Motorola hasn’t technically launched a flagship smartphone in over two years. But that’s going to change next month. Motorola has confirmed that it will launch a flagship device at MWC 2020 to be held from February 24 in Barcelona, Spain.

Motorola has started sending out media invites confirming a launch event on February 23 at 7 PM CEST, just a day before the MWC 2020 kicks off. This could be a smart move from the Lenovo owned brand given that both Samsung and Huawei are not going to launch their flagship devices at this event. So Motorola’s new smartphone could get a decent spotlight at the Barcelona event.

The company’s last true flagship was the Motorola Z2 Force, which was announced in August 2017. And the closest thing to a flagship smartphone from Motorola lately is the new Razr 2019. However, even the Razr caters to a niche market with mid-range specs.

We don’t have much information on what device is meeting us at the event, but it could likely be the rumored Motorola Edge+ that was spotted on Geekbench today.

UP NEXT: Motorola say ‘Bumps & Lumps’ on Moto Razr’s screen are normal

(Source)

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Lenovo Moto Z was released quite some time ago and now the prices have dropped significantly. We think this is an insane value smartphone for $169.99 considering the specs, design and the fact that it is made by a respectable manufacturer.

The Moto Z has a good old Snapdragon 820 which is still much powerful than most of low-end or midrange Mediatek chipsets out there. In addition, the phone has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The display is another highlight of the phone. You get a 5.5″ panel with 2560 x 1440 pixels.

Other key features include the ability to customize the phone with moto mods. In addition, the phone is incredibly thin measuring at just 5.5mm. Other key specs: 13MP camera on the back, 5MP shooter on the front, SD card slot, a fingerprint scanner and last but not least, excellent build quality as the phone is made of metal and glass.

You can now get the Moto Z for $169.99 which is an incredible value for the price.

Buy Moto Z

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If you own a Motorola Moto Z, even though it was released almost two years ago, you can already taste the upcoming Android P. Thanks to XDA Developers, a new ported ROM is available for the former Lenovo flagship to download. A developer identified by the nickname erfanoabdi on XDA community has extracted the Android P firmware from a Google Pixel XL, then he has adapted the firmware for the old Moto Z and ported it.

According to the post which describes the ROM on XDA, the Android P porting works very well on Motorola Moto Z and it doesn’t have any bug making it suitable for daily use. Unfortunately, the secondary SIM slot still does not work, the stock torch app, encryption and some MotoMods (such as the Moto battery pack) are not working, but the developer is expected to keep supporting the ROM and update it in order to fix these problems. The most important elements such as Wi-Fi, camera, radio and other connectivity modules are working well with no issues.

RELATED: Motorola Releases Video Teaser Suggesting The Moto G6 Will Hit China Soon

Given that we are talking about an unofficial porting, it does not come as an OTA update, obviously. To install it, you need to unlock the bootloader on your Motorola Moto Z, then you will need to install a custom ROM such as TWRP. After this, you will need to extract the ROM in your internal storage, reboot your device in recovery mode and flash the ROM files. You will void the device’s warranty if you follow these procedures and install the ported ROM, and we suggest you do it only if you know what you are doing as you risk bricking your phone. You can find all the necessary downloads and the complete procedure by heading to the source link below.

(Source)

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A few days ago, it was reported that Lenovo (Motorola) had laid off a large percentage of its staff in Chicago. According to an employee, the workforce was cut by half. Lenovo has issued a statement saying that the report is false.

In a response to an inquiry by Engadget, Lenovo did admit that there were layoffs but added that it didn’t affect half of its workforce in Chicago. It also that the “Moto Z family will continue”.

Motorola explained that the layoff is due to a “worldwide resource action” it planned last last year which is supposed to be carried out over several quarters and will affect less than 2% of its global workforce.

READ MORE: Motorola RAZR is Coming Back Possibly With a Foldable Design

The Moto X4 will still not get a successor but we will receive a third generation Moto Z series, a 6th gen Moto G lineup including a Play variant, and a new Moto E series.

(Source, Via)

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Google launched the latest version of its Android operating system in August — Android 8.0 Oreo. Since then, only a couple of smartphone manufacturers have rolled out Android Oreo update to their devices.

While most users are waiting for the Android Oreo update, here are some good news for the users of Motorola. The company is soon going to start Android Oreo soak test for its Moto Z smartphone lineup.

Motorola has sent out invites to select users of Moto Z and Moto Z2 Force smartphones in Brazil who are a part of Motorola Feedback Network for the Android 8.0 Oreo operating system soak test. Motorola Feedback Network is the Lenovo-owned company’s testing programme.

A soak test is similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Beta Program where users sign up for a programme that enables them to receive beta versions of upcoming software updates or operating system build from the company. Once the soak test is completed, the company will roll out the official update.

While this is only a beta programme, it’s still good to see that Motorola and Lenovo are working on bringing the latest version of Android for its users everywhere. The soak test for Android Oreo, which is currently limited to Brazil, is expected to be expanded by Motorola to other global regions in the coming days.

The new Android Oreo update is expected to offer several improvements over the Android Nougat operating system, including faster booting time, extended battery life, more fluid user experience. It will also bring the latest security patches through Google Play Protect. It automatically checks for malware inside all the installed applications on the users’ smartphone.

According to the reports, the first beta may arrive in the next couple of days. While the company has not revealed date of the official rollout of Android Oreo, it is believed that Motorola might release the official update by the end of this year.

Read More: Motorola Makes A Strong Return To The Top Flight, Ranks Among Top 5 Brands in The U.S

Earlier, Motorola had revealed the list of smartphones from the company that are eligible to receive the latest Android update. The list includes Moto Z2, Z2 Play, Z2 Force, Moto Z, Z Play, Z Force, Moto X4, Moto G5, G5 Plus, G5s, G5s Plus and the Moto G4 Plus.

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In the past weeks, several smartphone OEMs such as BlackBerry, HTC, Nokia, Huawei and Sony have confirmed on the smartphones that will be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo. Today, Motorola has also confirmed on the list of smartphones that will be getting the Oreo upgrade.

