Motorola ditches headphone jacks before Apple with the Moto Z
Motorola is making its unique mark on the smartphone market with the Moto Z and Moto Z Force, which will be available in the U.S. this summer and globally in September. The new phones were announced at Lenovo's Tech World conference Thursday.
Notably, Motorola has beaten Apple to the punch in ditching the headphone jack. It's also taking a cue from competing phones like the LG G5, which lets users add specific abilities to their phones with parts they can swap out, including a projector in the case of the Moto Z.
The Moto Z has a 5.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, up to 30 hours of battery life and, yes, no 3.5mm headphone jack. The Moto Z Force is the same but with a better battery life, shattershield protection and faster charging -- 15 minutes of charging can get you 15 hours of battery life.
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Many details of the Moto Z were leaked last month, but the big surprise was the lack of a headphone jack. The Moto Z phones do have a USB-C connection, though, and 9 to 5 Google reported the phones will come with 3.5mm to USB-C adapter, so you won't necessarily have to purchase wireless or USB-C compatible headphones.
Moto Mods
The Moto Z uses Moto Mods to change and customize your smartphone experience, including adding new features that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
Moto Mods are sort of like phone cases but with a focus on utility rather than protection. Some Moto Mods will give your Moto Z extra protection as well as longer battery life, while others will give your speakers a boost or turn your phone into a projector.
These Mods snap right onto the back of your phone with magnets, and the Moto Z will automatically start using it. Some of them turn or fold out to work as stands for specific hands-free uses.
There are a number of Moto Mods that will be available in September and Motorola has made partnerships to bring more to market and is putting out a development kit for anyone to design and produce their own Mods. This makes it one of the more versatile smartphones on the market.
Motorola did not announce a price for the Moto Z or Moto Z Force or any of the Moto Mods. The phones will be available through Verizon this summer, with Droid branding, and will be available unlocked in September.
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