Motorola has had quite a busy year thus far. Now that there are five tiers of Moto smartphones for folks to choose from (6, if you include the Asia-specific Moto M), we have been introduced to the highest-tier of smartphone that Motorola has to offer: The Moto Z2 Force.
While it is the best in Moto's portfolio, it's certainly doesn't mean the newest hardware. In fact, the Moto Z2 Force is almost exactly the same as its predecessors with the exception of a few internal improvements, hardware upgrades, and a couple of cosmetic differences. The Z2 Force has inherited the Z Force's ShatterShield durability, and has gotten slimmer like the Moto Z. The downside is the slimmer Z2 Force has lost 22% of the battery capacity (2,730 mAh) compared to the Moto Z Force Droid (3,500 mAh).
The camera certainly gets an upgrade: dual 12MP sensors. Motorola was never really known for having excellent cameras in its smartphones, so we do hope things will be different with the new dual-setup. This system doesn't use a telephoto lens like the iPhone 7 or OnePlus 5. Rather, one RGB sensor combines with the information from another black and white sensor.
The Z2 Force keeps the same MotoMod interface from its first generation (hence, the identical design), which means all the MotoMod toys that were purchased during the first-generation Moto Z can be used with the second generation (and vice-versa).
Moto Z2 Force key features
- Body: 7000 series aluminum frame and brushed metal backside
- Screen: 5.5" QHD P-OLED display with ShatterShield (plastic lens instead of glass)
- OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Moto Enhancements (Moto Blur)
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 10nm: octa-core CPU (4 - 2.35 GHz Kryo cores & 4 - 1.9 GHz Kryo cores) Adreno 540 GPU
- Memory: 4/6GB of RAM, 64/128GB of storage, microSD expandable nanoSIM tray
- Camera: Dual 12MP, f/2.0, laser & PDAF, dual-tone LED flash, 1.25 µm pixel size
- Secondary camera: 5MP fixed focus with f/2.2 and dual-tone (dual) LED flash
- Video: 4K video @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps, 1080 @ 30fps
- Connectivity: nanoSIM (dualSIM available); Qualcomm X16 model capable of Gigabit LTE; dual-band Wi-Fi ac; Bluetooth 4.2 (5.0 support via OTA), USB-C
- Battery: Integrated 2,730 mAh battery
- Misc: NFC, Fingerprint sensor, MotoMod interface
Main shortcomings
- ShatterShield display scratches very easily
- No headphone jack (or headphones included)
- Moto Mods add up $$$
- Carrier versions start at $750
Particularly in the US, we are happy to see that the Moto Z2 Force has made it to all major US Carriers. These days, the only smartphones that are you can count on being available with all US carriers is the iPhone, Galaxy flagships, and LG's flagships. Otherwise, other smartphone makers aren't getting as many carrier deals as they used to.
Quickly getting back to Moto Mods, Motorola has embraced the idea of expandability this year by also announcing two new Moto Mods along with the Moto Z2 Force: the GamePad MotoMod, and the Moto 360 Camera MotoMod. A note-worthy tidbit is the GamePad Mod also features a headphone jack. While we do like the idea of expandability with MotoMods, we think that the attachments might be a bit on the pricey side which prevents them from reaching mainstream popularity.
If you already have a Moto Z (or Z Force on Verizon), should you upgrade to the Moto Z2 Force? It's going to be a close call, but we're prepared to give you the facts you need to make your decision. The Moto Z2 has a couple of things going for it, and like many phones lately, "compromise" might be one of those things.
Let's take a closer look at the Moto Z2 Force. The unit we got to check out is for AT&T's network in the States. Follow us along as we unbox and take a close look at the hardware.
Unboxing
Unboxing
We received an AT&T unit of the Moto Z2 Force, which didn't really include anything more than a 15W TurboPower charger. Although we didn't get the headphone jack adapter in the box, AT&T says the final retail units will include one. Sadly, no bundled earbuds so you'll need to supply your own.
As usual, the AT&T unboxing experience was hindered by the carrier, which prefers to use generic branding with the AT&T logo displayed proudly on the packaging of most of its smartphones.
The Moto Z2 Force sits right at the top of the box. Underneath this cardboard cradle is a flap that reveals the TurboPower charger and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Unfortunately, the Moto Z2 Force doesn't come with anything else. Our review unit didn't even have a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter, but we were assured the retail units would include one.
