Moto Z Droid review: Birth of a new successor

Final Remarks

The Moto Z is ultimately the successor of the Moto X and Motorola's legacy lives on through Lenovo. This is why the Moto Z is so important, it marks a new chapter in Motorola's portfolio. Even if the Moto brand phases out the "Motorola" name over the next few years, we are glad to see the brand left in good hands.

Although the Moto Z doesn't have as large a battery as the Moto Z Force, it makes up for usage time with its excellent standby time. Although fans of Motorola's Moto X may or may not be disappointed with the Moto Z, there is thankfully a second (thicker) choice with the Moto Z Force Droid. Even so, the Moto Z Force perhaps should have been the only Moto Z to come out. But then the company would not have been able to call the Moto Z the thinnest smartphone in the world.

Lenovo Moto Z Droid key test findings:

• While extremely thin, the design of the Moto Z is no longer as ergonomic as the Moto X was. Style shells make it easy to change up the look (if you wish). The design is also sturdy, yet minimalistic and 'to the point'.
• The switch to an AMOLED screen is a nice touch and it gets bright enough so you don't have to squint when viewing in direct sunlight.
• Moto Enhancements are excellent value-added features which barely impact battery life on standby. Moto Display and Moto Voice are a couple of our favorite features.
• Battery scores are below-average with an Endurance rating of 53h and the phone may not last you the full day if you use it often. It's as if it was meant to be used with a battery pack snapped on.
• Despite having near-stock Android, the Moto Z Droid Edition has a lot of carrier bloatware.
• The Snapdragon 820 CPU is a firm choice for a flagship of the year. Likewise, 4GB of RAM is a healthy amount so performance is bullet-proof. However, the phone does get quite hot under pressure.
• Moto Mods are a great implementation of modular smartphone accessories. Although costly, the plus side is your Moto Mod investments are future-proof as they will work with the Moto Z's successor(s) next year.
• Loudspeaker isn't the loudest with videos or music, but powerful mid-to-high ranges ensure you won't miss important phone calls.
• The 13MP camera's performance is excellent in the best lighting scenarios and color shifting happened in scenes of less than favorable lighting. Low-light performance leaves something to be desired.
• The front-facing 5MP selfie camera performs quite well, even better than we anticipated. The front-facing LED flash illuminates the subject well in these low-light scenarios.
• Videos filmed at 60fps or 4K have no digital (or, seemingly, optical) stabilization. Filming moving subjects in 4K results in frequent "focus hunting" (when the camera keeps trying to refocus unnecessarily). On the flip side, 1080p videos at 30fps are well stabilized, but sometimes underexposed.

Some worthy competitors to the Moto Z include the HTC 10, LG G5, Galaxy S7 edge, iPhone 6S Plus, Huawei P9, OnePlus 3, and of course, we can't forget the Moto Z Force Droid!

The first and most obvious alternative to the Moto Z would be the Moto Z Force. It has a shatterproof screen, larger 3,500mAh battery, and higher-resolution camera. Although we haven't fully tested the camera on the Moto Z Force yet, we can't expect it to be a huge improvement over the Moto Z. There's also a $94 premium over the Moto Z that might just be worth considering.

Motorola Moto Z Force

The next alternative is another 5.5 inch device, although, it's not a quad-HD display. The OnePlus 3 is a worthy competitor with the Same Snapdragon 820, a healthy 6GB of RAM, larger battery, great all-around camera, and much lower cost at $399. No Moto Mods, though.

OnePlus 3

The LG G5 is a great alternative as both smartphones have a Snapdragon 820 that make them tick. But the other reason is that the G5 also offers modular accessories, and even though the concept was great, the execution could have been better. The Moto Z's software shines brighter than the G5's as a more consistent and familiar experience.

LG G5

The Galaxy S7 edge packs a beautiful, 5.5 inch, quad-HD, AMOLED screen into a more compact foot print. Although the Moto Z is really thin, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, while not as thin, has a larger battery, comparable performance (regardless of region), excellent camera (not so excellent front facing camera), and Samsung's suite of bells, whistles, and apps. TouchWiz might be a sore spot for some, but the Snapdragon 820 (or Exynos 8890) ensures an otherwise heavily skinned UI will run smoothly.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

The iPhone 6S Plus is another 5.5 inch device with a great camera, great battery life, and predictable software experience. If you find yourself switching from an iPhone into Android territory, the Moto Z may be the right fit for you, but not if it involves the overwhelming carrier bloatware that iPhone users are strangers to.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus

The Moto Z has everything going for it. The performance numbers are in line with other top flagships of the year. And while battery life may not be where it should for 2016, it makes it up for with Moto Enhancements and Moto Mods, expanding a smartphone's abilities beyond the outer shell. The Moto Z does this with a thin and stylish, yet reserved looking device. There is no doubt that the Moto Z will carry Motorola's legacy in the hands of Lenovo.