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More Mods for the Moto Z system

By Zachary Chan - 6 Jul 2017

Gen 2 Mods

Hello Moto

At the ASEAN launch of the Moto Z2 Play in Bangkok, Motorola showcased a few more new and updated Mods into the Moto Mods system. We’ve already had a hands-on preview of the Moto Z2 Play device itself at MWC Shanghai 2017, plus two Mods: the updated JBL SoundBoost 2 and new Incipio Car Dock (which you can catch up on here, if you haven’t done so yet). Here’s a quick roundup of the remaining ones we've had to chance to see in the flesh.

Moto Gamepad

Probably the most interesting, and useful of the bunch is the GamePad mod that gives the Moto Z2 Play (or any other Moto Z devices) a portable console experience similar in feel to a PlayStation Portable. How is this game pad any different from those before it? Well, just about every single mobile game pad in existence today, including those from gaming brands like the SteelSeries Stratus XL or Mad Catz L.Y.N.X. 9 connect to your Android device wirelessly via Bluetooth. This inevitably introduces lag and other connectivity problems if you need to pair multiple devices to your phone.

If you play Mobile Legends, or any game that requires you to navigate with a virtual on-screen joystick, you know the pain of constantly smudging your display and blocking your view. With the GamePad, you can now have an IMBA advantage.

The Moto GamePad is a hardware connect through the Moto Mods interface and according Motorola, acts as if it’s part of the phone, eliminating any connectivity or lag problems. Since the mod covers the top and bottom of the phone, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the mod itself. It also uses its own internal 1,035mAh battery, so it won’t eat up the phones, and charges via USB-C. What I didn’t get an answer on, is if the mod also charges your phone if the cable is connected, because that would be even more useful for longer gaming sessions.

Outside of these benefit, it works like other game pads around. From our quick hands-on, the GamePad works immediately once you snap it on and you’d already be able to use the left thumbstick to navigate around the phone’s Home screen. Just like other game pads, there are games that specifically support such peripherals, while most games would at least have partial support. We checked it out very briefly on Mobile Legends and the ability to move smoothly via the thumbstick instead of smudging your screen is a great advantage. Check out the video below for a quick intro and demo.

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Here’re the specs and a few more pics.

Front view of the GamePad mod.

Now this is interesting, the GamePad sports Lenovo's Legion branding, and it lights up too when connected. LED bling, now you definitely know it's for serious gaming.

Buttons and controls on the right.

Shoulder button, thumbstick and directional pads. If the design looks very bare now, it's probably because the unit is an early prototype, as evident from its unpolished plastics. We do hope that Moto adds proper markings to the buttons though.

3.5mm jack and USB-C for charging.

Specifications

Detail

Dimensions

226 x 75.9 x 24.4 mm

Weight

140g

Controls

Dual analog sticks, four action buttons A/B/X/Y, a directional pad, and L1/R1/L2/R2 shoulder buttons, L3D/R3D plus home, select, start

LED Lights

Red Dual LED lights that respond to controls

Battery size

1035mAh

Battery life

Up to 8 hours of game play

Ports

USB-C for charging, 3.5mm HSJ, Moto Mods connector

Charge rate

500mA/5V

 

Moto TurboPower Pack

The TurboPower Pack is a new mod that fixes everything wrong with the original battery pack mods. It’s a hair thicker than the old battery packs (6.58mm vs 6.2mm), but packs way more juice (3,490mAh vs 2,200mAh). Not only that, it delivers power to your phone faster at up to 15W, capable of giving the Z2 Play for example, up to 8 hours of extra battery life in just 15 minutes. The old battery pack mod only charged your phone at 6W. The TurboPower Pack now has its own USB-C port too, so you can recharge it directly. The original battery mods could only be recharged when attached to a Moto Z phone that’s plugged in, which was a serious design flaw.

The TurboPower Pack provides a very nice grip.

There's now a power bar, a needed quality of life enhancement for a battery pack.

Doubles the Z2 Play's thickness, but also more than doubles its battery life. Also, this one can be charged on its own.

More Style Shells, now with wireless charging

Motorola released more Style Shell cover designs, which is always great for device personalization, but the new Style Shells also comes with an upgrade, in that they now have built-in wireless charging, supporting the following formats: Qi 1.2.3 (10W) and PMA 3.0 (5W).

The new Wireless Charging Style Shells don't just look good, they add wireless charging capabilities to Moto Z phones. Picture:Motorola

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