Motorola Moto Z4 smartphone - advantages and disadvantages

Thanks to inside information about almost every smartphone model, you can find out a detailed description of the appearance and technical characteristics even before the official presentation. Therefore, it is difficult to surprise anyone with the leaked data. But the Amazon marketplace was able to impress, moreover, not only consumers, but also the company itself. The official release of the new product, Motorola Moto Z4, was planned for mid-June, but there was a mistake and the model was available for sale on May 28. The error was eliminated on the same day by deleting the page, but it was not without consequences - one of the buyers still managed to order a phone, which then received and made a video review. In the brief overview, you could find out about problems with autofocusing and errors in applications.

For obvious reasons, the presentation of the novelty had to be postponed, and already on May 30 the official release of Motorola Moto Z4 was made.In this article, we will figure out if there really are lags in applications, and if there are problems with the camera. The review will also guide you on the price, tell you about the advantages, disadvantages and functionality of the smartphone.

Information about Moto Mods

Before reviewing the smartphone itself, you should pay attention to the main feature of the "Z" line - replaceable modules. The history of creating additional features using the module began back in 2007. Then the Israeli company Modu produced modular smartphones, as well as cases that could improve the phone. But these devices were not widely used, and as a result, the patent for this invention was bought by Google, which in turn announced the creation of a modular phone. The project, which Google worked on together with the purchased Motorola, was named Ara.

The original idea was to create a smartphone with separate hardware modules in the form of a camera, processor, battery and display, which can always be replaced. The project also discussed the creation of additional features for modular telephones using additional modules. Google released Ara, but it turned out to be an ordinary “classic smartphone without hints of modules. The company was going to release a new version of Ara in 2016, which could have been modular, but this project was not completed either.

And finally, Motorola, already under the wing of Lenovo, were able to improve and partially implement the idea. The Motorola Moto Z line has appeared on the market, smartphones of which can be improved with mods. Moto Mods are attached using magnets on the back cover. To get started, you do not need any applications, additional settings, reboot or disassembly of the phone, they work immediately after connecting. Moto Mods can be charged either separately, via the USB Type-C connector, or directly powered from the smartphone itself, via a special connector.

Types of Moto Mods

The following modules are currently available for purchase:

• JBL SoundBoost 2, for turning your smartphone into a portable speaker with decent sound quality. The module has a built-in equalizer, splash protection and stand.The maximum operating time on a single charge is 10 hours.
• Hasselblad True Zoom, provides the phone with 10x optical zoom.
• Moto InstaShare Projector is a portable projector.
• The Moto TurboPower Pack 3490 mAh is an additional 3490 mAh battery with fast charging function.
• Moto GamePad MOD. A complete handheld game console is the perfect solution for active gamers.
• Moto 360 MOD - 360-degree shooting, with the ability to broadcast live and save in formats for social networks.
• Moto Style Shell with wireless charging - the panel supports the wireless charging function.
• Motorola 5G Moto Mod supporting 5G network.
• Moto Style Shell - panels for transforming your phone. Various colors and textured materials are available.

It should be noted that the modules are suitable for all "Z" series smartphones. Therefore, you can safely change the phone to a new model, without the need to change modules.

Motorola Moto Z4 review

Table with the main characteristics of a smartphone

Equipment

The Motorola Moto Z4 comes in a red box containing:

• smartphone;
• a clip for opening the SIM card slot and memory card;
• User's Manual;
• warranty card;
• USB-A to USB-C cable, with a medium long cord;
• a charger box that supports fast charging;
• 360 Moto Mod or 5G Moto Mod.

Design

The Moto Z4 is available in gray and white. The appearance of the smartphone practically does not differ from its predecessor, this is due to the fact that in order to match the mods, it is necessary to adhere to the same proportions of each new model. The back panel is made of etched matte glass protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Thanks to the matte texture, there are no fingerprints or smudges on the panel. A fairly large and convex main camera module and a dual LED flash are installed at the top of the back cover. Below is the company logo. The proprietary Moto Mods connector is installed at the bottom of the panel.

The volume rocker and the power button are located on the right side of the smartphone. On the bottom is a USB-C port, a microphone and a 3.5mm headphone jack returned at the request of consumers. On the top is a light and proximity sensor, as well as a slide-out slot for a SIM card and memory card. On the front panel there is a teardrop-shaped cutout with a front camera, a speaker above it.

Screen and unlock

The aluminum-framed display has a diagonal of 6.4 inches and a resolution of 1080 x 2340. The 403 ppi OLED technology displays rich images, high contrast ratio (1,000,000: 1), good sharpness and eliminates screen grain. The display occupies 84.8% of the usable area, which is equal to 100.5 cm2. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is used as protection against scratches and impacts. In addition, the device is covered with a special nano-coating that protects against splashing water and rain.

