Moto Z Play vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: We compare the Moto Z Play, a more affordable version of the Moto Z flagship phone, with the brilliant OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T to see which is best for you.
The OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T and Moto Z Play are three mid-range mobiles that pack the kind of premium features you’d expect from full-priced smartphones. But what’s the difference between them and which is best for you? Here’s our full comparison review to help you make up your mind.
Moto Z Play vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: Specs at a glance
| Phone | Moto Z Play | OnePlus 3 | OnePlus 3T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 5.5-inches | 5.5-inches | 5.5-inches |
| Screen resolution | Full HD 1920×1080 | Full HD 1920×1080 | Full HD 1920×1080 |
| Fingerprint sensor? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water resistant? | No | No | No |
| OS | Android 6.0.1 | Android 6.0 | Android 6.0 |
| Processor | Snapdragon 625 | Snapdragon 820 | Snapdragon 821 |
| Memory | 3GB | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 32GB | 64GB | 64/128GB |
| MicroSD? | Yes | No | No |
| Battery | 3510mAh | 3000mAh | 3400mAh |
| Rear camera | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Front camera | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Price | £369 | £329 | From £399 |
Moto Z Play vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: Design and media
All three of these phones pack a 5.5-inch screen which means they’re definitely on the beefy side. Thankfully they’re all quite comfortable to clutch, although one handed use can be tricky; that said, the OnePlus phones have some gesture support to help with this, such as the ability to drag down the notifications bar from anywhere on the screen.
Both the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T sport a full metal jacket, which stretches around the edges and back of the phones. They’re basically identical, complete with a camera lens that juts slightly out of the rear.
Meanwhile the Moto Z Play has rounded metal edges and a soft-touch textured rear plate that can be pulled off, to attach one of the Moto Mods accessories (more on these in the next section). The camera lens is flush with the surface, rather than sticking out.
None of these phones are water resistant but they pack a decent heft and feel rugged enough to survive a few knocks and scrapes.
Those 5.5-inch displays all pack a Full HD resolution, for crisp movie playback and photo reproduction. They’re also quite vibrant, with the G4 Play sporting a Super AMOLED panel and the OnePlus phones opting for AMOLED visuals. Brightness and viewing angles are excellent in all cases.
Moto Z Play vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: Features and performance
The Moto Z Play’s killer feature is the modular accessories which you can buy separately. These snap onto the back of the phone using a magnetic connection and add new features – for instance, a projector or a secondary battery. Check out our Moto Mods feature for more info.
The OnePlus 3 and 3T can’t be expanded in this fashion but they do boast better performance than the Moto phone, thanks to the Snapdragon 820 and 821 processors packed in respectively. You also get a mighty 6GB of RAM, so you can expect the OnePlus handsets to deliver smooth performance over a much greater time. For that extra cash, you do get better performance from the OnePlus 3T – but the OnePlus 3 is still very impressive indeed.
All three phones also deliver solid battery life. The OnePlus 3 and 3T can keep you going for over a day per charge and can be recharged rapidly using Dash Charge. The Moto Z Play wins however, with almost two full days of use per charge – although Moto’s Turbo Charge feature isn’t nearly as quick as Dash Charge.
You get 64GB of storage as standard with the OnePlus phones, but no support for microSD. The OnePlus 3T can also be picked up with 128GB of storage space. By comparison, the Moto Z Play has just 32GB of space internally but also offers microSD support, so you can quickly and easily expand.
Moto Z Play vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: Camera
The OnePlus 3T’s 16-megapixel camera has a couple of boosted features compared with the original OnePlus 3, boiling down to some slightly improved image stabilisation and improved audio capture when recording video. As before you can shoot up to 4K resolution video, and capture crisp photos in most conditions.
The Moto Z Play gives you a similarly user-friendly camera experience with its own 16-megapixel snapper. Once again you can shoot up to 4K video footage and like the OnePlus phones the autofocus is impressively fast and accurate. Photo results are just as solid, although in low light the Z Play does tend to struggle a little.
Moto Z Play vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: Videos
If you want to see us size up these three phones, here are our full comparison reviews:
You can grab the OnePlus 3T from O2 from £31 per month, and O2 is the exclusive retailer for OnePlus in the UK.
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