New Galaxy, Droid had a brand to be synonymous with OS Google know or cared about the full Android namesake some people. But as the Samsungs of the world gained ground, the brand languished killer robot, while Motorola itself turned its attention towards fresher, cleaner Moto moniker. The new Droid Turbo ($ 199 with contract, 32GB) is a course right for partnership Verizon, Motorola, from recurring innovative. Brimming with the latest specs and features, the Droid Turbo is appreciably better than the new Moto X in almost every way. Display is sharper, better performance, and the battery is significantly larger. The killer-robot subject is dead, too, which allows it verifiably killer phone to speak for itself. The Droid Choice award Turbo earns our Editors' for Android phones on Verizon Wireless.
Design, Features, and Quality Call
The Droid Turbo is elegantly designed as the Moto X, skewing toward such utilitarian and vaguely militaristic past Droids. It comes in two flavors: one in the familiar Kevlar back and rubberized one has a new ballistic nylon pinagtagpi back. Our review unit came in late, which I prefer between the two. So far, the ballistic nylon is also your only option if you want 64GB of internal storage; Model worth $ 50 extra. The nylon feel like a heavy canvas fabric and neutralizes smudges and scuffs better than normal plastic does. My only worry is dust and fine particles caught in the crevices starting to consolidate it. For good measure, a nanocoating Turbo features inside and out, protecting it from spills and light rain. It is not waterproof, though, so do not test the limits in the shower or pool.
Despite excesses elsewhere, Verizon and Motorola shows relative restraint Turbo-size 5.65 by 2.89 by 0:33 to 0:44 inches (HWD) and 6.2 ounces, it is comparable to the Galaxy Note Galaxy S5 over 4. the rubberized Kevlar model is a hair thinner (0:31 to 0:42 inches) and lighter (6 ounces) than nylon. It does not fit quite as well in my hand as the Moto X, but the rounded corners and textured back make for a comfortable grip. It is a good size in my opinion, and lamenting the loss of a hand using have several options, unfortunately.
The 5.2-inch 2560-by-1440 AMOLED display is a beauty. It will not be keen to 565ppi, besting both the LG G3 (534ppi) and the Galaxy Note 4 (515ppi) in pixel density. Although you may not necessarily be able to appreciate the added sharpness over the Moto X 1080p resolution, which looks brighter display the Droid Turbo and produces cleaner, if still somewhat beige, white. I would give the edge to Note 4; display is brighter, better manages the bluish color AMOLED, and discharge of any cleanest white AMOLED display. Viewing angle is too wide to be here anyway, but there is a slight color shift when off angle. Between three Quad HD phones we've seen, I'd Notes 4, G3, and Turbo shows that order.
Below the display is capacitive navigation buttons for Back, Home, and Recent Apps. They use the older Android iconography and will look more dated only as devices move on to newer Android icons lollipop. Above the display is a single speaker port, to test side-by-side, sound indistinguishable from the speaker, not the Moto X is quite as strong as a stereo speaker the HTC One (M8) 's, but louder and better sound than that Galaxy S5.
The Turbo Droid connects to Verizon's 3G CDMA (850 / 1900MHz) and LTE (Band 2, 3, 4, 7, and 13) network, with international support for GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850/900/1800 / 1900MHz) and UMTS / HSPA + (850/900/1900 / 2100MHz). We found the Verizon LTE network to have the widest coverage and best overall speed with our latest test Fastest Mobile Network. Droid also supports Turbo carrier aggregation (Band 4 + 13 on Verizon), which should provide faster speeds as Verizon expands the capabilities of the network.
Call quality was mostly positive in my testing, with some minor quibbles. Volume in the earpiece will not blow you away, but it's enough for most situations. The voice on the other end of the line sound clear and full, with a delicious natural heat. Shipping via mic is mostly clean and easy to understand, but some callers reported static throughout the call. Noise cancellation dampened a particularly strong city streets, but also rendered my voice a little shaky and muffled. Speakerphone volume is not particularly impressive in terms of volume, but looks well within the confines of a medium-sized room. Verizon says a software update later this year will bring HD Voice call with the reversal.