TELUS | The Lenovo Moto Z Review

Changing the Way We Smartphone!

Last updated on November 10th, 2020 at 12:07 am

“You need a Moto Z.”

— Casey Palmer to basically everyone he talks to, gushing over how awesome his phone is.

In the beginning, I wondered what was so cool about a phone without a headphone jack.

TELUS x The Lenovo Moto Z—Moto Z Front and Back ComboWhen Apple announced the iPhone 7 in September, people lost their minds—what’s the point of having a device with access to millions of songs if you can’t listen to them? Buy wireless earbuds, they said. Change up the charging port with a dongle, they said.  It took a feature everyone knew so well and did away with it—for a number of good reasons, mind you (waterproofing and Bluetooth redundancy to name a couple), but for all the negative hoopla they got about it, people failed to note two things:

  1. We must embrace better methods to make better phones, and
  2. That Apple didn’t do it first.

My Smartphone’s Cooler Than YOUR Smartphone.

Released three months before the iPhone 7, I admittedly hadn’t even heard of the Lenovo Moto Z before TELUS passed it my way for a review, but I’d soon learn the error of my ways!

An ultra-thin smartphone with a slick Quad HD display, a speedy Qualcomm® Snapdragonâ„¢ 820 processor, and TurboPowerâ„¢ Charging giving you up to 8 hours of battery life in 15 minutes, the Moto Z’s a bloody powerful device with a neat little trick up its sleeve—it can become more than just a phone!

TELUS x The Lenovo Moto Z—Moto ModsYou see, it’s been a long time since the smartphone industry’s wowed us. We’re bombarded by devices with faster this and newer that, but when so many of these innovations are just copies of features that competitors had for years, it takes a lot more to turn our heads when so much feels the same. So many devices obsess over what’s inside. They’ve got bigger batteries and faster processors, but they can only take you so far… there’s gotta be something phones can do to change the game, and the Moto Z asks why focus so much on the inside when you can do so much more on the outside?

And with that thinking in mind, we’ve gotta talk about Moto Modsâ„¢!

Moto Mods™—They’re Changing the Way We Smartphone!

Moto Mods™ have the Moto Z combine with peripherals to transform it into a number of gadgets! For now, you can turn it into a speaker, projector, or fully-featured camera, but more importantly, Moto Mods™ represent a shift in thinking, challenging what we expect from our smartphones in the future! Motorola Mobility’s actively exploring what else they can add to the Moto Mods™ line, continuing to extend the usefulness of its phones well beyond the features they have when originally purchased.

And even better, they’re easy to use! Moto Modsâ„¢ slap onto the back of the phone with magnets—really strong magnets—doing away with tangly wires and cumbersome plugs for a 16-pin connector that makes them work instantly. No Bluetooth, no Wi-Fi—you can connect a Moto Modâ„¢ to the back of a Moto Z and seconds later become the life of the party! Or choose a different one and you’re ready for the big meeting, showing off your video on a 70″ screen. You can even make yourself the next Ansel Adams and use a 10x optical zoom to shoot things that you’d never normally capture with a standard smartphone camera!

There’s a lot that Moto Mods™ open you up to—let me tell you about a few I got my hands on and how they helped me make the most of the way I smartphone!

The Incipio offGRIDâ„¢ Power Pack || Extra Power to Get You Through Your Day!

One of the simplest Moto Modsâ„¢ is a battery pack you clip to the back of your phone, giving it a 2220 mAh boost for up to 20 more hours of power as soon as they’re connected!

To give you an idea of how beneficial that is, this phone just couldn’t cut it with its standard 2600 mAh battery. I keep immensely active on my phone every day, and coupled with the flashy features the Moto Z boasts, I can burn through that in a matter of hours.

But the Incipio offGRID™ is my bae, essentially doubling the Moto Z’s capacity without making it too bulky—for someone who usually carries an extra battery pack, you don’t know how good this feels!

The JBL Soundboost Speaker || Because Standard Smartphone Speakers do NOT a Party Make!

TELUS x The Lenovo Moto Z—Moto Mods—JBL Soundboost Speaker in ActionBluetooth speakers aren’t anything new—you can buy ’em in countless shapes, colours and sizes, and man can they ever pump the jams!

I mean, no matter how powerful those speakers might be, they’re also awfully inconvenient. I mean, how many of us need speakers every day? Smartphones’ built-in speakers have grown mighty enough to meet most of our needs, but they may fail to do the trick if there’s a party with your name on it and no outlet in sight!

Good thing the JBL Soundboost Speaker has a battery of its own, offering up 10 hours of play for whatever music floats your boat! With a kickstand built in to keep your speaker elevated, it ensures that your music’s filling the room instead of just bouncing off the ceiling!

Y’all ain’t ready.

The Hasselblad True Zoom Camera || The Best Camera is the One You Have With You… But it’s EVEN BETTER When You Have a Real LENS to Work With!

While the Incipio offGRIDâ„¢ is the Moto Modâ„¢ I use most, the Hasselblad True Zoom is by far my favourite, adding a 10x optical zoom, Xenon flash, and RAW format photos to a smartphone whose camera’s already pretty stellar!

Now for you purists out there, let me be straight—we don’t yet have smartphone tech to outdo a real camera. My SLR is faster, sharper and shoots photos with more vibrant colour, but it’s a camera—that’s what it’s supposed to do. For a great shot on the go, the Hasselblad True Zoom proves a trusty ally—here’re a few sample photos if you want to see for yourself!

