When I was in high school, I felt like a badass for owning a Moto Razr. That sleek and slim flip phone looked so elegant that it made you feel like an executive even if you were only a student. Imagine the thrill of answering a phone and dropping it. Nostalgic already?
The American label had difficulty replicating the success of the Razr, and attention for its phones dwindled after the arrival of other phone brands. In 2014, Motorola Mobility, the division that develops mobile devices, was acquired by Lenovo and the attention disappeared.
But Motorola is back and they’re saying, “Hello, Moto!” That’s because they shortened the name to simply Moto, and they unveiled a new series of phones that will soon become as coveted as its iconic Razr.
Its new line of smartphones has exclusive and customizable features that make each phone unique: there’s the Moto Z + Moto Mods, which can be modular; the Moto G family that focuses on user functionality; and the Moto E Power, which is for heavy mobile users.
WheninManila.com attended the Moto launch in the Philippines, and here’s what we found:
Moto Z
The Moto Z is reminiscent of the Razr because of its thinness. But don’t worry about its 5.2mm frame: the Moto Z is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel. It also has optical image stabilization and laser autofocus for crisp shots in any light, and ultra-sharp QuadHD detail.
Price: P33,999 + free Moto Style Shell
Perfect For: photography enthusiast, music-lovers, businessmen, and heavy users, depending on Moto Mod
Display: 5.5-inch AMOLED display, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, 2560 x 1440 resolution
Colors: Black with lunar gray trim and black front lens / black with rose gold trim and black front lens / fine gold with white front lens / silver with white front lens / silver with black front lens
Battery: mixed usage of up to 24 hours
OS: Android 6 Marshmallow
Processor: Quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor
Memory (RAM): 4GB of RAM
Storage: 64GB of expandable storage
SIM: Dual SIM (nano)
Sensors: Fingerprint reader, accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, hall effect, magnetometer, proximity
Rear Camera: 13 megapixels rear camera, f/1.8 aperture lens with laser AF, OIS, dual LED flash
Front Camera: 5 megapixels front camera with flash, f/2.2 aperture lens, and wide-angle lens
Video Capture: 1080p
Connectivity: 4G LTE
Moto Z Play
The Moto Z Play has the longest-lasting smartphone battery ever, which can last up to 50 hours. The camera is good, too, with dual auto-focus technology for faster and crystal-clear images. The super AMOLED display is perfect for photography enthusiasts and gamers.
Price: P22,999 + free Moto Style Shell
Perfect For: Gamers mostly, but also photography enthusiasts, music-lovers, businessmen, and heavy users, depending on Moto Mod
Display: 5.5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, 1920 x 1080 resolution
Colors: Black / silver / black slate / white / fine gold / sugar white
Battery: Mixed usage of up to 50 hours
OS: Android 6 Marshmallow
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor
Memory (RAM): 3GB of RAM
Storage: 32GB of expandable storage
SIM: Dual SIM (nano)
Sensors: Fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, hall effect, magnetometer, proximity, audio monitor
Rear Camera: 16 megapixels rear camera, f/2.0 aperture lens, PDAF, laser AF, dual LED flash
Front Camera: 5 megapixels front camera, f/2.2 aperture lens, LED flash
Video Capture: 480p, 720p, 1080p
Connectivity: 4G, LTE
Moto Mods
Moto Mods are detachable add-ons to complement the Moto Z experience. Each mod has its own feature, and are magnetized on the phone. And they’re light enough so that carrying a Moto Z with a Mod won’t be a huge burden:
Hasselblad True Zoom for 10x optical zoom and optical an electronic image stabilization (P14,099)
JBL SoundBoost for a powerful stereo sound (P5,499)
Incipio offGrid Powerpack for additional 22 hours of battery (P4,999)
Moto Instashare Projector to project up to 70 inches on any screen (P14,999)
Moto Style Shell Mods
The Moto Style Shell Mods are protective shells with different designs. Shells come in real wood, leather, or ballistic nylon that users can customize based on their personal style or need.
Price: P699 for herringbone nylon and crimson nylon, P999 for black leather
Moto G4 Plus
The Moto G4 Plus is perfect for photographers who want to take their craft up a notch. The phone has a 16 megapixel camera with laser autofocus and fingerprint-passcode for instant photo-taking. The camera also has a f/2.0 aperture and larger-than-average pixels for a spectacular shot. The battery is top-of-the-line, which can last six hours with just 15 minutes of charging. Its quad-core processor means users can switch back and forth between apps without any lags.
Price: P13,999
Perfect For: Photography enthusiasts
Display: 5.5-inch 1080p full HD display
Colors: Black / white
Battery: 3000 mAh all-day battery
OS: Android 6 Marshmallow
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor
Memory (RAM): 3GB of RAM
Storage: 32GB of expandable storage
SIM: Macro SIM, nano SIM
Sensors: Fingerprint reader, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light
Rear Camera: 16 megapixels with laser auto-focus and 4x optical zoom
Front Camera: 5 megapixels wide-angle lens with display flash
Video Capture: 1080p
Connectivity: 4G LTE
Moto E3 Power
The Moto E3 Power is Moto’s entry-level smartphone, but the performance is anything but. The battery is long-lasting, the phone runs on 4G, and it has a blazing-fast quad-core processor for a smooth performance.
Price: P6,999
Perfect For: Budget-conscious techies who want bang for their buck
Display: 5.0-inch 720 HD display
Colors: Black / white
Battery: 3500 mAh all-day battery
OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Processor: MT6735p quad-core 1.0GHz processor
Memory (RAM): 2GB of RAM
Storage: 16GB of expandable storage
SIM: Dual SIM, micro and nano SIM
Rear Camera: 8 megapixels with LED flash, burst mode, HDR, panorama, tap anywhere to capture, tap to focus
Front Camera: 5 megapixels with beautification mode
Video Capture: 720p HD video
Connectivity: 4G LTE
Whether you’re a photography enthusiast, a gamer, a businessman, or a budget-consumer, Moto has a smartphone for you. Each phone has its various strengths and capabilities, and is suited to different kinds of people. Which Moto is perfect for you?
All Moto phones are now available in the Philippines through select MemoXpress branches (SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, and SM Mall of Asia) and select Silicon Valley outlets (SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, and SM Mall of Asia).