Lenovo comes with Moto Mod with smart speaker functions

Lenovo has announced a Moto Mod for Moto Z phones, which enables smart speaker functionality with Alexa integration on the phones. The Mod has two speakers and four directional microphones to pick up sound from every corner of the room.

The Mod adds integration with Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa. This software could also run on the phone without a speaker. When the Mod is connected, LEDs on the back of the Mod will light up blue to indicate that it is connected.

It is an 8W speaker with a sound pressure of 82 decibels at a distance of half a meter. There are two speakers in the 27mm Mod to be able to produce stereo sound. The Mod also contains four directional microphones for picking up sounds.

The Smart Speaker Mod also has a 1530mAh battery. The add-on measures 153.2×73.2×22.8mm and thus adds a lot of thickness to the phone. It is also 168 grams, which makes it approximately the same weight as the Moto Z Play, the most popular phone on which the Mod works.

Moto Mods are add-ons that connect to the phones through a 16-pin pogo-pin connector on the back of Moto Z phones. Mods cover the entire back and can add features. For example, Mods previously appeared with a speaker, but also with a Hasselblad camera, pico projector and gamepad. The Smart Speaker Mod is not coming to the Benelux; Lenovo only releases it in countries where Alexa is available. The price in the United States will be $149.