Moto Z review: thinnest smartphone with a cool camera Modular Motorola Moto Z and Moto Z Force, but they also have drawbacks - Smartphone review Replaceable panels moto z

Recently, smartphone manufacturers have gone into fashion for modular devices. Almost everyone has tried, but only Motorola has received really interesting modular phones. We will tell about their famous Moto Mods in this article: what they are, what they are and what they can do.

Complete list of all Moto Mods

Here are all modules available today, both from Motorola itself and from third-party manufacturers. Everyone will be able to choose according to their taste and functionality.

Column JBL SoundBoost

Turn up the music on your smartphone with JBL SoundBoost. This is a speaker that costs about $ 80 and has two 27mm speakers, each rated at 6W. This module can be used as a speaker for playing music or for holding conferences. Apart from that, this Mod has its own extra 1000mAh battery.

Moto Insta-Share Projector

Online movies and videos are fun, but not when your phone has a small screen and many viewers. For such cases, there is a Moto Mod oInsta-Share projector for $ 3000. It projects what is happening on the screen of your smartphone (Moto Z) onto the wall in good quality. You can project a picture with a diagonal of up to 70 inches. And the built-in stand will help you customize the position of the image on the wall as you like. The projector also has its own 1100mAh battery.

Hasselblad True Zoom Camera

Have you ordered a 10x zoom on a smartphone? This became possible with the Motorola Hasselblad True Zoom module (price $ 300). This Moto Mod turns your phone's regular camera into a great photography tool. It features 10x optical zoom, xenon flash and physical buttons for zoom and shutter release. This module turns your phone into an almost professional camera.

Powerbank Mophie Juice Pack

Additional accumulator battery in the Mophie Juice Pack module has a capacity of 3150 mAh. This built-in power bank can significantly extend the operating time of your phone, because its capacity is comparable to the capacity of the phone's own battery. The cost of this Moto Mod is $ 80.

Powerbank Kate Spade Power Pack

The $ 80 Kate Spade New York Power Pack is a 2220mAh power bank Mod. Like the Mophie Juice Power Pack, it charges along with the smartphone from the stock charger. In addition, there is a brand logo and a striped coloring on the back.

Powerbank Incipio Offgrid Power Pack

And another battery from Incipio. This is an extra battery that you can use with Moto Z to increase battery power and smartphone life. The Incipio Offgrid Power Pack includes an additional 2220mAh battery. It supports both Qi wireless charging and PMA. The cost of this mod is approximately $ 80.

Powerbank TUMI Wireless Charging

Here is another battery from the TUMI brand. Its price is $ 80, and the main feature is wireless charging. The battery capacity is 2220 mAh. It supports Qi wireless charging, so you can use it to charge both your phone and power bank at the same time. With a USB cable connected, the TUMI Wireless Charging Power Pack also charges like a smartphone.

Incipio Vehicle Dock

This mobile device does not just charge compatible Motorola phones, it has a special mount in the car. As soon as you turn on your smartphone, the dock will launch Android Auto so you can instantly access your contacts, music and maps without distracting from your driving experience. The Incipio Vehicle Dock sells for $ 65 and also offers fast charging 15W in your car.

Column JBL SoundBoost 2

The next modification of the JBL SoundBoost 2 Moto Mod is a speaker that attaches to the back of phones from the Moto Z series. A new version comes in vibrant blue, black and red colors. SoundBoost 2 is played using two 3W speakers, and a 1000mAh battery allows you to play music for 10 hours without the need to recharge. This mod also has splash protection.

Stylish Moto Style Shell

Style Shells - Stylish shells with a thickness of only 3.25 mm. They almost do not change the thickness of the smartphone, but they add zest to its appearance. Also, due to their thickness, they do not interfere with the Qi and PMA wireless chargers. Style Shells are available in several colors.

Powerbank Moto TurboPower Pack

Motorola's fast charging technology is called TurboPower. As you might have guessed, this Moto Mod is named after her. It has a built-in 3490mAh battery that charges Moto Z phones with 15W fast charging. This mod adds 6.58mm to the thickness of the phone, but it doesn't have to be carried around all day. In just 20 minutes, he can charge the smartphone from 0% to about 50%, then you can simply remove it.

Moto Gamepad

A real boon for gamers: The Motorola Gamepad Mod allows Motorola smartphones to become a gaming platform. It offers two joysticks left and right, as well as 4 additional keys for complete control over the gameplay. In addition, the Moto Gamepad has its own 1035mAh battery which will help the phone last longer.

Panoramic Moto 360 Camera

The newest Moto Mod introduced with the. It is a $ 300 360-degree panoramic camera that mounts on back housing. The camera offers two 13-megapixel sensors and 4-channel video recording. There is support for 3D audio using the microphones of the phone and the camera itself. Photos and videos are written to a microSD card, but can be transferred to a smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. There is support for synchronization with Google Photo.

Smartphones became loud novelties of this year MotoZ andMotoZPlay, which are now produced by the Chinese giant Lenovo. Many of us remember well how successful Motorola phones were, and some models were the first to implement technologies that later became an integral part mobile communication... The late 90s and early 00s were the heyday and greatest success of the company, but soon Motorola simply could not withstand the competition, phone sales dropped dramatically, and in 2011 Motorola Mobility was bought out by the companyGoogle, primarily due to the high value of the company's intellectual property.

