Nexus 6 vs DROID Turbo: What Buyers Need to Know

As expected, this morning Motorola and Verizon Wireless announced the all new DROID Turbo smartphone. Delivering some of the best features we’ve seen in a smartphone to date, but it has a lot of competition. Following the popular DROID series of phones over the years, the new DROID Turbo for Verizon Wireless is the latest model, and here we want to compare it to the Nexus 6.

Earlier this month Google officially announced a brand new flagship phone that could be a worthy replacement for the DROID Ultra, instead of the new Turbo. And that’s the Motorola Nexus 6 smartphone. Both have tons to offer, and surprisingly the new Nexus 6 is finally coming to Verizon as the first Nexus phone on big red in three years.

Read: Nexus 6 Release: What to Expect

Both phones leaked time and time again ahead of the announcements, and now that both are official Verizon users are possibly looking at these two phones for their next upgrade. They’re both at the top of their game, both made by Motorola, and are two of the best smartphones of 2014. Read on for all the details.

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. Borrowing features from previous models and the new Moto X 2014, while improving across the board to be what could be the best smartphone of 2014.

It would be one of the best phones on Verizon Wireless if it was the only phone coming, but the Nexus 6 will also be available on Verizon sometime in November. While that’s yet to be confirmed, and the DROID Turbo will be in stores Thursday October 30th, here’s what you should know.

Display

The new Motorola Nexus 6 is the biggest Nexus device yet. So much in fact that it has turned off many potential Nexus buyers simply because it may be too big. If that was your biggest complaint, the smaller 5.2-inch DROID Turbo may be a good option instead.

That being said, each user has different needs and wants, and this is what Google felt was best moving forward. Giving users more space to do what they want with Android 5.0 Lollipop and the 5.96-inch display on the Nexus 6. For Note users though, a big screen is perfect, and the Nexus 6 Quad-HD screen with a 2560 x 1440 2k resolution is worth the upgrade.

Yes, the Nexus 6 has nearly a 6-inch screen, which is quite big compared to 5-inch screen on the DROID Ultra last year. It’s even bigger than the Galaxy Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus. This is a Nexus phablet.

This may be the biggest concern for buyers. The new DROID Turbo is only 5.2-inches, like the Moto X, but the resolution matches the Nexus 6 coming in at 2560 x 1440. A Quad-HD display is on both of these new handsets.

Read: Moto X 2014 Review

Below is a quick comparison between some other large devices recently released. Showing it’s size compared to the Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus, meaning it’s certainly bigger than the DROID Turbo.

The Nexus 6 having a nearly 6-inch screen may be its best feature, and also the reason many users don’t buy it. Some want a big screen and some don’t. If you want a similar stock Android experience without the huge screen, and better battery life, meet the DROID Turbo.

Design

Another important difference will be the design and build quality. Moto’s new DROID Turbo is mostly made of plastic, but like older DROID’s, has a neat finish around back. Instead of Kevlar we now have a metallic glass in black or red, as well as a new Ballistic Fiber finish on the 32 and 64GB of the DROID Turbo. The ballistic fiber looks great, feels soft, and is very durable. At least according to Motorola. Previous Nexus devices have been built of plastic too, rather lightweight, and not the most durable or attractive looking devices. The new Nexus 6 has a few big changes that will make it stand out. For one, it comes in a beautiful blue or white color, and is wrapped in a brushed aluminum ring for added durability, protection, and styling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk-PY2dBKaA

Both phones are pretty sleek, but the subtle curves of the Nexus 6 make the 10mm thickness feel extremely thin as it curves to a sleek edge on the sides. It will look thinner, and feel thinner while holding. That said, Motorola did the same type of curved and rounded edges to the Turbo. Another key aspect of the design is front facing speakers, just like the Nexus 9 and the HTC One M8, the Moto Nexus 6 has dual front facing speakers. One integrated into the earpiece up top, and another below the on-screen keys down below. This should make sound much improved, and thankfully there’s a front facing speaker on the DROID Turbo too, but there’s only one, up top integrated into the earpiece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLZVwIheVeY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwMS-c1A0Ww

Motorola has a lot going for the new DROID Turbo, and the videos above outlined a few of those, but more on the features below. Overall users can expect the Nexus 6 and DROID Turbo to both feel great in the hand, be durable, have excellent build quality, and they both have a water-resistant nano coating too.

