Motorola Moto Z Play Droid Can Morph, Thanks to Mods

The Moto Z Play on Verizon is the newest phone to join Motorola’s revamped Droid line.

- Ajay Kumar

Like the pricier Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid, the Moto Z Play Droid supports Moto Mods, which are seamless add-on accessories that attach directly to the back of the phone. It also holds its own in the hardware department, boasting solid overall performance, a long-lasting battery, and a sharp camera capable of recording 4K video. That said, the unlocked ZTE Axon 7 also works on Verizon and offers a sharper display and more powerful processor, so it retains our Editors’ Choice award for midrange smartphones. But if you want to give Moto Mods a try without breaking the bank, the Z Play Droid is the most affordable way to do it.

DESIGN AND DISPLAY

The Moto Z Play Droid is almost indistinguishable from the Z Force Droid both in size and design. The Play measures 6.2 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.8 ounces, nearly identical to the Force (6.1 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches, 5.7 ounces). It’s lighter than the ZTE Axon 7 (6.0 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches, 6.17 ounces), but without the Axon’s smooth curved sides and rounded back, it’s just a tad too large to use with one hand.

When the phone is powered off, the only surefire way to tell it apart from the Force is by checking the bottom—the Play has a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the Force (as well as the Z Droid) does not. The other main difference is that when you peel off the removable back cover, you’ll see that the back of the Play is clad in glass, rather than metal like the Force.