In 2014 motorola Mobility was bought out by the companyLenovo, which really wants to take a leading position in the smartphone market. For Lenovo, the release of gadgets under the Moto brand is an opportunity to gain a foothold in the Asian market due to the former popularity of American phones, as well as a chance to increase sales in the American market, because the Chinese company has a grandiose dream - to become one of the three world leaders among smartphone manufacturers. It is too early to predict what will happen in the end, but the company started off very well. The stake is on highlight smartphonesMoto against the background of other gadgets that differ little from each other... They decided to implement this idea with the help of modularity. This is how smartphones appeared MotoZ andMotoZPlaywhich are already on sale today. On the eve of the New Year holidays, they and their removable modules are subject to the most favorable prices within the sale of GearBest, the largest online equipment store.

Smartphones turned out to be really powerful and interesting, which immediately attracted the attention of the whole world. got an excellent filling: 4-core processor Snapdragon 820that runs at 1.6 GHz, boosting up to 2.15 GHz when running demanding applications. In stock at the gadget 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB main - this is enough for any user. There is a slot for a memory card, but you have to choose: either additional memory or a second SIM card.

The pride of a smartphone is its display. When diagonal 5.5 inches, he received a resolution of 2560 * 1440, made by technology AMOLED, covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3. A fingerprint scanner is located under the screen. In terms of design, Motorola's devices have always been among the best, and this time it turned out to be a good solution. The smartphone is dressed in thin metal case only 5.2 mm thick, and on the back you can see the glass inserts behind which the antennas are located.

The main camera of the smartphone is 13 megapixels. double flash, laser autofocus and optical stabilization. It works very well, and a number of experts have already been named camera inMotoZ is the best ever used in smartphonesLenovo and... The 5 megapixel front camera boasts excellent color reproduction. At the bottom of the body there are connectors for attaching removable panels and camera modules, a projector, etc. This is what smart phone, But more on that later. Since Moto Z has just appeared on the market and has exclusive features and highest performance, its cost is high. By the most favorable price the smartphone is available at http://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_461253.html?12, where you can buy it for $ 529.99.

Simultaneously with Lenovo Moto Z, another smartphone was released - which looks very similar to it, but differs in some technical characteristics. The performance of the gadget provides Snap 8-core processordragon 625 with a frequency of 2 GHz. RAM on board 3 GB, the main one - 64 GB, it can be expanded with memory cards up to 2 TB. The screen is also made using technologyAMOLED, has a large 5.5-inch diagonal, but received FullHD resolutionat which the pixel density is 401 ppi - excellent indicatorwhich provides the highest picture clarity. The display is covered with a protective glass, under the screen is a fingerprint scanner.

Main camera on 16 megapixels equipped with a dual flash, allows you to take decent pictures. The smartphone supports all modern wireless interfaces, its thickness is 6.99 mm, since more powerful battery, its capacity 3510 mAh... The model is made in the same design as the Moto Z and also supports removable modules. This smartphone costs less than $ 429.99, and at this price it is available only on the page http://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_446768.html?12.

Now as for removable modules, which have become the main feature of new smartphones. In order to interest modern users, who, it seems, cannot be surprised with anything, Lenovo decided to go with the idea of \u200b\u200bmodularity, but to do it much more competently and more conveniently than, for example, LG in its G5 smartphone. Additional modules are actually magnetised on back panel and stick to it very tightly.Even the heaviest modules are attached almost tightly. Their purpose is different: it can be decorative overlays that instantly change the look of gadgets, or maybe quite functional elementsthat empower smartphones. Let's dwell on the latter. Looking ahead, it is worth saying that all these modules are also suitable forMotoZ, and forMotoZPlay.

Among all the modules, the main one can be called, which is able to turn a smartphone into a powerful camera. The module boasts a 12-megapixel sensor, 10x optical zoom, the possibility of shooting in RAW format and video recording in FullHD format. A xenon flash is provided for shooting in low light conditions. The cover is perfectly magnetized to the body of the smartphone, immediately after attachment is ready for use, it is equipped with its own shutter button. The module is very interesting and functional, and now it is covered by a promotion: on the page http://www.gearbest.com/other-cell-phone-accessories/pp_576785.html it is available for purchase for $ 329.99.

New Moto smartphones can easily be turned into compact projector thanks to the module. With it, you can project movies or photos from your smartphone onto any surface, getting 70-inch imageand a brightness of 50 lumens. It should be noted that the projector even self-aligns the image on the surface. The module is equipped with its own 1100 mAh battery, which is enough for an average of 60 minutes of work. If this is not enough, the smartphone's battery power starts to drain. Such an interesting and functional solution is now available at a promotional price of $ 289.99 at http://www.gearbest.com/other-cell-phone-accessories/pp_577807.html.

