Motorola Droid Turbo 2 hands-on and first look

If you happen to be a Verizon customer and are in the market for a brand new Android smartphone, Motorola has just announced two new options that may be worth your while. The Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2 are the much-anticipated sequels to Motorola’s most recent Verizon-exclusive devices, with each smartphone bringing something unique to the table.

We’ll be taking a look at the lower-end Droid Maxx 2 very soon, but for now we’re focusing on high-end Turbo 2. With it’s extremely durable build, big Quad HD display and 21MP rear camera, can this new device stand out enough from the crowd? Without any further ado, let’s take a quick look at the new Motorola Droid Turbo 2!

Design and build quality

The first Motorola Droid Turbo had a high focus on reliability and durability, something the manufacturer has taken to a whole new level with the newer Droid Turbo 2. This handset offers the same awesome battery life and durable materials, but they have also made the screen shatterproof.

I just had to test this myself, so we went ahead and performed those teeth-grinding drop tests you guys love so much. We can’t just let a “shaterproof” phone go without some concrete diving, right? That is exactly what I did – dropped the phone straight into concrete, screen facing down, from shoulder height. And not only once, I dropped this thing  4 times!

The phone’s screen was as good as new at the end. Moto Shatershield (as Motorola calls it) provides 5 layers of shock absorption. Furthermore, the AMOLED panel happens to be a flexible one, which makes it even more resistant.

By the way, these are only our initial tests and we won’t be giving up anytime soon. It will be fun to see exactly how much it takes to shatter this screen, so you best keep it tuned to Android Authority to see how that turns out!

Display

Speaking of the screen, this thing is quite the beauty. The Motorola Droid Turbo 2 sports a 5.4-inch QHD (2560×1440) AMOLED display, which just so happens to be slightly bigger than last year’s Droid Turbo by 0.2 inches.

Needless to say the screen looks very good, as we can expect from all high-end AMOLED panels. In habitual fashion, colors are vibrant and blacks are as deep as night. It may not display the most accurate colors, but that is normal with these types of screens. In addition, it seems the screen is not the brightest, but we’ll have to play with it under different lighting situations to see how it really performs.

Based on our few moments with the device, we can tell you we are definitely impressed with the display.

Performance and specs

The Droid Turbo 2 is no under-performer. This bad boy touts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 3 GB of RAM, making it a bit superior to the Moto X Pure Edition, on paper at least. Motorola also didn’t fail to provide top-notch battery life, including a sizable 3760 mAh battery.

There is a bit of a downside here, though, as this is smaller than the 3900 mAh battery the previous generation Droid Turbo had. Again, we will have to keep testing the phone to pass judgement on this. Motorola does claim the new smartphone should last 48 hours on a full charge, which is not too shabby. And the official turbo charger can have you up and running for 13 hours in just 15 minutes of charge time, anyways. Those who are all about charging technology will also enjoy learning the Droid Turbo 2 does support wireless charging.

Software

This handset is running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. We were obviously hoping for Marshmallow, but the update shouldn’t be too far down the road; especially considering the Droid Turbo 2 uses near-stock Android.

Motorola’s fun features didn’t fail to be included here. Users will still enjoy Moto Display, which activates the screen with small movements or gestures. In addition, one can twist a wrist while holding the phone to launch the camera app. Or flick the phone and the flashlight will turn on. Touchless controls are obviously included, as well.

We have come across no hiccups so far, so the software seems to be solid and everything runs smoothly. We’ll see how the near-stock Android UI holds up after a few weeks of use.

Customization at its best

Likely one of the most exciting additions is the ability to customize your handset via Moto Maker. It has been great to see Motorola expanding this feature to pretty much all Motorola devices coming out these days.

Users can design their Droid Turbo 2 with the soft grip and leather materials we have seen in Moto X products. But what I currently have is a nice white, soft grip back with a scale pattern. And of course, you can also opt for the industrial-looking nylon design Droid Turbo users are so accustomed to.

