There won't be a Moto Z4 Force or Moto Z4 Play

Motorola has officially confirmed that the Moto Z4 is the only Moto Z device that will be available this year. That means there won't be a Z4 Play, or a Z4 Force. The former is more surprising, because last year we did get a Moto Z3 Play alongside the Z3, but the latter was pretty much expected, since there was no Z3 Force in 2018 either. The last Force-branded Moto was the Z2 from 2017.

Motorola is thus simplifying its lineup, which is probably a good thing overall, despite how it might make die-hard fans of the Force or Play editions feel. For now, it looks like Motorola is content to stick to the lower-end and mid-range echelons of the smartphone market, and not launch a true flagship handset powered by the Snapdragon 855. That will further cement its image as a value champion, and the decision might be for the best given how previous Moto flagship did, sales-wise.

Then again, it might just use different branding for its 2019 flagship, if it does in fact launch one in the end. Perhaps the Z series, with its implied support for MotoMods, simply was too confining for the likes of a true high-end Moto device. We'll have to wait and see.

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