Another original accessory - acoustic module Motorola Mobile Stereo Speaker... Connection to such a speaker is performed instantly, and the sound it provides is loud, powerful and clear, quite sufficient even for a large party. Thanks to a special stand, the smartphone can be placed on the end, so that it is more convenient to control playback and not interfere with the normal sound propagation. The pad is equipped with own battery 1000 mAhwhich provides autonomous work for 10 hourswithout using a smartphone battery. At the best possible price of $ 108.99, the module is available at http://www.gearbest.com/other-cell-phone-accessories/pp_578355.html?12. In addition, many other removable modules can be used to expand the capabilities of the smartphone. Follow the promotions and great offers of the online store!

Yes, Motorola no longer plays a decisive role in the market - we will probably never wait for the new RAZR. But do something faceless? Maybe high quality, but ordinary? This is not about Moto - Lenovo clearly needs the brand to take risks. The new Z-series smartphones - like last year's Z, Z Play and Z Force - have received an unusual chip, as if inherited by engineers from Google, under whose wing Motorola huddled for several years. It's about a modular design, albeit in a much less radical implementation than in Google Ara.

On the back panel of any Z-line smartphone, you can attach an accessory with various properties: the most logical additional battery, a speaker, a projector or a camera with optical zoom. The column, by the way, was developed jointly with JBL, and to create a photomodule they attracted no less Hasselblad - well, or at least used the big name of a Swedish company.

We tested the "base" model Moto Z, which stands in the middle between the less powerful, but designed for a long time without recharging Z Play and similar in technical characteristics, but equipped with an indestructible display Z Force. In addition to modularity, I would like to draw your attention to a few more distinctive features Moto Z: still rare for smartphones not under the Samsung brand AMOLED screen and ultra-thin (just over five millimeters) body, stuffed with microphones - thanks to them, the call quality should improve. And, finally, a hotly fashionable innovation - the absence of a mini-jack for headphones.

⇡ Specifications

	Moto Z	Moto x force	Sony Xperia XZ	Huawei P9	Samsung GALAXY S7
Display	5.5 inches, AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 535 ppi, capacitive multitouch	5.4 inches, pOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 540 ppi, capacitive multitouch		5.2 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 424 ppi, capacitive multitouch	5.1 inches, AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 575.9 ppi, capacitive multitouch
Protective glass	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass (modification not specified)	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	Corning Gorilla Glass (version not specified) on both sides
CPU		Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, frequency 2 GHz + four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, frequency 1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (two Kryo cores clock frequency 2.2 GHz + two Kryo cores clocked at 1.6 GHz)	Huawei Kirin 955 (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores @ 2.5 GHz + four ARM Cortex-A53 cores @ 1.8 GHz)	Exynos 8890 Octa (four Mongoose cores, 2.3 GHz + four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.6 GHz)
Graphic controller	Adreno 530, 624 MHz	Adreno 430, 650 MHz	Adreno 530, 624 MHz	Mali-T880 MP4, 900 MHz	Mali-T880 MP12, 650 MHz
Operational memory	4 GB	3 GB	3 GB	3/4 GB	4 GB
Flash memory	32 GB	32 GB	32/64 GB	32/64 GB	32/64 GB
Memory card support	there is	there is	there is	there is	Yes, in the S7 Duos version - a combined slot for a memory card and a SIM card
Connectors	USB Type-C	microUSB, minijack 3.5 mm	USB Type-C, 3.5 mm minijack	USB Type-C, 3.5 mm minijack	microUSB, minijack 3.5 mm
SIM card	Dual nano-SIM	One nano-SIM	One nano-SIM / two nano-SIM	One nano-SIM / two nano-SIM	One nano-SIM / two nano-SIM
Cellular 2G		GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz	GSM 850/900 / 1800/1900 MHz	GSM 850/900/1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	UMTS / HSPA + 850/900/1700 / 1900/2100 MHz	UMTS / HSPA + 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz	HSDPA 800/850/900/1700 / 1900/2100 MHz	HSDPA 800/850/900/1700/1800 / 1900/2100	HSPA 850/900/1700/1900 / 2100 MHz
4G cellular	LTE Cat. 9 (up to 450 Mbps): ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 19, 20, 28	FDD LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbps): ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 25, 28, 40	LTE Cat. 9 (up to 450 Mbps): ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41	LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbps): ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40	LTE Cat. 12 (up to 600/50 Mbit / s): ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 20
Wi-Fi	802.11a / b / g / n / ac	802.11a / b / g / n / ac	802.11a / b / g / n / ac	802.11a / b / g / n / ac	802.11a / b / g / n / ac
Bluetooth	4.1	4.1	4.2	4.2	4.2
NFC	there is	there is	there is	there is	there is
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors		Illumination, proximity, accelerometer / gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass)	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer / gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer, color spectrum sensor	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer / gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass)	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer / gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer, heart rate
Scanner prints fingers	there is	No	there is	there is	there is
Main camera	13 MP, / 1.8, contrast autofocus with laser illumination, LED flash, 4K video recording	21 MP, / 2.0, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, Full HD video recording	23 MP, / 2.0, hybrid autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording	Leica, dual module, 12 megapixels, f / 2.2, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording	12 MP, / 1.7, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, 4K video recording
Front-camera		5 MP, fixed focus, flash	13 MP, fixed focus	8 MP, fixed focus	5 MP, fixed focus
Food	Non-removable battery 9.88 Wh (2600 mAh, 3.8 V)	Removable battery 14.2 Wh (3760 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery, 11 Wh (2900 mAh, 3.8 V)		Non-removable battery 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)
The size	155.3 x 75.3 x 5.19 mm	149.8 x 78 x 9.2 mm	146 x 72 x 8.1 mm	145 x 70.9 x 7 mm	142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm
Weight	136 grams	169 grams	161 gram	144 grams	152 grams
Protection corps	Splash protection	ShutterShield		No	IP68, up to half an hour at a depth of 1.5 m
operating system	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow, shell Sony Xperia	Android 6.0 Marshmallow, native EMUI 4.1 shell	Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Samsung's own TouchWiz shell
Actual price	49,990 rubles	39,990 rubles	49 990/50 990 rubles	34 990/39 990 rubles	from 49 990 rubles

