Motorola confirms there won’t be a Moto Z3 Force this year

Yesterday, Motorola launched the Motorola Moto Z3 at an event in Chicago. It also announced an upcoming 5G Moto Mod that will be compatible with the Z3.

However, it did not announce the device it was expected to announce: the Motorola Moto Z3 Force.

Now, via the official Motorola U.S. Twitter account (@MotorolaUS), we know that the company has no plans to launch a Moto Z3 Force this year. See for yourself below:

While the statement does imply that Motorola could release a Moto Z3 Force in 2019, that seems highly unlikely. It is far more plausible that Motorola is skipping the Force edition of the Z3 line and instead leaving it at only two devices: the Z3 and the Motorola Moto Z3 Play, which launched in June.

The previous two installments in the Z line – the Motorola Moto Z2 and the original Motorola Moto Z – both had Force editions. The Force moniker refers to the ShatterShield screen protection technology which makes the smartphone extremely durable while adding a noticeable degree of thickness.

It is not clear if Motorola is merely skipping the Force edition for this Z3 model or if it is doing away with the Force branding altogether. That seems unlikely, but it’s also totally possible.

The Moto Z3 is exclusive to Verizon Wireless and will launch on August 16 for $480 upfront or for $20 per month over the span of 24 months. The 5G Moto Mod won’t hit store shelves until early 2019, and we have no idea how much it will cost.

NEXT: Motorola Moto Z3 hands-on: Our first glimpse at the 5G future