For the record, I'm not what people that disagree with my assessment will rush to call me - a Moto/Lenovo "fanboy." The last Moto phone I liked was the original Razr and before that, my StarTac. Since the Razr though, I've been Moto-free, using iPhones, Sammy's, LGs and the Nexus 6P. I tried the Moto X Pure last year and hated it.
And although not the prettiest looking, this Moto Z Force Droid is likely the best performing smartphone I've ever used. I was ready to give it up after using it exclusively for a couple weeks when the Note 7 dropped, figuring the new Note would carry me for the rest of the year. However, after about a week comparing the two, aesthetics aside, there is no comparison.
Right up front the Note 7 - which is using the same Snapdragon 820 chip as the Z Force - is much better looking and has a better camera. In fact, it has the best smartphone camera I've ever used and is the best looking/feeling smartphone I've ever carried. (Nothing will top the StarTac for best feeling phone of all time. Nothing!
) And if you're a big S-Pen user, this post is meaningless to you, as the Note 7 wins decisively there.
That's where the Note 7 advantages stop. Battery life, performance, software, convenience, modularity, durability, memory management - all land squarely in the corner of the Moto Z Force. And that's very surprising, considering they have the same battery size and same CPU. It's truly like using two different phones. The smooth operation of the Z Force compared to the Note 7 is an eye-opener. I don't want to hate on TouchWiz, because I think Samsung has improved TW by leaps and bounds from earlier iterations, but what else could it be? Same battery, same CPU and nearly the same display. I cannot imagine the .2 of inch in display size could make such a difference in performance.
Unfortunately, Moto/Lenovo's marketing, timing and decision to make it a Verizon exclusive (why, oh why not offer the Z Force and not just the Z to everybody when they beginning selling them unlocked later this month?!) are going to prevent a lot of people from realizing this. By selling it in the window of the Note 7 and next iPhone iteration, well, that's like opening an expected blockbuster movie on the same weekend as The Avengers AND The Hunger Games - not many people will notice you.
I don't like the long-term outlook for the Moto-Mods line, because the buzz and acceptance just aren't there, outside a few pockets of interest. The Z Force hasn't gone out of stock anywhere, there were no lines to purchase, no pre-sales hype and Moto/Lenovo really seems to rub a lot of former fans the wrong way with its business practices. But for as long as I have it, I'm going to enjoy it. It's my favorite phone since the iPhone 3G and I hope to get a good year or two out of the line before Moto tosses the idea aside for the "next" great thing.
And although not the prettiest looking, this Moto Z Force Droid is likely the best performing smartphone I've ever used. I was ready to give it up after using it exclusively for a couple weeks when the Note 7 dropped, figuring the new Note would carry me for the rest of the year. However, after about a week comparing the two, aesthetics aside, there is no comparison.
Right up front the Note 7 - which is using the same Snapdragon 820 chip as the Z Force - is much better looking and has a better camera. In fact, it has the best smartphone camera I've ever used and is the best looking/feeling smartphone I've ever carried. (Nothing will top the StarTac for best feeling phone of all time. Nothing!
) And if you're a big S-Pen user, this post is meaningless to you, as the Note 7 wins decisively there. That's where the Note 7 advantages stop. Battery life, performance, software, convenience, modularity, durability, memory management - all land squarely in the corner of the Moto Z Force. And that's very surprising, considering they have the same battery size and same CPU. It's truly like using two different phones. The smooth operation of the Z Force compared to the Note 7 is an eye-opener. I don't want to hate on TouchWiz, because I think Samsung has improved TW by leaps and bounds from earlier iterations, but what else could it be? Same battery, same CPU and nearly the same display. I cannot imagine the .2 of inch in display size could make such a difference in performance.
Unfortunately, Moto/Lenovo's marketing, timing and decision to make it a Verizon exclusive (why, oh why not offer the Z Force and not just the Z to everybody when they beginning selling them unlocked later this month?!) are going to prevent a lot of people from realizing this. By selling it in the window of the Note 7 and next iPhone iteration, well, that's like opening an expected blockbuster movie on the same weekend as The Avengers AND The Hunger Games - not many people will notice you.
I don't like the long-term outlook for the Moto-Mods line, because the buzz and acceptance just aren't there, outside a few pockets of interest. The Z Force hasn't gone out of stock anywhere, there were no lines to purchase, no pre-sales hype and Moto/Lenovo really seems to rub a lot of former fans the wrong way with its business practices. But for as long as I have it, I'm going to enjoy it. It's my favorite phone since the iPhone 3G and I hope to get a good year or two out of the line before Moto tosses the idea aside for the "next" great thing.
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