Also worth noting: the Moto Z2 Force comes with a separate USB cable and wall adapter, which is much more practical since last year's Moto Z models came with a single unit charger, which meant you needed to buy a separate USB-C cable to hook up the phone to a PC. Motorola mentions some markets might not offer a bundled TurboPower charger with the phone.Hardware
The Moto Z2 Force is essentially a Moto Z with updated internal hardware and a slightly modified exterior. The Moto Z2 Force is a little bit beefier than the Moto Z. While the Moto Z had a super thin profile of 5.2mm (minus the camera assembly), the Moto Z2 Force gains 0.9mm in thickness, adding up to 6.1mm thick (minus the camera 'disk'). Also, the Z2 Force doesn't come with any Style Shells like last year.
Instead, the Z2 Force's backside is much more comfortable to hold. With the Moto Z, if you took the Style shell off, you were left with holding sharp edges whose lines easily imprinted into your palm. The new Force shaves off the hard edges with an every-so-slight bevel around the edge that joins the antenna band and the metal frame. On the bottom of the phone, there's a mic hole on the lower antenna band.
Speaking of antenna bands, the Z2 Force has only one of them. It goes all the way around the back of the phone; which, surprisingly, hasn't really been done by other phone makers that were too busy copying the iPhone's antenna band layout. This antenna band layout just makes sense.
On the inside of the antenna band is a brushed aluminum metal backing. The Moto Z2 Force features the Moto batwing as an insert rather than a silk-screen printing. This makes the "M" easier to find to rest your index finger on, bringing us back to the days of the Moto X. The Z2 Force's insert doesn't curve in, rather, it's is slightly recessed.
New to the Z2 Force is Moto's first generation dual-camera setup. The camera ring does protrude quite a bit, just like any other Moto Z model. The camera assembly is made up of two 12MP sensors: one RGB and one monochrome. This means the Moto Z will be able to take pure black and white photos, as well as produce images with a simulated-bokeh effect. More on this in the camera section.
As a reminder, the MotoMod interface remains exactly the same as last year, which means you can use any MotoMod accessories you might already have on the new Z2 Force, in addition, any new MotoMods are also backwards compatible with any variant of any generation of the Moto Z.
Motorola made the Z2 Force out of 7000 series aluminum, which Motorola attributes to the phone's elegant, yet, durable exterior. "Because what's the point in having a beautiful phone if you cover it with a bulky case?" The phone's frame is metal and features a smooth-matte finish. Just keep in mind it's not immune to dents and scuffs. It will definitely hold up better than many other phones that are built with more malleable metal.
The Z2 Force is a shatterproof smartphone, which Moto calls "ShatterShield". The display is a durable OLED panel protected by a plastic lens, which means there isn't glass that can break, but the plastic lens is much more susceptible to scratching.
Motorola did state that the press received pre-production units, so the retail devices for the masses should see a more durable ShatterShield. Motorola also said that customers would be able to get the plastic ShatterShield replacement, though quickly contradicted itself shortly afterwards when the communications rep realized Motorola had discontinued them for the Z2 Force. Motorola encourages that you use a third-party screen protector to protect the ShatterShield from scratches.
While you likely won't get a case for the Z2 Force, you'll definitely want to invest in a screen protector of some kind. We barely used ours for a day after the announcement event and already saw two scratches on the lens. In fact, pressing a fingernail into the screen is enough to permanently dent it, which does not look good for a phone that starts at $720, even going for more than $800 on AT&T. Also notable: the Moto Z2 Force's frame doesn't dent when dropped, but it will scuff.
Lens aside, the Z2 Force's front consists of an unchanged 5MP selfie camera with front-facing dual-LED flash, and an earpiece which doubles as the loudspeaker. Under that, a 5.5-inch QHD P-OLED display, which doesn't look like much of an upgrade from last year's Moto Z, but we'll be taking a look at the display tests and let you know our findings in the next section.
Under the display is a larger fingerprint sensor, one that matches the size and shape of Motorola's other offerings. Also under the display is a mic hole and two infra-red sensors on either lower-corner that detect the wave of your hand when you want to activate Moto Display. More on that in the UI section.
Like the Moto Z and Z Force last year, the Z2 Force is also missing a 3.5mm headphone jack. So there is only a USB type-C port on the bottom. We do like that Moto uses a more durable material just around the USB-C port to protect the metal frame from getting scratched front frequently connecting the charger.
