By TJ THOMAS

Special to South Florida Times

Recently, I was asked to check out some of Verizon’s latest devices. Given the choice of several, I thought the Moto Z Force DROID Moto and Insta-Share Projector Mod would be cool to spend some time with. According to Verizon, the Moto Z could be coupled with a 10X zoom Mod and came with a guaranteed shatter-proof (and kid-proof) display. An email from a representative said, it was a way to easily entertain kids, or the entire neighborhood, by creating an instant theatre using a bare wall or white sheet.

So after a week of test runs, here’s my synopsis on the validity of their claims: Overall, the Moto Z is a great phone that I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. It has some great features that didn’t disappoint when I tested them out. My first thought was to go to the 21 megapixel camera the phone boasted to see how good it was compared to other phones.

Both the front and the back cameras took amazing pictures and videos that showed the lens’ quality to be among the best. The Moto Z even had the convenient feature of allowing you to press anywhere on the screen to snap a photo instead of struggling to reach the capture button when taking a selfie. Switching back and forth between the front and back- facing cameras was so easy because you can do so by simply slightly turning the phone.

I also had a pleasant experience with the streaming capabilities of the phone. Watching videos, and even video chatting, was done with little to no freezing or lagging of the video. It was as if I were watching live television. In doing so, I found the claims of the Moto Z having outstanding battery life to be accurate.

I could be on the Droid for hours, watching videos and still have battery life by the end of the day. I could leave the house at the beginning of the day and the phone would still be on at the end of the day without any charging in-between. I was shocked to see how well this phone kept a charge as this is an issue I have struggled with in the past with other phones. It is a feat I am glad to know the Moto Z has accomplished.

One of the most lauded features of the Moto Z is its shatter proof display. I wanted to check the truthfulness of the claim, so I did the only natural thing a curios person would – I dropped it.

I’ll admit I did it with some apprehension and said a quick prayer because I didn’t know what the outcome would be. To my delight, the display remained intact. Though the back of the phone bounced off, there was not a scratch on the Moto Z. Another great feat.

The accompanying Insta-Share Projector Mod was by far my favorite thing about this experience. It was easy to operate and very fun to use. I could watch videos on literally any surface I wanted, from the back seat of a car to the ceiling of my living room. All I had to do was turn it on and adjust the focus and boom, instant theater! Whatever was on my screen was projected onto my surface of choice. The Mod can also be projected from afar without losing focus, making the image almost wall size when done from across the room.

Despite how amazing this phone is, nothing is perfect. There are some cons I noted. First, the fact that the phone is only exclusive to Verizon and the US market decreases its appeal. Nothing against the company and I’m a proud American, but people should be able to enjoy this phone despite their carrier or location. While it may be a good deal for Verizon, it’s not so great for people who like a variety of o tions.

The phone also doesn’t have a traditional earphone jack. This concerned me before I found the adaptor in the box. It fixed the earphone problem but only by using the charger port to connect, meaning that I couldn’t use my earphones and charge my phone simultaneously. This is another con. While Moto Z’s designers may not feel this is necessary because of the phone’s amazing battery life, it should have had this option.

Finally, the Moto Z and Projector Mod aren’t the cheapest on the market. They run at $720 and $299 respectively. This may be outside some people’s price range, but Verizon does offer a monthly payment option that may make the cost easier to manage.

Overall, like I stated before, my experience with the Moto Z and Projector Mod was a great one. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a phone that, in my experience, can do everything you would need for a phone to do with a few extra quirks.