Motorola Moto Z3 Play Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

Overview: The Motorola Moto Z3 Play is a sleek and stylish mid-range smartphone that offers a unique customization experience with its Moto Mods. With a stunning 6-inch OLED display, the Z3 Play delivers vibrant visuals and sharp detail. The phone's aluminum body and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass give it a premium look and feel. Powered by a Snapdragon 636 processor, it provides smooth performance for everyday tasks. The Z3 Play also boasts impressive battery life, lasting a full day of heavy usage. While it lacks a headphone jack, its compatibility with Moto Mods allows for added functionality. With its attractive design and customization options, the Moto Z3 Play offers a compelling choice in the mid-range smartphone market. Pricing may vary depending on the variant and selected Moto Mods.

Design and Build Quality

The Motorola Moto Z3 Play boasts a sleek and premium design that is sure to catch the eye. With its slim aluminum body, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass, and rounded corners, this phone exudes a sense of elegance. The aesthetics of the Moto Z3 Play are further enhanced by its 18:9 aspect ratio, which gives it a modern and stylish look. The phone feels sturdy and robust in the hand, thanks to its high-quality build materials and construction. The use of premium materials, such as aluminum and glass, not only adds to its durability but also gives it a premium look and feel. The back panel is made of glass, which not only looks beautiful but also adds a touch of sophistication. The phone is designed to be slim and lightweight, making it highly portable and easy to carry around. The finishing touches on the Moto Z3 Play are well done, with attention to detail evident in every aspect. The placement of buttons and controls is ergonomic, ensuring ease of use. Overall, the design and build of the Motorola Moto Z3 Play are top-notch, combining aesthetics, durability, and functionality in one sleek package.

Display

The Motorola Moto Z3 Play features a 6-inch Full HD+ Max Vision OLED display, which offers a vibrant and immersive viewing experience. The screen size is generous, providing ample space for browsing, gaming, and multimedia consumption. The display resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels ensures sharp and detailed visuals.

With its 18:9 aspect ratio, the Moto Z3 Play offers a taller screen that enhances the cinematic feel. The OLED technology used in the display provides deep blacks and vibrant colors, making content pop off the screen. Colors are accurately reproduced, resulting in a visually pleasing experience.

The brightness levels of the Moto Z3 Play's display are sufficient for most lighting conditions, including outdoor use. The screen also features good touch responsiveness, allowing for smooth and accurate interactions.

To protect the display from scratches and accidental damage, the Moto Z3 Play is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass and a splash-resistant p2i coating. These features help maintain the durability of the screen.

The pixel density of the Moto Z3 Play's display is decent, ensuring that text and images appear sharp and clear. Viewing angles are wide, allowing for comfortable sharing of content with others.

Additional features include an always-on display, which provides quick access to important information without fully waking up the phone, and a blue light filter for reduced eye strain. The adaptive brightness feature automatically adjusts the screen brightness based on ambient lighting conditions, providing optimal visibility.

Overall, the display of the Motorola Moto Z3 Play offers a satisfying visual experience with its OLED technology, accurate colors, and good outdoor visibility.

Performance

The performance of the Motorola Moto Z3 Play is powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset, which offers a good balance of power efficiency and performance. The CPU benchmarks and processor performance of the Snapdragon 636 show that it can handle multitasking and everyday tasks with ease. App loading speeds are generally quick, providing a smooth user experience without noticeable lag.

In terms of gaming capabilities, the GPU benchmarks and gaming benchmarks indicate that the Moto Z3 Play can handle most mobile games smoothly. The gaming experience is enhanced by the phone's 6-inch OLED display, which provides vibrant visuals and good color reproduction. Graphics scores on benchmark tests demonstrate the GPU's efficiency in rendering high-quality graphics.

The Moto Z3 Play also benefits from system optimization and thermal management, ensuring that the device maintains its performance even during extended gaming sessions. Synthetic benchmarks and performance metrics show that the phone is capable of delivering consistent and reliable performance.

Overall, the Motorola Moto Z3 Play offers a capable processor and GPU, providing a smooth and lag-free performance for everyday tasks and gaming. The Snapdragon 636 chipset strikes a good balance between power efficiency and performance, offering a smooth user experience. While specific benchmark scores were not provided, the overall performance of the Moto Z3 Play is commendable for a mid-range device.

Software and User Interface

The Motorola Moto Z3 Play runs on the Android operating system, specifically Android 8.1 Oreo. This provides users with a familiar and user-friendly interface, allowing for easy navigation and customization. The software on the Moto Z3 Play is clean and minimal, with no unnecessary bloatware or pre-installed apps that clutter the user experience. This is a definite advantage for those who prefer a more streamlined and personalized smartphone experience.

The Moto Z3 Play offers a near-stock Android experience, which means that it closely resembles the software found on Google's own Pixel devices. This results in a smooth and responsive performance, with minimal lag or hiccups. The software is optimized to make the most of the phone's hardware capabilities, ensuring that users can enjoy a seamless and enjoyable user experience.

One notable feature of the software on the Moto Z3 Play is its compatibility with Moto Mods. These are modular accessories that can be attached to the back of the phone, adding additional functionality such as extra battery life or improved camera capabilities. The software seamlessly integrates with Moto Mods, allowing users to easily switch between different mods and customize their phone to suit their specific needs.

