Introduction

Do we have a good one for you today – The Lenovo Moto Z Force goes up against the new Google Pixel XL. The all-metal Z Force takes on the new polished glass and metal Pixel XL – Google’s replacement for their Nexus series, although many loyal Nexus customers will beg to argue. The Google Pixel XL is getting some very favorable reviews, but so did the Moto Z Force. Let’s look at just what these two devices have in common, if anything, and then we will take a closer look at each one in hopes that we can determine a winner of this comparison.

These two devices do have a few things in common, starting with physical size and weight. They both have a 5.5-inch display that helps keep both devices the same size. Their displays are both Quad HD and they both use an AMOLED technology. To protect their screens from abuse, the Z Force uses their ShatterShield technology and the Google Pixel XL uses the Gorilla Glass 4. They both use a Snapdragon processor – 820 versus 821 – and they both use an Adreno 530 for their graphic needs. Both devices are packing 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of UFS 2.0 internal memory. The camera areas are both terrific, but they achieve the excellent results with different sized lens and electronics. They both use non-removable batteries and offer rapid charge capabilities. They both pack a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device as well as authorizing mobile payments. They have the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.1 on the Z Force and v4.2 on the Pixel XL,) GPS, NFC, And the Type-C reversible port for charging and data transfer.


Please take a thoughtful look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each device in greater depth and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.

Specifications

Lenovo Moto Z Force

Please don’t let the high price of the Moto Z Force scare you off. It has some great specs to back up the price – along with a large battery, the ShatterShield display, a terrific camera, and the ability to add Moto Mods. The Moto Z Force is an all-metal design with a solid build, and while some are not wild about its looks, they seem to grow on you – it is a flagship in every sense of the word. What is nice about the Moto Mods versus the Modules used on the LG G5 is that the smartphone stays intact and the Moto Mods ‘snap’ onto the back with magnets and are helped to stay in place with the support of the protruding camera ring.

The Moto Z Force sports a 5.5-inch AMOLED QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 535 pixels-per-inch (PPI.) Moto’s ShatterShield is improved from last year. It is a 5-layer design that protects breakage of the screen. Lenovo went with the best processor it could at the time – the Snapdragon 820 quad-core with dual cores clocked at 1.6GHz and dual cores clocked at 2.15GHz coupled to a powerhouse Adreno 530 GPU to handle the graphics. The Z Force packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and offers 32GB of the faster UFS 2.0 internal memory that is expandable via a microSD card.


The primary camera on the Z Force uses a 21MP sensor with a large aperture of f/1.8, laser and phase detection autofocus (PDAF), a dual-tone flash, and OIS. It uses a 5MP front-facing camera (FFC) with a f/2.2 aperture and even includes a LED flash for selfies and video chatting. The Moto Z Force uses a large 3500mAh non-removable battery but comes with one of the fastest chargers available – it can charge the Moto Z Force battery up to 50-percent in only 20 minutes. A Moto Mod is available that will increase the battery by 2200mAh and can even add wireless charging capabilities as well.

One oddity of the Moto Z Force we must mention is that it does lack a 3.5mm earphone jack. The Moto Z Force is so thin that they would have trouble fitting a jack in – now the Z-Force is large enough to hand the jack, but Lenovo decided to be consistent with both devices. It handles earphones via an adapter that plugs into the Type-C reversible port to accept earphones – it does produce a better sound, but you have to remember to carry around an adapter or look to Bluetooth earphones. The other significant factor is that it can utilize Moto Mods that can add features to your device as well as covers for the back to help customize its looks. We also need to remind you that the Z Force is a Verizon exclusive. It has a nano-coating for water resistance, which is a shame they didn’t take it further on a sealed phone. It measures in at 155.9 x 75.8 x 7mm and weighs in at 163 grams. It comes in four colors – Black/Gray, Black/Rose Gold, Black/Gold, and White with pricing at $720 exclusively on Verizon.

Google Pixel XL


Google, not a stranger to controversy, caused quite a stir among the media and former Nexus users by eliminating their Nexus devices and creating a new Google Pixel device. Google claims they are in it for the long haul as Google wants to create an Apple-like ecosystem where Google fans can use their new Home products right along with their Google Pixel. We will be looking at the Google Pixel XL this time around to see just how this newly designed Pixel XL with its polished glass and metal construction holds up to the all-metal Lenovo Moto Z Force.

The Google Pixel XL is sporting a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels with 531 PPI. It is using the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor with a dual-core clocked at 1.6GHZ and a dual-core clocked at 2.15GHz. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 821 will put out 10-percent more speed than the usual 820. It comes with the Adreno 530 GPU to tackle the toughest graphics. It packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB or 128GB of the faster UFS memory with no means to expand. It uses a large 3450mAh non-removable battery for power and has rapid charge capabilities.

The specifications do not seem very impressive, but the Pixel camera scored the highest of any mobile smartphone. It comes with a 12.3MP sensor for the primary camera along with an aperture of f/2.0, phase detection autofocus (PDAF,) a dual-tone LED flash, and no OIS. There is a large 8MP FFC that comes with a f/2.0 aperture, a 1.4µm pixel size, and 1080p. This combination of specs should offer excellent selfies and video chatting. The Google Pixel XL camera was tested by DxOMark and received a score of 89 – the highest yet for a smartphone.


The Pixel XL measures in at 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6mm and weighs in at 168 grams. There are three different colors available: Quite Black, Very Silver, and Really Blue (as a limited edition color.) A rear-mounted fingerprint sensor will allow you to unlock your device or authorize mobile payments. Android Pay will be part of the package as well. It will be running Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box. The 32GB Google Pixel XL is IP53 rated against dust and splashing water and will cost you about $770.

…And The Winner Is…


The Final Word

I almost got sucked into calling the Pixel XL as the winner of the comparison because it is a Google product, running v821, running Android 7.1 Nougat, and its camera was rated number one. But then I started looking at how much the Moto Z Force offers and I changed my mind.

Both of these devices are expensive – $770 – $772, so taking that factor out of the equation we can concentrate on specs. The Z Force does have the ShatterShield display, nano-coating for water resistance, expandable memory, an excellent camera, the fastest Turbo Charging available, and it offers Moto Mods. You can add a 2200mAh wireless charging battery on the back and combined with the Z-Force's standard 3500mAh battery you will not see a wall plug in days.


The new Google Pixel XL is a great device, but unless you are deadset on getting the latest update each year from Google, I think you can have more fun and more customization with the Moto Z Force.

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