The top edge houses a SIM and microSD card tray, as well as a noise-cancelling microphone (this makes three external mics, which work together for Moto Voice and video. Meanwhile, the left side is completely blank while the right side is home to the phone's only physical keys, which have been placed pretty high up on the phone.
The volume and power keys are made of presumably the same 7000 series aluminum as the phone and feature tiny beveled edges. The power key is also textured to tell it apart from the volume buttons. We like when phone makers put this kind of attention to detail.
All in all, the Moto Z2 is still quite wide for a 5.5-inch display. As phone makers are focused on getting more screen to fit in your hand, this was not a priority for Motorola and this overall design may not resonate with some in 2017.
While thin, the device has generous amounts of surface area and pretty large bezels. That said, the iPhone 7 Plus is still a bit taller and wider than the Z2 Force. Then again, the iPhone 7 Plus technically carries designs from 2014 and is still the largest 5.5-inch phone in 2017.
Display
DisplayThe Moto Z2 Force's display is pretty much unchanged since the previous iterations of the Moto Z. It's a 5.5-inch OLED display with the standard 16:9 aspect ratio. The display is about 10% brighter than the Moto Z and 8% brighter than the Moto Z Force. The use of an OLED display is a no brainer for power efficiency of features like Moto Display, which only powers the pixels that are being shown.
The Z2 Force also features Moto's ShatterShield, which is Motorola's branded term for being shatter proof. Instead of using any type of Gorilla Glass (or any glass, for that matter), the Moto Z2 Force uses a plastic-based lens, which is not anywhere near as durable as older generations of Gorilla Glass (which is on its fifth generations).
The tradeoff, however, is that you never need to worry about the Z2 Force's display cracking or splitting. Motorola even had a drop station at the launch event where Moto reps were dropping the Z2 Force on patio tiles. Still, we only used the Moto Z2 Force for a couple of days when we already noticed a couple of deep marks in the display's lens.
In addition to very light scratches, there were indentations in the screen. Moderately pressing a fingernail into the display will also result in a permanent marking: This definitely should never be a characteristic of a smartphone of this price range. Do get a screen protector of some kind to protect the Z2 Force's display. We'd even recommend you apply it as soon as you pull it out of the box.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.50 | 681 | 1362 | |
| 0 | 618 | ∞ | |
| 0.373 | 583 | 1563 | |
| 0.41 | 573 | 1398 | |
| 0 | 559 | ∞ | |
| 0.335 | 547 | 1633 | |
| 0.00 | 517 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 506 | ∞ | |
| 0.308 | 483 | 1568 | |
| 0.00 | 445 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 440 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 435 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 432 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 376 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 371 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 352 | ∞ | |
The display's brightness tops off at 376 nits when manually adjusted. However, when
in Adaptive mode, the display is able to crank out up to 559 nits, which is bright enough for comfortable use outdoors. Otherwise, the phone's display is able to get as dim as 7 nits: which is about average.
We do wish that Motorola took more time to correctly calibrate this display. On our review unit, in standard mode, we found an average deltaE of 5. Whites appear cooler than they should and colors were a bit oversaturated, a typical result of an OLED panel.
There is also a standard mode which does tone the colors down a bit and is typically selected for more accurate use of the screen, such as when adjusting photos. This mode is sometimes called sRGB, as well. Anyway, the average deltaE of this mode was a little lower at 3.8, but the reds, ironically, are even further from accuracy with a max deltaE of 11.2 when displaying the reds, so while in vibrant mode, reds were too saturated, in standard mode, reds are too dark.
This means, if you are a photographer or a graphics designer and you are nitpicky with color accuracy, you might want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, this isn't a deal breaker for the casual smartphone user, so don't take inaccurate reds to heart when making a decision.Connectivity
Motorola boasted that the Moto Z2 Force supports 1Gbps download speeds thanks to the Snapdragon 835's X16 modem. While there aren't many areas that will support the download speeds just yet, T-Mobile and Verizon have already shown us they are working toward these speeds in the US, which under normal conditions, can show speeds of between 100-300 Mbps.
The Moto Z2 Force is compatible with CDMA and GSM networks (market dependent). You can expect Quad-band GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSPA+ 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, (worldwide) LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, and 66.
Other connectivity options include: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n (2.4GHz) + ac (5GHz MIMO), Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, EDR, LE) with Bluetooth 5.0 arriving in a future software update. A-GPS, Wi-Fi Direct, Android Beam, and NFC with support for tap-to-pay services.