⇡ Appearance, ergonomics and software

We are accustomed to adjusting the external world for ourselves - at least in small things, surround ourselves with "our", individual things. Recently, smartphones have become one of the central objects in our life - small, poorly distinguishable from each otherpieces of metal / plastic with a screen. You can express yourself through them only with the help of design protective covers... In the days of phones with removable batteries and thus replaceable back covers, some companies offered variations in this area. Motorola still employs people who remember those times very well - and in the new family, the concept of a removable back cover is back. The battery, however, is not removable, but that very modularity came to the rescue.

Moto Z looks a little intimidating out of the box: with a protruding camera "Adam's apple", a brand of glossy surface and sparkling contacts for plugging in replaceable modules. The back cover lies separately - it slightly covers the "shame" and returns the design to the smartphone more familiar to a modern look. By default, this is a "fabric" (actually plastic) cover in the manner of the Moto X Force. For 1,990 rubles, you can buy something else - there are plastic of different colors, leather and wood. The smartphone itself comes in three variations - black, white-silver and white-gold (the back magnetic panel is painted with gold or silver). You can imagine the scope for combinatorics.

The replaceable modules, like the covers, are magnetically attached to the back - in one motion and very securely. Implemented this is really great. And in general, in terms of thoughtfulness and quality of performance, Moto Z first of all suggests an iPhone. Moreover, the absence of a 3.5 mm jack is striking. As a result, we find a USB Type-C to mini-jack adapter in the kit. But the cable "USB Type-C - USB Type-A" is not in the box, the wire to the complete charger is for some reason soldered tightly. If you want to connect your smartphone to your computer, buy the cable separately. An inexplicable decision, to be honest.

But in the box there is a translucent bumper - it seems that the complete set was invented using a random number generator.

However, the surprises do not end there, Moto Z is a truly unusual gadget. Under the screen we see a square area - here, as you might guess, a fingerprint scanner is built in, as well as the Home key ... But no, the last statement is incorrect - this is onlyfingerprint's scanner. And the Home button is virtual here, located on the screen. Why? What for?! Apparently because they could. But I lied a little - in fact, with this touch-sensitive key, with a vibration response (iPhone again?), You can turn off and turn on the display in one motion.

The scanner, by the way, is a classic, capacitive one, it works very quickly and stably - if you do not damage or stain your finger. Everything is at a standard high level for a modern flagship smartphone. Using the scanner, you can only unlock the device or make (in the future) purchases via Android Pay.

On the sides of the scanner, and this is most noticeable in the light version of the Moto Z, there are two microphones. There are four of them in total: one more is located on the upper edge and on the back panel (bottom). They help provide superior noise cancellation so you can be heard even in strong winds or on the subway - proven. I also draw your attention to the flash for the front camera above the display - this, however, was on the last generation of older Moto.

On top of that, Moto Z is the thinnest flagship smartphone to date: 5.19 millimeters. Without taking into account the protruding camera, it is true - there is much more with it, but still nothing to worry about. In addition, for a gadget with a 5.5-inch display, it is very light - only 136 grams. For lovers of glass, metal and "pleasantly heavy hand", God forgive me, devices may seem lightweight - but I liked it. The device breaks the template a bit - at first glance it seems gigantic, especially after the Sony Xperia X Compact, which I used directly before Moto Z. But you instantly get used to it. Although it is, of course, impossible to use it with one hand - the screen is too big.

Add to all of the above an unusually organized camera module, where both the lens and the dual-LED flash are inscribed in one round block, and we get the most unusual looking flagship smartphone of 2016. Slightly pretentious, yes, but there were no ridiculous decisions or frills - great work, Motorola (and Lenovo)!

The smartphone runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with the prospect of updating to Android 7.0 Nougat. In fact, there is no shell - we are dealing with a "pure" Google operating system, flavored with only a handful of proprietary Moto utilities, which add a few tricks in gesture or voice control. For example, you can turn on the flashlight with a double chopping motion, and the screen turns on itself if you lift the smartphone from the table - nice little things. And no cluttering the operating system with unnecessary applications.