Release Date

So when can you get one? Soon. After reading the above information you probably want one or both of these phones. The Nexus 6 was announced on the 15th, goes up for pre-order tomorrow (October 29th) and is expected to start hitting US carriers around November 12th. Yes, the Nexus 6 is coming to Verizon Wireless. Galaxy Nexus users everywhere can rejoice.

The Nexus 6 is going to be available on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular and… Verizon. Yes, all five major US carriers will offer the Nexus 6, which is a first for any Nexus device.

T-Mobile states the Nexus 6 will be available on its shelves come November 12th, and we saw pre-order pages on AT&T accidentally go live early too. While we can’t confirm any other dates, it’s highly plausible most US carriers will offer it come November 12th, if not slightly before or after. This means the Nexus 6 will be here soon, but Verizon has yet to announce anything.

Read: Nexus 6 Release Date Breakdown

A completely unlocked Nexus 6 will be sold from the Google Play Store, possibly a few days ahead of carriers, but it’s too early to tell. We’ll know more in the coming weeks as the Nexus 6 release date approaches.

And what about that stunning DROID Turbo? It was announced today, is available for pre-order right now, and will officially be in Verizon stores and on shelves starting on October 30th. Meaning if you need a phone now, get it.

Specs

The Nexus 6 is the biggest, fastest, and best Nexus smartphone to date. It’s also huge. That said, it might lose this battle to the new DROID Turbo. Yes, the Turbo is that loaded. It has all the top-tier specs users come to expect, rather than slightly undercutting the competition and offering a lower price. It’s on par with the Note 4, Galaxy S5, and all other manufactures this year, if not beating many in multiple key areas. While specs aren’t everything, some like the cold hard numbers, so here they are.

Nexus 6 Specs

• 5.96-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD Display
• 2.7 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 805 processor with 3GB of RAM
• 32GB/64GB internal storage
• Android 5.0 Lollipop (64-bit support)
• 13 Megapixel camera with OIS, 2 MP front camera (4k video capture)
• Dual Ring Flash similar to Moto X
• Dual Front-facing speakers
• Aluminum frame around device like the new Moto X 2014
• 3,220 mAh battery

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
• More

The DROID Turbo is a beast of a smartphone. It has a big display with a stunning resolution, the biggest battery we’ve seen in a while for any Verizon phone promising 48 hours of battery life, and tops it all off with a 21 megapixel camera and wireless charging. It’s fully loaded, but so is the Nexus 6. It doesn’t have as high end of a camera or a massive battery, so take that into consideration.

Price

Last but not least is the price. Most buyers are used to getting phones on contract, and this is something that will also be available for the Nexus 6 for the first time in Nexus history, so the price shouldn’t be a huge concern.

Google’s Nexus 6 is $649 for the 32GB version and $699 for the 64GB model. There is no micro-SD slot. This is expensive, but it’s cheaper than the smaller Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that was released earlier this month. Meaning it’s expensive for a Nexus, but still undercuts larger devices of this caliber, making it a pretty good deal and worth looking at over the Note 4.

That said, it will likely be $199 or $249 on contract from Verizon Wireless, and around $25-29 on Verizon Edge with monthly payments. That’s yet to be confirmed, but that’s a close guesstimate.

The DROID Turbo is about the same. Buyers can get the 32GB Turbo for $199 with a new 2-year contract or for $25 a month with Verizon Edge, and the 64GB version is $249 or $27 a month. The Ballistic Fiber black option only comes in 64GB, for those curious. We’ve yet to hear official pricing off contract, but a few leaks have suggested $599 for the 32GB version. This is slightly cheaper than the Nexus 6, but then again you’re getting a much smaller display with better battery life. The choice is yours.

Both of these phones are packed and fully loaded. It’s hard to guess what each user needs, wants, or can afford. So instead, we’re just sharing all the details above for those interested in one vs the other. Both phones look like great choices, and we’ll update with hands-on pictures and video once they’re both available.