PERFORMANCE: Overall the Motorola Moto Z3 Play 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. Ease of use on the Moto Z3 Play was 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. Performance of the Moto Z3 Play was very good. While not the best, the maximum upload and download speeds and tested processor performance were fast. Most tasks will seem quick with only minor slowdowns. Call quality and convenience on the Moto Z3 Play 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: Overall, the durability of the Moto Z3 Play was Excellent. The phone scored an Excellent in our scratch resistance test. This phone passed our tumble test. The tumble test results are as follows: After 50 drops in the tumbler, our experts rated it as Excellent. The phone had nearly no noticeable damage 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. The phone had some minor scratches. Overall, it was in good working condition. This phone passed our rain test where a gentle rain falls on the phone for 5 minutes. This phone is not IP rated for water intrusion and was not tested for that.
PORTABILITY/BATTERY: The 6-inch screen on the Moto Z3 Play comes in a body measuring 6.1-inches tall, 3-inches wide, 0.5-inches thick, and weighs 8.1 ounces. Those measurements mean the phone is heavier than most. At 39 hours, it is among the longest battery lifespans we tested. Its battery is not removable and the phone doesn't support wireless charging.
CAMERA: The main rear camera on the Motorola Moto Z3 Play measures 12.2-megapixels. The camera does not have optical image stabilization so handheld photos in low light may be blurrier than cameras with optical image stabilization. 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 in a controlled studio simulating sunlight. 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 Z3 Play comes with an 8-megapixel selfie cam. Overall the selfie camera quality was very good.
DISPLAY: Overall the display quality was excellent. The display resolution was high enough, close to or greater than 300dpi, so you see a smooth, crisp display. 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 maximum brightness level measured 1 meter from the screen was a high 480cd/m² and reflective glare was minimal.
