touch buttons that are standard on every Android-powered phone, thus reducing clutter and provide a bit of additional screen space on the display. While the single home button can now easily activate navigation to quickly move through the screens: swipe left to go back, right to access recent apps, and tap to go home, and use one long press to lock the phone.

Of course, the Moto Z2 Play is compatible with their very own Moto Mods — an innovative interchangeable add-ons that could expand the phone’s features and functions. These unique modifiers are compatible with the Moto Z2 Play from those already available today or upcoming models, or the ones from the previous generation.

The growing ecosystem of add-ons include the TurboPower Pack charger, Wireless Charging Style Shell and JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker, aside from the earlier insta-share projector, Hasselblad True Zoom, and a variety back shell covers.

A new off-grid powerpack and vehicle dock from Incipio, and a gamepad that could modify your Moto Z into a portable gaming gear complete with tactile buttons, D-pad ,and analog stick will also be available.

No price or official launch date for the Philippine as of this posting. But Motorola executives assured that the Moto Z2 Play will be available locally soon.

Motorola Moto Z2 Play equipped with a gamepad Mod on display at the launch in Bangkok, Thailand on July 5, 2017. InterAksyon file photo

Motorola Moto Z2 Play quick specs

Processor: 2.2GHz octa-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 626
Screen size: 5.50 inches; 1080×1920 pixels
RAM: 4GB
Internal storage: 64GB
Expandable storage: microSD
Rear camera: 12-megapixel
Front camera: 5-megapixel
Operating System: Android 7.1.1
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n; GPS; Bluetooth v4.20; NFC
Headphones: 3.5mm
Battery capacity: 3000mAh
Dimensions: 156.20mm x 76.20mm x 5.99mm
Weight: 145.00g

Motorola Moto Z2 Play on display at the regional launch in Bangkok, Thailand on July 5. 2017. InterAksyon file photo