Please note that the P2i nano-coating will not protect the device if it is immersed in water, but will only provide a protective effect in the event of possible rain or splashing water.

The device is unlocked using the built-in fingerprint sensor. Consumer feedback suggests that you should not expect a high speed of reading a registered fingerprint.There is also a face recognition function using the front camera. Recognition works without delay.

Camera and its features

The rear camera is represented by one module with a resolution of 48 megapixels. The Sony IMX586 sensor has a small 0.8 μm pixel size and an F / 1.7 aperture. The camera shows high quality photos taken both at night and in the sun. The camera has the following features:

• Optical image stabilization for crisp images;
• Quad Bayer filter, combining four pixels into one, with a side size of 1.6 μm for better image quality in low light conditions;
• Dual tone LED flash;
• Night vision and auto shot mode;
• Laser autofocus.

The front camera has a resolution of 25 megapixels, an aperture of F / 2.0 and a pixel size of 0.9 microns. The camera supports portrait mode and Quad Bayer technology, and, like the main one, shows high image quality.

Device performance

The Motorola Moto Z4 has a Qualcomm SDM675 Snapdragon 675, which surprised users a lot, as, for example, the previous model was powered by the Snapdragon 835. But despite the strange decision, the Snapdragon 675 is a reliable chip that shows good results in work.

The 11nm Snapdragon 675 is a gaming processor for mid-range devices, delivering high performance for mid-game gaming. Of course, during games with high demands the chip will slow down, but this is not a big deal, because the processor positions itself as an average level anyway. The chipset has 8 cores Kryo 460, where two cores operate at a frequency of 2 GHz, and six at a frequency of 1.7 GHz. The display is refreshed at 120 Hz.

The GPU Adreno 612 GPU works with cross-platform API, Open CL and OpenGL ES 3.2 API. The smartphone has 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. There is a possibility of increasing the volume using a memory card. The maximum possible increase is 512 GB.

The Moto Z4 runs pure Android 9 Pie with features like Moto Actions, which allows you to use gestures to interact with your smartphone.

Points earned in testing programs

Motorola Moto Z4 is gaining:

• 162,475 points in AnTuTu 3DBench;
• 2381 points in Geekbench 4 CPU (single core);
• 6411 in 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme (multi-core);
• 1053 in Volcano.

Sound

The previous model lacked a headphone jack, which caused a number of complaints from users. Motorola has listened and returned the 3.5mm jack. The device supports the advanced Bluetooth aptX HD codec, which provides clear and high-quality sound in headphones. The Moto Z4 has only one speaker, which significantly reduces the sound quality, but that's okay, because you can use the JBL SoundBoost 2 plug-in for listening.

Autonomy

The smartphone is powered by a non-removable Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 3600 mAh. With an average load, the charge will last for 2 days. The Z4 supports the fast charging function provided by a 15-watt charger. And for wireless charging, you can use the Moto Style Shell with wireless charging module.

Communication and connections

Motorola Moto Z4 supports technologies such as GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE, GPRS and EDGE. And also the following communications:

• NFC and radio;
• GPS navigation with programs such as BDS, GLONASS, A-GPS and GALILEO;
• WiFi Direct and Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band;
• Bluetooth 5.0;
• Magnetic, reversible Type-C 1.0 and USB 3.0 connectors.

How much does a smartphone cost?

A smartphone with 360 Moto Mod or 5G Moto Mod will cost $ 500. On the Internet, many criticize such a high cost of a smartphone with average indicators, pointing out that the maximum allowable price for such a device should be no more than $ 200. But it should be borne in mind that when buying individual Moto Mods, you need to pay over $ 200 for each module, and the Moto Z4 comes with one of them right away. Therefore, the price of this phone is quite reasonable. Of course, there is a question about why not sell a smartphone without a module in the kit, but this is rather done on purpose, to increase the sale of the modules themselves.

Pros and cons of the Moto Z4 from Motorola

• The device is very convenient - it does not cause discomfort when used even with one hand;
• Front and back protection with toughened Corning Gorilla Glass 3;
• P2i splash proof;
• Lack of fingerprints and smudges on the matte back surface;
• Headphone jack;
• Thin frames, no "chin" and "bangs";
• A nimble and powerful processor that is perfect for games;
• Great cameras that show great results;
• High level of contrast, saturation and clarity of the display;
• The smartphone works with all manufactured modules of the "Z" line.

• The main chamber module has a pronounced bulge;
• Slow response of the fingerprint sensor.

Conclusion

Motorola Moto Z4 is an excellent solution for those who prefer a bold and unusual design, good camera, high performance, long battery life and, of course, the ability to upgrade their smartphone using built-in modules.