The first U.S. phone that’s 5G compatible has arrived. On Thursday, Motorola with Verizon announced its new Moto Z3 smartphone, a typical high-end smartphone with an optional attachment; Moto Mod that will allow the phone to connect to Verizon’s 5G network.
The new Moto Z3 smartphone, an exclusive product available on Verizon will be selling at a price of $460 from August. But the new phone will still connect to the current 3G, 4G LTE networks. The real magic will start early 2019 when Motorola 5G Moto Mod will be released.
The new Motorola 5G capable Moto Mod will make the Moto Z3 smartphone, as well as previous Moto Z phones that support Moto Mod, the first smartphones to support higher-speed 5G networks. It’ll be interesting to finally see the speeds and benefits of 5G when the Mod gets released.
Verizon is the definitive leader in the development and deployment of 5G, as we like to say, we don’t wait for the future, we build it. -Nicola Palmer, Verizon’s head of wireless networks
Being first to access a 5G network means super fast data speeds with 4K uninterrupted live streams and real-time VR experiences. This will also cost the loss of battery power. To compensate, the 5G Moto Mod has its own 2,000 mAh battery so it doesn’t drain the Moto Z3’s battery.
To talk about the new Moto Z3, the phone is made of glass and metal and has a large 6-inch Super AMOLED screen with thin top and bottom bezels. It is to run on 2017’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 which is not the current chip that is used by many new smartphones.
On the rear, you’ll find dual 12-megapixel cameras, and on the front, there’s an 8-megapixel shooter for selfies. There’s also a side-mounted fingerprint reader just like the Z3 Play.
Though the phone seems to be an average smartphone, the first 5G high-speed network support is going to kick its hit to the customers. The 5G Moto Mod is an interesting idea and we hope to see it be useful for tethering other devices.
