Motorola continues to make compelling phones in a few different categories
Whether you're looking for a value-conscious choice that offers a great experience, a high-end device with the top bells and whistles, or an over-the-top carrier-specific model on Verizon, Motorola has you covered here. Even though it is now owned by Lenovo there isn't any shortage of innovation — the Moto G line is still a great choice at a lower price, the Moto Z line looks very promising and the last couple years of Droids have been solid for those on Verizon as well.
And here's where we gather up all of the models from Motorola that require the most attention — the top Motorola phones you should know about, whether you're in the market to buy right now or just need to know a bit more about them.
Article updated July 2016 to keep up with the new models.
Moto Z Droid Edition and Z Force Droid Edition
Announced June 2016 Motorola brings its own take on a modular design with the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. The first flagship devices to be launched since Lenovo bought the Motorola brand, the Z family uses detachable backplates called MotoMods to add more functionality.
Launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and only available for Verizon until later in 2016, the Moto Z will be a new series and Lenovo says they aren't meant to replace the Moto X line.
Motorola's take on a modular system looks to be a novel approach. With no dissassembly required, your baseline Moto Z can transform into a battery beast or a mini home stereo just by switching the backplate. We're looking forward to seeing how users get creative in this space, as well as how developers will get involved.
Moto X Style
Released in September 2015 The Moto X Style — known as the "Moto X Pure Edition" in the United States — is 2014's version of the venerable phone. It's bigger, scaling up to 5.7 inches, and the display has switched to a TFT LCD panel from AMOLED. This one launches with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and is powered by a Snapdragon 808 processor. It's available in either 16, 32 or 64GB of storage space, and Motorola has added a microSD card slot for the first time in the Moto X line.
After producing disappointing shooters the past two years, the new Moto X sports a 21-megapixel rear camera that Motorola promises will rival anything else out there. It's an improvement, for sure, though you'll still find some better shooters elsewhere.
Motorola also has tweaked its custom software features, allowing for better control over who appears in highlight videos, and you can now designate custom locations to trigger custom actions. Price starts at $399, and it'll be available outside of the U.S. carrier system, directly from Motorola itself.
Moto X Play
Coming late August 2015 The Moto X Play is a slightly lesser-spec'd version of the Moto X in most regards. It's got a slightly smaller 5.5-inch display at 1080p (which actually is a plus for many folks), runs Android 5.1.1 on a Snapdragon 615 processor, and comes in either 16- or 32-gigabyte flavors, with expandable storage thrown in for good measure. It's got a 21-megapixel camera.
The big spec here is the big battery. If you're wanting something that truly will last all day, this will be the one to look at. A few early performance issues hampered the experience a little, but for the most part it's the experience you get on the Moto X Style, without the price tag.
Moto G4 and G4 Plus
Released May 2016 The Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus continue Motorola's great line of budget phones that still deliver when it comes to performance. Both the G4 and G4 Plus are running Android Marshmallow 6.0 and feature a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a Snapdragon 617 processor, but there are some differences.
Most notable is the addition of a fingerprint sensor on the front of the G4 Plus. The Moto G4 base model comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage, while the G4 Plus is available in two models: one sporting 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage, and one offering 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. Both phones come in black or white.
The Moto G4 family isn't flashy — but they were never meant to be. They do deliver a great Android experience at a budget price, though, and that's what plenty of people are looking for.
Moto X Force / Droid Turbo 2
Released in November 2015 Motorola and Verizon's latest collaboration yields the Droid Turbo 2. Or if you're elsewhere in the world, a very similar phone known as the Moto X Force. The party piece of this new smartphone is its shatterproof display. Not many CEOs come on stage, announce a new phone and then throw it face down on the floor. But that's what happened with the Droid Turbo 2. A shatterproof screen doesn't make it indestructible, but it does stop the screen, well, shattering.
Elsewhere there's top notch battery life, Motorola's trade mark awesome software features and a design that certainly splits opinion. We'd recommend the black one over the white every day, but what Verizon did to the front of this thing with regards its logo still makes us a little mad.
Nexus 6
Released November 2014 Moto X too small for you? Want a more "Nexusy" experience? (Whatever that means at this point.) Need a bigger battery? Then the Nexus 6 may fit the bill for you. In a lot of ways this is really just a larger Moto X. Six-inch display with a higher QHD resolution. Larger battery at 3220 mAh. Optical Image Stabilization built into the 13-megapixel camera. Front-facing speakers and Motorola Turbo Charging. It is a big, powerful phone. But it's also lacking Motorola's subtle software improvements found on the Moto X. (Google tried to emulate some of them, to varying degrees of success.)
Unlike previous Nexus phones, this one doesn't shave anything off the price. And while we applaud Google for make 32 gigabytes the minimum storage available, the 64GB model is all but impossible to find. Still, this is a Nexus. And it's a good one.