Moto Z2 Force is Motorola's shatterproof flagship

Hot off the launch of the Moto Z2 Play, Motorola has unveiled the Moto Z2 Force - a high-end "shatterproof" smartphone with support for Moto Mods.

Motorola is so confident in its shatterproof tech that the Moto Z2 Force's display comes with a four-year warranty against breaks and cracks. Based on our tests with the Moto X Force - one of Motorola's other shatterproof smartphones - we’re pretty confident too; we couldn't do any serious damage to the phone until we pegged it against a brick wall (because investigative journalism).

It is however worth noting that the Moto Z2 Force isn't waterproof, shockproof, or designed to withstand all damage from scratching; while the screen might comfortably survive a drop, you can still expect to encounter cosmetic damage on the rest of the phone.

Given the Z2 Force's Moto Mod compatibility, the design doesn't make any major deviations from last year's Moto Z. It's a little slimmer, but there's still a large circular camera enclosure, a 5.5-inch display, and a healthy amount of bezel.

For those not familiar with the term, Moto Mods are ostensibly hot-swappable accessories that can add features to Z series phones. Initial Mods included battery packs, a zoom camera, and a portable projector. Motorola has since introduced a 360-degree camera, tablet accessory, and gamepad.

One big new addition is a dual camera configuration on the back. Like the Huawei P10, the Moto Z2 Force has two 12MP cameras: one that shoots in colour, one that shoots in black and white. By using these in tandem, the Moto Z2 Force can simulate depth of field, blurring the background or foreground of an image while keeping the main subject in focus. Alternatively, it's able to keep the subject of an image in colour, while making other elements black and white, just in case you want to get your Sin City on.

Key specifications for the Moto Z2 Force include a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, a Snapdragon 835 processor, at least 4GB of RAM, at least 64GB of expandable storage and a 2,730mAh. It doesn't have a headphone jack, so you'll need to use USB Type-C or Bluetooth for headphones.

Internationally, the Moto Z2 Force will retail for USD$799, which converts to just over $1,000 locally. Local Motorola representatives were unable to confirm any specifics regarding an Australian launch.

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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