⇡ Replaceable modules

I managed to try two replaceable modules for Moto Z - jBL column and Hasselblad PV module. First of all, attention is drawn to the big names of partner companies. Nobody admits (at least in the foreseeable future) how great the contribution of Harman or the famous Swedes to the development of these things is, recalls the experience of Leica and Huawei in creating mobile cameras: there is every reason to believe that a well-deserved company participates only with its name and authority. However, these are only assumptions.

And the modules themselves turned out to be very interesting.First of all, attention is drawn to the ease of use. They are attached to the case instantly and very reliably - the magnetic system was invented and implemented perfectly. To remove them, you just need to grab the groove and apply minimal force. No switches, additional blocking buttons - an extremely intuitive and simple system.

There is no need to download and install additional software - a single pre-installed Moto Mods application is used, which independently recognizes the module that is connected at the moment and rebuilds the system for its use. Appears additional icon batteries in the status bar, if we are talking about a column, the camera interface changes, if we connect the Hasselblad module, the smartphone is perfectly ready for this.

Externally, the Moto Z, of course, does not change for the better, turning from the thinnest flagship smartphone to the thickest and most bulky. But also quite within reason.

MotoJBLSoundboost. One of the most logical modules that provides a smartphone with enough powerful sound that it would not be ashamed to be the center of an impromptu party. However, this is about the level of JBL Clip, if you look for analogs in external mobile speakers of the same brand. Power and detail even level JBL Charge miniature Soundboost will not - but the thing is quite convenient and compact.

Hasselblad True Zoom turns the Moto Z (as well as the Moto Z Play) into the successor to the glory (if you may use that word here) Samsung Galaxy Zoom and Samsung Galaxy Camera. Outwardly, the new creation of Motorola / Lenovo really looks like them: a huge touchscreen display on one side and a “digital camera” on the other - with a perforated protrusion for gripping with the right hand, a lens that protrudes strongly even when turned off, an impressive flash and even an autofocus illumination lamp. Separately, the build-up in the lower part of the lens rim is amusing - a clear stylization under the button for releasing the lens from the mount. The main thing that the Hasselblad module gives to the smartphone user is 10x optical zoom.

The characteristics of the camera are quite common for a modern compact. A matrix with dimensions 1 / 2.3 '' with a resolution of 12 megapixels and optics with focal lengths of 4.5-45 mm (35 mm equivalent - 25-250 mm) are used. In addition to the optical zoom, there is also a 4x digital zoom - the usual crop, which reduces the image resolution. There is no built-in battery in Hasselblad True Zoom - it will consume the resources of the smartphone.

The saddest thing about this module is the optical aperture: f / 3.5-6.5. Despite the fact that the original Moto Z camera has an aperture of f / 1.8 at a wide angle - even taking into account the use of a smaller sensor (1/3 '') at the same resolution, the image quality is better - due to the significantly lower ISO, the noise is not so annoy. But the optical stabilizer is effective - even at the maximum zoom, more or less decent, blur-free pictures are obtained.

Autofocus is not very well implemented - it is a common contrast system that works very slowly and from time to time incorrectly. The minimum focusing distance at a wide angle is 5 cm.

The camera interface is also frustrating. It's Hasselblad! I would like at least minimal control over the process - but there is only auto mode and several storylines to choose from. But you can record RAW - but the icon for uncompressed image format repeats the usual one; strange negligence. By the way, Leica-Huawei is reminded not only of its extensive branding, but also an additional monochrome shooting mode.

What pleased us was the speed of work. The module has its own power button, it activates the camera application, and instantly - the "trunk" of the lens extends in less than a second. There is also a shutter button with a zoom control lever, it is quite convenient to work with the camera.

Examples of shooting with Hasseblad True Zoom module

The quality of the images is not impressive - for the better, in comparison with the camera of the smartphone itself, the dynamic range differs first of all, but in terms of color rendition and work in the dark, I liked the built-in Moto Z camera more. But, again, a Hasselblad True Zoom user gets an offer that is actually unique for a smartphone - an optical zoom.

By the way, you cannot shoot 4K video using the module - only Full HD. And if you remove it and simply shoot it on a smartphone, then no problem. Smells a little phantasmagoria.

The price of the module is, however, 19,990 rubles - you can also think about buying a full-fledged camera with a large sensor and built-in Wi-Fi in order to transfer files to a smartphone and not lose efficiency.

The most logical module available today is an additional Incipio offGRID battery at a price of 3,990 rubles - it is really useful and much more convenient to use than a power bank. Lenovo promises to greatly expand its plug-in fleet - and it will be very interesting to see what else you can think of in this specific area.

One of the first smartphones released by Motorola under Lenovo's wing. Let's see how successful this union turned out for both companies and, of course, for potential buyers.

