Motorola Moto Z3 Play

With $500 to spend, should you choose the Moto Z3 Play ? Unless you absolutely demand a Motorola-made phone, continue your search elsewhere.Motorola's going about 2018 in quiet fashion. The Moto Z3 Play is another attempt to cut into the...

Motorola’s latest mid-range handset isn’t the most powerful, but with Moto Mods it could be an incredibly versatile...

The Moto Z3 Play brings the series up to date thanks to that 18:9 aspect ratio display, but this model stands in the shadow of the Z3 proper – which is not only more powerful but cheaper – and can't hold its weight against other flagship leaders of the...

The Moto Z3 Play is a charming but frustrating smartphone. Moto has improved the design, the display and the software from the past couple of years but then maddeningly taken away the headphone jack and the outstanding battery life.The price is now...

The Motorola Z3 Play is a brilliant phone that will keep going all day long. It isn't as fast at opening apps as other devices, but the Moto Mods and great call quality make it handset worth buying.Overall Score: 86/100RATINGS:Ease of use: 5/5Design:...

The Moto Z3 Play may not be the cheapest or best mid-range phone out there. If carrier freedom isn't a concern, we'd still likely recommend the killer-on-a-budget Asus ZenFone V. But, the Moto Z3 Play brings plenty of performance, an up-to-date Android...

Motorola has put together a solid budget flagship in the Moto Z3, even in spite of its modest specs and familiar design. At $480, the Z3 is a pretty good choice for users who don't want to spend top dollar on the best wares from Apple, Samsung and...

Never-the-less, the Moto Z3 Play is an excellent, if less exciting, midrange phone. Battery abusers, such as myself, can still fallback on mods to fill the gap while more traditional users can enjoy a more fluid experience all around. It may not be the battery life champion we once knew, but it still delivers a good experience and seriously strong battery life, as long as you don't mind snapping on its Power Pack mod.

At the risk of sounding reductive, the Moto Z3 is last year's flagship Moto phone packed into a cheaper body with a bigger screen. That's not necessarily a bad thing: Its Snapdragon 835 chipset keeps things moving at a respectable pace and Motorola's Android tweaks are as thoughtful as ever. That said, it lacks some of the flourishes that made earlier Moto Z phones truly great, and the best argument for owning one -- the 5G Moto Mod -- is still months away and will only be of use to Z3 owners in select markets.

Buy Motorola's Moto Z3 if you're looking for a well-priced Android phone on Verizon today, not for the promised 5G upgrade...

The Motorola Moto Z3 for Verizon Wireless is a solid contender in the $500 range. It covers the basics and then some, while offering flexibility thanks to the selection of Moto Mods accessories.The Z3 may be about the same size/shape as last year's Z2,...

So, where does all of this leave us? I don't think you should buy this phone specifically to be one of the first through the door when Verizon launches its 5G network, unless you happen to live in a major city that's sure to get 5G first. If you live in...