What's good
- Customization options
- “Shatterproof” screen
- Snappy performance
- Large screen
- 14 hours of run time on a 15 minute charge with the included TurboCharger
- Qi wireless charging support
What's bad
- Screen brightness
- Weak low-light camera performance
- Verizon bloatware
- Price
Motorola’s DROID line is one of the oldest and most well-known lines of Android handsets still in existence. Their latest offering for Verizon, the DROID Turbo 2, has made some pretty bold claims. With a supposedly shatterproof screen and more than 2 days of battery life on a single charge, the device could be a real market changer.
But does the phone live up to the claims? We’ve dug through the best reviews on the net to bring you an in-depth summary of what to expect from this pricey but innovative new phone.
One of the first things noted by reviewers was the phone’s design. It seems that people either love or hate it. While the phone is light and thin, the metal bezel that protects the edges is a little thick. Engadget stated, “Hefty bezels encircle the 5.4-inch Quad HD screen, making the Turbo 2 feel wider than it actually is.”
There’s also the rubberized back plates which people liked the feel of but said looked bland or plasticky. It should be noted however, most reviews seem to have received the same model. If you don’t like the back plate, it can be changed as part of the MotoMaker system which allows you to customize virtually every aspect of the phone to fit your preferences.
While reviewers couldn’t agree on the look of the device, they all noted a feeling of sturdiness. Engadget called it, “so durable that it should be able to survive all but the most tragic of drops.” Android Headlines noted, “The phone feels nice and sturdy with a good weight to it.”
Heading around front, you’ll find a 5.4-inch Quad HD AMOLED screen. Android Headlines put it through its paces and declared, “It’s not quite as sharp or bright as something like the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge, but it’s still a great quality screen.”
Reviews all agreed that the screen touts what you’d come to expect from an AMOLED display--heavy contrast, rich colors and visuals that pop.
What makes this phone’s screen stand out is the exclusive ShatterShield technology. Motorola claims the phone is virtually impervious to the drops and dings of daily use.
Most reviewers put this to the test, with one even running the phone over with their car. While the screen survived, the chassis wasn’t so great.
PhoneArena’s results lined up with most, stating, “Even from a height of 5 feet, then coming into contact with concrete with the display impacting first, there’s no damage to it whatsoever.”
Powering all those pixels you’ll find a beasty octa-core Snapdragon 810 with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 430 GPU. This was another area where reviewers all agreed. Coupled with Motorola’s dual context processors, the performance on the handset sets the bar on the current flagship market.
PhoneArena stated, “we didn’t come across any moment when its performance stuttered or lagged with basic operations.” Android Headlines determined, “You shouldn’t have any issues with day to day use as the DROID Turbo 2 is well equipped to take on power users let alone the average person who just want to check a few emails, snap a few pictures, and browse the web from time to time.”
The phone runs Android 5.1.1. This puts it a version behind some flagship devices. Fortunately, the UI itself appears to be relatively untouched short of Motorola’s voice and gesture controls. However, the Turbo 2 is a Verizon exclusive in the U.S. and Verizon has loaded it with a bunch of preinstalled apps and other bloatware.
Motorola touts that the 3,750mAh sealed battery offers a generous 48 hours of mixed usage. While reviews found real world performance to be a bit shorter, there’s more than enough for even power users to push through a day. Android and Me stated, “while I didn’t quite get there in my testing, the battery is still impressive.”
Where the battery really shines is charging options. The included TurboCharge charger will net you 13 hours of battery life on a quick 15 minute charge. A full charge is just 80 minutes away.
If you prefer the convenience of wireless charging, both Qi and PMA standards are supported--though they don’t sport the speedy charge times of the TurboCharge charger.
Engadget summed up opinions well when they stated, “It's one of the better batteries out there, but it's no class leader either.”
You’ll find plenty of room for your apps, movies, games and whatever else you want to load on your phone with 32 or 64GB of internal storage and support for microSD cards up to 2TB.
If you’re looking to snap pictures of your travels or post selfies on social media, you won’t be disappointed. The handset sports a 21MP rear camera with a 5MP front-facing camera, both with f/2.0 focal lenses for improved low-light performance.
Reviews on the camera were positive--both in terms of functionality and image quality. Android Headlines declared, “Color reproduction was much better than I was expecting and on top of feeding you a great image, Motorola makes it extremely easy to use the camera too, as snapping photos is as simple as tapping on the display.”
However, many reviews noted inconsistent low-light performance. Some night shots were stunning, while others were dark or grainy. PhoneArena noted, “It’s a solid effort for Motorola, but still short when compared to the elites in the space.”
Overall, reviewers agreed that the DROID Turbo 2 lives up to its solid lineage. The points touted by Motorola and Verizon are far from gimmicks, delivering a sturdy phone with the power and battery life to keep up with power users. All of this in a customizable package and user-friendly UI that will please casual users as well.
PhoneArena provided an excellent summary of opinions, saying, “Without a doubt, if battery life and an extra-tough screen are of utmost importance in your decision buying process, the DROID Turbo 2 should be on your list.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- GSMArena team, GSMArenaThe Moto X Force isn't going to try and impress users who go for the next big thing every season. It was built to last and then went on to tick most of the big hardware checkboxes: screen resolution, chipset, camera, and battery. The result is a solid performer that gives its owner a peace of mind a...
- Sandeep Sarma, Fone ArenaThe Moto X Force is quite a unique smartphone. Not many smartphones in the market offer the kind of ruggedness and durability that it does while offer high end features as well. However, it lacks a certain level of refinement or finish that most of the smartphones in this price range have. While you...
- Garry Clark, CoolsmartphoneSo there we have it, a well built solid phone that has got some good performance in comparison to its peers but suffers with a mediocre camera. This makes it a very good choice for the clutzy among us, but maybe not for those wanting to ditch the digital camera. I have been very pleased with th...
- Mike Lowe, Pocket-lintThe Motorola Moto Force has plenty of potential as the hard-nut flagship phone, but it lacks excitement, is chunkily built and, ultimately, fails to deliver a true flagship experience compared to the competition.
- Robert Nazarian, Digital TrendsThe Droid Turbo 2 seems to have it all: a nice display, blazing speed, great battery life, a near stock Android experience, useful apps, a decent camera, and a shatterproof display. Seems like a worthy flagship right?However, there seems to be something missing. The Droid Turbo 2 has all the feature...
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Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 user manual here.
Motorola backs up the Droid Turbo 2 with a 4 Years parts & labour warranty.
If your Droid Turbo 2 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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