Remember that old Apple commercial where the narrator proudly exclaimed “there’s an app for that”? Well pretty soon we could be saying the same for Moto Mods. Similarly, if a gadget doesn’t arrive packing Alexa in 2017, it’s starting to look like a missing feature.
With that in mind, on Wednesday, Motorola announced its latest modular add-on for the Moto Z range; an Amazon Alexa enabled speaker.
And we are Jack’s complete lack of surprise.
The Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa, to give it its official title, clips onto the back of the phone and even has a sweet blue light ring like the multitude of Echo devices currently on sale.
Thanks to the 1530 mAh cell, it has a 15-hour lifespan, while the four far-field microphones allow it to field voice commands and respond to them via the phone’s internet connection.
And that’s the gig. For a cool $150, you can turn your Moto Z handset into an Amazon Echo.
Related: Sonos One review
The problem is, you could get an actual Amazon Echo 2 for $99, plus an Echo Dot in an additional room for the same price.
Alternately, for just $50 more you can get the brand new Sonos One with built-in Alexa functionality and the promise of Google Assistant in 2018.
Mod cons?
The number of Moto Mods continues to grow, although we’re not sure how popular they’re currently proving among Moto Z users.
There’s an Instashare projector, a wireless charging shell, a number of battery packs, another speaker from JBL and a Hasselblad camera.
Just recently the firm rolled out a $300 360 degree camera and a gamepad. Moto is also relying on third-party manufacturers to boost the line-up.
Are you a Moto Mods loyalist? Do you wish more smartphone manufacturers would make more noise in the modular field? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
