(UPDATED) Verizon Announces the DROID Turbo: A Very Powerful Smartphone For Anyone

Source: Motorola

The Turbo takes the place of the Droid Ultra from last year — the Droid Maxx and Droid Mini remain in the lineup at lower price points — and is a genuinely unique device in Motorola's portfolio. It will be available starting on October 30th for $199.99 on contract for a 32GB model or $249.99 on contract for a 64GB version.

Source: Motorola

The Turbo has the same size display as Motorola's flagship Moto X, which is also offered by Verizon and other US carriers, but the 5.2-inch panel on the Turbo has a much higher, quad HD resolution (2K = 720p resolution x 4; the Moto X makes do with a 1080p screen). The Turbo also has a more powerful Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB RAM, a much larger 3,900mAh battery (good for 48 hours of use between charges, according to Verizon), and a higher-resolution 21-megapixel camera. Motorola is also including the Turbo Charger with the Droid Turbo, which offers 8 hours of battery life on just 15 minutes of charging. By all accounts, the Droid Turbo certainly lives up to its name compared to the Moto X, at least on the spec sheet.

The Droid Turbo is launching with Android 4.4 KitKat and Motorola says that it will be upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop after that is released. It has many of the same features of the Moto X, including voice control, Moto Display, and launching the camera via a twist gesture of the wrist. The Droid Zap feature that lets you share things with other device owners also makes a reappearance on the Turbo.

Unfortunately, the Turbo's design isn't nearly as nice as the very attractive Moto X, with an awkward shape and the cheesy Droid-signature Kevlar-like crosshatch pattern on its back. The Turbo also has capacitive keys instead of relying on on-screen navigation buttons, making it taller and more awkward to handle than the Moto X. It will be available in metallic black, metallic red, or what Verizon calls a "ballistic" black, which has an even more textured back.

Verizon has long used the Droid brand to differentiate itself from the other carriers, and Motorola has been its partner for a couple of years now. For the Turbo, Verizon is offering trade in promotions as well as complimentary insurance for one screen breakage. The Droid Turbo may not have the visual appeal or the customization options of Motorola's own Moto X, but if you're looking for an ultrapowerful smartphone with exceptional battery life and are a Verizon customer, it should fit those needs well.

UPDATE: Verizon has a few deals for the DROID Turbo in place. It’s offering $100 toward the price if you trade-in a working smartphone, and is waiving activation and upgrade fees for the device. Additionally, Verizon Edge customers who upgraded before July 1 can pick up the DROID Turbo with the same Verizon Edge pricing as new customers. 


Source: Motorola;