Characteristics

Specifications
Class	Flagship
Form factor	Monoblock
Body materials	Aviation aluminum
operating system	Android 6.0
Network	2G / 3G / LTE (800/1800/2600)
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
CPU	Quad core
Video accelerator	Adreno 530
Inner memory	32/64 GB
RAM	4 GB
Memory card slot	there is
Wi-Fi	Yes, a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band
Bluetooth	Yes, 4.1 LE, A2DP
NFC	there is
Screen diagonal	5.5 inch
Screen resolution	2560 x 1440 dots
Matrix type	AMOLED
Protective covering	Gorilla Glass 4
Oleophobic coating	there is
Main camera	13 MP, optical stabilization, F / 1.8, laser autofocus, LED flash
Front-camera	5 MP, f / 2.2, LED flash
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Sensors	Accelerometer, light sensor, multiple motion sensors, fingerprint scanner
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh
Dimensions	153.3 x 75.3 x 5.2 mm
Weight	136 gram
The cost	To be specified

Equipment

• Smartphone
• Charger
• Type-C to 3.5mm adapter
• Back cover

Appearance, materials, controls, assembly

The first thing you immediately notice when looking at the Moto Z is the “double chin” of a fingerprint scanner and four “dots” (these are motion sensors and two microphones). This bottom panel looks odd and a little funny. Many of those to whom I showed the device noted that it looks like a smiley ": o". I was also bothered by such an irrational use of space, but literally after half an hour you completely stop paying attention to this element.

What are these multiple motion sensors for? For example, if you move your hand over them, the screen will turn on for a couple of seconds, and you will see the clock, as well as missed notifications. Long press on the latter will show the text of the message or notification from the app.

If you shake the smartphone left and right for a couple of seconds, the flashlight turns on, and if you twist it left and right, the camera application opens.

And when you take the phone in your hand during a call, the Moto Z automatically mutes the sound and switches to vibration. If you turn the smartphone face down, the silent mode will turn on.

It seems to be nonsense, but all these chips are very convenient to use. By the way, if you are worried about these "eyes", you can choose the black version of the device, they are almost invisible on it.

The fingerprint scanner has an unusual square shape with rounded edges, the hand will not rise to write that it is similar to the implementation of this element in other devices. The speed of the scanner is amazing, you just need to touch it with your finger and the device is already unlocked. After the iPhone 6, this speed is, of course, very impressive. By the way, you can turn off the display with the same short touch. Applications that support fingerprint authorization (Sberbank, Tinkoff, Rocketbank) work perfectly with the scanner. An important clarification: the scanner is not a button, not even a touch button, so pressing it will not equal the Home button.

There is a loudspeaker mesh above the screen, it is both spoken and basic. Despite such a combination of functions, the loudspeaker in the device is good both in terms of voice transmission and multimedia. It has a sufficient volume reserve so you won't miss a call. You can also see the light sensor, front camera and LED flash.

On the right are the power and volume buttons. In my opinion, they were set too high, I would have lowered the keys a little lower. The power button is ribbed, you can easily find it in the dark.

Bottom installed connector Type C for charging and syncing. Keep in mind that there is no cable in the kit, you will have to buy it separately. The device lacks a 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones, you will have to use your favorite headsets through an adapter. The solution, although innovative, is, in my opinion, a little premature.

At the top you can see a tray for a nanoSIM card and a microSD card (cards up to 200 GB are supported).

Most of the body is made of aircraft-grade aluminum, and back cover has a special glossy coating, it tactilely resembles glass. Huawei uses about the same technology in its P9 Plus. The main camera protrudes strongly, some may not like it. This moment did not bother me at all. By the way, if you put on the complete cover, the camera becomes flush with the body.

At the bottom of the case there are contacts for connecting one of the four Moto Z modules, we'll talk about them a little later.

For a week of use, I had no complaints about the assembly of the device: nothing creaked, did not dangle, did not leave.

Dimensions

“Why make thin smartphones, better battery shove more! " - this is a frequent comment on some reviews. But the commentators do not take into account one simple fact. The ultra-thin smartphone is very cool in terms of the wow effect. The device has a completely different feel in the hand, it is more comfortable to hold, because the model's weight is also reduced. I have been using the iPhone 6 for a long time, and the more pleasant it was to change it to a 5.5-inch device with a smaller thickness, but almost the same weight.

Compared to Apple iPhone 6

Screen

Those who read my reviews all the time know that I have a negative attitude towards the use of AMOLED displays by third parties, as they rarely calibrate screens, as a result, the colors look too toxic. However, it was in Moto Z that I liked the screen. Firstly, thanks to the high resolution, I did not see the Pentile at all, and secondly, it is clear that the screen was calibrated (although not as good as in the Huawei P9 Plus, by the way). There are two screen presets in the settings: "normal" and "bright". And here we are faced with the same problem as in the Nexus 6P: "bright" color reproduction is too oversaturated, and "normal", on the contrary, is faded. Still, the Moto Z's colors aren't as toxic as the 6P's.

Otherwise, we have a top-class display: high resolution, no air gap, safety glass, oleophobic coating, small frames and, of course, maximum viewing angles.

operating system

The device works under android 6.0.1, and Motorola has already started testing the latest version 7.0. In general, with the updates from Moto recently, everything is very, very good. In addition, I was very pleased that the changes in the stock Android interface were minimized, I will talk about them just below. If you want to know more about Android 6.0, then I highly recommend reading our detailed review of this operating system.