Motorola has released several smartphones in this year and 2016. However, the Android 8.0 Oreo will not be coming to a couple of handsets. Below mentioned Motorola smartphones would be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo:

• Moto Z
• Moto Z Droid
• Moto Z Force Droid
• Moto Z Play
• Moto Z Play Droid
• Moto Z2 Play
• Moto Z2 Force Edition
• Moto X4
• Moto G5
• Moto G5 Plus
• Moto G5S
• Moto G5S Plus

Read More: Android 8.0 Oreo Customs ROMs Arrives for Popular Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Motorola Phones & More

Motorola has mentioned on its official blog that the software rollout will begin this fall. The Moto E4, E4 Plus, Moto C and Moto C Plus smartphones that were released this year are not present on the above list which indicates that these phones may not receive Android 8.0 Oreo update.

Moto G4, Moto G4 Play and Moto G4 Plus were launched in May last year with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. These handsets have already Nougat update. However, it seems that even though they are over 1-year old devices, they may not be upgraded to Android 8.0. Hence, they are not listed above.

Motorola is rumored to be working on an Android One version of the Moto X4 smartphone and it is rumored to be aimed towards the U.S. markets. This smartphone is also expected to get the Oreo upgrade. In the U.S. Verizon is confirmed to release Android 8.0 Oreo update for Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z Force, Moto Z and Moto Z Play. Their unlocked versions are also confirmed to receive Android 8 update.

AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are also going to release Oreo update for Moto Z2 Force. AT&T and T-Mobile will also release Android 8.0 firmware to Moto Z.  Lastly, the unlocked versions Moo G5, Moto G5 Plus, Moto G5S and Moto GS5 Plus are also going to receive the software update.

(source 1, 2)

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Following Google’s shutdown of Project Ara and the failure of LG’s G5 and Friends, the only other phones with modular features available for purchase is the Moto Z line.

Motorola calls these modular hardware Moto Mods and this year we are getting more in addition to the ones released last year. Motorola says it plans to announce 12 new Moto Mods.

Some (moto gamepad, JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker and TurboPower battery mod) were unveiled alongside the Moto Z2 Play and a 360°camera mod was announced at an event in Ghana.

There is more to come and the Moto Mods page on the official Motorola China site just teased a few. After translating the page, we were able to discover that there will be a portable printer mod, an (e)-ink display mod, and a Lego robot mod.

READ MORE: First Image of Moto X4 Leaks on The 4th of July

We are particularly eager to see the e-ink display mod as that means the YotaPhone 3 will be getting a competitor. The printer mod will probably print instant photos like the Fujifilm Instax Mini 9. However, the Lego robot mod is still a mystery.

We expect at least one of these three new moto mods to be unveiled on July 25 during the #HelloMotoWorld launch event.

(Source, via)

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The Motorola Moto Z smartphone that was launched in 2016 can not only be customized by attaching various kinds of Moto Mods accessories, but also by adding interchangeable rear covers called Moto Style Shells. Now, Louie Chan HK, a Weibo user has revealed some of the upcoming Moto Style Shells. Unlike previous Moto Style Shells that were made of different materials like Oak and Leather, the newer ones seem to be focused on certain kind of design.

Read More: Leaked Moto X (2017) Hands-on Images Shows its Design from Different Angles

As it can be seen in the above image that was shared on Weibo, the design of the new Style Shells is focused on scenery. One of them shows the beauty of a skyscraper and another one shows an evening shot of a city and the other one displays a view of the sunset between two buildings.

Like the currently available Style Shells, the newer ones appear quite thin. Moto Z phones have a protruding rear camera module. Hence, adding a Moto Style Shell can help the phone to sport a flat rear.

There is no information on the material of these Moto Style Shells. However, they appear to be built from the same material and have a glossy appeal. There is a possibility that these Moto Style Shells could be made of plastic or metal. The different designs that can be seen may not be engraved on the cover but it could be overlaid by using some kind of material such as vinyl or silicon.

All the three Moto Style Shells have a circular cut-out for the round-shaped rear camera of Moto Z. It seems that it can be also used on the upcoming Moto Z2 flagship that also features a circular-shaped camera housing. Below the camera cut-out is the circular Moto batwing logo on each shell.

The existing Moto Style Shells are available for $20 each. There is a possibility that these new shells that sport elaborate designs which may be printed in a manner to last longer might come with a costlier pricing. It is likely that the new rear covers may launch and become available globally for purchase by this week.

The Moto Z2 and Moto Z2 Play leaked images and details have already surfaced. Since the predecessor models debuted in June last year, rumors have it that Lenovo will be unleashing the next-generation Moto Z phones in June 2017.

(source|via)

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Most Moto Mods that we have had so far are the ones that have brought new features to Moto Z. A new Moto Mod called Edge Mod brings a new kind of notification light to the phone that lights up the entire edge of the phone and thereby accentuating the appeal of Moto Z.

The Edge Mod accessory that is equipped with multiple LED lights in a wide range of colors is built by a third-party firm, the Imagine Tech. The company has created a prototype of the Edge Mod

According to the company, it is “the world’s first RGB lighting system for Moto Z phones.” When notifications arrive, the Edge Mod can light up the sides of the Moto Z in various patterns such as flow, follow, wave and fill.

Related: Moto Z (2017) Rumors, Key Specs: Everything We Know So Far

The notification lights can be completely customized with different colors for calls, messages, emails, alarms, calendar events and more.  The Edge Mod will be made available in two variations.

The Edge Mod will be made available in two variations.

The first one is called Edge Force (measures 152.5 x 73.2 x 5.0 mm) that with a battery of 2,000 mAh capacity. It can be used to recharge the Moto Z. It can either charge the phone when it is snapped on to it or users can set a certain percentage and it will begin or stop charging from that mark.  It can alert the user when the phone needs to be charged.

The Edge Air is another variant that brings wireless charging to Moto Z. After snapping it on, the phone can be placed on a wireless charging bed. This Mod is thinner than the Edge Force as its dimensions are 152.5 x 73.2 x 3.5 mm.

There is an Edge Mod app available for Android users.  Through the app, users can choose a notification, pick a color and set the desired glowing pattern. Once done, the Edge Mod will start glowing with respective colors for different kinds of alerts.

The Edge Mod has a soft finish on its durable polycarbonate build that assists in gripping the phone and it is compatible with Moto Z, Moto Z Play, Moto Z Force and their Droid versions. It will be arriving in three colors, Midnight Black, Might Silver, and Crimson Red.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CwZZ3tRBic

Imagine Tech has stated that “the final product will have a custom electronics, with LEDs going all around the edges of the module and space for a larger battery / QI receiver, unlike the prototype.’ It is now available for crowdfunding on IndieGoGo is expected to be available public by July this year, a month after the probable release of Moto Z (2017) in June.

