Images of a new Moto Z3 Play mod have surfaced online, and current speculation is that the handset add-on will bring 5G connectivity to the handset.
The images, which were leaked by XDA-Developers, feature a chunky piece of hardware that includes a significant bump that many are speculating will house an antenna.
However, that’s not enough to explain the total bulk of the rear-mounted add-on, leading to further rumours that it will also boost the upcoming handset’s battery life.
But obviously the real story here is the 5G connectivity. 5G services aren’t due to launch in the US until later in 2018, and not in the UK until 2019 at the earliest.
When a wider rollout happens we expect that manufacturers will have handsets ready, but until that happens we’ll probably see plenty of efforts like this Moto mod attempting to appeal to extremely early adopters.
Moto mods are Motorola’s attempt to make their handsets stand out in an era when flagship, and even mid-range, phones are starting to look and perform strikingly similarly.
There have already been numerous mods produced for Motorola’s Moto Z smart phones such as a JBL speaker (pictured above), a Hasselblad camera mod, a gamepad controller and a mini projector.
But this would be the first mod to explicitly focus on connectivity, which might appeal to anyone that wants to get superfast 5G speeds the moment they’re available.
This is unlikely to be a viable long-term solution however. Having a 5G mod permanently attached would prevent you from enjoying the benefits of any other mod in the meantime, which doesn’t sound too appealing.
Still, if you’re dead set on having a 5G enabled handset ready the moment that services are switched on then this could be an excellent way to go.
