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NEW YORK CITY—Verizon has taken the wraps off the latest in its Droid line of phones: the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 and the Motorola Droid Maxx 2. It's hard to believe that exclusive, carrier-branded smartphones are still being made in 2015, but Verizon is still desperately trying to cling to the idea that carriers are not just a dumb pipe.
The Droid Turbo 2 is the high-end model. It has a 5.4-inch, 1440p display, a 2.0GHz Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32 or 64GB of storage,a microSD slot, 21MP rear camera, 5MP front camera with a flash, and a 3760mAh battery with fast charging. There's also Qi and PMA wireless charging.
Motorola and Verizon are claiming this device has a 'shatterproof' display thanks to 'Moto ShatterShield.' Right after unveiling it, Motorola's COO dropped the phone right on stage, screen-side down. The device has a flexible AMOLED display and, instead of Gorilla Glass, a plastic front panel covering the display. There is also a dual-touch layer, which adds redundancy to the touchscreen in case the first touch layer breaks.
We aren't fans of the shatterproof display's aesthetic. Verizon and Motorola tout '5 layers' of construction, and it sure looks like it. When smartphone OEMs introduced bonded glass and display panels, the result was a huge clarity increase from bringing the screen closer to the front of the device. Less space between the display and the glass let much more light blast out of the device. On the Droid Turbo 2, that has all been thrown out in the name of durability. There is visible space between the clear front panel and the display, and the device doesn't have nearly the brightness or clarity of a conventional high-end display. It's a gray, muddy mess.
It also looks like there's a sticker on top of the display, but we were told that it is 'a layer' in the protective screen design. To Motorola's credit, the device plastic display cover doesn't flex or feel very 'plasticy'—it's rather hard. We'd imagine it's easy to scratch, though. Below the display are two front-facing speaker ports that flank a sizable Verizon checkmark.
The Turbo 2 is also available on Moto Maker, where customers can pick from three different back materials in different colors. There's Motorola's trademark Horween leather, woven 'ballistic nylon,' and a 'soft grip' plastic. The core and sides of the device are aluminum. This is the first Moto Maker device for Verizon, and the company says it will have an in-store setup where customers can design and pay for their device and have it shipped to their house.
Pricing is kind of crazy since Verizon only does payment plans now. We'll just tell you what the representatives told us: the Droid Turbo 2 is '$26 per month' for the 32GB version, and '$30 per month' for the 64GB version. When we asked about the off-contract price, we were told the 32GB version is $624.
The other device shown off today was the Droid Maxx 2. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615, 2GB RAM, 16GB of storage, a microSD slot, 21MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, and a 3630mAh battery with quick charging.
The 'Maxx' line has traditionally been Motorola's battery-first smartphone design, but here it is just a low-end version of the Droid Turbo 2. The Turbo 2 even has a bigger battery than the Maxx 2. The Maxx 2 has a traditional glass display, no wireless charging, a plastic body, and no Moto Maker support. The back panel is removable (the battery is not) and Motorola will have different colored panels to swap out. The Droid Maxx 2 will be $16 a month on Verizon's payment plan or $384 off contract.
Update: As some commenters have pointed out, this is a tweaked Moto X Play, a device that isn't available in the US.
We appreciate the big batteries on both devices and wish Motorola would offer something comparable for non-Verizon customers. The shatterproof display on the Droid Turbo 2 looks just like an old, air-gapped display, though, so it will be a tough tradeoff.
Droid Turbo 2 Battery
Both devices ship with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, so you're already behind the latest version of Android. The two companies said they would update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow soon, but don't hold your breath. Motorola recently betrayed customers of the Moto E, promising 'software upgrades that continue long after you buy' in advertisements and then abandoning the device after just eight months on the market. Motorola's word just isn't worth much anymore. Combine that with Verizon's poor update history, and we're very skeptical.
New Droid Turbo 2 Phones
Both devices will be available in stores and online on October 29. There's also a trade-in offer for up to $300 toward the new devices. Verizon will even accept phones with cracked screens for trade-in.