The goal of the crowdfunding campaign is $15,000.  As of today, the total amount of funds raise for Edge Mod is $30,577. The Edge Force and Edge Air Moto Mods are priced at $59 excluding shipping charges.

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The Moto Z was launched in 2016 to replace the Moto X series smartphones. A leaked photo of the alleged Moto Z (2017) has now surfaced to reveal new changes in its design.

The Moto Z (2017) resembles a lot to its predecessor model. It sports a redesigned physical Home button that probably houses a fingerprint scanner. A “moto’ logo can be seen between the screen and the Home button.

Compared to the squared shaped Home button on the original Moto Z, the leaked photo suggests that the Home button of the Moto Z (2017) has a rectangular appearance with rounded corners. It resembles with the fingerprint sensor enabled Home button on the recently unveiled Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus smartphones.

Related: Lenovo Moto G5 & G5 Plus Hands On: Improved Built, Stock Android UI

The original Moto Z has an LED flash for its selfie camera. The leaked photo suggests that the Moto Z (2017) would be able to catch good quality selfies as it seems to sport a dual-tone flash for the front-facing camera. It is also expected to feature

The Moto Z (2017) was allegedly spotted on Geekbench benchmarking site in January. It revealed that the smartphone would be powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It was spotted running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS.

A patent filed by Motorola in the recent past suggests that the new Moto Z will be equipped with an iris scanner. However, this biometric recognition feature cannot be identified on the leaked photo does of Moto Z (2017).

In July 2016, well-known leakster Ricciolo had revealed that the new Moto Z’s rear camera will come with lower number of megapixels, but the size of each pixel will be increased. It means the second-generation Moto Z would be able to snap better photos in low light conditions.

https://twitter.com/Ricciolo1/status/754243509918502913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The USP of the Moto Z lineup introduced last year is that it features 16-pin magnetic connector on the bottom part of its rear side.  Various kinds of easily swappable accessories dubbed as Moto Mods can be snapped on the rear side of Moto Z. The Moto Mods that are available for the first-generation Moto Z is also expected to be compatible with its successor.

The Moto Z was launched in June 2016. Its successor is expected to launch in the same month this year. Since June is only few months away, the rumor mill is expected to spill more information on the Moto Z (2017).

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The Moto Z and Moto Z Play smartphones are now on sale with Moto Mods accessories in Pakistan. The arrival of these smartphones marks the comeback of Motorola in the country. Motorola has relaunched as “Lenovo Moto” in Pakistan.

Motorola Mobility was acquired by Lenovo in 2014. At the beginning of this year, Lenovo had officially confirmed that it would be launching Moto Z series in Pakistan. The Moto Z and Moto Z Play smartphones were launched in the country on Feb. 17 in Karachi. It is also expected to launch Moto M midrange smartphone in the near future.

The Moto Z features 5.5-inch quad HD display. It is driven by Snapdragon 820 and 4 GB of RAM.  It has an OIS and dual LED flash enabled 13-megapixel camera. Its front-facing 5-megapixel camera features LED flash. It has a water-resistant coating and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and 2,600 mAh battery.

It does not feature a 3.5 mm audio jack, but allows headphone connectivity through its USB Type-C port. It boasts a super-slim profile of 5.2 mm.  It comes in two storage sizes of 32 GB and 64 GB and is available in color choices like Black and Gold. It also features an external storage slot.

Related: Moto Z (2017) Likely Featuring Iris Scanner, Motorola Patent Filing Reveals

The Moto Z Play has a 5.5-inch full HD display. It runs on Snapdragon 625 chipset and 3 GB of RAM. Its native storage is 32 GB. The 16-megapixel rear camera is enabled with dual LED flash. Its front-facing snapper is on 5-megapixel.

Other features include rear-facing fingerprint reader, water-resistant coating, 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD card support, USB Type-C port, and a 3,510 mAh battery.  It comes in colors like Gold and Silver.

Here are the pricing of Moto Z, Moto Z Play and Moto Mods snap-on accessories in Pakistan:

• The 32 GB Moto Z smartphone with Moto Style Shell is available for PKR 74,999.
• The 32 GB Moto Z Play with Moto Style Shell is priced at PKR 49,999.
• Moto Insta-Share Projector Mod that costs PKR 39,500 transforms Moto Z and Moto Z Play into a projector for watching photos and videos on a large screen.
• Incipio offGRID Power Pack Mod is priced at PKR 8,650. Its an accessory that adds a 2,220 mAh battery to Moto Z or Play smartphones to take advantage of up to 22 hours of battery backup.
• JBL SoundBoost Mod is available for PKR 12,500. Snap it on Moto Z or Moto Z Play to enjoy high-quality JBL audio output. It comes with an inbuilt kickstand and 1,000 mAh battery.
• Hasselblad True Zoom Mod brings top notch photography capabilities with 10x optical zoom and Xenon flash. It is available with a pricing of PKR 29,500.

On Daraz.pk online shopping site, the Moto Z and Moto Z Play smartphones are available with free JBL Soundboost Mod.

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Moto Z is a modular smartphone from Motorola that was released last year. The Moto Mods accessories can be simply snapped on to that smartphone on its rear to increase the capabilities of Moto Z. A new Moto Mod called Linc: The Smart Walkie Talkie has surfaced on Indiegogo that metamorphoses Moto Z into a walkie talkie.

In November 2016, Motorola (now owned by Lenovo) had asked its fans to submit design and ideas on Indiegogo to build innovative Moto Mods that do not exist. In the recent past, The Ultimate Moto Z Mod that brought features like wireless charging and IR blaster at a pricing of $45 is already available on Indiegogo.

The Linc Moto Mod that transforms Moto Z into walk-talkie makes it possible to use the smartphone in places with no cellular connectivity. It works on GMRS/FRS consumer-level frequencies and carries support for 22 channels and works with a range of five to six miles.

Related: Moto Z (2017) Likely Featuring Iris Scanner, Motorola Patent Filing Reveals

With radio-over-IP gateway, the new Moto Mod can be used for communication through two-way radios from different branding. The Linc can be also used to send and receive text messages. Its users can share locations by using the inbuilt GPS feature. The emergency alert button on Linc can be used to send out SOS signal.

