Verizon and Motorola launch the new DROID Turbo 2 in NYC

Verizon and Motorola teamed up for a Droid launch event in New York City today. Although two new devices are being launched, the overwhelming focus of the event was on the DROID Turbo 2 and the biggest news related to that device is the new Moto ShatterShield technology. With ShatterShield, Motorola says broken and shattered screens will be a thing of the past for smartphone owners. Rick Osterloh with Motorola noted that the company, in conjunction with Verizon, set out to solve the “real consumer problems” of devices simply being too fragile for the world we all live in.

The new ShatterShield screen is actually made up of five layers designed to absorb shock and help the device survive drops. Motorola says they will warranty the screen against cracks or shattering for up to four years. Fans of AMOLED screens will be glad to know that an AMOLED display is part of those five layers, which many will see as an upgrade to the device compared to Motorola’s own line of Moto X smartphones.

Similar to other Moto devices, the DROID Turbo 2 will be customizable through Motorola’s Moto Maker web site and for those who get the 64GB version, buyers can take advantage of a design refresh to “do over” their choice once within two years of purchace. The device also benefits from Motorola’s turbo charging technology for fast charges, like 13 hours worth of charge in only 15 minutes of charging, and long battery life, which is claimed to be 48 hours thanks to a 3760 mAh battery. Verizon and Motorola also upgraded the device to include wireless charging capabilities out of the box.

The DROID Turbo 2 comes with a 5.4-inch quad HD display and is powered by a Snapdragon 810 processor mated with 3GB of RAM. Motorola added a microSD slot to this year’s version of the smartphone so users can add up to 2TB of storage to go with the 32GB or 64GB of internal memory. For the device’s camera, Motorola packed in a 21MP unit, likely the same sensor as is present in the Motorola Moto X Pure Edition. The DROID Turbo 2 also gets a 5MP front facing camera with a flash and wide-angle lens.

Verizon and Motorola are rolling out the DROID Turbo 2 with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Unfortunately, no timetable has been provided for when Marshmallow may be available for the device. Like all DROID smartphones, the DROID Turbo 2 is exclusive to Verizon. The carrier will start selling the device later this week, on October 29th, for $26 per month for 24 months for the 32GB version or $30 per month for the 64GB version.

Verizon and Motorola did not spend much time during the event going through the detailed specs and features of the new phone nor did they cover the release of the DROID Maxx 2. Be sure to check back here at TalkAndroid for updates and additional coverage as this story develops.

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