Motorola’s Moto Z2 Force is now compatible with the 5G Moto Mod, meaning you can add 5G compatibility to the two-year-old phone on Verizon’s 5G network. In a blog post, Motorola said the functionality will be available from this week. Previously, the 5G Moto Mod was only compatible with the Moto Z3 and Z4.
Motorola is also updating the 5G Moto Mod to enhance its ability to function as a backup battery. Moving forward, if the accessory detects that the battery on a phone it’s connected to drops below a certain threshold, it will start sharing power with that device. It also works in the other direction: the Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z3 and Z4 will share their power reserves with the 5G Moto Mod if its battery drops below a certain level. Thankfully, you won’t have to worry about accidentally draining your phone’s battery to zero, as Motorola says both the phones and mod will only pull power from one another if they have enough to spare. Additionally, Motorola promises faster download speeds on Verizon’s 5G network. The new software comes pre-installed on Moto Z4 units sold by Verizon. Meanwhile, on the Moto Z2 Force and Moto Z3, the enhancements are a download away.
Verizon’s 5G network is currently available in a total of nine US cities, and the carrier plans to roll it out to more than 30 cities by the end of the year.
Verizon doesn’t seem to have any plans to sell new Z2 Force phones, and given we weren’t too impressed with it when it launched back in 2017 we wouldn’t advise you to pick one up now. However, if you’re currently using one of the phones, live in an existing coverage area, and want to try out 5G without buying a whole new handset, then you now have the option. We’ll admit that this makes for a pretty specific Venn diagram of users, but you can’t fault Motorola for trying.