Other hardware

There’s plenty of action surrounding the Motorola Droid Turbo 2. A plethora of little sensors make Moto Display run smoothly. In addition, the 5 MP selfie camera sits next to a front-facing flash. A speaker also decorates the handset’s front (it may look like two speakers, but only the grill in the right of the Verizon logo plays sound).

By the way, these speakers sound pretty good. Audio is crisp and has very good treble to it. It also happens to get pretty loud, but we’ll do more comparisons before we give you our full verdict. Regardless, it’s always good to see a front-facing speaker on board.

Camera

Last year’s Droid Turbo featured a nice 21 MP camera, something that didn’t change for the second iteration. We are expecting to see photos to be of similar quality to the Moto X Pure Edition. What they did improve a bit is the front-facing camera, which now clocks in at 5 MP. We can’t tell you too much about these for now, but expect to see the whole run-down in our full review.

Conclusion

No official pricing information has been fully revealed, but we can make everything out by looking at the monthly installment plans. The 32 GB Droid Turbo 2 will cost $26 a month, while the 64 GB version goes up to $30 per month. Based on a 24-month plan, we can assume the prices are set at $624 and $720, relatively.

And don’t forget purchasing the 64 GB version will grant you a free design refresh. This means you can switch your colors, accents and materials down the line, if not fully satisfied. This makes that 64 GB Motorola Droid Turbo 2 much more appealing!

For those wondering when the phone will hit store shelves, the release date is set for October 29th. It will launch right next to the Motorola Droid Maxx 2, which we also had some time with, so stay tuned to check that phone out! Are any of you thinking about picking up the Droid Turbo 2? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Droid Turbo 2 officially announced: what you need to know

It wasn’t long ago that Motorola brought us its latest flagship, the Moto X Style (Pure Edition), alongside the mid-range Moto X Play. Both handsets offered solid specs and pricing, but neither were necessarily bleeding edge when it came to hardware. With today’s announcement of the Droid Turbo 2, the company now has a new Motorola handset that offers the very best specs you’ll find on the market.

As you’d expect from a Droid, this new handset is a Verizon exclusive, though it’s possible the phone could eventually make it to other markets under a different name, as we’ve seen with some of the past Droids. So what’s all new with the Droid Turbo 2, and how does the phone set itself apart from Motorola’s existing line up? Let’s jump right in and take a look.

Droid Turbo 2 design

In the past, Verizon and Motorola have made numerous tweaks to the styling of the Droid family in order to help them stand apart from their Moto X brethren. This still remains mostly true with the Droid Turbo 2, though less so than in past years.

The Turbo 2 offers the same backplate with the Motorola dimple and camera package, and even offers Moto Maker customization, just like the Moto X Style (Pure Edition) and Play. The Turbo 2 does have the exclusive choice of ballistic nylon, returning from the original Turbo, but there’s also plastic and leather options this time around. It’s not just the back either, as there will also be accent color choices and all the other extras you’d expect from a standard Moto device.

One way that the Moto Maker will stand out for Turbo 2 owners is that during their 2 year contracts (or payment plans), customers will be able to refresh the design once for free. That means if you don’t like the way your phone was designed the first time, you can exchange it for a new one. That’s a pretty nice perk.

Droid Turbo 2 specs and features

The Droid Turbo 2 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM, and offers a 5.4-inch QHD display that is Motorola touts as being “shatterproof”. The display offers a special tech called Moto Shatter Sheild technology, which Motorola was so confident that it drop-tested the phone on stage — and yes it survived. Motorola’s new Shatter Shield technology consists of five layers:

• Rigid aluminum core
• Amoled flexible display (can absorb shock and bend rather than break)
• Dual Touch layer (so if one breaks, it will still work)
• Interior lens
• Exterior lens

Other specs include 32 and 64GB storage options, microSD, a 21MP camera and a 5MP front cam. If those camera specs seem familiar, that’s because they are. You can expect the same camera experience that was provided by the Moto X Style (Pure Edition). Judging by our review of that device, the phone will boast a high-quality camera experience, even if it isn’t quite as exceptional as what you might find with the Note 5 and some of the other high-end camera phones on the market today.

