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Moto Z3 goes official w/ 5G Moto Mod, Verizon exclusive with $480 price & Snapdragon 835

Motorola’s flagship Moto Z releases, sadly, haven’t been all that exciting for a while. Today, the Moto Z3 has gone official, it’s going to be exclusive to Verizon Wireless, and it’s actually a really good deal…

The Moto Z3 isn’t some groundbreaking new device. In fact, it’s basically the same device the Moto Z2 was, just with a fresh coat of paint and a much better screen. Under the hood, this device offers a Snapdragon 835 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM, It has a 12MP dual-camera on the rear, 8MP front-facing camera, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor like the Moto Z3 Play. Face unlock is also available.

Up front, the Moto Z3 Play has a new 6-inch OLED display. Like the Z3 Play, the bezels here are trimmed down and the aspect ratio has gone 18:9, but it is just a 1080p panel. There’s also a 3,000 mAh battery which charges over the same USB-C port that shares headphone duty.

This new device also has an aluminum frame, but unlike the Moto Z2 it has a glass back. The same pins are still in place, though, for use with Moto Mods. Living up to the company’s promise, the Moto Z3 is compatible with all previous Moto Mods, and Verizon is also working with Motorola on a new one.

Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 modem built into the Moto Z3, this is the first “5G-upgradable” smartphone. Sometime down the road, a 5G Moto Mod will be available for customers to this device on Verizon’s 5G network. It’s unclear when that Mod will debut, though, or how much it’ll cost.

The new moto z 3 is the first 5G-upgradeable smartphone, which will let you tap into Verizon’s 5G network by simply snapping on the 5G moto mod.

“5G will change the ways we live, work, learn and play,” said Nicola Palmer, Verizon’s chief network engineer and head of wireless networks. “It will touch nearly every industry sector, impact our economy in a profound way and dramatically improve our global society.”

As for the Moto Z3 itself, Verizon is charging just $20 a month for this device. That’s a retail price of just $480, and honestly, it’s not a terrible deal. That’s a slightly less expensive price versus the Moto Z3 Play, and you’re getting much better specifications here. Sales kick off on August 16th through Verizon’s site. The carrier is offering up to $300 off with a trade-in, and also any Moto Mod priced over $100 for just $50.


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