Motorola has been busy this year, releasing more smartphones than you can count on one hand, or is that two? There is, of course, the company's latest flagship Moto Z2 Force and Play, the G5 range and its new S revision, the Moto E4 and E4 Plus, and the new C series in India, at just a glance. To help sort this all out, here's our guide to Motorola's latest smartphone line-up.
The modular flagship tier
Motorola has two Z2 models on the market this year, the Force and Play, with the former being the newly announced top of the line model aimed at taking on the biggest names in the market. As the naming scheme suggests, these are the successors to last year's Moto Z line-up, which introduced the modular concept. Even though it's not the most expensive model, the Z2 Play still comes packing in many high-end features that you would expect from a premium product.
The Moto Z2 Force is clearly the more powerful flagship, but the Z2 Play is a lower cost model with access to Moto Mods.
There are some differences though, including a lower display resolution and a more limited processing package. While the Z2 Force is undoubtedly the company's 2017 flagship with the faster Snapdragon 835 processor and QHD display, the Z2 Play is what some would call a super-mid tier product, offering up the bulk of the important specifications and making only a few acceptable sacrifices to save on price.
| Moto Z2 Force | Moto Z2 Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.5-inch 2560x1440 POLED ShatterShield | 5.5-inch 1920x1080 AMOLED |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 |
| CPU | 4x 2.35 GHz Kryo 280 4x 1.9 GHz Kryo 280 | 8x 2.2GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Adreno 540 | Adreno 506 |
| RAM | 4 / 6 GB | 3 / 4 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB (128 GB China) | 32 / 64 GB |
| MicroSD? | Yes | Yes |
| Cameras | Dual 12 MP, f/2.0, 1.25um rear with PDAF 5MP, f/2.2, wide angle front | Dual 12MP, f/1.7, 1.4um rear with PDAF 5MP, f/2.2 wide angle front |
| Battery | 2,730 mAh | 3,000mAh |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Fingerprint | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm audio | No | Yes |
| Fast Charge | 15W TurboPower | TurboPower |
| IP Rating | No, water-repellent | No, water-repellent |
| OS | Android 7.1.1 | Android 7.1.1 |
| Price | $720 | $499 |
Moto Z2 Force officially announced with a new dual-camera setup, thinner design
In terms of similarities, both the Z2 models feature dual 12 megapixel rear camera configurations with PDAF and laser autofocus. The front facing camera is also a wide angle, 5 megapixel affair on both models, suggesting that owners of either handset will have pretty much the same photo features and quality. Motorola's range of modular accessories is also compatible with both models, so you can grab an extra battery pack or speaker accessory with either model.
The Z2 Plus also comes with a couple of its own perks. The handset boasts a slightly larger 3,000 mAh battery, up from the Force's controversial 2,730 mAh cell. The phone also retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is absent from the more expensive Z2 Force that instead ships with a USB Type-C to 3.5mm adaptor instead. The rear camera specifications also suggest that the Z2 Play should have better low light performance, although we'll have to test them both out before drawing any definitive conclusions.
Of course, the powerful Snapdragon 835 chipset makes the Z2 Force the obvious choice for gamers and heavy multitaskers. Even so, it's a bit of a strange state of affairs when the cheaper flagship model looks more appealing in some regards.
The full list of current and upcoming Moto Mods
The popular G series
The Moto G series propelled Motorola's mid-tier to fame in previous generations, but this range does sit below the Z2 series in terms of performance and features. The latest G5 range has expanded to cater for a bi-yearly release cycle and those after a plus sized model. The original Moto G5 and G5 Plus made their appearance in February 2017, and these phone have just been followed up by the Moto G5S and G5S Plus in early August. So what are the differences?
| Moto G5 | Moto G5 Plus | Moto G5S | Moto G5S Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5-inch 1920x1080 LCD | 5.2-inch 1920x1080 LCD | 5.2-inch 1920x1080 LCD | 5.5-inch 1920x1080 LCD |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 |
| CPU | 8x 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 | 8x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 | 8x 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 | 8x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Adreno 505 | Adreno 506 | Adreno 505 | Adreno 506 |
| RAM | 2 / 3 GB | 2 / 3 / 4 GB | 3 GB | 3 / 4 GB |
| Storage | 16 / 32 GB | 32 / 64 GB | 32 GB | 32 / 64 GB |
| MicroSD? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cameras | 13 MP, f/2.0, PDAF rear 5MP, f/2.2 front | 12MP, f/1.7, PDAF, rear 5MP, f/2.2 | 16MP, f/2.0, PDAF rear 5MP, f/2.0 front | Dual 13MP, f/2.0, PDAF rear 8MP, f/2.0 front |
| Battery | 2,800 mAh | 3,000 mAh | 3,000 mAh | 3,000 mAh |
| NFC | No | Yes (some markets) | No | Yes (some markets) |
| Fingerprint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm audio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fast Charge | TurboPower | TurboPower | TurboPower | TurboPower |
| IP Rating | No, water-repellent | No, water-repellent | No, water-repellent | No, water-repellent |
| OS | Android 7.0 | Android 7.0 | Android 7.1 | Android 7.1 |
| Price | Rs. 11,955 ($190) | $229 / $299 | €249 ($295) | €299 ($350) |
The short answer is not a huge amount, for the most part. All of these phones target a very similar performance and price point, ranging from between $200 and $350. The Moto G5 and G5S feature a slightly less powerful Snapdragon 430 processor, rather than the Plus models' Snapdragon 625 and 626, and cost a little less as a result. Weirdly enough, the Moto G5 Plus and new G5S are the same 5.2-inch size, however the Plus models are the only ones to support NFC in some regions (not the US), which is a must if you're interested in making use of mobile payments.
