Here's a good look at the Motorola Moto Z3 Play

Motorola's Moto Z3 Play smartphone has hit the headlines a lot recently thanks to the emergence of a number of leaked images of the upcoming Moto phone. Although, these sightings have typically come in the form of either ‘concept images’ that are based on known dimensions, features and design traits, or case renders which hide the actual phone behind whichever case is being advertised in the image. That is, until now, as here is a clean look at the Moto Z3 Play.

This image has been provided by a reliable source and as far as AndroidHeadlines is concerned, it is an official render of the Moto Z3 Play. While the image itself does not provide much in the form of new revelations, it does showcase the front and back of the phone in detail, while also confirming some of the previous design rumors that have circulated already. The most obvious of which is the removal of the front-located “Home” button which typically houses the fingerprint sensor. This is, of course, a result of Motorola looking to maximize the amount of screen on offer. Whether this change automatically means an 18:9 aspect ratio is in effect remains to be seen, although that is exactly what previous rumors have suggested – along with a 6-inch display and an FHD+ resolution. With the Home button having now been removed, suggestions (and another case render leak) have hinted at the inclusion of a button on the side of the device which will house the fingerprint sensor. Though not an actual confirmation, this is a design cue which seems to be backed up in this latest image as the render does show the inclusion of an elongated button on the side of the phone, located beneath the two volume buttons. On the Moto Z2 Play, this is where the power button was located although it was much smaller in size. Therefore, it would stand to reason this larger button will be used for other purposes, such as biometric identification, for example. Especially considering the image above seems to show the power button has now moved to the other side of the phone – unless this key is for something else?


Also confirmed with this image is the inclusion of a dual rear camera setup on the back of the device. This represents the other main design change compared to the previous Z2 Play – which only sported one rear camera. While the image does not shed any more light on the exact specifications of the setup, previous rumors have suggested the rear camera combo will be made up of 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel cameras. A more minor rumored design change — compared to the Z2 Play — was the suggestion the Z3 Play will not be equipped with a 3.5 mm (headphone) jack port. This latest image does provide a fairly clear look at all sides of the phone’s frame and does not seem to show a headphone jack as included. For reference, on the Z2 Play, the port was located to the left of the charging port (when looking at the rear of the device). In other words, the bottom left corner of the image above.

For additional background, the Moto Z3 Play was recently spotted passing through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and in doing so, some of the main specs have seemingly been confirmed. Based on those documents, the Moto Z3 Play will feature 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC. It is worth keeping in mind the variant passing through the FCC is the model destined for the US and so some of these core specs may differ in other regions, or even from carrier to carrier. For example, the same documents highlighted some variants will only offer 32GB of storage. Although it is expected the Moto Z3 Play will feature microSD card support for those looking to expand on whatever flash memory limit is provided. Other reports and rumors have in the past looked to confirm the use of a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a 3,000 mAh capacity battery. This is in addition to the now-staple feature associated with Motorola’s Z line of phones, Moto Mod compatibility – thanks to the employment of a 16-pin connector on the rear of the device. Which is also a design point shown off in this latest render as the 16-pin connector remains in the same place, and looks to be the same connector provided with the Z2 Play. As the connector seems to be identical to the Z2 Play’s version, it is probably safe to assume the Moto Z3 Play will be backward-compatible with existing Moto Mods – in line with Motorola's general stance on continuing backward and forward support for new Moto phones and Mods.

At present, it remains unclear as to when Motorola plans to announce the Moto Z3 Play, although it is expected the company will unveil its new Z-series offerings sooner rather than later. Especially considering Motorola very recently announced new additions to the G lineup with the standard Moto G6 and the Moto G6 Play. As well as new additions to the company's E series with the Moto E5, E5 Play, and E5 Plus smartphones.