On July 25, Lenovo subsidiary Motorola is holding its next major product launch, where the star of the show will be the second member of the Moto Z2 family, the Moto Z2 Force (Moto Z2 Play was introduced in June). But while this 5.5-inch handset maintains the shatterproof 1440p Shattershield Super AMOLED POLED display that gives it its name, it may not feel like much of an upgrade from the original Z Force in some areas — especially to U.S. consumers.
Thanks to marketing material shared with VentureBeat, the fullest picture yet of this flagship-class phone has materialized, with the biggest upgrades coming in the chipset and imaging departments. The Moto Z2 Force is powered by a Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip, a step up from the SD820 in its predecessor.
And while the Z Force currently on shelves features a single 21-megapixel rear camera, the newer model follows in the footsteps of most 2017 flagships by including a pair of 12-megapixel modules instead. The resolution of the front-facing selfie cam remains unchanged between model years, with both utilizing a five-megapixel sensor.
Memory is a mixed bag here, mainly because different regions are getting different variants, with various combinations of RAM and storage. One thing is clear, though: The U.S. model is the most modestly spec’ed of the bunch.
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To wit, while the rest of the world gets 6GB of RAM, U.S. buyers are relegated to 4GB; and whereas the Chinese version packs in 128GB of internal storage, everywhere else — including the U.S. — will have to settle for half that amount. All variants do include a microSD slot, capable of supporting cards up to 2TB in capacity.
Finally, there’s Motorola’s curious decision with these sequels to prioritize chassis thickness over battery life. As it did with the Z2 Play, the company has shaved nearly a full millimeter from the already-thin body — presumably to reduce bulk when certain MotoMods are attached — at the expense of battery capacity. The Moto Z2 Force’s 2730mAh pack is 22 percent smaller than its predecessor’s 3500mAh component.
Although it has no ingress protection rating, the body (in either Super Black or Fine Gold, with T-Mobile USA getting an exclusive Lunar Grey shade) is said to be covered with a water-repellent nano-coating. It will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, with an upgrade to Android O to follow.
