Motorola unveils Moto Z flagship handsets with modular MotoMod backplates

Motorola introduced its 2016 flagship smartphone lineup, known as Moto Z, at parent company Lenovo’s Tech World exhibition in San Francisco today. The line includes two all-metal handsets, the Moto Z and Moto Z Force, and features a rich ecosystem of functionality-enhancing, modular backplates called MotoMods.

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The models are identical, save for the Moto Z Force’s shatter-proof Shattershield screen — first seen on last year’s Moto X Force (Droid 2 Turbo on Verizon Wireless) — and higher camera resolution.

These 5.5-inch handsets feature an AMOLED screen with QHD resolution, Snapdragon 820 systems-on-chip from Qualcomm, 4GB of RAM, and a 3500mAh battery with Turbo Charge. This latter technology enables 50 percent charging of a 15-hour-battery life in 15 minutes.

Their rear cameras contain a 13-megapixel (Moto Z) or 21-megapixel (Moto Z Force) sensor, and offer optical image stabilization plus laser auto focus, while the front-facing selfie cam has a 5-megapixel resolution.

At launch, there will be several MotoMods available, from a 70-inch pico projector and JBL SoundBoost speakers, to the Power Pack external battery (with different designs from partners like Tumi, Kate Spade New York, and Incipio) and fashion-focused Style Shells.

They snap on the back of the phones magnetically, and connect via a grouping of 16 pins on the back.

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While this is the first family of handsets to carry the Moto Z branding, the phones are a spiritual fourth generation of the Moto X, which headlined a reboot of Motorola’s portfolio in 2013.

They’ll be available this summer in the U.S. exclusively through Verizon Wireless as the Moto Z Droid Edition and Moto Z Force Droid Edition. Globally, Moto Z will be available unlocked starting in September from various retailers and through moto.com.