Moto Z
Before moving on to the details, we’ll very quickly recall how the “fashion” is attached to the Moto smartphones. For the user, the process is incredibly simple.
First, there are special magnetic contacts on the phone case and on the modules themselves
All accessories have either a recess or a round hole for Moto and Moto Z lenses. They protrude slightly from the smartphone case in order to serve as the second fulcrum when fixing “mods”. The result is a very reliable connection. Modules do not fall off or stagger.
Charger Incipio offGRID
The battery life is the weak side of any smartphone. Even long-distance record holders like our Lenovo P2 can hardly last longer than 3-4 days without recharging, and this is considered an incredibly long time. So, an external battery for charging gadgets in emergency cases is not just useful, but sometimes even necessary.
Instead of carrying a power bank, Moto Z and Moto Z Play users can add to their arsenal a charger Incipio offGRID . The operating principle of this “mod” is exactly the same as that of any other battery cover. With two important amendments: it is much more compact and you do not need to connect it to the USB port of the smartphone.
By the way, this is generally the easiest Moto mod of all available today: the “battery” weighs only 83.3 Gram at a thickness of 6.2 mm. An excellent addition to the ultra-thin Moto Z and a completely unbearable burden for Moto Z Play.
However, mod can be removed from the bag or backpack only when necessary, and it will still be more convenient, Than unreliable construction of power bank, cable and smartphone. And, yes, with Incipio offGRID, you can forget the USB Type-C cord at home anytime, because it does not really need to connect to the phone.
The built-in battery capacity is 2200 mAh. In the settings there are two power modes. In the economical, both the charge of the smartphone and the offGRID charge are simultaneously consumed – the phone will last the longest. In intensive mode, the offGRID charge is first consumed and then the charge of the Moto Z or Moto Z Play battery is consumed.
We tested Incipio offGRID in conjunction with Moto Z Play in the second scenario in order to get more visual statistics. In the Full HD video playback mode at maximum brightness, the accessory was discharged after about 10 hours, in the game mode, the full charge of the battery lasted for 4 hours. If we recall similar measurements for Moto Z Play without an additional battery (25 hours of video and 8 hours of games), we get an increase of 40 and 50% respectively!
JBL Soundboost
The next Moto mod is made especially for party lovers at home and outdoors, as well as for those who simply prefer not to leave for a long time with their favorite music. The JBL Soundboost acoustic system is a compact speaker, inside which two 27-mm speakers with a power of 3 watts each are hidden.
This is the largest of all four modules. First, minimizing the speakers does not improve the sound quality. Secondly, JBL Soundboost has its own 1000 mAh battery and even a separate Type-C connector for charging it.
The accessory weighs 147.3 grams at a thickness of 13 mm . In the pocket, you can not put the phone with the connected speaker, but it’s not required. The best place for Soundboost is a backpack or bag from which you will solemnly get acoustics when you decide to surprise your friends or listen to music alone.
Sound quality is a parameter for which everyone has his own score. But there is no doubt that a large room in the apartment or a small office of JBL Soundboost “shake” is quite capable. At that, the sound remains clean and balanced even at loudness values closely approaching the maximum.
As for the work time, the claimed 10 hours can be obtained at low volume. If you love, when you “shake”, then you should orient yourself for 3-4 hours. Speech, of course, is about discharging your own battery of the speaker system, but there is also a smartphone battery.
Finally a couple of words about convenience. It is clear that putting the smartphone screen in the table, so that the column would give out music “up” – not particularly convenient. That’s why there is a retractable leg between the two speakers, which allows you to accurately place the whole structure on any hard and more or less flat surface.
The Insta-Share Projector
Now we turn to the most unusual: the Insta-Share module with the built-in projector. Even the idea that this small module can project a picture with a diagonal up to 70 inches on the wall is already impressive. But when you see the projector in action, then except for “wow” and say nothing special. Well, at least for the very first time, for sure. Checked on colleagues in the office – the effect is exactly this.
Next it is appropriate to add a few words about the technical parameters. The first is brightness and contrast. Of course, by the standards of “large” projectors 50 lumens and 400: 1 – the indicators are modest, but do not forget about the size. The device we have is so compact that it fits easily into your pocket.
We will not lie: in the bright daylight the image is “lost”, but if you lower the blinds or pull the curtains, then Watching movies or presentations can be almost without difficulty. At night and in the dark, everything is absolutely wonderful – movie screenings can be arranged even on the street, displaying video on the wall of the country house. The main thing is that there are no powerful sources of artificial light nearby.
The image resolution is 854х480 pixels, the aspect ratio is 16: 9. To adjust the sharpness there is a special wheel, and for ease of installation – a wide flap leg. The lamp life of the projector is 10,000 hours. If we divide them by 365 days, we will get more hours (27+) than there are in a day. In reality, it is unlikely that someone will watch the video from the projector for longer than 3-4 hours a day. With this load, we get a life expectancy of almost 7 years.
As in the JBL Soundboost acoustics, the Insta-Share projector also has its own battery for 1100 mAh and USB Type-C For its recharging. It is enough for an hour projecting a photo or video. Together with the built-in Moto Z Play battery we have a total of about 3.5 hours.
Camera Hasselblad True Zoom
The fourth Moto mod is Hasselblad True Zoom. The module turns Moto Z and Z Play into full-fledged compact cameras. It has its own matrix and a serious lens with a stabilizer and 10x optical zoom. In the 35 mm equivalent, a focal length of 25-250 mm is obtained.
Photographing genre scenes with True Zoom in their hands is easy and comfortable. People around you will simply not notice you. And this is a serious advantage: no one starts to turn around frightened or jump out of the frame, so the plot remains complete and absolutely natural. In addition, True Zoom is a very convenient accessory for travel photography.
In a word, the “mod” was so interesting and convenient that we dedicated a separate large material to it. If you suddenly missed it, then here’s the link.
Will there still be “fashion”?
Certainly! We not only work on this issue ourselves, but we also try to interest the concept of Moto mods of talented third-party programmers. We have a ready-made platform for developing the Moto mods Development Kit, which can be purchased for $ 125.
It includes:
- The basic “mod” with a processor, battery, power board and ports for data transmission, Debug and output of graphic information.
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- A standard printed circuit board for creating new “mods.”
- Printed circuit board for Raspberry Pi
- Four additional boards for demonstrating the system’s capabilities: with a temperature module, with interface for connecting a second screen, with an audio interface and with an additional battery.
Recently we have just finished the contest of new Moto mods concepts. More than 700 participants from 55 countries of the world sent their work. In the finals came 12 applicants, whose projects are partly financed by us, and in part – by users of crowd-hosting platforms. And that’s what new modules are waiting for us, if the financial side of the issue is solved safely:
- Module with a professional microphone
- Module with built-in headphones
- Module with wireless charging and LED notification frame
- The module with the synthesizer
- Module with walkie-talkie
- Module with a solar battery
- Module with remote control of home appliances and many others …
In addition, at MWC 2017 we also announced several upcoming Moto mods. Among them are a module with voice assistant Amazon Echo and a module with a gamepad for mobile games. So the story of “mods” is not just going on, but it’s even more useful and interesting.
