Hello Moto. Meet the Motorola Moto Z.

I’ve always thought of Motorola as an innovative and trendy brand. Back in my high school days, having a Motorola pager was a sign of status. All the cool kids had one, and we traded cryptic messages spelled out in numeric – the emojis of my day. Then when university rolled around, I bought my first mobile phone – the Motorola RAZR. With its signature “Hello Moto” ringtone, plus the ability to play MP3s and take pictures, it was one of the first phones that allowed you to take entertainment with you on-the-go.

Fast forward more years than I’d like to admit, and I’m test driving the Motorola Moto Z. Does the new phone carry on Motorola’s tradition of trendsetting and innovation? Is Motorola still as hip and entertaining as it used to be? Read on, and I’ll tell you what I think.

Innovative design.

Featuring an all-metal body constructed with aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel, the Moto Z is built thin and light with purpose. It’s designed with a magnetic backing that allows you to snap on a variety of accessories called Moto Mods. These add-ons change the aesthetics of the phone, and transform and expand its capabilities. I’ll tell you more about the Mods in the sections below. The phone comes with a stylish black and grey, wood grain patterned backing plate that you can switch out for others with different designs to suit your style (sold separately).

Video viewing.

The Moto Z has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with Quad HD resolution, and it’s coated with a water-repellant coating. It’s not quite waterproof, but it’s nice that I don’t have to panic all those times I drink too fast and accidentally spill water on myself and splash on my phone (it happens pretty often to me). The screen makes for bright and clear video viewing, but with the optional Moto Insta-Share Projector Mod, you don’t have to limit your video viewing to just your screen.

One of my guilty pleasures is watching an episode of whatever show I happen to be binge watching on my phone before going to bed. Every night this week, I’ve popped the Projector Mod onto the back of my phone, turned off the lights, laid in bed, opened the CraveTV app on my phone and watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory projected on my ceiling. It’s like being at the drive-in theatre! I can imagine this Mod coming in handy next summer when out camping, or maybe just pulling up a lawn chair in the backyard and projecting a movie onto the side of the house. There’s nothing quite like watching a movie under the stars.

Music and sound.

Just like some of the other flagship phones recently released by other manufacturers, the Moto Z does not have a standard headphone jack. It does come with an adapter that you can use to connect your headphones through the USB-C port. But the lack of jack doesn’t matter as much when you have the option of snapping on the JBL SoundBoost Speaker. This Mod turns the Moto Z into a powerful boombox. Last weekend, I went to the gym in my building for a quick workout in the morning when it’s usually empty. I perched my phone on a table with the speaker Mod’s built-in stand, and blasted my exercise playlist. It filled the room with a wall of sound. I was impressed with the power and quality of sound coming out of a compact speaker.

Battery power.

Just like any smartphone, if you use your phone for video or music often, your battery will drain faster. Luckily, the Moto Z is built with fast charging technology that gives you several hours of power on just a few minutes of charging. Even better, you can power up on-the-go with the Incipio offGRID™ Power Pack. It’s been a lifesaver for me this week, especially because I’ve been using the projector. Simply snap on the battery Mod when you’re running low on juice, and you can keep playing wherever you go.

The bottom line.

So does the Motorola Moto Z successfully carry on the brand’s tradition of innovation? I think so. Just like many of its products from the past, Motorola has created an inventive phone that allows you to entertain yourself wherever you go. I love that I have options with the different Moto Mods – and I can snap them on, or switch them out easily for whatever activity I’m in the mood for. And, a cherry on top of all the cool gadgets that you can snap onto the Moto Z, the phone’s ringer defaults to a remix of the classic “Hello Moto” ringtone. Don’t worry, you can change it if you’re not as nostalgic as I am. The Moto Z is all about choice.

Glenn Calderon is Bell Mobility’s Marketing Communications Specialist.