Overall, the software on the Motorola Moto Z3 Play is user-friendly, clean, and efficient. It provides a seamless and enjoyable user experience, with the added benefit of compatibility with Moto Mods for added customization options.

Camera

The Motorola Moto Z3 Play comes equipped with a 12-megapixel dual camera system on the rear, consisting of a primary lens with a f/1.7 aperture and a secondary lens for depth sensing. This setup allows for impressive image quality and natural colors in daylight photography, capturing sharp and detailed shots with a good dynamic range.

When it comes to indoor and outdoor photography, the Moto Z3 Play performs well in well-lit conditions, delivering clear and vibrant images. The camera's low-light performance is decent, thanks to its large aperture and low-light sensitivity, but it may struggle in extremely dark situations. However, the phone offers a night mode and noise reduction features to enhance low-light photography.

The Moto Z3 Play's camera app includes a variety of useful features, such as portrait mode for creating professional-looking bokeh effects, HDR for capturing more details in high-contrast scenes, and panorama mode for capturing wide scenic shots. The camera also offers a pro mode, allowing users to manually adjust settings such as ISO, shutter speed, and white balance for more creative control.

In terms of video recording, the Moto Z3 Play is capable of shooting 4K video with good image stabilization, ensuring smooth and steady footage. It also offers slow-motion video and time-lapse modes, allowing users to capture creative and unique videos. The phone supports various video formats, providing flexibility in sharing and editing videos.

Overall, the camera of the Motorola Moto Z3 Play offers a versatile and capable shooting experience, delivering impressive image quality in various lighting conditions and providing a range of useful features for both photography and videography enthusiasts.

Battery Life

The Motorola Moto Z3 Play comes with a decent battery that offers satisfactory performance. The phone is equipped with a 3000mAh battery, which may not be as large as some other mid-range phones, but it can still provide a full day of usage for most users. The battery optimization features on the Moto Z3 Play help to extend battery life, ensuring that you can make the most out of your device without worrying about running out of power. The phone also supports fast charging, allowing you to quickly juice up your battery when needed. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging option available on the Moto Z3 Play. Overall, the battery performance on the Moto Z3 Play is reliable and should meet the needs of the average user.

Connectivity and Networking

The Motorola Moto Z3 Play offers a range of connectivity options to keep you connected wherever you go. It supports 4G LTE network compatibility, allowing for fast data speeds when browsing the internet or streaming content. The phone also has dual SIM capabilities, which is great for travelers or those who need to separate work and personal numbers.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Moto Z3 Play supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, ensuring fast and reliable internet connections. It also has Bluetooth 5.0, which offers improved range and faster data transfer between devices. NFC is also included, allowing for easy pairing with other NFC-enabled devices or for making contactless payments.

The Moto Z3 Play features a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, which offers faster charging speeds compared to older USB ports. It also supports wireless charging, making it convenient to charge the phone without the need for cables.

For navigation and location services, the Moto Z3 Play has GPS capabilities, allowing for accurate positioning and turn-by-turn directions. It also supports mobile hotspot functionality, so you can share your internet connection with other devices.

In conclusion, the Motorola Moto Z3 Play offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, including 4G LTE network compatibility, dual SIM capabilities, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB-C, wireless charging, GPS, and mobile hotspot functionality. These features ensure that you can stay connected and enjoy fast data speeds, reliable internet connections, and convenient charging options.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When comparing the Motorola Moto Z3 Play with other related gadgets in the market, it's important to take into consideration its features, specifications, performance, and pricing. One of its main competitors is the OnePlus 6, which offers a more powerful processor and a higher price point.

In terms of design, the Moto Z3 Play has a sleek and contemporary look with a slim profile, while the OnePlus 6 has a more traditional design with a glass back. Both devices offer a large, high-resolution display, with the Moto Z3 Play featuring a 6-inch OLED panel and the OnePlus 6 boasting a 6.28-inch Optic AMOLED display.

When it comes to performance, the Moto Z3 Play is equipped with a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, which provides smooth performance for most tasks. On the other hand, the OnePlus 6 packs a more powerful Snapdragon 845 processor, making it better suited for heavy multitasking and gaming.

In terms of camera performance, both devices offer decent image quality in well-lit conditions. However, the OnePlus 6 tends to perform better in low-light situations due to its larger aperture size.

When considering pricing, the Moto Z3 Play is positioned as a mid-tier phone, while the OnePlus 6 is priced higher in the flagship category. This makes the Moto Z3 Play a more cost-effective option for those looking for a device with solid performance and features at a lower price point.

In terms of market competition, both devices face tough competition from other mid-range and flagship smartphones. The OnePlus 6 has gained popularity for its high-performance specifications and competitive pricing, while the Moto Z3 Play offers the unique advantage of Moto Mods, allowing users to customize their phone with additional features.

Overall, the Moto Z3 Play is a solid choice for those who want the flexibility of Moto Mods at a more affordable price point. However, if you're looking for top-of-the-line performance and are willing to pay a higher price, the OnePlus 6 may be a better option.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Motorola Moto Z3 Play is a solid mid-range phone that offers a sleek design, vibrant display, and the unique advantage of Moto Mods. While it may not offer standout features on its own, the ability to customize the phone with additional functionality through Moto Mods sets it apart from its competitors. However, the pricing of the Z3 Play is a bit awkward, as it competes with more powerful phones in its price range. If you already own or are interested in using Moto Mods, the Z3 Play is definitely worth considering. Otherwise, there may be better options available.