I’ve had the Moto Z Force for a little over ten months so I wanted to share my experience during that time.
Previous Phone Moto X Pure: I enjoyed the MXPE a lot, but battery life significantly declined in a year. Right now it’s averaging 13.5 hours on, 3.5 hours screen on time and that is without a SIM card or cell service. It has a very nice, accurate screen. It’s a very comfortable phone with an excellent form factor as well as front firing speakers. I think the 808 chip does have issues. The phone heats up at times, particularly when turbocharged, which I no longer use. Performance is good, but I never pushed it very hard. Camera is good, although significantly weaker than the Z Force. After the initial Marshmallow update that was very quick, security updates have been few and far between and the phone still has not been updated to Nougat.
Form Factor: It’s certainly not svelte or sleek like an LG G6 or the Samsung S8 or S8+. It would be nice if the bottom bezel were a little smaller. Yet, I only use a bumper case and tempered glass screen protector because this phone is more durable than most because of its metal construction and Shattershield. In fact, I don’t have insurance on the phone and that saves me several dollars a month.
Screen: It may not quite reach the depths of vibrancy found on Samsung phones, but overall the screen is quite enjoyable, particularly blacks. It can get bright enough as well in full sunlight. The Shattershield is much improved over the Droid Turbo 2 as far as screen quality and brightness.
Performance: The phone continues to be very fast and very responsive. Occasionally I do a full cache wipe, but I have yet to do or felt the need to do a full factory reset, even after major system updates. The phone generally does not heat up. I do not play games. Taking photos does heat the phone up. The phone generally does well holding cell and wifi signals. Calls are clear. I don’t listen to music much using headphones so no thoughts there. I enjoy the fingerprint sensor a lot. It is quick and generally quite accurate.
Battery: Battery life has declined somewhat over time. At one point according to GSAM battery monitor I was averaging 25 hours on, with 6 hours screen on time. I know many have done better than that. But I live in a small town and generally try to keep the phone on 3G. Over time, battery life has decreased to 24 hours on, and 5.5 hours screen on time. I charge the phone when it gets below 40% when possible and not above 80%. I think that has helped somewhat. I sometimes use Pixoff battery app that helps with screen on time. I also use Greenify. Taking photos kills the battery quickly as it does with most phones.
Camera: I have only used the front camera a few times, so I don’t have an opinion there. The rear camera takes excellent photos overall. I sometimes have trouble with motion shots, but realize I could use the professional mode. Hopefully a two camera setup may improve that in the the 2017 version. Low light photos can be hit or miss. HDR can add a lot to the quality of photos. XDA developers have ported the Pixel camera app to use on the Force and it can improve indoor and low light shots.
Moto Mods: I have several style shells. I enjoy the novelty of them, but they’re not life-changing. I have the first generation JBL speaker and use it occasionally. It’s a lot of fun. I have the Hasselblad camera mod. When using it for zoom, it definitely is a significant improvement. Otherwise, the Force camera takes better photos, which is a disappointment. What is really unfortunate is that I think the Hasselblad mod should take better photos than it does with better processing. I have the Mophie battery pack. It’s somewhat bulky and could be grippier, but otherwise works well.
Updates: The phone was updated to Nougat very quickly. Security updates have been consistent and timely. It will be interesting to see when the phone is updated to O (Oreo) and if that will be the last major update, which I assume it will be.
Comparisons with other phones: I haven’t had any of the other 2016 or 2017 phones to compare with the Z Force. Yet, I probably would be happier with this phone over the Pixel and Samsung S7 edge.
Bottom Line: I’ve been very happy with the Z Force. Hopefully I will keep it for a second year before upgrading in 2018 with likely another Z Force if it meets my needs and preferences.
Previous Phone Moto X Pure: I enjoyed the MXPE a lot, but battery life significantly declined in a year. Right now it’s averaging 13.5 hours on, 3.5 hours screen on time and that is without a SIM card or cell service. It has a very nice, accurate screen. It’s a very comfortable phone with an excellent form factor as well as front firing speakers. I think the 808 chip does have issues. The phone heats up at times, particularly when turbocharged, which I no longer use. Performance is good, but I never pushed it very hard. Camera is good, although significantly weaker than the Z Force. After the initial Marshmallow update that was very quick, security updates have been few and far between and the phone still has not been updated to Nougat.
Form Factor: It’s certainly not svelte or sleek like an LG G6 or the Samsung S8 or S8+. It would be nice if the bottom bezel were a little smaller. Yet, I only use a bumper case and tempered glass screen protector because this phone is more durable than most because of its metal construction and Shattershield. In fact, I don’t have insurance on the phone and that saves me several dollars a month.
Screen: It may not quite reach the depths of vibrancy found on Samsung phones, but overall the screen is quite enjoyable, particularly blacks. It can get bright enough as well in full sunlight. The Shattershield is much improved over the Droid Turbo 2 as far as screen quality and brightness.
Performance: The phone continues to be very fast and very responsive. Occasionally I do a full cache wipe, but I have yet to do or felt the need to do a full factory reset, even after major system updates. The phone generally does not heat up. I do not play games. Taking photos does heat the phone up. The phone generally does well holding cell and wifi signals. Calls are clear. I don’t listen to music much using headphones so no thoughts there. I enjoy the fingerprint sensor a lot. It is quick and generally quite accurate.
Battery: Battery life has declined somewhat over time. At one point according to GSAM battery monitor I was averaging 25 hours on, with 6 hours screen on time. I know many have done better than that. But I live in a small town and generally try to keep the phone on 3G. Over time, battery life has decreased to 24 hours on, and 5.5 hours screen on time. I charge the phone when it gets below 40% when possible and not above 80%. I think that has helped somewhat. I sometimes use Pixoff battery app that helps with screen on time. I also use Greenify. Taking photos kills the battery quickly as it does with most phones.
Camera: I have only used the front camera a few times, so I don’t have an opinion there. The rear camera takes excellent photos overall. I sometimes have trouble with motion shots, but realize I could use the professional mode. Hopefully a two camera setup may improve that in the the 2017 version. Low light photos can be hit or miss. HDR can add a lot to the quality of photos. XDA developers have ported the Pixel camera app to use on the Force and it can improve indoor and low light shots.
Moto Mods: I have several style shells. I enjoy the novelty of them, but they’re not life-changing. I have the first generation JBL speaker and use it occasionally. It’s a lot of fun. I have the Hasselblad camera mod. When using it for zoom, it definitely is a significant improvement. Otherwise, the Force camera takes better photos, which is a disappointment. What is really unfortunate is that I think the Hasselblad mod should take better photos than it does with better processing. I have the Mophie battery pack. It’s somewhat bulky and could be grippier, but otherwise works well.
Updates: The phone was updated to Nougat very quickly. Security updates have been consistent and timely. It will be interesting to see when the phone is updated to O (Oreo) and if that will be the last major update, which I assume it will be.
Comparisons with other phones: I haven’t had any of the other 2016 or 2017 phones to compare with the Z Force. Yet, I probably would be happier with this phone over the Pixel and Samsung S7 edge.
Bottom Line: I’ve been very happy with the Z Force. Hopefully I will keep it for a second year before upgrading in 2018 with likely another Z Force if it meets my needs and preferences.
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