Moto Z3 Play specs comparison versus OnePlus 6 and Galaxy S8: Is it worth $499?

2comments
Moto Z3 Play specs comparison versus OnePlus 6 and Galaxy S8: Is it worth $499?
The Moto Z3 Play, the company's latest upper mid-range device, is now official. With a Snapdragon 636, 4GB of RAM, 6-inch 18:9 Super AMOLED display, a side-positioned fingerprint sensor, and portrait mode functionality available on both the front and the rear camera, the Moto Z3 Play is a phone that shouldn't be overlooked.

The Moto Z3 Play is among the first devices with a Snapdragon 636 to be available in the US. This chipset has been lauded as being quite power-efficient, which is always a plus in our book. Other notable devices that boast the Snapdragon 636 are the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and the Asus ZenFone 5, but you will have a hard time getting either through official carrier channels.

The whole shebang is priced at $499, but is it worth the money? Well, let's actually compare it with two other devices which could be snatched for a similar price tag. Those would be the OnePlus 6, which costs $30 more, and the Galaxy S8, last year's Samsung flagship, which can be snatched below $550 these days, or even less.

Design
Dimensions
5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 inches
148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm
6.13 x 2.97 x 0.31 inches
155.7 x 75.4 x 7.75 mm
6.16 x 3.01 x 0.27 inches
156.5 x 76.5 x 6.75 mm
Weight
5.47 oz (155.0 g)
the average is 6.4 oz (183 g)
6.24 oz (177.0 g)
the average is 6.4 oz (183 g)
5.50 oz (156.0 g)
the average is 6.4 oz (183 g)
Materials
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5)
Frame: Aluminum
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5)
Frame: Metal
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3)
Frame: Aluminum
Resistance
Water, Dust; IP68
Splash
Splash
Biometrics
Iris scanner, 2D Face unlock, Fingerprint (touch)
2D Face unlock, Fingerprint (touch)
2D Face unlock, Fingerprint (touch)
Features
 
Notification light
 
Display
Size
5.8-inch
6.3-inch
6.0-inch
Technology
Super AMOLED
AMOLED
Super AMOLED
Screen-to-body
84.26 %
83.81 %
77.92 %
Features
HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Hardware
System chip
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 (10 nm)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SDM845 (10 nm)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SDM636 (14 nm)
Processor
Octa-core
2350 MHz
Kryo 280
64-bit
Octa-core
2800 MHz
Kryo 385
64-bit
Octa-core
1800 MHz
Kryo 260
64-bit
GPU
Adreno 540
Adreno 630
Adreno 509
RAM
4GB (LPDDR4)
8GB (LPDDR4)
4GB (LPDDR4)
Internal storage
64GB
256GB
64GB
OS
Android (9.0 Pie, 8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat), Samsung One UI
Android (8.1 Oreo), OxygenOS UI
Android (9.0 Pie, 8.1 Oreo)
Battery
Capacity
3000 mAh
3300 mAh
3000 mAh
Charging
Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0
OnePlus Dash Charge
Motorola TurboPower
Talk time
30.00 hours
the average is 0 h (0 min)
 
24.00 hours
the average is 0 h (0 min)
Stand-by time
13.4 days (321 hours)
the average is 0 days (0 h)
 
12.5 days (299 hours)
the average is 0 days (0 h)
Internet use
3G: 12 hours; LTE: 14 hours; Wi-Fi: 14 hours
 
 
Music playback
88.00 hours
 
80.00 hours
Video playback
17.00 hours
 
13.00 hours
Camera
Rear
Single camera
Dual camera
Dual camera
Main camera
12 MP (Features: OIS, PDAF)
16 MP (Features: OIS, PDAF, CMOS image sensor)
12 MP (Features: PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.7
Focal length: 26 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm
Aperture size: F1.7
Focal length: 25 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.6"
Pixel size: 1.22 μm
Aperture size: F1.7
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm
Second camera
 
20 MP (PDAF, CMOS image sensor)
5 MP (Depth information)
 
Aperture size: F1.7
Focal Length: 25 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.8"
Pixel size: 1 μm
 
Video recording
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 2560x1440 (QHD), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (240 fps)
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (480 fps)
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps)
HDR, Time-lapse video, Hyperlapse, Continuous autofocus, Object tracking, Picture-taking during video recording, Video light, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
Time-lapse video, Video calling, Video sharing
Front
8 MP
16 MP
8 MP
Video capture
2560x1440 (QHD)
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
Buyers information
MSRP
 
$ 629
$ 500


Grab a free iPhone 13 from Total Wireless!

Switch to Total 5G+ Unlimited 3-Month plan or Total 5G Unlimited and get a free iPhone.


We may earn a commission if you make a purchase

Check Out The Offer
Did you enjoy this article?
Еxplore more with a FREE members account.
  • Access members-only articles
  • Join community discussions
  • Share your own device reviews
  • Manage your newsletter choices
Register For Free
Loading Comments...

Latest Discussions

by Stanislav Serbezov • 4
by Rad Slavov • 2

Recommended Stories

FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless