Moto Z Play vs. higher priced phones: What do you sacrifice?

[gf1701]

I'm trying to decide on a replacement for my unlocked Moto G phone, which was my first cell phone. I'm not a heavy user of the phone, but I do need more storage for music and maps (I have 16 GB on the Moto G, and it's unexpandable), and want additional sensors so that I can run the Skyview astronomy app. I can afford to splurge on a higher-end phone like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the Google Pixel, but I think the Moto Z Play, at about half the price of those phones, will be good enough for me (I’ve read reviews on all of them). My question is, besides camera quality, what of significance (in your opinion) would I be missing out on by going with the Moto Z?

 

[razortaz18]

I currently have two phones I'm switching between. The Moto Z Play and a Note 8. The Play is a fantastic device. Not a fantastic phone for the price, just a fantastic phone. The screen, everyday performance, battery life and camera are all great. Besides all the niceties (gimmicks ?) you get only from Samsung, the only real area such a high end phone will excel is the camera.

 

[razortaz18]

I just remembered another con for the Play vs at least my Note. Outdoor screen visibility. I spend a fair amount of time outside. In direct sunlight the Play is almost unusable while the Note is perfectly fine.

 

[chanchan05]

Well the obvious one is screen quality. If I remember correctly, the ZP isn't quad HD. Not that it really matters. What does matter is outside legibility, as stated by razortaz. The ZP screen IIRC is Shattershield, hence its plastic and will scratch easier. It's shatterproof though. But it's plastic construction impairs sunlight legibility.
Since you're coming from a MotoG, this may not be too much of a concern, but performance. The ZP has an SD625 as its CPU I think, so it should perform as well as an SD800, or the flagships from between the 2014-2015.
Camera quality is usable, but not anywhere like the flagship ones.
The rest would probably be software quirks.

 

[PowrDroid]

Well the obvious one is screen quality. If I remember correctly, the ZP isn't quad HD. Not that it really matters. What does matter is outside legibility, as stated by razortaz. The ZP screen IIRC is Shattershield, hence its plastic and will scratch easier. It's shatterproof though. But it's plastic construction impairs sunlight legibility.

Nope, Moto Z Play is not Shattershield, it is Gorilla Glass 3. Full specs:

http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_z_play-8310.php

 

[chanchan05]

Nope, Moto Z Play is not Shattershield, it is Gorilla Glass 3. Full specs:

http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_z_play-8310.php

Lol. Got mixed up.

 

[gf1701]

Thank you for the replies: that was just the type of information I was looking for. For example, I had no idea that there are phone screens that are viewable in direct sunlight. I thought that was a limitation of LCDs. With my Moto G, I literally point and shoot when I take photos with the sun shining on my screen. I need to factor that in to my decision.

 

[Morty2264]

In all honesty, I really don't think you'd be missing out on anything. Going with last year's phone (and one of the better ones, IMO!) is absolutely fine! The Z Play has astounding battery life, and there are Moto mods to help out with things like camera.

 

[Apple2Droid]

I just bought a MZPlay but almost bought an S7 Edge, so I created a pro/con list for the Edge. Things that were helpful for this device, and I' assuming still apply to the S8 are:

Native inductive charging!, IP68 water/dust resistance, Gorilla Glass 4 on both sides, GPS includes both GLONASS & BDS, for added security–Samsung Pay + Knox, higher RAM, split-screen native, FM radio.

As for specific advantages for the camera itself:

Optical Image Stabilization, f/1.7, Dual Pixel = faster focus & reduced blur, LED flash, Auto HDR, Phase Detection Autofocus, larger sensor, can shoot in RAW, Pro mode (focal length & tone), double tap home button to activate camera

I really wanted to feel like I would never need to bring a separate camera for most photo situations. –I was just out of town for a week and took both my Moto X2 & Canon G7 for this reason.

But given all of this, battery life was crucial to me so I chose the ZPlay anyway. I was coming from a Moto X2 and the Moto Active Display was probably my favorite Moto-specific feature so the ZPlay also gives me this feature. As for the "only HD display," this wasn't even a factor for me. I've been pleased with the X2 display which is what the ZPlay has. I prefer that it sips less battery than a Quad display so, again, back to the battery feature for me.

On the minus side of the ZPlay is the lack of cases/accessories, etc., as compared to anything Samsung. My local Best Buy store told me that they've never carried cases for the ZPlay, "because the mods." What a moron.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Depends what higher priced phone you compare it to as they don't all have equal features.

Better processor and camera are the 2 main things, usually a nicer screen and many have wireless charging and water resistance. Better storage and memory options are common on more expensive phones.

Z Force would have the shatter proof screen. Note 8 would have the S Pen. V30 gets the dac and better audio quality

For day to day use I don't think there is a big difference anymore unless it's a specific feature your after. Mid range, and even entry level phones handle most users needs just fine.

 

[Dooki]

I have last year's z force Droid play edition or whatever it's called, my personal phone is an S7.
Moto wins in battery life, duh, fingerprint sensor, motions controls like chop for camera, or twist whichever and the fact that you can control Google Assistant with the screen off. it does seem to run a bit smoother but I don't run any serious apps on it.
S7 is just a better phone. ergonomically way ahead, the Moto is a giant bezel with a tiny screen. screen, camera, duh, not even a challenge. even the touch screen send more responsive. plus there is wireless charging and Samsung pay. on top of all that updates are way better, Moto should be ashamed.
the s8 has better battery life than my S7, better screen, better processor, it is a major redesign and has all the goodies. I have not used bixby so I cannot comment on that.
however, the Moto has been absolutely reliable. rarely a hickup. I would also put out the Moto g5+. I got my mother one and dollar for dollar it's a better phone than the z. especially if you don't care about all the fluff and just want a reliable phone. but updates have been non-existent.

 

[experiment 626]

Instead of the endless bezel witch-hunt there should be a " War on Curved Screens ".

 

[Morty2264]

Instead of the endless bezel witch-hunt there should be a " War on Curved Screens ".

LOOL I agree, curved screens bother me slightly because of difficulties finding an appropriate screen protector.

 

[reidcc]

OP-

I bought my Moto Z Play in late August. The phone I had before that was a Samsung Note 5 for 2 years. While I loved the Note- I wanted a change. I would love to have found a Note FE( the 7) with the smaller battery- but could not justify the price. I certainly could not justify the $200 increase(from Note 5 to Note 8) up to $950 for the Note 8, and tbh- I was not all that keen on the new aspect ratio making it taller and narrower.

I found a deal for the Z Play and the JBL Speaker attachment for $375 and RAN. I had known what pure Android was- as I had(still have) a Nexus 5, and loved the less bloat. The decision to go Moto Z Play was a no brainer.

Coming from the 2K screen of my note down to HD- I really needed to do something about the large icons- seriously! Nova Launcher allowed me to tame them from huge and 4 across - small and 5 across.

What else- the camera is not as good, especially in low light- but it would not have been a factor in my decision. If I had a newer Note- I would have made sure I had a clear case for it(my Note 5 lived in a clear case), as well as tempered glass cover. With the magnetic back cover on this- I can deal without the TPU Case- although I did get a tempered glass cover.

With my usage profile on phones- I was getting 3 full days(4AM through 9PM) with my Note, and today makes 6 days on a charge with Z Play.

I still have trouble getting used to the power and volume buttons being so close on the MZP.

Chris