The first, albeit small, but very nice addition is the Russian buttons in the branded call from Google. I do not know if this is the merit of the Russian office of Lenovo, but if there is, then they are great fellows. As they say, a trifle, but nice.

The second addition is to reduce the screen for one-handed operation. To launch it, you need to swipe up from the Home button. Previously, this gesture caused Google Now, but now it reduces the working area of \u200b\u200bthe screen. To get back to standard size, just tap on the empty black frame.

The rest of the innovations are related to motion sensors, so I already talked about them at the beginning of the review. I really like how carefully Motorola / Lenovo behave with android interface and make it a little more comfortable without changing appearance.

Performance

The flagship smartphone - the flagship filling. The powerful Snapdragon 820 paired with 4GB of RAM and excellent optimization allows you to enjoy fast device operation in any use case, from browsing desktops or browser pages to using productive toys.

There are also drawbacks, I will refer to the heating of the case to them, after all, the thickness of the case played a role. At the same time, sometimes it is completely incomprehensible why the device heats up when you are just checking your mail or texting social networks.

Autonomous work

On the one hand, the battery capacity of the Moto Z can be considered relatively small by current standards, but let's not forget that it was housed in a 5.2 mm thick case! At the same time, for a week of use, I did not notice any problems with autonomous work, you can safely count on three to four hours of screen work (mail, social networks, instant messengers, web surfing).

The smartphone supports fast charging, Moto called the TurboPower technology, Ilya Subbotin talked about it in detail in a separate article:

Unfortunately, the smartphone came to me without a complete set, so I can only tell you about how fast it charges from charger with Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0 support:

• 30 minutes - 35%
• 60 minutes - 70%
• 90 minutes - 89%
• 110 minutes - 100%

Camera

The Moto Z camera is simple but functional interface... For example, there is a slider around the focus for manual exposure adjustment. Also, the camera automatically detects scenes and adjusts to them (auto-enable HDR and night mode, for the front camera - a built-in beautifier).

During the day, the device perfectly captures both landscapes and macro, however, despite the fast focusing, during windy weather it becomes more problematic to shoot the same flower. The device also demonstrates good results under artificial lighting, but at night it does not cope so confidently, noises become noticeable.

The maximum video resolution is 4k, there is support for slo-mo at 720p 120 fps, however, it does not look particularly impressive.

Selfie lovers should love the high-resolution front camera and even the dedicated flash.

Summing up: the camera is good and will perfectly suit most users, but it is still inferior to the leaders in this area (Galaxy S7, for example).

Wireless interfaces

To begin with, I would like to note the good reception of mobile communications, the device caught four or five divisions where the iPhone had only two or three. On the other hand, the Wi-Fi range is lower. Where other devices showed full scale, Moto Z showed only three divisions. GPS, traditionally for Qualcomm chipsets, is very fast and accurate. There is also an NFC-module in the smartphone, with its help you can pay for purchases in terminals with PayPass support, but MiFare Classic, unfortunately, is not supported.

Moto Mods

You can purchase one of four modules attached to the smartphone, which are attached to the back cover, I tried to tell you in detail about each of them in a separate article.

Readers rightly reproached me for omitting a few details in that post, so I'll add them now. Firstly, below is a photo of a column-module on a stand, sorry I didn't add it right away.

Secondly, this is how the image from the projector module looks like. Despite the relatively low resolution (480p), I can't say that I noticed any special quality problems. With the built-in wheel, you can adjust the display angle and image sharpness.

The capacity of the battery module is 2220 mAh, there are two versions of this cover: with support wireless charging and without.

And the usual back cover in one version is already included with the device.

Conclusion

The device has as many as four microphones for noise canceling and good quality transmission of speech, they perfectly perform their function: the interlocutors noted that I could be heard perfectly, however, I myself also did not complain about the quality of speech transmission from them.

Moto Z will appear in Russia very soon, at the moment the price is still being specified, but if you look at that it is being sold on Amazon for $ 900, then we can expect that the novelty will sell well if it costs 50,000 rubles, which is comparable to the cost actual flagships of other companies. What can bribe Moto Z against their background? First, the dimensions. As I said, light weight and thickness is a very big plus. Secondly, stock pure Android with minimal changes and excellent speed. Thirdly, an interesting system with motion sensors and a lightning-fast fingerprint scanner. Among the shortcomings, I would single out the camera, albeit a good one, but inferior to the leaders, the controversial design of the bottom panel and the heating of the case due to the small thickness. The idea with modules, although cool, is still a niche one, although the same battery cover looks very convenient.

Now about personal impressions. I used the Moto Z with great pleasure for a week, very quickly got used to its dimensions, I stopped paying attention to the bottom panel almost immediately, but I noticed the high speed of the fingerprint scanner throughout the entire testing period. Although the screen is calibrated worse than that of the Huawei P9 Plus, it is still very good, there were no complaints about it, as well as about the operating time. An important advantage was stock Android, which I really like and which is not available for most flagships due to the desire of manufacturers to install their own skins. If these advantages are also important to you and the amount of about 50,000 rubles is not a problem, then Moto Z is definitely worth paying attention to.

