PERFORMANCE: Overall the performance of the Motorola Moto Z did well but was not among our top scorers. Many users will be satisfied with its performance especially if you're looking for a mid-range smartphone. Ergonomics on the Moto Z were very good. While not the best, the touchscreen was very good and it is easy to use. You should be able to get comfortable using this smartphone very quickly. Call quality and convenience on the Moto Z were not the best but they were very good. Sound while on a call was very good in a quiet room and with background noise. Your sound quality will vary due to many factors including background noise, if you are moving between cell towers, the quality of the phone on the other end of the call, and the quality of the cell tower and antenna.
DURABILITY: After 50 drops in the tumbler, our experts rated it as excellent. An included protection cover was used in testing. There were just some minor scratches. Overall, it was in good working condition. After our more strenuous 100 drops in the tumbler the screen and body proved they can take a serious tumble. Our experts rated it as excellent. Overall, it was in good working condition.
PORTABILITY/BATTERY: The 5.5-inch screen on the Moto Z comes in a body measuring 6.2-inches tall, 3.1-inches wide, 0.3-inches thick, and weighs 5.9 ounces. Those measurements mean the phone is taller and wider than most. At 23.5 hours, it has an above average battery lifespan. Its battery is not removable and the phone doesn't support wireless charging.
CAMERA: The main rear camera on the Motorola Moto Z measures 13-megapixels. The camera has optical image stabilization to improve your chances of taking better handheld photos under low-light conditions. Overall the camera performance was very good. The main camera is among our top performers for shooting stills. Images are evaluated on high quality LCD displays. The test photos are taken in a brightly lit studio and outdoors on a sunny day. In the viewing tests the images were rated good overall. These images offer acceptable results for color quality, exposure level, sharpness, and image noise but the images are not among the better cameras on smartphones. The Moto Z comes with a 5-megapixel selfie cam. Overall the selfie camera quality was good.
DISPLAY: Overall the display quality was very good. The display resolution was high enough, close to or greater than 300dpi, so you see a smooth, crisp display but it didn't appear quite as crisp as our best displays. If the display does have a higher resolution, most people will not be able to tell the difference. Readability outdoors is a combination of brightness, measured in candelas per square meter, and reflectivity. The readability rating was very good. The brightness level measured 1 meter from the screen was a little dim for outdoor sunlight at 360cd/m² and reflective glare was slightly noticeable.