It's worth mentioning that the NFC radio on this thing has a really strong signal. Merely putting the phone next to another one will engage NFC. No more hunting for the antenna for an Android Pay transaction to go through.
The Moto Z2 Force has a USB-C port where audio is also streamed through (with the included 3.5mm to USB-C headphone adapter). If you were looking for a built-in FM radio, sorry. You won't find one here.Battery Life
The battery situation is strange on the Moto Z2 Force. You see, last year the Moto Z had two trims: Moto Z and Moto Z Force, the latter of the two was a Verizon-exclusive version, but it also had a 35% larger battery pack (3,500 mAh) than the standard Moto Z (2,600 mAh). And the Moto Z had terrible battery life.
This time around things are different. The battery in the Z2 Force is a 2,730 mAh battery and there is no version with a larger power pack. However, the battery scores are quite interesting.
The Moto Z2 Force scored a higher-than-expected Endurance rating of 69h overall. By contrast, the Moto Z scored 53h, overall, in our endurance tests. There are significant improvements across the board in terms of battery endurance, despite the incremental battery update. The call endurance time was 40% better at 15:04h, web browsing saw a 58% increase in score at 9:52h, and video playback was the most improved category with a 71% improvement, yielding a score of 18:21h.
The numbers were so unexpected, we had to run the endurance tests multiple times. However, where the numbers didn't see as big of a change was in standby times. While the Snapdragon 835 yields much longer usage time, it also yields a higher battery draw, which weighed the overall scored down to 69h. Regardless of the standby time, our expectations were still surpassed in terms of battery endurance.
The numbers were so unexpected, we had to run the endurance tests multiple times. However, where the numbers didn't see as big of a change was in standby times. While the Snapdragon 835 yields much longer usage time, it also yields a higher battery draw, which weighed the overall scored down to 69h. Regardless of the standby time, our expectations were still surpassed in terms of battery endurance.You can quickly glance at the phone's projected battery life by tapping on the battery icon in the Quick Settings and there's even a toggle for the battery saver. There's a shortcut to the battery settings screen, too. Here, you can view battery statistics and set the Battery saver to come on automatically or never.
The battery charger has received an update. In addition to now being a separate piece from the cable, the included wall adapter uses three power modes: 5V @ 3A (15W), 9V @ 1.6V (14.4W), and 12V at 1.2A (14.4W). The previous TurboPower adapter only supported the first power mode: 5V @ 3A, which is USB PD (Power Delivery) -- the same fast-charge method as found on the Google Pixel.
The difference is that the new TurboPower adapter is also compatible with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 devices. This also means Moto Z2 Force is compatible with both Quick Charge 2.0 adapters and USB Power Delivery adapters, we applaud Moto for using dual fast-charging standards. The TurboPower charger brought the Moto Z2 Force to 60% power capacity in 30 minutes.Lean and mean UI
Ever since Lenovo acquired Motorola, we were afraid the new parent company might adopt some new kind of manufacturer skin for future Moto phones. We are happy to see that Lenovo decided to keep Motorola's software on the same track that it's been on, since even before Google acquired it back in 2013. The Moto X's software was so minimally intrusive and well optimized with just the right amount of value-added software features.
The Moto Z2 Force's software is in the same boat: a minimalistic yet efficient interface that runs near-stock Android with useful and unique software features that are not redundant with Google or Android's set of features. Perhaps Samsung could learn a thing or two from Motorola's software engineers.
Anyway, Moto's UI is lean and clean. Starting off with the launcher, it looks a lot like the Pixel's launcher, complete with a swipe-up app-drawer. You can tap and hold the white tab on the right of the drawer to scroll through apps by letter. The most frequently used apps are on the top row.
Launcher settings are pretty barebones. The wallpaper chooser is the same one found on the Google Pixel and on the Play Store as Google's "Wallpapers" app. You can choose between live wallpapers and various categories.
Widgets are also a familiar deal, scroll through widgets and you tap-and-hold to place it on your home screens. There are two more options behind the Settings cog: A home screen rotation toggle (which is ON by default), and a toggle for showing your Google Feed on the leftmost screen.
Even Google Now has made it to Moto's stock launcher. Swiping past the leftmost home screen will pop you into Google Now so you can take a quick peek at Google cards.
The Lock Screen has your standard notifications view: double tap on a notification to open the app or pull it down for more information. Otherwise, there are two shortcuts here: swipe from the left for a Google Assistant Voice Search or Swipe from the right for the camera.
