In this post, which will be updated regularly, we take a closer look at the latest rumors surrounding the upcoming Moto Z2, Moto Z2 Force, and Moto Z2 Play.
Last year, Lenovo took the wraps off three Moto Z devices. These include the high-end Moto Z and Z Force and the mid-range Moto Z Play. All three stand out from the crowd thanks to their modular design that works a lot better compared to last year’s LG G5. You have the option of choosing between a few different accessories called Moto Mods, which simply snap on to the back of the smartphones.
Lenovo is expected to announce the next Moto Z generation soon. We have come across a bunch of rumors regarding the Moto Z2, Z2 Force, and Z2 Play, which we have rounded up in this post. So if you want to know when the devices will be announced, what will they offer specs-wise, what will they look like, and how much you’ll have to fork out to get your hands on them, keep reading. You’ll find all these information and more down below.
As always, do keep in mind that these are just rumors for now. Although the company did share a few minor details regarding its upcoming smartphones so far, most specs and features haven’t been officially confirmed yet.
Moto Z2 lineup: release date
The Moto Z and Z Force were officially announced at the beginning of June 2016 at Lenovo’s TechWorld event in San Francisco. They went on sale in July in the US but were exclusive to Verizon for the first few months. The unlocked version of the Moto Z then went up for pre-order in September with sales starting a month later. The Moto Z Force, on the other hand, remained exclusive to Verizon, as the unlocked version of the device was not released.
Things were a little bit different when it comes to the Moto Z Play. The mid-range smartphone was announced at a later date, at the end of August to be more exact. But it did go up for pre-order along with the Moto Z and also started shipping to customers in October.
Unlike in 2016, Lenovo is expected to announce the entire Z2 lineup at the same time. Although not confirmed, the Moto Z2, Z2 Force, and Z2 Play will be revealed at an event on June 8. This is based on the leaked image of the Z2 Play (check the Design section below), which shows this date on its screen. As the Moto Z and Z Force were announced in June last year, the date does make a lot of sense.
Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly when the smartphones will go on sale. Our best guess is that they will be released in July, with the unlocked versions coming at a later date, just like last year. What we do know is that unlike its predecessor, the Moto Z2 Force won’t be exclusive to Verizon. According to Evan Blass, you’ll also be able to get the smartphone from T-Mobile and maybe even Sprint and other carriers at launch. If true, this likely means that the other two smartphones, the Z2 and Z2 Play, will also be available at multiple carriers when they are released.
Moto Z2 lineup: specs
As a flagship, the Moto Z2 will obviously sport high-end specs. Just like its predecessor, it is expected to feature a 5.5-inch display with QHD resolution. We doubt that the smartphone will have a screen smaller than last year’s Moto Z, while increasing its size probably also isn’t a great option as that would push it into the phablet category.
The Moto Z2 will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 835 chipset and will have 4 GB or maybe even 6 GB of RAM. You’ll find a fingerprint scanner below the screen with support for various swiping gestures, like the ones already seen on the Moto G5 series.
We expect to see big changes in the camera department, as the device will have a dual-camera setup on the back. According to well-known leaker Ricciolo, Lenovo has opted for a lower megapixel count and larger pixels this year, which means that the camera should perform better in low-light conditions. No word on the front-facing camera so far, aside from the fact that it will have LED flash.
2017 #motoz #motox #Lenovo enhanced low light images LOWER MP Bigger μm Quality Lenses Laser AF OIS 😉 FIX this!Sorry for being TOO AHEAD !
— Ricciolo (@Ricciolo1) July 16, 2016
When it comes to software, the Moto Z2 will ship with Android 7.1.1 Nougat on board. As usual, the company will add its own user interface on top that doesn’t change the look and feel of the OS much. It’s pretty close to stock Android, which is something a lot of users will welcome with open arms.
As expected, the Moto Z2 Force will be quite similar to the Z2 in terms of specs. Like last year, we can expect to see three differences. The first is the camera, which might offer more megapixels and should perform a little bit better. The second change is a larger battery, while the third is the ShatterShield display, which shouldn’t crack easily when you drop the phone on the ground, for example.
The Moto Z2 Play, on the other hand, will offer mid-range specs. According to Evan Blass, the smartphone will have a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution and will be powered by the Snapdragon 626 chipset running at 2.2 GHz. Others specs include 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, a fingerprint scanner, a 12 MP primary camera with dual auto-focus, and a selfie snapper with a 5 MP sensor.
Unfortunately, the Z2 Play will pack a smaller battery than its predecessor. Lenovo has confirmed that the device will feature a 3,000 mAh battery, whereas the one found in the Z Play has a capacity of 3,510 mAh. This means that the upcoming smartphone will likely be thinner, as well as lighter.
Moto Z2 lineup: design
Thanks to a few images that made their way online over the last month or so, we already know what the upcoming devices will look like.
Back in April, we obtained renders and a 360-degree video of the upcoming Moto Z2 Force in collaboration with OnLeaks. The smartphone looks quite similar to its predecessor, with a few minor exceptions. These include the dual camera setup on the back, more rounded edges, and a redesigned fingerprint scanner below the screen. You can check out a few images of the device and the 360-degree video down below.
What’s interesting is that the smartphone will feature the 3.5 mm headphone jack, which was missing on last year’s Moto Z Force. And that’s despite the fact that it will be thinner than its predecessor. The Moto Z2 Force is rumored to be 5.99 mm thick (8.50 mm with back camera bump), while last year’s Moto Z Force comes in at 7 mm.
Another image of the Moto Z2 Force has leaked recently, which gives us an even better look at the device. It has a gold back and a white front, but we do expect to see more colors once the device gets officially released.
Back in April, we also saw the first image of the Moto Z2 Play. As you can see, it’s almost identical to the Z2 Force and also comes in the exact same color option. A few differences worth pointing out are that the Z2 Play sports a single camera on the back and has the Moto logo above the screen, instead of below it.
The last smartphone to pose for the camera was the Moto Z2. The leaked image only shows the front of the device, which looks quite similar to the rest of the Z2 series. Again, there are a few differences including a slightly redesigned speaker grill and a different — black — color option.
One important thing worth pointing out that all three devices feature a modular design, just like the previous generation. They have magnetic pins at the back that are used to attach various accessories called Moto Mods. There are a few of them available including the JBL SoundBoost speaker, Moto insta-share projector, and Incipio offGRID Power Pack. These are all expected to be compatible with the new Moto Z series, however, we wouldn’t mind seeing a few more Moto Mods announced along with the upcoming smartphones.
Moto Z2 lineup: price
There’s no word on how much the Moto Z2 smartphones will retail for, but we can get a better idea of what to expect by taking a closer look at the prices of its predecessors.
When launched, Verizon sold the Moto Z for $624, while the Moto Z Force was available for $720. The unlocked version of the Moto Z, which was released at a later date, was initially priced at $699. The Moto Z Play was obviously more affordable, as you had to dish out $449.99 to get it.
The best case scenario is that the prices will remain more or less the same, as it’s highly unlikely that the smartphones will be cheaper this year. Although anything is possible, we doubt that this will happen. As always, there’s a chance that Lenovo might increase the prices a little bit, which is something no one probably wants to see, right?
These are all the rumors regarding the upcoming Moto Z2 lineup we have come across so far. We’ll update this page as soon as we hear more.
Meanwhile, do let us know what you think about the smartphones. Which one do you think will be the most successful among consumers? Share your opinion with us by posting a comment down below.
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