Lenovo's latest Moto flagship has been through the mill a bit recently. The problems with the Z2 Force's shatterproof but easily scratchable plastic-covered screen have been well documented, and the smaller battery is one of a number of other disappointments when compared to its predecessor. Its price was seemingly slashed by $80 before it was even released (although Moto denies this), and David has even concluded that the Z line and its mods add up to little more than a thinly veiled money grabbing exercise. Moto could use some good news then, and luckily YouTube phone torturer Zack Nelson (JerryRigEverything) was left impressed with the Z2 Force.

Zack put the phone through its paces with his usual range of tests, starting with a scratch test on the screen. Unsurprisingly the plastic screen scratches pretty easily, so having a shatterproof display has to be high on your priorities for this phone to work for you. Just as David and Ryan found in their time with the device, the video shows that the screen can be scratched with just a fingernail. Even though the fingerprint reader was also easily scratched, it still remained fully functional.

The display did alright in the burn test, lasting 10 seconds before irreparable damage was caused. The biggest issue with the screen is perhaps that it won't be as easy or cheap to replace as the one on last year's Moto Z Force. In order to make this phone thinner (by a negligible amount), the plastic layer has been fused to the rest of the display. With last year's model, it was easy enough to replace just the plastic layer if it got too badly scratched, but this time around the entire display would need to be swapped out.

The screen aside, this phone proved to be rather well made. The camera module on the back is covered with a more resistant glass panel, and while the aluminum back and sides will scratch fairly easily, they do at least make the phone structurally sound. The volume and power buttons are also metal, which is a nice touch. Often costs are cut in this area by using plastic buttons.

In the all important bend test, which several test subjects have catastrophically failed previously, the Moto Z2 Force showed its strength. Bending from the front caused a slight separation of the screen, but bending from the back caused no damage whatsoever. It's surely a very well made device. Lenovo is clearly very confident about that too, as Zack points out that a 4-year warranty is offered on this device, much longer than you'll find with most other phones. Durability is one of the key USPs of a Moto Force phone, so it's good to see that it lives up to that billing in most respects.

Source: YouTube