The unlocked version of Moto Z, Motorola's flagship smartphone, is now available to purchase from the Motorola website and third-party retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and B&H Photo.
The Moto Z was previously a Verizon exclusive in the United States so users who bided their time in the hopes of a GSM-unlocked variant can now purchase the device. Android Nougat 7.0 is also headed for the Moto Z soon, alongside a number of Motorola smartphones, so users who worry that the phone might not get Android 7.0 support can dump that qualm away.
The Moto Z has a 5.5-inch quad HD display with a 1,440 x 2,560 resolution at 535 ppi. Underneath its metal frame and body, there's a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and an Adreno 530 GPU with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storgae. There's a microSD slot for up to 256 GB of expandable storage. The Moto Z is powered by a 2,600 mAh non-removable battery. In the camera department, it has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with support for 4K video recording at 30 fps.
But beyond the impressive specifications, the added value of the Moto Z family are Moto Mods. For the uninitiated, Moto Mods are a series of peripherals that users can attach to the Moto Z, adding extra functionality such as an extra battery pack, beefed up stereo speakers or a short-throw projection module. These are essentially Motorola's somewhat similar answer to the modular phone concept, where smartphone components can be added, built on, swapped out or modified depending on the user's preferences and needs.
While the Moto Z itself doesn't have removable components that will categorize it as a fully modular phone, Moto Mods is a welcome attempt to try and ease the concept of modularity into the fold. Only a few Moto Mods are available thus far, but Motorola has also released a development kit for those who want to build their custom Mods.
Motorola cites Moto Mods as the reason why the Moto Z is a step-up compared with the iPhone 7, in a campaign named "Skip the Sevens," referring to the naming scheme of latest-gen handsets. The past week hasn't been smooth-sailing for Motorola, though, suffering a massive layoff recently. Hopefully with the ingenious marketing campaign, they can convince users to consider purchasing any phone from the Moto Z family to try out Moto Mods.
The unlocked Moto Z is available now for $699, and as mentioned earlier, it's also up at Amazon, Best Buy and B&H Photo. Take note it will only be compatible with GSM networks, which isn't good news for those on Sprint. Meanwhile, the Moto Z Play, its sibling with a beefier battery, will also be available unlocked beginning Oct. 20. However, the Moto Z Force will remain a Verizon exclusive.