The Lenovo Moto Z—A First Step in the Future of Smartphones

I’m not here to convince you why the Moto Z’s an amazing piece of hardware—it’s something you’ll need to experience for yourself. Even without a 3.5″ headphone jack or a Micro USB port, it’s the device I turn to most! It looks good, sounds good, and takes great pictures—what more could a blogger ask for?

TELUS x The Lenovo Moto Z—Moto Z Three-Quarters AngleIf you really want to step your smartphone game up, it’s time to start colouring outside the lines with a phone that’s more than just a phone. Whether you need more sound, more power, or more photos worthy of joining your family’s permanent collection, the Lenovo Moto Z’s definitely a phone you’re going to want to look at!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Quad HD screen to covet.

Good luck to all who enter, and until the next, I remain,

–case p.


Disclaimer: To help type this post to its appropriate levels of awesome, TELUS provided both a Lenovo Moto Z and a Lenovo Moto Z Play for review, giveaway, or whatever else worked! Opinions are my own, and I use the Moto Z all the time. Bonne chance!

By Casey E. Palmer

Husband. Father. Storyteller.

Calling the Great White North his home, Casey Palmer the Canadian Dad spend his free time in pursuit of the greatest content possible.

Thousand-word blog posts? Snapshots from life? Sketches and podcasts and more—he's more than just a dad blogger; he's working to change what's expected of the parenting creators of the world.

It's about so much more than just our kids.

When Casey's not creating, he's busy parenting, adventuring, trying to be a good husband and making the most of his life!

Casey lives in Toronto, Ontario.

106 replies on “TELUS | The Lenovo Moto Z Review”

I’d add an instant, floating in mid air, invisibly supported keyboard. Like a phantom full-sized keyboard that pops out when I need it, and pops back into wherever when I don’t. Surely that’s not too much to ask ? :0

To be honest, they already have my wish covered with the strap on speaker. I hate trying to play music on a phone without headphones, but I also don’t like to share my headphones. It’s a conundrum.

I would combine it with my heat , turn up the heat without getting out of bed in the morning and being chilly 🙂

I would like to have a mood detector. When I am sad my ringtone would be a happy tune and when I am anxious the music and display would calm me down.

I would add a leash that retracts for my dogs or how about an umbrella that pops out when it rains or all gadgets as in Inspector Gadget, all attached to my phone 🙂

I would combine it with a remote for appliances in my house as well as the thermostat. It would be nice to preheat the house and oven so they are up to temperature when I get home! ????

I would combine this Lenovo Moto Z with bluetooth headphones 🙂 For those windy days when walking the pups.

I would like to be warm this winter – I’d love to be able to turn up the furnace before I get home and start the car before I get in it!

I would like a small but large capacity storage module other than a micro sd card. This way I can load my music without using the storage space on my phone. I listen to a wide variety of music and have not been able to carry it all.

I would add a smartphone hand warmer to keep my digits warm during winter. Thanks so much for the awesome review & giveaway! I have just the guy in mind that needs a boost into the new age of modular phones! Happy holidays!

To be honest with you I think they have already covered everything I could think of to add, what a great phone!

a multi-screwdriver, because my PINK is always missing because my husband and boys are always using it, as I keep it handy. This way, it would be on my phone, and on ME all the time! haha

I would combine this phone with my coffee maker…if it could bring me coffee, I would do the biggest sassy dance ever!

I would like to be able to warm up my walker with it and de-ice wouldn’t that be cool I’ve always wanted one but to be honest cannot afford it. This would be an awesome gift to win. Thanks for the chance to win good luck everyone!!!

i’d combine the phone with a clapper or item tracking device, that way if i lost it, i could just clap and fit it!

It would be so helpful if I could combine a blacklight to my smartphone. I can be a germophobe sometimes and that blacklight would give me a peace of mind! – Jenn E

If I could combine my smartphone with another, it would be a microscope or telescope! 15 year old me/my inner science nerd would be so happy.

I think it would be awesome to be able to get cash out of our phones haha I don’t have a clue what I’d add

I would love it if they could have a built in hand warmer, but wait Samsung already did that…hmm I guess I’ll have to go with a car starter!

I wish my phone never needed to be charged or it had a little solar panel on it so the sun would boost the battery. Sweet giveaway! Thank you.

I’d definitely combine it with some kind of photo/document printer, for quick, on-the-go memories. (Or to print out tickets from those pesky places that won’t accept the email on your smartphone!)

I love this question lol.. I think Id combine it with a coffee machine. Then I could just get a coffee anywhere at anytime. thats the real dream.

I can’t believe how much they already do when you really think about it! I can’t really think of anything realistic left. I know there is probably an app already that translates people speaking another language live and then translates you back to them. That would be so awesome for travelling.

If I could combine a smartphone with something else it would be an invention that wouldn’t allow it to work unless the car was in neutral or park. Would save a lot of lives.

Smart phones need to be equipped with a don’t text and talk if you’re being distracted monitor and it would hurt to have a breathalyzer either.

I would like my smartphone combined with a video doorbell smart-home security system so I could see who is at the door.

My truthful answer is I don’t know. I think I am the only person on the universe who does not have a phone. In fact, my husband let me use his one day because I was highway travelling. He called so I pulled over (cause you should)… and I didn’t even know how to answer it. LOL He figured that so called 4 times … then I answered. I just don’t want one but now I think it is time…. to get with the times. 🙂 😛

I think an evening “pause” from 6pm-8pm would be great. Just set it up, and receive no notifications or phone calls during that time. Just something to have to disconnect for a couple hours a day!!

I would like to zoom a photo, love movie night so if this can also use to feature a movie on the wall tha will,serve as a projector, that would be a bonus

it would pretty cool to have a laser measure on it, in the future it would be awesome to have it 3d print stuff.

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