Some of its other features include NOAA weather radio and 1,500 mAh rechargeable battery that can offer a standby time of up to 20 hours. It does not use the smartphone’s battery, but consumes its own battery. The features of the accessory can be controlled by using the Arc App on the smartphone.

The Linc has been designed as Moto Mod for Moto Z, but it can be used with any Bluetooth-enabled device. It is a slim and lightweight accessory that comes is resistant to dust and water contact.

The Linc Moto Mod is available on the crowd-funding site with a starting price of $99. The new Moto Mod has already met with 41 percent of its crowdfunding target and the remaining campaign is expected to end in 20 days. Users have raised nearly $4,900 for Linc: The Smart Walkie Talkie.

(source)

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The Moto Z can be said to be the first smartphone that got the modularity thing correctly although with some shortcomings such as the high price of the Moto Mods. The phone will be getting a new model this year and while we don’t know anything yet about it’s design we already know a few specs thanks to a Geekbench listing.

A device with model name “motorola XT1650” presumed to be the Moto Z (2017) was benchmarked in the early hours of today. Seeing as it is sporting a msm8998 a.k.a. Snapdragon 835, chances are that it is Motorola’s (Lenovo) flagship for the year.

The device is running the latest version of android (Android 7.1.1) and has a Qualcomm 8-core chip clocked at 1.9GHz. There is also 4GB of RAM on board. It appears Motorola is not joining the 6GB bandwagon this year. How that will help them in the face of several 6GB RAM phones remains unknown.

The test scores for the Moto Z (2017) are quite impressive. In the single-core test, it scores 1930 points and goes on to score a total of 6207 points in the multi-core test. Both scores are higher than what we saw on the Essential FIH-PM1 weeks ago.

READ MORE: Nokia 6 Vs Moto G4 Plus Vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

There is no launch date yet for the Moto Z (2017) but since last year’s model was released in September, it will be unusual to have this year’s model launch in the first quarter. The design is still pretty much unknown but chances are that it should be able to work with the Moto Mods from last year.

(Source)

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Specification details of the Moto G5 surfaced a few days ago alongside some images and a possible pricing. Today another image of the upcoming phone has leaked online.

The image is said to be a press shot of the Moto G5. Lenovo/Moto is going for a Moto Z kind of look which is evident from the camera design. Though the glass is all metal and not black which is nice as the Moto Z is a fingerprint magnet.

Another notable difference is the fingerprint scanner. The Moto G5 plus ditches the square scanner for one that is pill-shaped. It also appears that the SIM tray has also been moved to the top as a groove with a hole can be seen on the top left part of the phone. The Moto G5 plus still has the rounded corners but the rear doesn’t curve to meet the metal frame anymore.

One thing we are actually quite disappointed about is the Snapdragon 625 processor that is said to be present in the phone. It is not a bad processor but considering the fact that the Snapdragon 653 and 626 have already been announced since last year, we expected the Moto G5 to sport either of the newer chips. The Moto G4 Plus from last year was no different as it launched with the Snapdragon 617 processor released back in 2015.

READ MORE: Moto X (2017) Leaks in renders and Video

The Moto G5 Plus will retain the 5.5-inch 1080p display from last year. The RAM will be 4GB and ROM will be 32GB, though there is a possibility of other RAM and ROM variants. The battery has been slightly bumped up to 3080mAh, and there is Android 7.0 out of the box. The Moto G5 Plus is said to be about $387, but with that price tag you are better off buying the OnePlus 3.

(Source)

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We reported a few weeks back that Lenovo-owned Motorola announced that the update to Android Nougat for the Moto Z and Moto G4 lines will start in Q4 2016. Following that announcement, the phone maker has released a list of phones eligible for the update. This list covers other devices excluding the Z  and G4 series.

List of Motorola Phones getting Nougat

• Moto G 4th Gen
• Moto G Plus 4th Gen
• Moto G Play (4th Gen)
• Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen)
• Moto X Style
• Moto X Play
• Moto X Force
• Droid Turbo 2
• Droid Maxx 2
• Moto Z
• Moto Z Droid
• Moto Z Force Droid
• Moto Z Play
• Moto Z Play Droid
• Nexus 6

A total of 14 phones (not counting the Nexus 6 as it is already updated) are getting the update which brings a more refined version of android and a bunch of new features. However there’s going to be outrage from Motorola fans as a phone like the Moto E3 Power released last month won’t be getting an update to 7.0. The list also excludes all the other E-Series and even the 3rd Gen Moto G.

Motorola used to be praised for its timely updates and near stock android feature on their phones but lately the former has taken a nose dive. Last year the company failed to update the Moto E 2nd Gen to Marshmallow and this year they also said they won’t be able to release monthly security updates regularly.

READ MORE: iPhone 6 Plus Explodes in Student’s Pocket

The update will start rolling out to the Moto Z and G4 first before the other devices. So if your device is on the list but isn’t the Moto Z or G4, the update may come later than expected.

The post Motorola Releases List of Phones Getting Android 7.0 Nougat appeared first on Gizmochina.

When you get a new phone, you are always excited about it for a couple of weeks before the feeling wears off. But one thing that usually brings back that excitement is an update. I’m not referring to small and boring incremental updates like security patches and bug fixes. I mean the large updates ushering in a new version of android and a ton of new features. I am always so excited about such updates as long as it doesn’t mess up my device.

Google’s new version of android called Nougat, is just a little over a month old and just a handful of devices are running the official version. A few manufacturers have started announcing update schedules for supported devices and one of them is Motorola.

The company has announced that starting Q4 2016 the new Moto Z and Moto G4 lines will be seeing Android Nougat. Why is this a big deal? Motorola is one of the companies known for pushing  out updates in a timely manner but lately things seem to have gone bad following Lenovo’s acquisition.

A few months ago Motorola released an official statement over its inability to release monthly security updates for its phones citing the difficulty associated with the amount of testing and approvals necessary for a large number of devices as the reason. The company has also laid off a large percentage of the original workforce since the take over which might mean less hands assigned to tasks like that.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi 5 Gets a Price Slash Following New Releases

Q4 starts next month but that doesn’t mean the update will begin then since Q4 2016 runs till December (and beyond, since there’s no duration stated). I hope Motorola gets its act together and goes back to the good old days of regular updates.

