Motorola Moto Z2 Play

Slick software ; Affordable price ; Fantastic battery life

Odd design ; Camera struggles in varying conditions ; Not convinced by Moto Mods

The original Z2 Play was Trusted’s battery life champion until the Lenovo P2 came along. Which is why I had high hopes for the Z2’s stamina. Despite the fact Motorola has swapped the original Z’s 3510mAh battery for a smaller A 3000mAh cell to...

Innovative modular design ; Great all-day battery life ; Bright display

Poor graphical power ; Limited camera ; Design won’t be loved by everyone

The Moto Z2 Play features the high-end features we’d expect from a mid-range phone right now, including a bright 5.5-inch display and phenomenal battery life. It’s the modular functionality that seals the deal though, making this an innovative device...

Useful modular design. Current software and virtually no bloatware. Compatible with all major US carriers. Long battery life.

Difficult to use with one hand. Tinny speaker. Slightly pricey for the specs.

The $499 Moto Z2 Play is yet another solid modular phone from Motorola. On its own, it offers respectable performance, long battery life, and compatibility with all major US carriers. It pulls ahead of some of the competition when you start snapping on...

Slim, light design ; Excellent battery life ; Smart software enhancements

Camera could use optical stabilization ; Fingerprint gestures are clumsy ; Only available unlocked or from Verizon

Still, the Z2 Play provides a great mix of what matters without any unnecessary stuff piled on. And it does so with better battery life than even most flagships can provide. When you think about it, isn’t that all you really want from a phone?

Incredible battery life (even more incredible with a relevant battery Mod) ; Mods work with minimal fuss and can be genuinely useful ; Great fingerprint scanner with gesture controls ; Flagship-level smoothness and operation - including for games

The OnePlus 5 will likely give it a run for the money ; Not all Mods fit perfectly and phone looks bizarre without one fitted ; Why buy into Mods when you could buy separate accessories for any phone?

If you find Moto Mods enticing then the Z2 Play is a super phone with plenty to offer beyond its quirky selling point. If Mods leave you cold given their cost and size implication then, well, we think Moto will be in a great place to deliver an...

very slim, stylish metal casing ; very rigid and ergonomic ; diverse options via Mods ; easy to use Mods ; good configuration ; pure Android ; relatively accurate GPS ; decent speaker ; clear microphone ; sharp camera photos ; stable viewing angles ;...

12 months warranty only ; slow Wi-Fi ; PWM at low frequency ; heterogeneous screen illumination ; relatively long charging time

Lenovo's Moto Z2 Play is a good smartphone. It would look even better if the Moto Z Play (no longer) existed. The predecessor does many things just as good, some things just a bit worse, and other things even better while being considerably cheaper. We...