latest
Verizon flipped the switch early on its two-city mobile 5G network today, and has already started sending out the software those first users will need to access it. Moto Z3 owners are currently getting an update delivering support for the 5G Moto Mod, and if that weren't nice enough, the update also just so happens to bring Android 9 Pie to the phone.
The era of 5G is upon us, whether you like it or not. Verizon's millimeter wave 5G NR network is launching in Minneapolis and Chicago on April 11. What about 5G devices? Well, the long-awaited 5G Moto Mod goes up for pre-order tomorrow (March 14).
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.
This year's flagship phone from Motorola, the Moto Z3, was something of a disappointment. Still, if you own one, here's some good news. Motorola just published kernel sources for the Z3 (codenamed 'Messi'), so developers can now easily create custom ROMs and recoveries for the phone.
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 is still pumping out successful mid-range and budget phones, but a smash-hit flagship device has eluded it for years. The Moto Z phones with their modular accessories have potential, but consumers aren't running out to buy many $200 projectors or $130 photo printers. If you ignore the Moto Mods, past Moto Z flagships have at least been top-of-the-line phones with uncluttered software and modern specs. That's what makes the new Moto Z3 so perplexing. It's specced like a phone from 2017. Plus, it's exclusive to Verizon.
The race to 5G is on with every carrier promising big rollouts of next-generation networks in the coming year, but what about the phones? The first wave of consumer 5G devices are likely to be Wi-Fi hotspots, but Motorola thinks it has a way to offer the world's first 5G phone with the recently announced 5G Moto Mod. It's a strange device that will require certain compromises, but it's still probably better than the way we transitioned to 4G. Remember the Thunderbolt? Yeah, that's a low bar, but still.
Modular smartphone hardware may not have taken the world by storm, but we continue to see companies trying to make it work. While it's always nice to have newcomers like Essential taking a stab at it, the king of modular add-ons is still Motorola. Going back two years now, Moto Mods have offered owners of Z-series devices the chance to augment their phone experiences with everything from cameras with optical zoom to miniature video projectors. Back in June we were introduced to the mid-range Moto Z3 Play and today we get to meet its big brother, the new Moto Z3.
We just saw a leaked photo of the Moto E5 yesterday, but apparently that wasn't all there is to leak. Droid Life has posted renders and details on six phones: the Moto G6, the Moto G6 Plus, the Moto G6 Play, the Moto X5, the Moto Z3, and the Moto Z3 Play. All of them follow the trend of a higher screen-to-body ratio with an 18:9 display.