The Moto Z has landed and in a surprise move it’s been joined by the Moto Z Force – a beefier, even higher spec phone with a shatterproof screen.
If you want Motorola’s true flagship this looks to be it, with a big QHD display, a 21MP camera, a large battery and an assortment of MotoMods to take it further than the core hardware allows.
There’s a lot to cover, so get comfortable and read on for all the information we have so far, from its price and release date to its design, specs and features.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Motorola’s shatterproof flagship
- When is it out? This summer in the US, September for the world
- What will it cost? Likely around US$625/£499/AU$1,050
Moto Z Force release date
There’s no news yet on exactly when you’ll be able to buy the Moto Z Force, but we can tell you that it’s planned to be a US exclusive and more specifically a Verizon exclusive, hence the name.
That said it’s a major phone, and its predecessor the Moto X Force (aka the Droid Turbo 2) launched more widely, so we wouldn’t rule it out eventually making its way to other regions – at which point it will presumably be called the Moto Z Force, rather than the Moto Z Force.
Moto Z Force price
We don’t know what the Moto Z Force is going to cost, but we know it’s going to be expensive. Our best guess right now is that the pricing will be in line with the Moto X Force’s original RRP, which was set at US$625/£499 (around AU$1,050). But if anything given all the tech packed into the Moto Z Force it’s going to cost even more.
Moto Z Force design and screen
The Moto Z Force has exactly the same screen specs as the standard Moto Z, which is to say a 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 display. That’s in line with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, so it’s big and sharp.
But the display on the Moto Z Force is also designed to be shatterproof, just like the Moto X Force/Droid Turbo 2. So in theory you’ll be able to drop it, scrape it and hit it all without breaking it, not that we’d recommend you do any of those things.
The design is to some extent whatever you want it to be, as you can get wood, leather and plastic covers for the phone. But out of the box it comes in gold, black or rose gold, the last of which isn’t an option on the standard Moto Z. However, the handset is also slightly thicker than its Force-free sibling.
If you want to go beyond material choices and supercharge the Moto Z Force with new features you’ll also be able to invest in MotoMods, which clip onto the back using magnetic pins and add the likes of an extra battery, JBL speakers with a kickstand and a pico projector, which can be used to display content from your phone.
Whatever you choose, the Moto Z Force is splash resistant, though not fully waterproof, so its rugged credentials are largely limited to the screen. And speaking of the screen, the main other feature on the front of the Moto Z Force is a fingerprint scanner, which, oddly, doesn’t double as a home button.
Moto Z Force camera and battery
The Moto Z Force comes with a 21MP snapper, up from just 13MP on the Moto Z and complete with optical image stabilization and phase-detection autofocus, so it should be able to focus quickly and deliver sharp shots.
Motorola hasn’t revealed the size of the battery, but we do know that it’s bigger than the one in the standard Moto Z, so hopefully this will be a long-lasting phone.
Moto Z Force OS and power
There’s a Snapdragon 820 processor at the heart of the Moto Z Force, which is the same chip as you’ll find in many other 2016 flagships, such as the HTC 10 and LG G5.
The Z Force runs Android Marshmallow, as you’d expect and it charges via USB-C, so you might have to invest in some new cables, but at least you’ll be able to plug them in either way round.
Source: techradar.com
