Moto Mods — the modular add-ons that slot snugly onto the back of Lenovo’s Moto Z, Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z3, Moto Z3 Play, and the Moto Z4 — are some of the most innovative accessories around. The best Moto Mods run the gamut from external cameras and speakers to battery packs and chargers, and new ones come out like clockwork. Motorola even has a 5G Moto Mod to add 5G support to the Moto Z3 and Moto Z4.
But the sheer wealth of Moto Mods on the market can make choosing the best ones challenging. To make your purchase a little easier, we’ve whittled the list down to our absolute favorite Moto Mods for the Moto Z-series smartphone.
Moto Smart Speaker with Alexa
If you like your speakers to do a little more than just play music, then you can add some Alexa support to your Moto Z-series phone with the Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa. The Moto Smart Speaker with Alexa with Alexa has fabric cladding and rubber feet to stop it from sliding around when placed on a table, but it’s quite chunky, making it a tougher call to just throw in your bag on the way out the door. It’s also extremely expensive, and while the sound it produces is pretty good, you might wonder if the Alexa support is really worth the extra money. But if you can’t be without Amazon’s A.I., it’s a good buy for your Moto Z.
5G Moto Mod
5G is the future of mobile, and with the 5G Moto Mod, you get a head start with early speeds. You can expect to be able to download the latest episode of Game of Thrones incredibly fast, but there are even broader applications 5G will bring improvements for, like augmented and virtual reality gaming. (We spent a day in Chicago to test these speeds, and you can read our thoughts here.)
Moto Power Pack
If you need a little extra juice to get you through the day, Motorola’s Power Pack is the perfect solution. The slim, external 2,220mAh battery snaps onto the back of a Moto Z phone, and supplies up to a full day of additional battery life. Better yet, it charges quickly — when plugged into a compatible wall adapter, the Power Pack can pull 11W of power for fast recharging. It’s available at Best Buy and Verizon.
Moto Stereo Speaker
If you like big sound, you’re in luck. The Moto Stereo Speaker Mod offers enough sound to fill a room, and even has a surprising amount of bass. Its svelte form factor also makes it much easier to stick in a pocket or bag, compared to similar sounding Bluetooth speakers. Best of all, the Moto Stereo Speaker Mod isn’t too expensive.
Polaroid Insta-Share Printer
Sure, smartphone cameras have made it easier than ever to capture important moments, but that convenience has come at the cost of permanence. Fortunately, the Polaroid Insta-Share Printer allows you to instantly create 2- x 3-inch prints of your favorite photos. In addition to taking photos on the spot, you can also grab shots from your social media accounts and add fun filters, borders, and designs. At $200, the Polaroid Insta-Share Printer Mod is expensive, but you’ll never have to worry about adding ink since photos are printed on Zero-Ink paper.
Moto 360 Camera
If you want to seriously up your camera game, Moto Z-Series phones are a great choice. In addition to boasting very cable cameras for midrange phones, there are several Moto Mods geared toward photography enthusiasts. The Moto 360 Camera Mod is one of our favorites because it allows you to easily take and edit 360-degree photos. It’s way easier than stitching together multiple photos. At $200, the Moto 360 Camera Mod isn’t cheap, but it works flawlessly.
Moto GamePad
There’s no better way to channel your inner gamer than with the Moto Gamepad. It’s principally a controller that snaps onto the back of your Moto Z phone to add dual control sticks, a D-pad, and four tactile buttons. Even better, it packs a discrete 1,035 mAh battery that supplies up to eight hours of additional power, a USB-C charging port, and a low-latency interconnection that’s less prone to input lag than Bluetooth.
