Lenovo-Motorola enriched its Z product portfolio by formally launching Moto Z2 Play on June 1st. I participated the pre-briefing in New York City last week and handed on the device closely. It is a decent smartphone with improved features from predecessor models: comes with 5.5 inch full-HD AMOLED display, it also features 12MP autofocus camera, 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 Octa-core processor, fingerprint sensor in front, water-proof, microSD slot, as well as USB Type C. Z2Play has a sleek metal unibody design, different from glass materials from predecessor model Moto Z Play. Battery is the only draw back - 3000mAh, downgrade from Moto Z Play. However, Motorola claimed the new chipset and power management software support 30 hours mixed usage, and Turbo Charge allows 50% quick charging within 30 minutes.

Like predecessor models, Moto Z2 Play supports all old Moto Mods, as well as new ones. The company launched four new Moto Mods today, including Moto TurboPower Pack, Moto Style Shell with Wireless Charging, JBL SoundBoost 2 and Moto GamePad. 

We believe Moto Mods is an interesting innovation, making Lenovo-Motorola stand out of competitors in global smartphone market. However, compatibility and higher cost are two barriers facing ahead. Our Smartphone Model Tracker (SMT) services tracked Lenovo-Motorola totally shipped nearly 3.0 million units of first generation of Moto Z models worldwide during the past three quarters. In certain countries / markets / segmentations,  Moto Mods were well-received. However, it is hard to compete with flagship models from Samsung and Apple.

Moto Z2 Play will be available in US at Verizon early this month. Unlocked version will be available later this summer. We encourage Lenovo-Motorola to extend carrier partners in US for following new models, in order to scale up volumes.