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Out with the old, in with the new: LineageOS cut support for Android 9 Pie earlier this year, and to make up for the loss, the open-source project has just released version 18.1 based on Android 11. It comes with official support for about 60 phones and tablets.
LineageOS 17.1 adds support for OnePlus Nord, 2013 Nexus 7, and more
The Android 10-based custom ROM rolls out to more devices
LineageOS is the most popular custom ROM around, and for good reason. It has extended the life of many phones and tablets that would have otherwise been abandoned, and even for phones still receiving software updates from the original manufacturer, Lineage can sometimes work better than the stock software. Since our last roundup, LineageOS 17.1 has arrived on eight more devices, including the OnePlus Nord and 2013 Google Nexus 7.
If you're after a Motorola phone with just a bit more gusto than the $150 G7 Play, the Z3 Play has also been discounted for Black Friday. It's currently just 9.99, marked down from its regular price of $399.99. It's arguably an even better deal than the G7 Play for just a bit more money.The Moto Z3 Play is equipped with a 6.0" 1080p AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 636, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage with microSD expansion, a dual 12MP + 5MP rear camera setup, an 8MP front-facing camera, and a 3,000mAh battery. It also includes a Power Pack Moto Mod, further extending the battery life capabilities. Being a Prime Exclusive phone, it has Alexa and a bunch of pre-installed apps from Bezos, Inc.
If you're still hanging on to your old wired headphones, this is an excellent opportunity to pick up one of the last phones that still support them. Though it's not the most popular phone of this generation (see our review), the Moto Z4 is still a very decent phone, especially at this reduced price of $400. And with an included 360° camera, this is not a bad deal at all. If that's still out of your budget, several of Motorola's mid-range phones have been discounted as well.
Motorola's modular smartphone dream may not have panned out the way the company had hoped, but it still produced some pretty novel hardware. The Moto Z3 Play was flatly too expensive at launch, costing $500 — but now, a year later, Motorola is offering it at a very steep discount: 9.99, with a free Moto Mod.
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- Motorola has also dropped the price of the Z3 Play to 0 on its site, and is throwing in a free stereo speaker, gamepad, or True Zoom mod for free with the purchase. Simply add the phone and one of the three mods to your cart to enjoy the discount. I would have recommended the True Zoom mod as it's the most expensive (and probably most useful) of the three, but it's out of stock for now. Sadly, the battery mod isn't part of the offer, as it would have been my go-to option.
If you're on the lookout for an interesting mid-range device that won't break the bank, the Moto Z3 is definitely worth considering. It features respectable internals, but its release price was too steep for it to thrill on such a competitive market. Nevertheless, now that the handset is down to just $200, it offers excellent value for money.
If you're looking for an affordable and reliable phone that offers an unaltered Android experience, the Moto Z3 Play is an option worth considering. The device was selling for $500 when it launched last year, which was quite expensive for a mid-range device. However, the handset is now a lot more interesting as its price has hit an all-time low of just $290.The Z3 Play features a 6" HD screen, a Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage, which is expandable thanks to the MicroSD slot. It also has a dual 12MP+5MP camera setup on the back and an 8MP selfie sensor on the front. Most importantly, the handset can be expanded with Moto Mods, letting you snap a gamepad, 360 camera, or additional battery on the back of your phone. The latter is actually included in the box and adds an extra 2200mAh to the main battery's capacity.
Motorola's phones were once renowned for getting the latest Android OS updates extremely quickly, but that hasn't been the case for many years. Two of its phones, the Moto Z3 Play and Moto Z2 Force, are finally being updated to Android Pie. Given that we're now on our fourth beta release of Android Q, it's safe to say that Moto's lagging behind a bit.
Ever since Lenovo snagged Motorola, it has become a very different company than it was under Google. While the original Moto X was all about perfectly matched hardware and software, the newer high-end Moto Z phones have something else up their sleeves – Moto Mods, which can be snapped on the back of the devices to extend their functionality. The latest model in this line is the Moto Z3 Play, and we've found a deal for you: currently, the Amazon Prime exclusive version of the phone is available for $329.We only reluctantly recommended this device when we first reviewed it and our biggest gripe was the high $500 price tag that just didn't seem justified for its abilities. The Moto Z3 Play has often been available for $349 in recent months, but the latest discount makes it looks like an even better deal – especially considering that Amazon is throwing in the Power Pack Mod, which allows the phone to last much longer than it would without the hunch on its back.The Moto Z3 Play becomes really competitive at this price point, but remember that this device only works on CDMA carriers – if you're on a GSM network, this phone won't make you happy. Be sure to check out our full review as well before pulling the trigger.Buy: Amazon.com
In our review of the Moto Z3 Play from last year, we said it carried "an unacceptable price for a decent phone." In the event that you did pony up the $500 for it, or maybe just bought it on sale, you should be excited that development for its Android 9 Pie firmware is coming soon. Motorola has just published the Z3 Play's Pie kernel source code on GitHub.