(Source)

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If you are living in China and you are out for a new phone, you might want to consider the Moto Z and Moto Z Play which has just been officially launched for the Chinese market.

Moto Z

The Moto Z was announced in June during Lenovo’s Tech World event in San Francisco and has now found its way to mainland China. The Moto Z has a 5.5” 2K display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB ROM, 13MP f/1.8 rear camera with laser focus and OIS, 5MP front-facing camera, and a 2600mAh battery with Motorola’s TurboPower fast charge technology. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 CPU and Adreno 530 GPU. It also has a SD card slot that can take in up to 2TB cards (good luck finding one though)!

The Moto Z is built from a 7000 series aviation grade aluminium and high steel backplate which is also corrosion resistant. Lenovo has employed a closed-loop antenna design for the NFC chip and communication module to achieve its 5.2 mm thinness (thickness). The Moto Z also features a P2i liquid repellent nano-coating to protect it from liquids.

Moto Z Play

The Moto Z Play was first announced last week at the IFA Berlin tech expo.

It has the same 5.5” Super AMOLED screen but uses a 1080p resolution instead. There’s 3GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM which can be expanded to 2TB via a SD card slot. It’s rear camera is a 16 MP shooter with laser focus and PDAF. For video calls and selfies, there’s a 5MP up front. The Moto Z Play uses a Snapdrgon 625 processor and has a larger 3510mAh battery which brings it’s thickness to 7 mm. There is also NFC for mobile payments and a fingerprint scanner.

Moto Mods

Four Moto mods were launched alongside the phones. The JBL speaker mod which has stereo speakers that can pump out sounds reaching up to 80dB and has a 1100mAh built-in battery; a projector mod with a 480p resolution and projected image size of 70 inches; battery mods made by various manufacturers like TUMI, Kate Spade New York, and Incipio which can offer an additional 22 hours of battery life when snapped on;  and lastly, Hasselblad’s True Zoom camera mod which has a 10x optical zoom and xenon flash.

READ MORE: Unboxing Pictures of Meizu M3 Max

Price

The Moto Z will cost 3999 Yuan ($599) and the Moto Z Play will cost 3299 Yuan ($494). Both phones will be available for purchase via online  and offline channels starting tomorrow.

The JBL Speaker Mod will cost 699 Yuan ($105) and the 2220 mAh battery mods  will cost 499 Yuan ($75). You will shell out 1999 Yuan ($299 for the projector mod and 2299 Yuan ($344) for the Hasselblad camera mod.

The post Moto Z and Moto Z Play Officially Launches in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

Lenovo has officially taken the wraps off the Moto Z and the specs are not different from what we reported was spotted on Antutu.

The Moto Z Play is the mid-range variant of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. That means it has lower specs than its siblings, right? Not entirely. The Moto Z Play trumps its siblings in its own ways.

Specifications of The Moto Z Play

It is fitted with the same 5.5” Super AMOLED display with gorilla glass but has a lower resolution at 1080p. There is 3GB of RAM, and 32GB/64GB of storage which can be expanded to 2TB if you do roll like that.

The camera on the Moto Z Play (16MP f/2.0) is higher than the Moto Z (13MP) but it lacks the latter’s optical image stabilisation. However there is still laser auto-focus and phase-detection auto-focus. The front facing camera is a 5MP wide-angle lens with its own flash.

A less power-hungry Snapdragon 625 clocked at 2.0GHz is under the hood. For the GPU, there is an Adreno 506 which isn’t bad.

The Moto Z Play has the same connector pins on the back which means you can slap on any of the existing moto mods and you are ready to go.

Lenovo has brought back the 3.5mm audio jack and also given the phone a water-repellent nano-coating. The fingerprint scanner is still up front on the chin as well as a front-ported loudspeaker. You also get NFC, so mobile payment is covered.

The most interesting feature of the Moto Z Play is the 3510mAh battery. Way bigger than that of the Moto Z (2600mAh) and just 10mAh more than that of the Z Force. The combination of a large battery, power efficient processor, and lower screen resolution means owners will get more on-screen time. As much as 50 hours as the company puts it. The battery supports Moto’s own TurboPower which will give you 9 hours of power for just 15 minutes of charging.

Other features include 4G LTE, Android 6.0.1, dual WiFi bands, single or dual nano-SIM  slots, USB type-C port, and Bluetooth 4.0 LE.

RELATED: Moto M Gets Certified by TENAA

The Moto Z will be available later this month for $449.99 globally. Select markets that get the dual-sim variant may shell out a few more bucks. It will sell for €499 in Europe and $408 ($17) in the US as the Moto Z Play Droid on Verizon. An unlocked version will also be available on Motorola.com and definitely Amazon.

(Via)

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It’s been just a few days after the Lenovo Moto Z Play passed through TENAA, revealing the specs and images of the device, and now the Moto Z has also been spotted on the Telecommunications authority TENAA’s website. Both smartphones are expected to be available this month and they both have been certified ahead of their foray into the market.

The Moto Z and Moto Z Play have featured in numerous leaks and renders, so their expected specs and what they both look like is not hidden. The TENAA listing just goes to confirm the rumored specs of the China version of both smartphones.

The Moto Z carried the model number XT1650-05 on TENAA and is shown to have a somewhat similar design style with the Moto Z Play, save for some few features which differentiate the Moto Z from the higher end Moto Z Play. The positioning of the front camera sensors is different on the two smartphones. Also, the 3.5mm audio jack is notably absent on the phone.

The TENAA listing reveals the Moto Z as featuring a processor clocked at 1.8GHz , likely to be the 2.15GHz Snapdragon 820 chipset with a lowered clock frequency. There is also a 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage on the flagship device. The device is also listed as packing a 2480mAh battery, a little lower than the 2600mAh earlier rumored. There is also a 5.5-inch 2K display, with an ultra thin and lightweight build. The entire device has a dimension of 75.3 × 155.3 × 5.2 mm and weighs just 138 g. In addition, the Moto Z is listed to have a 13MP camera at the back and a 5MP camera up front as well as having dual-SIM and full network support.

Read More: Lenovo announces September 6 launch date for Moto Z in China

The Moto Z is expected to be formally launched in China on September 6, and the China edition of both the Z and Z Play smartphones are expected to feature the One UI operating system.

The post Lenovo’s Moto Z with Octa-core 1.8GHz Chipset Passes through TENAA appeared first on Gizmochina.

