Jack Of All Trades: hands on with the Moto Z

The Moto Z fills me with a sense of apprehension. Many Android fans agree that Motorola came back from the dead under Google's leadership. Their lineup was trimmed down to just three offerings: high end, mid range and low end handsets that were truly innovative in terms of hardware design, specs and software.

Motorola's handsets were one of the first to feature plastic in a way that didn't feel cheap or flimsy. My backup phone, a $50 Moto E, is built like a tank compared to many other devices within a similar price range. Motorola was also one of the first to prove that specs didn't matter. During a time when Samsung was stuffing their devices with every high end feature imaginable, the Moto X proved that high end specs weren't required for a smooth and fluid user experience. And while many OEMs struggled (and continue to struggle) with providing timely software updates, Motorola updated their devices quickly, in some cases even beating Nexus devices to the latest Android version.

So why am I apprehensive? Well, much of what made Motorola great has changed. Google sold them off to Lenovo in 2014 and things have taken a decidedly downward turn. The iconic "Motorola" was ditched in favor of the shortened "Moto" and in place of the simplified series of three handsets, Lenovo expanded the current lineup to six. This doesn't include the twenty-plus handsets Lenovo already sells under the main company name. The quick software updates that Motorola fans depended on suddenly stopped. For a few months many gave Lenovo the benefit of the doubt - after all there were bound to be a few bumps in the road when it came to integrating Motorola's staff and resources. Updates became sporadic. Then the news broke - Lenovo was finding it "difficult" to release software updates and couldn't commit to a monthly schedule for security patches. Instead, patches would be bundled and released with maintenance releases or OS updates. The frequency at which those will be released is anyone's guess.

With these thoughts in mind I spent some time with the Verizon exclusive models of the Moto Z: the Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Play Droid (talk about a mouthful). Upon first inspection they bear some similarities to Samsung's offerings: glass back and front, vivid display, metallic rim. And in the hand they reminded me very much of a Galaxy S6 that had been enlarged and flattened. In fact, the Z Droid is a little too thin for my liking. The Z Play, with its larger battery, provides a bit more gripping surface and feels more comfortable. Both devices are firmly in phablet territory and are difficult to operate one handed (unless you're a basketball player). But the majority of users won't be using these devices one handed anyway and understand the trade-offs.

The volume rocker and power buttons are situated on the upper right side and provide a satisfying click when depressed. However, the volume up/down rocker consists of two separate buttons, each of which are the same size and shape as the power button. This button placement could lead to some confusion - there are three of the same buttons grouped fairly close together. There is some texturing on the power button to provide differentiation and it does help a bit.

Unlike many other flagships that feature a downward firing speaker, both devices have the speaker located in the earpiece. This helps in projecting the sound toward the user instead of away in back facing or downward facing speaker locations. Sound quality is just okay. This is definitely no HTC Boom Sound. It's not even the stereo front facing speakers of Motorola's Nexus 6. However it is on par with most other flagships featuring a mono speaker. And, like other mono speaker configurations, the sound is easily muffled. Place a finger over it and sound is reduced to a whisper.

The AMOLED display is vivid and bright, pretty much on par with Samsung's latest and greatest. Any differences aren't noticeable unless the devices are compared side by side. However, one thing noticeable is the sensors. Motorola's flagship models come with IR sensors at each corner of the front panel; wave a hand across them and the time is displayed along with any notifications. It's a handy feature. On models with a black front panel the sensors and front facing camera are nearly invisible. But on models with a white front the sensors stand out like a sore thumb, marring an otherwise sleek design.

As this was a simple hands on in-store it was impossible to gauge the quality of the camera. However I did notice that shutter speed seems to be greatly improved and is now on par with most other flagship devices. Focus speed has been improved as well and capturing an HDR photo now takes about the same amount of time as capturing a standard photo on previous Motorola devices.

Motorola has become known for their "stock plus" approach to software and Lenovo has made no changes there, thankfully. The UI is nearly stock Android with just a few tweaks and additions. Anyone who has used a Nexus device will feel right at home. Performance was quick and stutter free. I fired up 8 to 10 apps in a row then switched quickly between them without a hint of lag. Admirably, every app I switched to not only opened quickly but opened up right where I left off, meaning the devices had no trouble keeping multiple apps alive in memory.

The kicker here is the Moto Mods, a series of different interchangeable backs that provide additional functionality. Anchored in place with strong magnets, they connect to the phone via a series of pogo pins near the bottom. Lenovo has made them pretty much idiot proof: stick the mod on the back of the Z and it immediately connects and is ready for use. No pairing process, no power down or restart required. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. But after playing with a few on display I'm convinced that Lenovo is the only company doing modular phones right. The mods fit snuggly, anchored by the magnets and their tight fit around the camera bump. In fact the mods are anchored so well that I had difficulty removing one of them and inadvertently set off the unit's display alarm. Moto Mods also have the added benefit of filling out the back of the Z Droid and Z Play, making them easier to hold and hiding the giant camera bump. The mods on display included the JBL Sound Boost speaker, InstaShare Projector, and the new Hasselblad camera. All worked as advertised, although I noticed that the shutter speed on the Hasselblad was a bit slower than that of the integrated camera. But having 10x optical zoom on a smartphone is pretty awesome. In addition to Moto Mods, Lenovo has taken a page from OnePlus and released Style Shells. These decorative backs snap on via magnets and provide a quick means of changing up the look of the device.

I've got mixed feelings about the Moto Z. This is undoubtedly the best Moto phone to date. The hardware pairs premium design with a high degree of versatility via Moto Mods and Style Shells. But the muddled software update situation leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Then again, that may not matter to the average consumer. And that's probably who Lenovo is targeting. Regardless of the update situation, the Moto Z is a truly remarkable device. It's a huge step forward for modular phones and a jack of all trades.