Lenovo-owned Motorola has announced four devices this year comprising the Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and the more recent Moto Z and Moto Z Force.
The Moto G4 and G4 Plus target the budget end of the smartphone market, while the Moto Z and Moto Z Force aim for the flagship end, but how do they differ from each other?
Here is how the Moto Z and Moto Z Force compare to the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus, based on the numbers.
Moto Z vs Moto Z Force vs Moto G4 vs Moto G4 Plus: Design
The smallest and slimmest of the devices being compared here is the Moto Z, measuring 153.3 x 75.3 x 5.2mm. The Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus are almost identical in footprint but they feature a curved rear rather than flat, making them 9.8mm at their thickest point.
The Moto Z Force is the largest in terms of footprint at 155 x 75.8 x 7mm, as well as the heaviest at 163g, compared to the Moto G4 and G4 Plus's 155g and the Moto Z's 136g.
The Moto Z devices have metal builds and feature attachable accessories called Moto Mods that include a projector, speaker and shells. The Moto G4 models have a metal frame with removable plastic shells. All four devices are customisable with Moto Maker.
Moto Z vs Moto Z Force vs Moto G4 vs Moto G4 Plus: Display
The Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus all have 5.5-inch displays but that is as far as their similarities go.
The Moto Z and Moto Z Force both use AMOLED technology and feature Quad HD resolutions for a pixel density of 534ppi. The Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus both opt for LCD and Full HD resolutions, resulting in a pixel density of 401ppi. This means the Z devices should offer sharper and crisper images, as well as more vibrant and punchier colours.
The Moto G4 and G4 Plus are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, while the Moto Z opts for the latest Gorilla Glass 4. The Moto Z Force should offer the strongest screen however, featuring the ShatterShield protection found on the previous Moto X Force device.
Moto Z vs Moto Z Force vs Moto G4 vs Moto G4 Plus: Camera
The Moto Z Force has the highest resolution rear camera with a 21-megapixel sensor offering an aperture of f/1.8. It comes with optical image stabilisation, laser autofocus and phase-detection AF.
The Moto G4 Plus follows closely behind with its 16-megapixel snapper, offering a slightly narrower aperture of f/2.0. Laser autofocus and PDAF are on board once again but video recording tops out at 1080p, while the Z and Z Force can record in 4K at 30fps.
The Moto Z and Moto G4 both have 13-megapixel resolutions on their rear snappers. The Z has an aperture of f/1.8 like the Z Force, while the G4 has a f/2.0 aperture like the G4 Plus.
All four of the devices being compared here have a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with a f/2.2 aperture. The Z and Z Force feature an LED flash, while the G4 and G4 Plus have a display flash.
Moto Z vs Moto Z Force vs Moto G4 vs Moto G4 Plus: Hardware
The Moto Z and Moto Z Force feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip under their hoods, supported by 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal memory. They also both offer microSD support for storage expansion.
The Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor and 2GB of RAM as standard, although the G4 Plus is also available in a 4GB RAM model. The G4 offers 16GB or 32GB storage options, while the G4 Plus has 16GB, 32GB and 64GB options. Again, both devices have microSD support.
The smallest battery capacity sits within the Moto Z at 2600mAh, while the largest is within the Moto Z Force at 3500mAh. Both the G4 and the G4 Plus offer a 3000mAh battery. Micro-USB is found on the G4 and G4 Plus, while the Z and Z Force both opt for USB Type-C and they ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack.
In terms of other hardware differences, the Z, Z Force and G4 Plus all have a fingerprint sensor on board, housed on the front of the each device, while the standard G4 misses out on this feature.
Moto Z vs Moto Z Force vs Moto G4 vs Moto G4 Plus: Software
Moto devices are renowned for their close to vanilla Android experience. There is very little bloatware on them in comparison to other Android devices, with just a few additional apps here and there.
The Moto Z, Z Force, G4 and G4 Plus will all therefore offer a very similar user experience. All four devices will run on Android Marshmallow and they are also likely to be some of the first updated to Android N when it arrives later this year.
Moto Z vs Moto Z Force vs Moto G4 vs Moto G4 Plus: Conclusion
The Moto Z and Z Force both offer slimmer and more premium-looking designs than their G4 and G4 Plus siblings. They also have more power, sharper displays and more capable cameras, at least when it comes to the Z Force.
The G4 and G4 Plus will probably knock a couple of hundred off the Z and Z Force's price tags though, and they still offer some pretty decent specs including a bigger battery capacity than the Moto Z.
If you want the highest specced Moto device then the Moto Z Force is the one for you, but if you're happy to make a couple of compromises, the Moto G4 Plus might be a better option if you want to save some cash.