It has already been confirmed by the president of Lenovo’s Mobile Business Group that the Moto Z Play and Moto Z will be launching on September 6. Yesterday, a promotional poster of the Moto Z Play was spotted at a store located within Chengdu International Finance Square.

The poster which advertises the phone’s 36-hour (standby) battery life also confirms that it will indeed work with the mods made for the Moto Z (the JBL speaker mod and a camera mod are on the poster).

The Moto Z Play will come with a 5.5” OLED screen like the Moto Z but have a lower resolution (FHD). It will sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 processor, 3GB of RAM, 64GB eMMC built-in storage, a 16MP rear camera, and a 5MP front facing camera. A 3150mAh battery that supports Motorola’s TurboPower fast charge technology  will provide juice.

The Moto Z on the other hand has a QHD OLED screen, Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, 64GB UFS built-in storage, a 13MP rear camera, a 5MP front facing camera, and a 2600mAh battery.

READ MORE: Top 20 Smartphone Manufacturers in China H1 2016

Both phones support VoLTE, run Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and feature front-positioned fingerprint scanners which quite a number of people have said spoils the design.

A user has also leaked real images of the white version of the Moto Z Play ahead of the official launch.

The post Poster and Leaked Images of White Moto Z Play appeared first on Gizmochina.

We had reported earlier on that the Moto Z will likely pop in China sometime in September and that is about to happen. Lenovo has sent out invitations to a news conference billed for September 6 where the Chinese edition of the Moto Z will be officially released. This was officially announced today by Lenovo’s Mobile Business Group co-President, Chen Xudong on Weibo.

The potential release of the Moto Z in China is coming two months after the Moto Z and Z Force were released in the international market. The China version of the Moto Z, which may likely be launched alongside the Mot Z Force, is said to come pre-loaded with the One UI which is actually Lenovo’s Vibe UI 3.0 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This interface will be exclusive to devices shipping to China so may not feature the Google Play Store but rather sport what appears to be a Chinese app store on the home screen.

The Moto Z is reputed to be the world’s thinnest flagship with a 5.2mm thickness. The Moto Z and Z Force both come with 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2k resolution and powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset. The both devices also feature 4GB RAM and two memory sizes of 32GB and 64GB respectively.

However, the Moto Z and Moto Z Force differ in the camera specs and battery capacity. While the Moto Z comes with a 13MP main camera and 8MP front-facing camera setup, the Z Force features a large 21MP main camera and 8MP camera up front. Both cameras are said to feature OIS and laser focus.

Read More: Leaked Image of Moto Z Camera Mod Shows It Will be Made By Hasselblad

The Moto Z Force will also feature a 3500mAh battery with Turbo fast charge which delivers up to 50% charge is just 15 minutes. The Moto Z on the other hand, comes with a 2600mAh battery. Both versions also come with the MotoMods magnetic technology inside but only the Z Force will feature a Shatter-Shield on top of its display to protect against screen damage.

As for the price of the flagship devices, the Moto Z is said to likely start at 2998 yuan ($448), whereas the Moto Z Force is rumored to carry a price tag of about 5288 yuan ($790).

The post Lenovo announces September 6 launch date for Moto Z in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

About 2 months ago, we reported that Swedish camera manufacturer, Hasselblad was going to launch a camera mod for the Moto Z series. However, the launch was for the company’s X1D camera which has a 50MP CMOS  sensor.

A leaked image posted last week by an individual with the name @ucapup shows the camera mod will still be made by the company and also revealed some nice features. The camera mod will attach to the Moto Z like the other mods and completely cover the built-in camera. It will have a 10x optical zoom, xenon flash, physical shutter and zoom buttons, and ability to shoot in RAW format. The image also says it will go by the name ”Hasselblad True Zoom Camera”.

READ MORE: Moto Z Play Gets Certified At TENAA

There is still no date of release and price details but we hope those will be released in coming weeks. The fact that Lenovo is going with a brand already known for it’s camera prowess will help sell this mod. This move is also similar to Huawei’s joint collaboration with German optics manufacturer, Leica.

(Source)

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Lenovo launched the Moto Z and Moto Z Force in June and mentioned that a lower version, tagged the Moto Z Play is in the works.

A Google+ page by the name HelloMotoHK, which is known for leaking Motorola products has posted real images of the Moto Z Play. There is an image showing the phone running Lenovo’s One UI which is used for their products in China, hinting at a possible China launch.

The Moto X Play which is a lower version of the Moto X Style (Moto X Pure Edition) launched in India last year. Apart from the possible Asia launch they will have in common, the Moto Z Play is expected to have a larger battery than its siblings just like the X Play.

The design of the Moto Z Play doesn’t look much different from the other Moto Z phones, and we can see it also sports a connector and pins which means it should work with Moto Mods out of the box. Not looking different means it will retain the disadvantages such as the large camera hump and the fingerprint magnet.

RELATED: Moto Z Play Variant Spotted on Antutu

Two of the pictures also show the phone with the tag ”Vector” which was one of the code names used for one of the Motorola devices ahead of the Moto Z launch.

It is currently unknown when this phone will launch and if it will be available outside of China. While it does feature nice specs and cool features, the price will determine if folks will choose it over the Moto G4 Plus, considering that the Moto Mods are expensive as well.

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Lenovo-owned Motorola’s flagship Moto Z and Moto Z Force smartphones which were announced months back is now up for pre-orders in the US available exclusively to US mobile carrier Verizon Wireless. The device will remain for some time exclusive to Verizon after which a network unlocked version will be rolled out.

The latest news about Moto Z and Z Force is that the devices would roll out in China by early September. As earlier reported, the version that would be unveiled in China would come pre-loaded with the One UI which is actually Lenovo’s Vibe UI 3.0 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This interface will be exclusive to devices shipping to China so it is no surprise that the UI doesn’t feature the Google Play Store but rather sports what appears to be a Chinese app store on the home screen.

There are also news about the price of the flagship devices with the Moto Z said to start at 2998 yuan ($448), whereas the Moto Z Force is rumored to carry a price tag of about 5288 yuan ($790).