The new Moto G5S Plus is very similar to the more expensive Moto Z2 Play. There's only a small difference to the dual camera setup, LCD rather than AMOLED, and the lack of Moto Mods.
Motorola has made some refinements with the introduction of its new G5S models though. The memory options have consolidated, dropping the 2GB of RAM that was found in some regional variations. There's also an upgrade to Android 7.1 out of the box. Other than that though, there's still the same display resolutions, fast charging capabilities, water repellent coating, and pretty much identical battery sizes across all of the models.
The new Moto G5S Plus is certainly the most interesting handset in the range though, as it's specifications look very similar to the more expensive Moto Z2 Play. The hardware is virtually identical, with the exception of an LCD rather than AMOLED panel and the dual rear camera, which is a 13 megapixel f/2.0 configuration in the G5S Plus rather than a 12 megapixel f/1.7 setup in the Z2 Play. The G5S Plus doesn't have Moto Mod support though, but if that doesn't interest you then it's certainly a cost effective alternative to the Z2 Play.
Budget conscious options
Motorola's popularity in the budget markets has seen the company release another low cost smartphone range this year. In addition to a refresh of its Moto E line-up, there's now the Moto C range to consider too.
Both line-ups consist of a regular and Plus model, as it now pretty much customary across Motorola's 2017 portfolio. While the Moto E4 Plus boasts a larger 5.5-inch display, the Moto C Plus has the same 5-inch display as the regular model. Instead, it's the display resolution that sees a boost from a budget 854×480 up to 1240×720 in the C Plus. Confusing naming scheme right?
| Moto E4 | Moto E4 Plus | Moto C | Moto C Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5-inch 1280x720 LCD | 5.5-inch 1280x720 LCD | 5-inch 854x480 LCD | 5-inch 1280x720 LCD |
| SoC | MediaTek MT6737 / Snapdragon 425 (USA) | MediaTek MT6737 / Snapdragon 425 (USA) | Mediatek MT6737 | Mediatek MT6737 |
| CPU | 4x 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53 / 4x 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 | 4x 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53 / 4x 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 | 4x 1.1 GHz Cortex-A53 | 4x 1.1 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Mali-T720 / Adreno 308 | Mali-T720 / Adreno 308 | Mali-T720 | Mali-T720 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 3 GB | 1 / 2 GB | 1 / 2 GB |
| Storage | 16 GB | 32 GB | 8 / 16 GB | 16GB |
| MicroSD? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cameras | 8MP, f/2.2 rear 5MP f/2.2 front | 13 MP, f/2.0 rear 5MP f/2.2 front | 5MP rear 2MP front | 8MP, f/2.2 rear 2MP f/2.8 front |
| Battery | 2,800 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 2,350 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| NFC | Yes (some markets) | Yes (some markets) | No | No |
| Fingerprint | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 3.5mm audio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fast Charge | TurboPower | TurboPower | No | No |
| IP Rating | No, water-repellent | No, water-repellent | No | No |
| OS | Android 7.1.1 | Android 7.1.1 | Android 7.0 | Android 7.0 |
| Price | $130 ($70 @ Verizon) | $180 | €89 / €99 / Rs.5,999 (~$100) | €119 / Rs.6,999 ($110) |
As you can see from the table, both the Moto E and C ranges are targeted squarely at the low cost markets, with prices sticking below the $200 and in some cases hovering around the $100 mark. The Moto E series retains a number of core features found in other Motorola devices, including a fingerprint scanner, NFC in some markets, and TurboPower fast charging. Cost savings in this range are made on the 720p display resolution, less powerful MediaTek processing packages (or Snapdragon 425s in the US), and some sacrifices to the camera configurations. Even so, the Moto E range is designed to get basic users through the majority of common smartphones tasks.
The Moto E4 and E4 Plus are very cost effective at sub-$200, but the Moto C range is the lowest priced no-frills option for low cost markets.
The Moto C and C Plus are much more budget conscious options, and have prices to match. The cheapest Moto C model can be bought with just 3G connectivity, and so has been designed specifically with emerging markets in mind. You also won't find any of Motorola's familiar bells and whistles here though. There's no fingerprint scanner, NFC, or fast charging here. The RAM, memory, and camera options are also much more basic. However, customers will still receive Android 7.0 out of the box, which is very welcome revelation in the budget category.
Complicating Motorola's budget range is regional availability. There are differences in processing packages between US and global Moto E4 models, to accommodate the country's CDMA networks. The Moto C range doesn't appear to be going on sale in the US though, instead has been put on sale in India so far, but has also been price in Euros.
In summary
Although Motorola's naming scheme can help identify roughly which price bracket each range fits into, the differences between devices within the same groups this year has made the company's line-up more complicated than ever. Especially when phones like the Moto Z2 Play / G5S Plus and the Moto E4 / Moto C Plus blur the lines between the different ranges.
Hopefully this article has helped explain the differences between the various Moto handsets that have made their way to the market in 2017. If not, here's a very quick bullet point guide of the ranges.
- Moto Z2 – premium tier with mods
- Moto G5 / G5S – mid-range
- Moto E4 – budget market
- Moto C – no frills smartphones / first time buyers
What do you think about Motorola's expanding smartphone portfolio this year? Is the company's making too many phones, or is the range of choice a good thing for consumers looking for their perfect handset?
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