The Moto Z2 Force has been announced, bringing flagship specs, modular design, a dual camera system and of course, a shatterproof screen into action alongside the company’s second-generation mid-range Moto Z2 Play.
You’ll find 2017’s hottest mobile platform inside, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835, which is working in tandem with 4GB of RAM in the US (some regions will receive an 6GB variant and we're not jealous at all. Nope). This pairing of specs places the Z2 Force next to (and in some ways, above) phones like the Samsung Galaxy S8, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, OnePlus 5, Google Pixel and the LG G6.
Moto claims that the Z2 Force can achieve all-day battery life, but then again, that’s without considering its unique MotoMods capability. A day of battery life is to be expected for most phones, but when equipped with one of its battery packs, it’s not uncommon to see battery life stretching close to two days of heavy use - an amazing feat for any flagship device.
Moto is putting a lot of emphasis on its rear-facing dual 12MP cameras. These will allow for greater depth of field in photos, plus the system offers phase detection and laser auto focus, so finding the subject won't be any trouble for the Z2 Force.
Z2 Force gon' give it to ya
The design of the Z2 Force has shed some thickness from last year’s model, dropping from 7mm to 6mm.
Interestingly, Moto is bringing the Z2 Force to market without a thinner, core flagship next to it. At least, for now. Perhaps, offering two similar models at once worked against it last year, but that’s pure speculation.
The downside of this is that there’s no super-thin option available this year. But the big upside, to Moto at least, is that it will put the shatterproof screen tech into more hands than ever. Fewer broken phones? Yeah, we’re on board with that, too.
Motorola’s ambitious MotoMods modular accessory platform seems to be following through on its promise to offer both backward and forward compatibility. All older accessories will work on the Z2 Force, as all new ones will work on Z phones from the past.
To celebrate ringing in year number two, it’s announcing the 360 Camera mod, which like the Essential Phone’s accessory, can shoot at 4K resolutions in 360-degrees and record all-encompassing 3D audio. Uniquely, Moto’s new mod can shoot in an ultra-wide-angle photos mode that takes advantage of the 150-degree field of view of each of the cameras, yielding extra wide landscapes and selfies alike. Using the two cameras in tandem, the field of view is no less than the competition.
Not only will the 360 Camera be compatible with previous Moto Z models, Moto is bringing the bundled software to edit photos and videos to them, too. We’re excited to give this one a try, so we’ll be putting this MotoMod to test as soon as we possibly can.
The Moto Z2 Force will be available starting August 10 on all US carriers as well as Best Buy for $30 per month, which when paid over the course of two years equals out to about $700.
