After some speculation leading right up to the announcement, Lenovo’s Moto Z2 Play smartphone is now official. Moto Z2 Play will succeed the original Moto Z Play that launched around this time last year and received much praise following its roll out. The handset is an upper mid-range device that keeps the Moto branding despite some rumors that Lenovo would go away with it. Here’s everything to know about it.

Motorola skimped out on a full event for this model, but the Lenovo owned firm is expected to hold an unveiling some time this summer to showcase new flagship models, Moto Z2 and Moto Z2 Force. At that time, Motorola may also reveal more details about the upcoming Moto Z2 Play model we’re going to talk about, and the rumored Moto G5S.

Just yesterday we heard that Motorola might announce a new phone today, and now we have it, the Moto Z2 Play. The handset borrows lots of traits from last year’s model, but packs better hardware and more premium internals. The design has also undergone some refinements, which make this year’s model look like a modern flagship despite its specs that tail a bit behind. Most of which we knew coming into today was confirmed, but there are some things you should know about before considering this phone as your next buy.

Motorola has been doing as good as anyone over the last several quarters, and it will soon to be launch season. Earlier today when the company took wraps off the new phone, new Moto Mods were announced as well (see here). It’s now up to Motorola to keep the market share that’s rightfully there’s, as popular brands such as Samsung and Huawei continue to soak up a large part of the market segment. It has been very competitive in the premium mid-range sector this year, but there’s always space for another Android device. Last year’s unit was one our personal favorites, so we can’t wait to get our hands on this next-gen model.

In terms of specs, the Moto Z2 Play boasts a 5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display. It’s powered by an all-around improved Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor backed with 4GB of RAM. It comes with choice of either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, but can be expanded to house additional space through microSD. In the battery department, Motorola decided to sacrifice capacity in exchange for the thinnest body they’ve ever had for a smartphone. The upgraded handset has a 3,000mAh cell with turbo charging, which is a considerable drop from last year’s 3,510mAh capacity. So if you’re looking for stamina, you may want to reconsider other offerings. Why Motorola took the best feature of this phone and made it the worst, we’ll never know. It’ll be interesting to see if all else is enough to make up for the loss in battery.

Photo-taking has always been an area Motorola has put its best foot forward in, even in its mid and low-end lines. On the back of the Moto Z2 Play, you’ll find an even better 12MP camera with a f/1.7 aperture. The front houses an upgraded 5MP shooter with f/2.2 and better wide-angle.

Moto Z2 Play will run Google’s latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat software out of the box. This means you’ll have access to all the latest features from Google such as doze on the go, bundled notifications, split screen multitasking, enhanced security, new emojis, and a new Vulkan API for better overall graphics performance. You’ll also have some Android 7.1.1 Nougat (MR1) exclusive features like app shortcuts, GIF touch keyboard support, live wallpaper metadata, and more. On top of all this, owners can expect all the essential Motorola features including one button navigation and the gestures that make turning on the flashlight or opening up the camera, quick as a breeze. Moto Z2 Play will also be updated with Android software overhauls like Android O some time down the line, and the latest Android security patches once they become available. If you buy the phone, watch for our Droid Updates Weekly Series.

In design, Moto Z2 Play looks mostly the same from outward appearance, but the real difference comes in thickness and weight, which have been reduced to 5.99mm and 145g, respectively. Since this is part of Motorola’s Z product line, we have premium materials including a metal back and PIN connectors needed in order to accept Moto Mods as input. The non-tactile home button is still present, but in a more circular form. Plus, the embedded fingerprint scanner beneath it has returned. On front is a dual LED flash accompanying the selfie camera, and on the back are the protruding camera lens with dual LED flash as well as the Motorola logo dimple. Volume and power controls are along the right side. USB Type-C and a headphone port are at the bottom, and the speaker is on the front. A water-repellent nano-coating is included but it’s nothing to rave about.

Moto Z2 Play will be available in two colors: Lunar Gray and Fine Gold. It’ll arrive later this summer in the U.S. both unlocked and with carrier exclusivity on Verizon. Pre-orders of the unlocked model will begin soon for $499, which is on par with what we expected. We’ll update you with the product links. For now though, you can register for updates over at Motorola’s website or learn more in the first official product video included below.

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SOURCE [Motorola] [Verizon]