Lenovo finally launched the Moto Z2 Force in India. While the phone was considered expensive in the US, it offers much better value in India, at Rs. 34,999.
At this price point it competes with the likes of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, OnePlus 5T, Nokia 8 and Samsung Galaxy A8+. Of these, the OnePlus 5T is obviously the popular choice. But the Moto Z2 Force still holds its own in the market, meaning a comparison is in order. Pitting the two phones each other, our findings will hopefully help make your choice easier.
Design and build
Usually, there’s not a lot to say when it comes to design and build, but that's not true here. Both phones carry distinct designs, are sleek and look premium. The Z2 Force has a flat back, thin form factor and a circular camera bump. On the other hand, the OnePlus 5T has that iPhon-esque design, adding a curved back that makes it easier to hold.
Both phones feel good in your hand, though the Z2 Force is considerably thinner (by 1.2mm) and lighter (by 19 grams) than the OnePlus 5T, which feels more comfortable. Also, the smaller 5.5-inch display on the Z2 Force makes it easy to reach every corner of the screen.
The major difference though is in the overall construction. The Moto Z2 Force sports 7000 series aluminium and a shatterproof display. And it's practically impossible to break the display. For many, that's a very important feature.
The OnePlus 5T definitely looks better from the front, but that may differ from person to person. But all said and done, it seems impossible to ignore the shatterproof display here, meaning the Moto Z2 Force is without a doubt the better built smartphone.
Performance and software
Both phones run on the Snapdragon 835 chipset with the Adreno 540 GPU and 6GB of RAM (we used the the sub 35K variant of the OnePlus 5T). There is zero to little difference in performance. Both phones can easily handle intensive tasks and its tough to discern any difference in their speeds.
However, the OnePlus 5T does feel smoother, thanks to a better tuned user interface. The fingerprint sensor on the device feels snappier as well.
The Moto Z2 Force, like all Moto phones, runs on a near stock Android 8.0 Oreo, and the OnePlus 5T runs company’s custom Oxygen OS based on the same version of Android. Unlike most other custom UIs, Oxygen OS is a nearly stock Android-like ROM. Both the phones have their own software additions, which do come in handy and don't feel futile.
That said, we personally prefer Moto’s additions like twist to open camera, chop to turn on the flashlight, Moto display and Moto Voice over what OxygenOS has to offer. They are more useful and you end up depending on them once you get used to them. Face unlock and the alert slider are good too, but Motorola's additions seem more thoughtful.
Display
While the OnePlus 5T has a 6.01-inch FHD AMOLED panel with 18:9 aspect ratio, the Z2 Force has a smaller 5.5-inch OLED display that is shatterproof.
It all boils down to a matter of preference. OnePlus offers a bigger and brighter display, whereas the Moto Z2 Force packs 50% more pixels at a higher density. Both sport OLED displays, which provide deeper blacks and well defined colours. However, Motorola's five layer model does affect your multimedia experience.
Colours look better on the OnePlus 5T and Gorilla Glass feels more premium than Motorola's lenses.
Battery
The battery capacity on the Moto Z2 Force and the the OnePlus 5T is 2730mAh and 3300mAh, respectively. In PC Mark’s battery test, OnePlus scored 8 hours and 27 minutes, while the Moto Z2 Force scored 7 hours and 41 minutes. We experienced similar results results in day to day usage as well. In comparative terms, the OnePlus 5T has better battery life.
But..
Motorola bundles a Moto TurboPowerPack Mod though, which nearly doubles the battery life on the Moto Z2 Force. Taking that into account, the Moto Z2 Force does offer more dependable battery performance.
Camera
Both phones have dual cameras, with the OnePlus 5T sporting 20MP+16MP sensors and the Moto Z2 Force with its two 12MP cameras on the back.
The OnePlus 5T captures better details and colours and has better dynamic range in well-lit conditions. It also takes lesser time to process photos than the Moto Z2 Force.
In low-light, neither phones produce flagship class images, but the OnePlus 5T does a marginally better job at keeping pictures sharp and eliminating noise.
Which one to buy?
The OnePlus 5T feels like a more complete smartphone. Its battery doesn't last as long as the Moto Z2 Force, but it has a better camera, it's faster and has a more vibrant display. The Turbopower Mod and durability of the Moto Z2 Force is the only reason to choose the Moto Z2 Force over the OnePlus 5T, but the latter remains the best mid-range flagship right now.