More than ten years ago a very interesting project appeared in the world of technology - a telephone with a projector. Since then, very few such devices have been produced.

When smartphones became part of our everyday life, the developers of some well-known companies decided to create test phones with a projector. True, such developments have never been very popular among users.

Today it is very difficult to buy such phones, and the last such sample was released in 2016. Since then, no one even says that it would be worthwhile to think about making a new such phone.

1. What is a device with a projector

And the idea itself is very interesting. It consists in the fact that the user can project the image onto the canvas or even onto his own hand.

Of course, these phones also have a main screen that displays messages, pictures and other information, which is usually displayed on smartphones and tablets. Figure 1 shows how this works.

Figure: # 1. Phone operation with a projector

And now let's look at 5 of the most popular such devices today. How they ranked in our TOP was determined by several factors. And this is popularity among users (how much they say about the phone on social networks) and availability for purchase.

The Motorola company produces phones very rarely, but it does it quite successfully.

Indeed, almost all devices from this company are popular. And all thanks to a truly responsible approach. So the developers approached the development of Moto Z, let's say, with a very non-standard thinking.

The fact that this is a modular smartphone already deserves attention. This means that many additional modules can be added to it.

This unit can be a projector, a full-fledged audio system and, in the end, an ordinary smartphone. You can use the Insta-Share Projector module to make it a projector. According to the developers, it allows you to create a picture with a diagonal of 70 inches.

The smartphone itself looks really upscale. It is extremely thin at 5.2mm. There are silver, gold and black devices on sale. The front panel is unusual, as for a similar technique.

Figure: # 2. Motorola Moto Z

His technical characteristics are as follows:

• AMOLED-matrix with a diagonal of 5.5 inches;
• 13 Mpix camera (5 Mpix front);
• processor frequency - 2.15 GHz;
• rAM - 4 GB, operational - 32/64 GB.

A very high-end phone!

In 2010 samsung released its first device with a projector, in 2012 it received updates, and in 2014 the Samsung Galaxy Beam 2 appeared.

Today, people in China can buy it. Although in some domestic stores it is also available. On the other hand, these stores are rather strange. Better to buy such a phone on Aliexpress. There he definitely is.

As for the characteristics of the projector, it is capable of displaying a picture with a resolution of 800x480.

Samsung representatives themselves said then that this device designed to work. So the user can make a small presentation for his work colleagues. Of course, watching a movie with such a resolution will be inconvenient, but this is quite enough for a presentation.

The phone itself looks quite impressive, it has a proprietary design from Samsung, a pleasant silver or white color and an excellent body with streamlined corners. All in all, good enough.

Figure: No. 3. Samsung Galaxy Beam 2

The specifications of this unit are as follows:

• 4.66-inch screen;
• 5 MPix camera;
• battery 2600 mAh;
• there is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

Sharp SH-06C is another very unusual Japanese design. This device looks somehow old, not at all like a smartphone. But it should be borne in mind that it was released more than seven years ago, then its appearance was just fine.

As for the projector, this smartphone is capable of producing images with a resolution of 640x360.

The developers highlight the high brightness of the picture, which is 9 lumens. At the same time, audio in Dolby Mobile 5.1 format is output together with the image.

Figure: No. 4. Sharp SH-06C

Technical features Sharp SH-06C are:

• 1520 mAh battery;
• built-in memory - 8 GB, RAM - 1 GB;
• 4.5-inch screen;
• 8 MPix camera;
• there is support for Bluetooth, GPS;
• protection standard - IPX5 or IPX7 (protection against dust, moisture, shock and temperature extremes).

Interestingly, you can buy Sharp SH-06C in regular stores. Moreover, a microSD card is also supplied with the phone.

This is the oldest and most affordable phone from our TOP today. It's not even a smartphone, but a completely ordinary phone, released more than ten years ago. A real mammoth! In it, all the characteristics are quite suitable, but only for 2007.

Specifically, we are talking about the following features:

• 3.2-inch screen;
• two 1.3 MPix cameras;
• mp3, 3gp and mp4 playback;
• photo only in jpg, gif and bmp format;
• built-in memory (attention!) - 73.1 MB;
• memory for 1000 SMS messages.

Figure: No. 5. MFU projector p790

The projector meets all of the above specifications. He, frankly, is not very good as of 2017, but he is.

6. Lenovo Smart Cast

This is similar to the futuristic pictures we've seen in sci-fi movies. There, one of the characters is given some kind of small apparatus, he presses a button and an image of buttons appears on some surface. He clicks on them and performs certain tasks. In general, the future is already near!

The projector itself is located in a fashion on top, which can be rotated.

As for the appearance of the smartphone, let's face it, not for everybody. But this module allows you to display a picture on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. A special infrared detector allows you to fix your movements.

Thanks to this approach, absolutely any surface can be made touch-sensitive. The use process looks very interesting.

Figure: No. 6. Lenovo Smart Cast process

Unfortunately, it is impossible to buy this device at the moment. In 2015, he was presented at one of the conferences. Since then, there has been no news of Lenovo Smart Cast.

So far, it remains only to expect when this phone will still be available to buy.

Below you can see his video presentation.