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Lenovo announced the Moto Z series smartphones during the TechWorld event in June this year but didn’t disclose the prices for both flagship devices. Now news making the round says that the Moto Z will carry a price tag of 2,998 yuan ($450) while the Moto Z Force will be priced at a whooping 5299 yuan ($800). While these two 2016 flagships are yet to hit the market, Lenovo is said to be working on what could possibly be a 2017 flagship under the Moto Z or Moto X series which hitherto was thought to have become defunct, replaced by the Moto Z, until Lenovo debunked that notion.

The leak was posted on Twitter by @Ricciolo1 who shared a message that the 2017 Moto Z and Moto X flagships from Lenovo will come with enhanced low light imaging capability, less number of pixels (MP) but larger pixel (um) size with high quality lens, Laser autofocus, as well as optical image stabilization (OIS).

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

The message had a cheeky smiley after which he added; “FIX this! Sorry for being TOO AHEAD”. Now, while we accept this could possibly be a leak on the 2017 Moto X/Moto Z flagships from Lenovo, we must note the added cheeky smiley and the other riddles which seem to suggest some mischief in the mix aimed at coding the entire message. He asked readers to “FIX this”. Fix what, the date? Could it have been 2016 he was talking about? Note that he also apologized for being too ahead. Sure he’s talking about the date and this could possibly be a message about the 2016 Moto X considering that the Moto Z 2016 packs some of these features on the camera lane. Perhaps, the use of the motoz hashtag alongside motox hashtag was to indicate that both will have similar camera features.

The leak also suggests the Moto X / Moto Z, will be manufactured with an optimized camera sensor. The sensor is compared with that found on HTC’s flagships. The HTC 10 flagship sports a 12MP camera with second-generation UltraPixel camera, having an f/1.8 aperture, 1.5 μm pixel sensor with optical image stabilization technology. A larger f/1.8 aperture and larger pixel size will result in improved low light performance. When more light gets through the lens, better quality images will be taken which will be less blurry and feature reduced image noise.

The earlier release of the GFXBench listing of what is thought to be the Moto X flagship indicated that the device will feature a dual rear camera set up with one having 21MP shutter and the other sensor of 13MP. Other specs include a 5.5” Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 2.1GHz, 4GB RAM, 32GB ROM, a 5MP front camera, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

So, could this leak possibly be about the Moto X 2016 flagship or the 2017 Moto Z or Moto X flagships? We don’t know for sure but the answer won’t be very far away with Lenovo expected to unveil new smart phones soon.

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Initially, we thought the Moto Z was going to replace the Moto X but the Lenovo owned company released a statement saying the much beloved X series will still continue to release newer models.

What appears to be the M0to X 2016 with model number XT1650 appeared on benchmarking site, GFXBench. A few months back, a device with the same model number surfaced on GeekBench. And while the specs are nothing short of flagship, the phone takes it up a notch by sporting dual cameras.

You might say dual cameras are not special, with the first half of 2016 seeing the launch of nothing less than 5 phones with the feature. But what makes the Moto X 2016 stand out is the configuration. According to GFXBench, the phone’s rear camera configuration is a 21MP and 13MP combo which can both shoot in 4K.

Other specs include a 5.5” Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 2.1GHz, 4GB RAM, 32GB ROM, a 5MP front camera, and Android Marshmallow 6.0.1.

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Motorola unveiled two new devices in its Moto Z series lineup a few weeks back. However, from the recent leaks and rumors, it looks like the company may have other devices in the lineup as well. The latest information we have is on the Chinese variant of Moto Z Play and it comes via a trusted source, namely the AnTuTu benchmarking app. The phone seems to have just run the benchmark app revealing most of its specs as well as its AnTuTu scores.

The Moto Z Play will be a toned down version in the flagship series. AnTuTu reveals that the phone will come with the Snapdragon 625 mid-range chipset along with 2GB / 3GB RAM and 16GB / 32GB ROM options. This clearly tells us that the phone is going to be a mid-range handset. Further, it will feature a 5.5-inch 1080p display up front and a 5MP shooter. There will be a 16MP camera at the back. It will run on Android 6.0.1. As for the score, AnTuTu reveals that it managed to get around 59K points, which is pretty good for a mid-ranger.

RELATED: Moto Z & Moto Z Force China Pricing Leaked

This is not the first time we are hearing that the Moto Z Play will feature Snapdragon 625. Earlier, a Geekbench listing had revealed that the phone will feature this mid-range chipset but that was the XT1635-01 model. This is the XT1635-03 model, which is probably why AnTuTu is referring to this as the Chinese variant. In case you remember, we had also seen the Moto Z Play on the Indian import export data website Zauba, a few days back. So, we could meet this handset soon.

Pricing is said to be around 1999 Yuan ($300), which if true, doesn’t really help the handset in the Chinese market considering you get Xiaomi Mi5 as well as ZUK Z2, both featuring Snapdragon 820 and better specs around this price.

The post Moto Z Play Variant Spotted on AnTuTu With Snapdragon 625 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Lenovo announced the Moto Z earlier this month with hardware additions called Motomods. While it is still not the perfect definition of modular, it has set the bar higher for  manufacturers and done a better job than what LG released in place of the LG G5 and Friends. The mods connect to the phone via a set of 16 pin integrated magnets at the back of the phone. This is quite different from LG’s friends which require you to swap out the lower end of the phone which houses the removable battery before adding the desired hardware.

Some of the mods announced by Lenovo include a mini projector called Insta-Share Projector, a JBL Soundboost Speaker, and a mod that adds up to 22 hours more battery life.

However, rumors floating around states that Hasselblad, the Swedish company known for medium-format cameras is going to launch a pro camera mod for the Moto Z on Wednesday, 22nd of June.

This new mod is said to give the Moto Z a separate and more capable camera lens  to the device and differs from LG’s G5 CAM Module which only adds physical controls to the phone.

Like all rumors, you should remember to take this with a pinch of salt.

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For the past few weeks, we have been consistently bombarded with leaks and rumors about Moto Z flagship. Now, the rebranded Moto Z family is official and it’s everything we expected it to be. There will be two models in the series, namely the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force. There are two major highlights of these devices. First of all, they don’t come with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. So, you have to use USB Type-C port for listening to music. Secondly, they come with a special 16 pin connector at the back for “MotoMods”. We’ll talk about them in detail soon, but before that let’s look at the specs of the two devices.

The company is calling the Moto Z, the thinnest flagship in the market right now. The phone features an all-metal body that measures just 5.19mm in thickness, which is really thin. But it doesn’t look like this thickness includes the protruding camera of the device. The company has also limited the weight of the device to just 136 grams. The stainless steel + aluminum body also gets nano waterproof coating so that the phone is protected from splashes.