What about battery life? Motorola has a strong history of crafting devices with great battery life, particularly when it comes to the Droid line, and the Turbo 2 is no different. The phone will offer a non-removable 3760 mAh battery that supports both Turbo and wireless charging technologies. Until we have time to review the handset in-depth for ourselves, we can’t say how good the battery here will be, but Verizon promises 48 hours of battery life. Big Red also says you should be able to get about 13 hours of charge in just about 15 minutes when using the Turbo charger.

Finally, let’s talk briefly about the software. Droid devices typically keep the extras pretty thin, though there is a number of Verizon apps pre-installed, alongside a few Moto-specific apps as well. Beyond that, you’re looking at a pretty stock-like build of Android 5.1 Lollipop. While it would have been awesome to see Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out of the box, we imagine an update shouldn’t be too far off.

Droid Turbo 2 price and availability

The Droid Turbo 2 will go on sale this Thursday, October 29th, through its website, in-stores, and even through Verizon’s select retail partners. We imagine that Verizon will offer some “default looks” for those that don’t want to wait around for Moto Maker customized phones to arrive, though that’s just a guess.

As for pricing? The Turbo 2 will be available for $26 or $30 per month, depending on if you get the 32 or 64GB storage option. That’s of course with a 24-month payment plan, with outright pricing set at $624 and $720, respectively.

There will also be a limited time trade-in offer where Verizon will accept phones and give up to $300 off on the Turbo 2. This offer even applies to phones with a cracked display, though remember the offer is for “up to $300” — so don’t be surprised if an older phone, or a broken one, yeilds a much smaller discount.

Motorola Droid Maxx 2 officially announced: everything you need to know

If you happen to be a Verizon customer and have been itching to upgrade to a newer Android device, the day has finally come. After a seemingly endless amount of leaks, rumors and speculation, Motorola has just officially unveiled its newest Verizon-exclusive device, the Droid Maxx 2.

Featuring a big Full HD display, a 21MP rear-facing camera and a big 3630mAh battery that should be able to last all day, the Droid Maxx 2 is turning out to be one heck of a smartphone. So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the new Droid Maxx 2.

Motorola Droid Maxx 2 design

The Droid Maxx 2 features a design that’s quite similar to the newly-announced Droid Turbo 2 and the Moto X Play. It has what looks to be a grippy plastic back plate, which you’ll be able to swap out with five different colors if you’d like.

Unlike the Moto X Style (Pure Edition), Moto X Play or Droid Turbo 2, you won’t be able to customize the Maxx 2 through Moto Maker. This is unfortunate, considering the praise everyone has given the Moto Maker program over the years. Still, though, if you aren’t satisfied with the standard colors, you’ll at least be able to swap out the back plates if you choose.

Motorola Droid Maxx 2 specs and features

When it comes to the new Droid devices announced today, the Turbo 2 is definitely the flagship device here, while the Maxx 2 aims to offer similar specs and features for a lower price point. It comes with a big 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Even though the Maxx 2 only comes with a Full HD panel, we’d say that will be A-OK for some users, as the lower screen resolution will definitely help out in the battery department.

The Maxx 2 comes with a non-removable 3630mAh battery, which Motorola says will give users up to 48 hours of use on a single charge. It also comes with Motorola’s TurboPower charging technology that can give the phone 8 hours of use in just 15 minutes on the charger.

The device also comes with a 21MP rear-facing camera that can be activated by doing a simple wrist twist gesture, similar to what we’ve seen on the Moto X line. It also features a microSD card slot with support for up to 128GB of extra memory.

Motorola Droid Maxx 2 pricing and availability

The Motorola Droid Maxx 2 will be available in all Verizon retail locations and online at Verizon.com this Thursday, October 29th for $16 per month. If you’d like to purchase the device without a contract, the Droid Maxx 2 will cost you $384. Verizon will also let you trade in your current smartphone for up to $300 off the price of one of these new Droids. The carrier is also accepting phones with cracked screens for this limited-time promotion.

We’re still finding out all of the details about the Droid Maxx 2, so we’ll be sure to update this post as we learn more.

…Developing…