With many of its recent offerings, Motorola has had trouble striking a balance between value and price: the company is launching some good phones, but they're often too expensive to recommend. That makes them ripe for sales, though — and the Z3 Play is currently on sale for a substantial $150 off MSRP from a number of retailers.In his review, Ryan found that the screen, software, and cameras on the Z3 Play were all great, but its $500 price tag pit it against more appealing (and more powerful) alternatives from companies like OnePlus. Now, though, it's $349.99, which is a very fair price.
Back in August, Motorola published a list of eight phones that it planned to update to Android 9 Pie. Fast forward six months, and the Moto Z3 Play has finally had its Pie release notes published. We haven't seen any reports of the update actually being pulled just yet, but it should be hitting devices any day now.
Motorola's phones generally have nice hardware, an unadulterated version of Android, and good performance for their price. Those things are all true of the Moto Z3 Play, which launched launched last year for $500 — the last one even more so now that the phone is on sale at B&H for $115 off its MSRP.
Every so often, Motorola updates its camera app with bug fixes and maybe a couple of new features. This latest Moto Camera update is rather hefty, adding several new features. Highlights include a selfie portrait mode for all Motorola devices now, AR stickers for the Moto Z3 and Z3 Play, and a nifty watermarking feature.
The Motorola One Power and Moto Z3 Play are fairly recent releases from Motorola, having debuted earlier this year. Both phones have now had their kernel source codes published on GitHub, meaning that custom development for them can now properly begin.
Amazon sells several 'Prime Exclusive' phones on its site, which have a lower initial price in exchange for pre-installed Amazon software. The Prime phones are already cheaper than their non-Prime counterparts, but now they're even less expensive. The Moto X4, LG Stylo 4, Moto Z3 Play, LG V35 ThinQ, and Moto G6 are all on sale.First is the Moto X4, which is now $179.99 ($70 off). It has a Snapdragon 630 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage (with a microSD card slot), a 5.2-inch 1080p screen, and IP68 water resistance. Keep in mind that this has Motorola's own flavor of Android, not the Android One software that the Project Fi version has. It's currently running Android 8.0 Oreo, but a Pie update is promised.Next is the LG Stylo 4, now priced at $179.99 ($120 off). It has a large 6.2-inch 18:9 1080p display, a Snapdragon 450 processor, 3GB RAM, and 32GB of internal storage (with a microSD card slot). It ships with Android 8.1, and LG has not confirmed if it will receive Pie or not.The Moto Z3 Play is currently $369.99 ($100 off). It has a 6-inch 18:9 1080p display, a Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage (with a microSD card slot), and a 3,000mAh battery. The phone also supports all 'Moto Mod' attachments, including the Power Pack that is included in the box. You can see our review here.The Moto G6 is now $229 ($70 off). This version has a 5.7-inch 18:9 1080p display, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage (with a microSD card slot), a Snapdragon 450 processor, and a 3,000mAh battery. Motorola says the G6 will get a Pie update, but for now it has Android 8.0 Oreo. You can read our review here.Finally, the LG V35 ThinQ is $549.99 ($350 off). This is the only flagship phone on this list, with its Snapdragon 845 processor and 6GB RAM. Other specifications include a 6-inch 18:9 1440p OLED screen, 64GB storage (with microSD expansion), and a 3,300mAh battery.
TWRP is by far the best custom recovery for Android devices; it can do everything from flashing ROMs to performing full storage backups. The last time we covered the project, it added official support for the Essential Phone, Nokia 8, and HTC U11 EYEs. More phones have joined the party since then, including the Moto Z3 Play and a handful of budget Samsung devices.
Modular smartphones haven't taken off the way we'd hoped they would back before Project Ara got canned. Motorola hasn't yet given up on the dream of an à la carte future, though, and for a limited time, you can snag a free Alexa smart speaker mod when you buy a Moto Z3 Play.The Z3 Play costs $499.99 (give or take), and on its own, the mod — an extended battery/Alexa speaker combo — is going for $112.49 just about everywhere right now, so it's certainly a nice incentive from a financial point of view. All the better if you're already invested in Amazon's virtual assistant.
While Android Pie rolls out to phones from Google and Essential, most OEMs haven't announced which devices will receive the update. HTC revealed a few days ago which of its phones are being updated, and now it's Motorola's turn.
Motorola has changed a lot since the days when it was a Google company. Ah, what a time that was! With the glory days of the Moto X long behind us, it's all about Moto Mods now. The company has just launched its first 2018 Z device—the Moto Z3 Play, and it's pushing the modular angle even harder. When you purchase the Z3 Play, you get a Motorola battery Mod in the box, plus support for all the Mods released thus far. Unfortunately, that's not as strong a selling point as Motorola would have you believe.