As for the specs, the Moto Z comes with a 5.5-inch 2K display with the mighty Snapdragon 820 quad-core chipset under the hood. There will be 4GB of RAM inside with 32GB / 64GB storage options and MicroSD expansion up to 2TB! At the back, the Moto Z comes with a 13MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture, OIS and Laser Focus. There’s dual tone flash as well. Up front, you get a 5MP wide angle sensor with its own flash. Like the Moto G4 Plus, the phone comes with a front facing fingerprint sensor. Inside, you have a 2600mAh battery with Turbo Charge technology that gives you about 8 hours of battery life with 15 minutes of charging.

Next up, is the Moto Z Force. Looks wise, they both have the same design. But specs are upgraded than the Moto Z. The phone also features a slightly thicker 7mm metal body and weighs 163 grams. The screen up front remains the same as the Moto Z, i.e. 5.5-inch 2k resolution panel, but Motorola has added Moto Shattershield to ensure greater protection to the display.

As for the specs, the basic configuration remains the same. But the camera has been upgraded to 21MP and the battery capacity is also increased to 3500mAh which the company claims is good enough for 40 hours of battery life.

Now, coming to the main highlight of the conference, the Moto Z family gets the MotoMods accessories. These accessories can connect to the phone using the 16 pin connector at the back. These nifty add ons can be used to add new functionality to the device. For example, there are different MotoMods available like JBL Soundboost Music module, projector module, battery module and other ones in wood and leather finish. Unlike the LG G5, these are magnetic attachments which stick to the back. So, no need to take out the battery as in the case of the G5.

The Moto Z family will debut in US this summer. The company has also revealed that the devices will make it to UK, Europe and internationally in September. Unfortuantely, we have no information on the pricing of these handsets yet.

The post Moto Z, Moto Z Force & MotoMods Accessories Official appeared first on Gizmochina.

Lenovo owned Motorola is expected to announce the brand new Moto Z smartphone series tomorrow. For some reason, this year’s Moto flagship range has been renamed from Moto X to Moto Z and we can expect a couple of devices to debut tomorrow. While we have been hearing about the phone for the past few weeks, now, new renders of the Moto Z have just been leaked online, revealing the phone’s back design with the 16 pin connector.

First of all, a leaked teaser reveals that the Moto Z will be thin. You can clearly see that the camera sensor will be protruding from the body. Also, there are three buttons on the right, one should be the power button and the other two should be the volume up and down keys.

Apart from this, we also have a render, which shows off the back of the new Moto Z in three colors, namely black, silver and gold. This image reveals the huge size of the camera module at the back. Further, down below, on the back panel we also see the much talked about 16 pin connector for attaching modules. Just below that should be the speaker opening.

According to the latest rumors, the 16 pin connector will be used to connect MotoMods, for adding new features to the device. While this isn’t completely a modular design, it still would be quite impressive if we could swap out different modules on the back of the phone for different functions like Hi-Fi or Video controls, similar to LG G5’s design. Hopefully, we will get to hear more about it tomorrow at the launch event.

As for the specs, like last year, this time, Motorola is expected to release two variants of the Moto Z, namely Moto Z Play and Moto Z Style. The Z Play will be the less powerful variant and should come with Snapdragon 625 octa-core chip, 5.5-inch 1080p display, 2GB / 3GB of RAM, 16GB / 32GB storage options, 7mm body, 16MP rear camera and 3500mAh battery.

Coming to the Moto Z Style, it should come with a 5.5-inch 2K display, with Snapdragon 820 chip, 3GB / 4GB RAM options, 32GB internal storage, 13MP rear camera with OIS, 2600mAh battery and a super thin 5.2mm body.

We also should see Motorola’s Project Tango device soon, which could be called as the Lenovo PHAB2 Pro. You can read more about that from here.

The post Moto Z Likely to Come With A Super Slim Body, New Renders Reveal 16 pin Connector appeared first on Gizmochina.

The Moto Z is Motorola’s flagship for the year and in what appears to be a strange coincidence, we see Motorola ditch the X name for Z, and Sony abandon the Xperia Z line for Xperia X.

The Lenovo-owned company is doing things differently this year by providing what is called StyleMods and MotoMods. The Stylemods are replaceable stylish covers which you can purchase to give your phone a new look and will come in leather, wood, and ballistic nylon. Since Motorola is going this way, it seems we won’t be seeing the much loved MotoMaker customization anymore.

The MotoMods on the other hand, are modular attachments similar to what LG came up with for the G5. The MotoMods add new functions to the phone by connecting to the 16-pin port present at the base of the Moto Z. There is a MotoMod that upgrades the camera of the phone by giving it a dedicated shutter button, lens cover, and probably optical zoom.

The Moto Z is said to feature an AMOLED screen with the same shatter shield technology seen on the Motorola Droid Turbo 2. The release date for the phone is just 4 days away, and we’ll sure provide you with new details once we get our hands on them

(source)

The post Photographs of the Moto Z and its Replaceable Style Mods Surface appeared first on Gizmochina.

According to the latest reports, Motorola is going to make some changes in the naming of its upcoming flagship smartphone lineup. Traditionally, the company has been selling its top-end models under the banner of Moto X series, but now, it is said that this Lenovo owned company is all set to change its name this year. Instead of calling the new smartphone as the Motorola Moto X, the company seems to be rooting for the name Moto Z series in 2016.

So, is it just a change in name or will we see a whole new design and features on the Moto Z series?

Well, at this moment, we don’t have sufficient information to answer this question. Design wise, there may be a few changes, but the basic theme of the new Moto Z series is going to be similar. It is said that Motorola is working on two flagship smartphones this year, code named Vertex and Vector Thin. The latter will be a much more premium smartphone, and could be called as the Moto Z Style. This would make Vertex, the Moto Z Play model.

The report also reveals that the company would gently change the names of the Verizon branded versions in US as well. So, the new Moto Z series will probably end up being called as the Moto Z Play Droid Edition. And the premium accessories that have been rumoured to be sold separately would be called as MotoMods.

These details are yet to be confirmed, but we will know more about it early next month. After releasing three new handsets in the Moto G series yesterday, the company will reportedly reveal the new series on June 9.

(source)

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