Why it matters to you
Lenovo’s original Moto Z was a big hit last year, and the next version is shaping up to be just as good — if not better.
Lenovo’s Moto Z Play was one of the most popular midrange smartphones of last year, and for good reason — it stuffed reasonably high-end hardware into a compact, affordable package. But it’s getting a little long in the tooth. Luckily, rumors about its successor — reportedly dubbed the Moto Z2 Play — have begun to emerge, and they suggest that it’ll be just as compelling as the original.
Here’s everything we know about the Moto Z2 Play so far.
Specs
We’ve finally seen some leaked specs for the upcoming Moto Z2 Play, and they’re shaping up to be quite nice. According to a leak from Slashleaks, the Lenovo Moto Z2 Play will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
As far as the cameras on the device go, the Lenovo Moto Z2 Play will boast a 12MP rear-facing camera, along with a 5MP front-facing shooter, which is perfect for your selfies. The display will sit in at 5.5 inches, with a Full HD resolution. The battery on the Moto Z2 Play does seem to be a little smaller than its predecessor, however, sitting in at 3,000mAh rather than last year’s 3,510mAh battery.
Design
One thing about the Moto Z2 Play that isn’t a mystery is its design. TechnoBuffalo managed to obtain an early rendering, and it looks a lot like last year’s model.
Perhaps the most obvious holdover from the earlier model is the 16-prong connector for Lenovo’s Moto Mods, the hardware add-ons that extend the phone’s functionality. Among the growing library of peripherals are high-end cameras, external batteries, speakers, projectors, and even physical keyboards.
The front-facing flash on last year’s Moto Z Play seems to have remained in place, as has the prominent circle-shaped rear camera hump.
But the Moto Z2 Play isn’t without appreciable design tweaks. According to TechnoBuffalo, the home button now doubles as a fingerprint sensor, and supports swiping gestures that can replace on-screen navigation keys (much like the Moto G5 and G5 Plus). And the overall frame is slightly thinner.
Pricing and Availability
It’s unclear just when Motorola will take the wraps off the Moto Z2 Play, but if history is anything to go by, it won’t be long. According to TechnoBuffalo, Lenovo could announce the Moto Z2 Play as soon as June 8.
That’s early. Last year, Motorola launched the Z Play at an event in August and began shipping it in September.
Updated on 05-05-2017 by Christian de Looper: Added news of leaked specs from Slashleaks.