Smartphone launches just don’t hold the excitement they once did, meaning that manufacturers find it harder and harder to impress people and press, which is ironic in the most-part as phones are better today than they’ve ever been.
It’s with some surprise then that Sony’s freshly announced Moto Z Play is actually pretty interesting. For starters, all the specs look solid (2GHz Octa-Core processor, 5.5-inch 1080p display, 3GB RAM) if not stellar and it has a ‘TurboPower’ charging mode that promises nine hours of use in 15 minutes of juice.
Beyond everything you’d expect in a phone, the Play brings a new optional add-on module that’s the result of a partnership with pedigree camera maker Hasselblad that should dramatically enhance your photography possibilities with the addition of a 10x Optical Zoom and Xenon flash.
You’ll also be able to shoot in RAW format and have physical shutter and zoom controls. It also includes access to Hasselblad’s Phocus image software.
The Moto Z Play goes on sale globally this month, priced from £370 in the UK, and the Hasselblad True Zoom camera add-on will set you back another £199. That’s still at least £100 less than a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 right now though.
Motorola’s not the first to take this approach – LG also offers modular add-ons for some smartphones – but it’s an altogether more elegant answer, as long as you don’t mind those connectors on the rear. Plus, a base handset cost of £370 makes it far cheaper, even before the optional add-ons.
