Moto Z2 Force: Sturdy all-rounder but dated 16:9 display

Lenovo-owned Motorola’s latest premium offering Moto Z2 Force, with dual rear cameras, is here and the company is selling it as a phone with a shatter-proof display. Moto Z2 Force essentially replaces the original Moto Z with Moto “ShatterShield” technology as its USP and a bundled Moto “TurboPower mod pack” in India for Rs 34,999. How does the smartphone fare when it comes to everyday usage? Here is our review. The smartphone has a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED shatterproof screen that did withstand drops and falls during our review test from approximately 3-4 feet height. Despite being launched in 2018, the device features 16:9 aspect ratio that is now outdated as other flagships such as Galaxy S9, OnePlus 5T and Honor View10 are now offering a better 18:9 display — and this might be a put-off for those who want more an immersive experience.

Having said that, the good colour reproduction and viewing angles of the display mostly make up for the loss of screen space. It was bright with decent sunlight legibility. The front of the phone is dominated by thick bezels above and below the screen, which was also present in the original Moto Z. This is because the company had promised that at least three generations of Moto Z phones would be compatible with the original “Moto Mod” — a clip-on accessory that transforms Moto Z Force into a super-zoom camera, a boombox, a projector and more. There is an earpiece above the AMOLED screen that also houses the loudspeaker. There is a 5MP selfie camera with a flash which was capable of taking decent self portraits.

Moto Z2 Force is comfortable to hold and for single-handed use but feels slippery when used without a Mod or a protective case. The device is made of 7000 series aluminium which made the exterior look both tough and appealing. An added advantage of water-repellent nano-coating is there to protect the device from accidental spills or splashes. The 12MP dual primary camera sensors come with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and 4k video recording. It took good photographs in well-lit conditions with accurate colour saturation levels. The phone runs Android Oreo Operating System (OS) and offered an enhanced stock Android experience.

Motorola has added features such as “one-button” navigation, “double chop” gesture to turn the flashlight on or off, twist the phone to launch the camera and take screenshot by placing three fingers on the screen, among others. Coming to its performance, the Moto Z2 Force is powered by a Snapdragon 835 chipset which is the same as in OnePlus 5T device. The phone offered snappy performance most of the time and the fingerprint sensor below the display interested us the most. The phone can be put to sleep with a long-press and the same button can unlock the device.

What does not work?

The absence of weather-proofing could be a major put-off for most users. We also noticed that the display was extremely prone to scratches even as it doesn’t shatter or crack easily.

Conclusion: This is undoubtedly a well-built device with Motorola’s promise of timely updates. If you are looking for a sturdy device with stock Android experience, go for it.