Like the Moto Z Play, this year’s Moto Z Force is a powerful and compelling smartphone with a unique set of Moto Mod accessories. These snap on the back of the phone and add functionality, including a JBL SoundBoost 2 mod that adds a dedicated front facing speaker for enhanced audio and a Turbo Power Pack to increase battery life.
One thing that’s a bit strange is that unlike last year’s model, the Moto Z2 Force doesn’t include a bundled style shell and instead relies on a flat back cover that’s more prone to dings and drops than other recent Motorola smartphones. While it’s not a deal breaker in itself, I would have preferred to see at least a protective style shell that gives the phone some added peace of mind.
Aside from the lack of a headphone jack, which is still really hard to get used to, the Moto Z2 Force is otherwise an excellent flagship device. It packs your typical 2017 flagship specs and performs very well with both causal games like Candy Crush Saga or Subway Surfers and resource heavy titles such as Modern Combat 8 and Asphalt 8. The camera is also top notch with the Z2 Force’s dual cameras capturing some of the best images I’ve seen from an Android device.
I also love Motorola’s software experience with Android 7.1.1 and the nifty suite of Moto gestures, including the double karate chop to launch the camera and wrist twist to turn on the flashlight. However, the removal of the headphone jack is just too much of a drawback for me to recommend this phone in its current form to most consumers.