Motorola Droid Turbo Overview

It was just about five years ago that Motorola introduced the first Droid, an Android device build specifically for use with the Verizon network.  Since then, the Motorola Droid, continues to be beloved by Verizon users – acknowledged as some of the best handsets offered exclusively for that network.

In this review we take a deeper look at this the newest version of this line of phones, the Motorola Droid Turbo.

Design

• The dimensions of the Motorola Droid Turbo stand at 143.5 x 73.3 x 11.2 mm. The device weights around 176 grams.
• The Motorola Droid Turbo comes in three different colors: metallic black, ballistic nylon black, metallic red.

• The color you choose also determines what material the back of the device will be made from. Choosing metallic back or red will give you a Droid Turbo with the traditional Kevlar backing.  Ballistic Nylon on the other hand is a new option.
• Ballistic nylon is a new material that feels much more rugged then the Kevlar backing. While it does add another 10 grams to the device’s weight, this does not really affect performance or handling.
• The front of the Droid Turbo has three capacitive keys located under the display. These keys follow the on-screen key layout that is typical of devices that use Android 4.4 Kitkat.
• The power button and the volume rocker are found on the right side of the device. There come in a textured feel for good tactile feedback.
• The top of the device houses the headphone jack.
• A microUSB charging port is place on the bottom of the Droid Turbo.
• The Droid Turbo has a IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
• The Droid Turbo has a prominent curve in the back which helps maintain a users grip. All in all, this device feels great in the user’s hand.

Display

• The Droid Turbo uses a 5.2-inch display with AMOLED technology.
• This display has Quad HD and a resolution of 1440 x 2560 for a pixel density of 565 ppi.
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is used to protect the display.
• AMOLED technology ensures that the colors and viewing angles are good. The screen is easily visible even outdoors.
• Text is easy to read.
• Provides a good experience for game playing and video watching.

Performance and Hardware

• The Droid Turbo uses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 which clocks at 2.7 GHz backed by an Adreno 420 GPU with 3 GB of RAM. This is the best processing package that is currently available and using it allows the Droid Turbo to easily perform tasks.
• Multi-tasking is fast and easy with applications opening smoothly.
• The device can handle graphic-intensive games.

Storage

• The Droid Turbo does not have expandable storage.
• The phone comes in two versions with different built-in storage options: 32 GB and 64 GB. However, if you go for the Ballistic Nylon version of the Droid Turbo, this is available with only 64 GB.
• 

Battery

• The Motorola Droid Turbo has a 3,900 mAh battery.
• Motorola claims the Droid Turbo has around 48 hours of battery life.
• When we tested it we were able to get around 29 hours and screen-on time of around 4 hours.
• The Droid Turbo also has a Motorola Turbo Charger which can give you 8 hours of battery life after just 15 minutes of charging. It also has wireless charging that is compatible with all Qi wireless chargers.

Camera

• The Motorola Droid Turbo has a 21MP camera with a dual LED flash and a f/2.0 aperture on the back. There is a 2MP camera in front.
• The camera application is very simple and basic with only a few shooting modes available such as panorama and HDR.
• Camera can be accessed by twisting your wrist a few times while on any screen.
• Despite its simple set up, shots from this camera have good detail and color reproduction.

Software

• Maintains Motorola’s minimalist software philosophy.
• The Droid Turbo comes with Android 4.4.4 Kitkat but it is expected that an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop is anticipated soon.
• Has Droid Zap and built in Chromecast support as well as Moto Assist and Active Notifications.

Pricing and Final Thoughts

• You can only get the Motorola Droid Turbo from Verizon Wireless under a 2 year contract for $199.99, for $24.99/month in the Edge program, or at the full retail price $599.99

The Motorola Droid Turbo offers top of the line specifications which puts it in par with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 and Google’s Nexus 6.  With a solid build quality as well as good battery life and a great display, the Droid Turbo is a great device to have.  The only downside would be the fact it’s exclusive to Verizon, which can be disappointing for those using other networks.

What do you think? Is the Droid Turbo a good fit for you?

JR

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