In this article, I give you my quick review of the Moto Z Droid Edition with specs included.
You’ve seen this before when Lenovo rolled out the Moto Z. This is one smartphone that deserves a second shot at a first impression with a new Droid version.
Droid, of course, means Verizon Wireless, and they unveiled the Moto Z Droid and Droid Force. They’re calling the new Droid the world’s thinnest premium smartphone at 5.2 millimeters. While the thicker Droid Force sacrifices that distinction for a larger battery, a higher-res camera, and a second-generation shatter shield display.
Verizon also says the new Droid will revolutionize what you can do with a smartphone, and it’s that claim that I’m most interested in testing.
Because it’s not just the phones I’m reviewing here but also the mods. Both Droid Z and Droid Z Force allow you to customize them using one of four types of magnetic Moto mods.
The simplest is the style shells. These are purely cosmetic. Think of them as a modern version of changeable battery doors.
My review units came with wooden shells in the box. Yes, it is real wood. And you’ll be able to choose from a range of colors and materials on the market. You’ll be able to choose which color chassis you want as well.
The more advanced mods are the more exciting ones. They make use of the 16 pogo ports on the bottom of the Droid to expand its functionality.
You’ve got a Tumi power pack, which adds another 2200 milliamp-hours to the onboard battery. The JBL sound boost speaker with two three-watt drivers. Its own 1000 milliamp-hour battery and a kickstand, and the insta-share projector, which turns your phone into, you guessed it, a projector.
Lenovo was also showing off the Motomod developer kit coming this summer. Obviously the company hopes to entice Indie developers to build their own Moto Z add ons.
On the other hand, the Z is certainly a departure from Motorola’s of yesteryear. There’s no curved back, no fingertip dimple, and its core is cold smooth aluminum.
Also, I’d be remiss not to mention the elimination of the headphone jack. I’ve been using Bluetooth headphones for years, so it’s not that big a deal to me.
If you feel differently though, Lenovo has smartly included a USB C adapter in the box. Also there, a SIM tool, and a turbo power 15 or 30 charger for the Droid and Droid Force, respectively.
And finally, the software here is a close to stock Android Marshmallow with some Moto customizations which I like, and the usual Verizon bloatware, which I don’t.
That is my review of the Moto Z Droid Edition. I’ll be focused on answering these questions for myself: how much functionality the Moto mods bring. How much of Motorola’s excellent software survived the transition to Lenovo. And whether I’ll be buying one of these to serve as my personal daily driver, as I have done with almost every Moto Flagship since the first Moto X.
If you are considering this device for yourself, I’ve put some links to where you can find it on the market. Feel free to share this post.