After testing the waters in the US, Moto finally launched its flagship phone Moto Z2 Force in India. Although the arrival is counted as little late, the handset is still quite competent and has an aggressive mid-range price.
The biggest USP of Moto Z2 Force is its shatterproof display and the support for Modular accessories aka Moto Mods. The phone is priced in India at Rs. 34,999 that means it will be up against the likes of OnePlus 5T, which is the hottest selling phone in this price segment.
So, which one should you buy? Let’s try and answer that by comparing the two against each other.
Moto Z2 Force vs OnePlus 5T Specifications
| Model | Moto Z2 Force | OnePlus 5T |
| Display | 5.5-inch, 16:9 Quad HD POLED shatterproof display | 6-Inch,18:9 AMOLED Display, Full HD+, Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.45GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 835 SoC, Adreno 540 GPU | 2.45GHz octa-core Snapdragon 835, Adreno 540 GPU |
| RAM | 6GB RAM | 6GB LPDDR4x |
| Internal Storage | 64GB storage, expandable up to 2TB with microSD | 64GB (UFS 2.1), expandable up to |
| Software | Android Oreo | Android Nougat-based Oxygen OS (Oreo update coming soon) |
| Primary Camera | 12MP (f/2.0) + 12MP (f/2.0) | 16MP (f/1.7) + 20MP (f/1.7) |
| Secondary Camera | 5MP, f/2.2 | 16MP, f/2.0 |
| Others | 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, Fingerprint sensor, Moto Mods support, and Moto Gestures | 4G VoLTE, dual-band WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, Alert slider, GPS |
| Battery | 2730mAh, Turbo Charging | 3300mAh, Dash charging |
| Price | Rs. 34,999 | Rs. 32,999 |
Also Read: Top 10 Smartphones Expected to Launch in February 2018
Design and Build Quality
The Moto Z2 Force and OnePlus 5T both feel wonderful in hands. Both are premium, slim, and ergonomic with their metal unibody and subtly curved corners. Neither of the two devices will disappoint you at this front, but there are still some areas to chose between.
The design of Moto Z2 Force looks a lot like its sibling Moto Z2 Play. It flaunts the same flat back with camera bump on top followed by Moto logo and magnetic pins at the bottom. It is just that the Z2 Force is slimmer, has a metallic back, and sport a ShatterSheild display that makes it resistant to drops. The Moto Z2 force is missing a full-view display, however, and that should be the major deciding factor between the two.
Also Read: This Is What Samsung’s Full-screen Display Phone Could Look Like
The OnePlus 5T, on the other hand, has a different story to tell. The phone has a slightly curved back with the fingerprint sensor and camera modules on the top-right corner. The phone’s fascia is dominated by infinity display under Gorilla Glass 5.
Display
As for the display, the Moto Z2 Force sports a normal 5.5-inch QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) POLED screen with broad bezels. Whereas its arch-rival OnePlus 5T has a bigger 6-inch Full HD+ (2160×1440) display well adjusted in the 18:9 screen aspect ratio.
In comparison, the Moto Z2 Force display does take an edge over the OnePlus 5T in terms of resolution, but it is the latter’s display that looks more appealing to eyes. The full vision display is a trend many wouldn’t want to miss on at this point in time.
The Moto Z2 Force will survive drops, thanks to the ShatterShield technology, but it’s also extremely prone to scratches. You will have to use a screen protector at all times.
Performance Software
Incidentally, both Moto Z2 Force and OnePlus 5T rock Snapdragon 835 SoC and runs on stock-Android out of the box (although the 5T uses Oxygen OS on top of Android, the experience is closer to stock).
The processor that both the handset uses is one of the fastest chipsets in the industry and offers immaculate day-to-day usage and gaming performance.
The OnePlus 5T has a slight advantage here as the phone comes with fast LPDDR4X RAM and is being offered in two variants. The base variant comes with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage and the top-variant employs 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.
In the similar context, the Moto Z2 Force comes in a single variant – normal 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. However, the phone still manages to hold an edge with its modular capabilities. The Moto Z2 Force with Moto Mods can add extra features to your phone.
Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Review: Is it the perfect mid-range phone?
At the software front, both phones are feature rich. The Moto Z2 Force runs on the latest Android Oreo out-of-the-box coupled with Moto Gestures. Whereas the OnePlus 5T will initially boot on Android Nougat, but you can update it to Android Oreo.
Camera and Battery
The Moto Z2 Force sports two 12MP RGB and Monochrome sensor on the rear with f/2.0 aperture lens, PDAF, Laser Auto Focus and regular LED flash. Adjacent to this, the OnePlus 5T also has a 16MP and 20MP sensor with the latter being a low light sensor. Both sensors will benefit from wide f/1.7 aperture optics, EIS and LED flash.
Both phones have portrait modes (background blur) and the ability to shoot good images in broad daylight. But, it is the Moto Z2 Force that will have an edge in low-light conditions with its additional monochrome sensor.
Out of the two, the OnePlus 5T has a significantly bigger battery capacity and battery mileage. Perhaps that’s why Moto bundles the TurboPower battery Mod with the Z2 Force and you can use it to augment battery capacity on the phone. Both phones support fast charging but the Dash Charging on OnePlus 5T is faster than the turbo one.
Verdict
It was a close one. While the OnePlus 5T still seems to have an overall edge, the Moto Z2 Force is a quite capable challenger and should appeal more to people looking for something unconventional.
Who Should Buy Moto Z2 Force? Basically, the Moto Z2 Force is designed for all the clumsy people out there. The phone has a shatterproof display, which won’t shatter or crack from every day falls. Also, Moto Mods can be used to augment the experience in several meaningful ways and make the handset an interesting buy.
Who Should Buy OnePlus 5T? The OnePlus 5T is an all-rounder phone that makes more sense for generic consumers. It will interest anyone looking for full vision display, fast performance, better selfie camera, and better battery and software experience.
