On the surface, the specifications of the Moto Z Droid aren’t that unusual. The 5.5-inch phone boasts a 2560×1440 AMOLED display, a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 820 C, 4GB of RAM, a 5 Megapixel front camera, and a 13 Megapixel 1.8 rear camera with automatic HDR.

The Moto Z Droid includes a 2,600mAh battery, good for 30 hours of mixed usage. It also boasts what Motorola calls Turbo Charging, which can charge the battery for eight hours in just 15 minutes. Motorola said that the Force edition is similar, but with a guaranteed shatterproof display, a larger 40-hour battery, and a 21-megapixel camera on the rear of the phone.

Flip the phone around, and you’ll notice two rows of metallic dots, connectors that enable the new Moto Mods. A Moto Mod is the part case, part attachment, providing additional capabilities by attaching to the rear of the phone. Lenovo’s modular approach leaked before the announcement, though specifics weren’t revealed until now.

Why this matters: If you’ve been following what Lenovo has been doing in the industry, the company’s modular approach shouldn’t come as a surprise. Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Tablet includes a modular connector with three productivity modules. A projector, an external battery pack, and an imaging module that the Motorola smartphone obviously doesn’t need. It’s an efficient way to add additional functionality, while leaving it as an optional add-on for those who don’t need it.

Moto Mods: Spicing up a Vanilla Smartphone Market

There are 200 manufacturers with phones, that feel the same, look the same, and work the same, said Yang Yuanqing, the chairman and chief executive of Lenovo. Consumers have waited for something revolutionary for a long time. Lenovo does not want you to wait any longer. Motorola will launch at least three new Moto Mods, executives said. The Insta Share projector, the Sound Boost speaker, and the Incipio OffGrid Power Pack. Several shells, or cases, are also available, boasting natural materials like wood.

The Insta Share projector is designed to take the smartphone’s display. And project it up to 70 inches on any surface. It also includes a small additional battery, good for about one extra hour of different battery life. According to Seang Chau, the senior vice president of software engineering at Motorola. It can project up to 50 lumens, with a contrast ratio of 400:1, according to Motorola.
The projector and the Sound Boost include a kickstand, a feature that has largely disappeared from modern smartphones. Motorola said the Sound Boost should pump 3 watts through each speaker. With a total volume of 80 DBS 0.5 m. It sounded loud, audible from the balcony in the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco, where Lenovo launched its new products.

Finally, there’s the Incipio off-grid power pack, designed for one thing; to add extra battery life. Motorola claims that the Incipio Motomod adds 22 hours of battery life with its 2220 mAh battery. Motorola said that a wireless charging option is also available, supporting both the Qi 1.2.1 A wireless charging standards.

The natural wood shell is one of many cosmetic options for Moto Z phones. Notice that you can’t use a shell and a Moto Mod simultaneously since the connector dots are covered up.
And if that’s not enough, Motorola is working with external developers to make even more. Yuanqing announced a million-dollar developer prize for the best new Moto Mod he will personally award. The sky is the limit, he said.