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Moto DROID Turbo Hands-on & First Impressions

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This week Motorola announced and unveiled the brand new DROID Turbo smartphone for Verizon Wireless, and it’s available for prospective buyers starting today. In the video below we take a quick look at the new DROID smartphone, detail a few of the impressive features, and give buyers an idea of what to expect.

After months of leaks and rumors we knew nearly everything about the impressive phone before it was announced, but Motorola made it all official when they took the stage to show off the powerhouse smartphone for Verizon Wireless earlier this week.

Read: DROID Turbo Release Date Arrives

Just like the past few years, Verizon Wireless and Motorola have teamed up for a new DROID smartphone, only this year it looks to be the most promising yet. This phone borrows the best features of the Moto X and past DROID’s, while delivering top-tier specs and some of the best battery life of any smartphone available from US Carriers. Check out our video and thoughts below.

Turbo-display

Earlier this year Motorola released a new Moto X for 2014, the Moto G, and even a Moto E smartphone, but that isn’t all the company had planned, because starting today you can get their latest release which aims to compete with the iPhone 6, the Galaxy S5, and even something like the Note 4 or Nexus 6. That is the DROID Turbo.

This phone is impressive all around. And while we’re not sure where it fits in with the Moto X, iPhone 6, or something like the Galaxy Note 4, or its appeal for potential buyers, there’s tons of awesome features and things to love about this phone.

The new DROID Turbo comes in at the same size as the new Moto X, being 5.2-inches, which is just slightly bigger than the 5-inch DROID Ultra from 2013. The screen may only be slightly bigger, but everything else received a major upgrade across the board. It’s better than the Moto X in every aspect as well, even though it has the same screen size, and our video below goes over the important bits.

Verizon and Motorola’s new DROID Turbo delivers everything a buyer would want in a smartphone, except for good looks. It certainly isn’t the prettiest phone around, but then that’s in the eye of the beholder. Coming in a metallic black or red option, as well as a soft ballistic black fiber cloth finish, you have three choices in two storage configurations. 32GB or 64GB starting at $199 or $249 on contract. Here’s the full specs for those interested.

DROID Turbo Specs

  • 5.2-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD display
  • 2.7 GHz Snapdragon 805 Quad-core processor with 3GB of RAM
  • 32GB storage, 64GB option for $249
  • Android 4.4.4 KitKat (Android 5.0 coming soon)
  • 21 Megapixel Rear and 2.1 front camera setup
  • 4k video recording
  • Front facing speaker
  • 3,900 mAh battery (wireless charging)
  • Turbo Charger Support
  • Water repellent (coating guards against everyday spills and up to 20 minutes in a downpour), scratch resistant

The screen is higher resolution than the Moto X despite being the same size, and they’ve packed the same amount of pixels as the 5.7-inch Note 4 into a smaller 5.2-inch screen. Meaning it has a super high pixel density for stunningly clear pictures, videos, games, apps and more.

Our thinking is this phone is for those who like the Moto X or a screen around 5-5.2 inches, wants the latest and greatest, but doesn’t want a massive 5.7-inch Note 4 or the larger Nexus 6. It fits perfectly in the middle of the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and packs a punch worthy of the $199 asking price.

The quad-hd display is powered by a fast 2.7 GHz quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM. Multitasking is a breeze and performance has been excellent in our few days with the device, as has battery life. It’s been on for over 10 hours and I still have 91% remaining. We’ve only had a moment to try the 21 megapixel camera, but so far images are crisp and the tap to shoot feature is a nice touch.

Turbo-cam

Motorola’s DROID Turbo runs the latest Android 4.4.4 KitKat and will see Android 5.0 Lollipop soon, and has all the Motorola apps we’ve seen on the Moto X. Things like Moto Voice, Moto Actions, Moto Assist and Moto Active Display (or Moto Display) for easy at a glance notifications that won’t cause battery drain.

We have one complaint about the Moto DROID Turbo so far, but one that’s justified, and that is the weight. This is a big, somewhat thick, and rather heavy smartphone. Compared to my Galaxy S5 with a case, it still feels extremely heavy. The reason for that is the massive 3,900 mAh battery, which makes this phone last almost twice as long as anything else on the market.

The biggest appeal has to be the huge battery, 64GB storage option, 21 megapixel camera, and battery life. With a huge battery you’ll have to train yourself not to constantly look for a wall outlet, as this thing lasts forever. Then once you need to charge it, the included Motorola Turbo Charger gives you 8 hours of usage with only 15 minutes on the wall. It’s all about having a big display to do more, and battery life to do it.

Turbo-screen

So far we’re extremely pleased with the overall look, feel, and performance on the DROID Turbo, but still not sure if it has enough to separate it from the grip Samsung and Apple have on the market as of late. There’s plenty to love, don’t get me wrong, and any DROID owner should buy this new Turbo instantly.

We’ll be back with more thoughts, details, and a full review in the coming days or weeks.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. iqbal

    10/31/2014 at 4:58 am

    what about the flash?????

  2. Jan

    11/10/2014 at 8:42 am

    What about a white back? Lame

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