There are two places where you can interact with notifications: the lock screen and the Moto Display screen. We'll talk about Moto Display in the Moto Enhancements section below.
Like much of the stock-Android UI, notifications are no different. Quick Replies are accessible right from the notification, as well as the aforementioned Active Display. You'll be able to reply right from the lockscreen as well, though this feature only works without a screen lock method or when Smart Lock is enabled. Otherwise you'll need to unlock the phone before you can Quick Reply.
The Moto Z2 Force also supports multiple users out of the box. Add another user or guest account to the phone.
A double-pull of the notification shade shows you more quick toggles while an edit button lets you rearrange and add new toggles.
A toggle unique to the Moto Z's UI is the MotoMod toggle which allows you to update or control the attached MotoMod's settings.
The Moto Z2's fingerprint scanner can be used in a number of ways. It can be used to wake/unlock the phone and it can be used to navigate the phone without the need of on-screen navigation buttons.
Gestures are used to navigate: swipe left to go Back, tap to go Home, or swipe right to switch between recent apps. You can even invert the Back and Recents gestures if you prefer it another way. Oh yeah, and press-holding the sensor for a short time will lock the screen, press holding it for a longer time will summon the Google Assistant.
The Settings app is a standard affair. The top of the menu gives you suggestions to features and shortcuts to those features. Otherwise, the menu is not organized into tabs of categories; a single screen gives you access to all the settings, or you can search for a setting.
The UI is smooth and makes sense, there's not much that bogs the system down and we're really glad about that. Next up are all the features unique to the higher-end Moto devices.
Moto EnhancementsThe best part of using a Moto phone is the addition of Moto Enhancements. Motorola has included its own unique number of enhancements and has been refining their branding and functionality over the years. We enjoy the approach of the Moto App, which acts as a control center for all the actions and automated features of the phone.
The Moto Z2 Force's Moto Enhancements consist of three main categories: Moto Display, Moto Voice, and Moto Actions. We'll brief over each category and the features that stand out the most. Moto Voice has gotten the most significant update, so we'll cover that as well.
Moto Actions
We like that Motorola has placed all its major actions into single menu. This is much better than having them scattered all over different Settings menus. Most of these actions have been optimized for years so their effect on overall battery life is marginal.
In the original Moto X, a dedicated contextual processor was needed to manage actions that involved physical gestures as part of Motorola's X8 computing platform. Contextual motion and voice sensing has been since been baked into Qualcomm's CPUs for a while now, minimizing the battery draw needed for it and eliminating the need for dedicated chips.
While we've seen most of these features in other smartphones, but the most notable to Moto are "chop twice for flashlight", and "twist for quick capture". "Approach for Moto Display" is unique to Moto. The phone's IR sensors on the chin of the phone pick up motion as you reach for the phone, which wakes Moto Display so you can glance at your notifications.
Moto Display
Moto Display has been updated from the Moto Z with a new clock design with integrated battery ring, a new blue-colored theme, and direct-replies from the locked Active Display. There's no way to change the color, but you can select which apps to block, choose how much detail to show, and toggle the quick reply feature.
You can either type your quick reply or vocalize it. To quick reply from Active Display, tap and hold the message icon and drag it to either the reply arrow icon or the mic icon.
Also part of Moto Display is a new feature called Night Display. An increasingly popular feature: the phone will display warmer colors to filter our blue light to help you sleep better at night.
Moto Voice
Moto Voice received a pretty significant change to how it's used. In the past, Moto Voice worked in parallel with a Google Search, which is no longer the case. The New Moto Voice works better with a low or unstable connection, and eliminates the need for a wake-word.
Upon setting up Moto Voice, you'll be asked to say commands like "Show me Maps" and "Show me my calendar". This is actually all you need to say to wake the phone up to do things efficiently. "Show me [App], Show me [my calendar/my day], Show me [the weather]".
These new "Show me" commands are more instantaneous than Google searches and display the information for a short time. Though if you still want to call someone, play music, or send a text, you'll have to use the "Okay, Google" command (which still works with the screen off). Moto Voice has reduced its footprint to give way for features that are already available from Google Assistant. Way to keep it lean, Moto!
Once under another category (Moto Assist), Talk to me is a feature that announces all your incoming notifications. Which you can set the Z2 Force to do if it detect you're driving or if a headset it connected.
