Verizon’s reputation for pushing out major system updates to its DROID lineup of devices is spotty at best. Some updates come through relatively quickly, others take months to arrive on customer’s devices. That’s the case with 2015’s DROID Turbo 2, which several months after its release on Nexus devices, is finally being updated to Android Nougat.
Albeit having been released months ago, much like all of its predecessors, the latest Android version, Marshmallow, is still running only on a relatively small number of devices. Much of it can be attributed to carriers and third party manufacturers, which often take a lot of time to properly re-skin, release certifications, and eventually give the green light to updates.
Fortunately for Verizon customers, however, it looks like Google‘s latest software is beginning its rollout for the Droid Turbo 2. In a note released on Tuesday on Google Plus, Motorola‘s David Schuster confirmed that the upgrade is in “full deployment”…
Update: Verizon’s HTC One M9 will also get Marshmallow on February 16.
The onslaught of carrier-locked devices getting Android 6.0 is beginning. Marshmallow made its way to the AT&T and T-Mobile variants last week and is now coming to the T-Mobile HTC One M9 and Verizon Droid Turbo 2.
Update: You can order the Star Wars editions of the DROID Turbo 2 from Verizon’s Motor Maker page from today.
With the upcoming premiere of the first Star Wars movie since the 90’s abominations we can’t mention by name, every brand on the planet is seemingly teaming up with Disney to produce their own Star Wars themed merchandise. Whether it’s LEGO, lampshades or mineral water, you can now get it with Star Wars branding all over it. Episode VII is launching in theaters next week, and Verizon and Motorola are the latest companies to jump on the bandwagon…
Motorola first announced its Android 6.0 Marshmallow rollout plans in October. At the time, 11 devices were included in the list that was mostly made up of devices from 2015 and 2014. One notable absence was the Moto E, the company’s entry-level smartphone. Thankfully, the list has since been updated and now includes the budget device, although if you have one in the US, you’re out of luck. The update seemingly won’t grace US shores.
Puzzlingly, Motorola has left the States and China out of its list of markets due to receive the Marshmallow update. The 2015 Moto E with 4G LTE will get Android 6.0 in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia (excluding China). Moto could still change its plans, and does state in the list that the China upgrade is still being evaluated, although no such statement is made about the US market.
Other handsets added to the list are those which were announced and released after the original list was published. As well as the Moto E, Motorola will bring Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the Moto X Force (which is currently part of a soak test), and the Verizon-exclusive DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2. The full updated list of devices runs as follows:
Motorola is opening its very first physical retail store later this week. Moto Shop, as it’s called, is opening in downtown Chicago, the company’s hometown, on Saturday, November 7, in time for holiday shopping to begin. In its blog post, the company notes that because smartphones and wearables have made powerful technology more personal, you should be able to go and experience them fully, in real life. Moto wants to make the shopping experience as personal as it can…
In what is certainly the shortest press release I’ve ever seen, Motorola’s official UK handle announced what I’ve been hoping to hear ever since Verizon and Motorola announced the DROID Turbo 2 earlier this week. The device is making its way across the pond, albeit without the Verizon livery, bloatware and brand name. Internationally, the DROID Turbo 2 will be sold as the Moto X Force, and it features all the specifications that make the DROID Turbo 2 so appealing…
Yesterday, during the announcement, Motorola claimed its new DROID Turbo 2 has a fantastic camera. While we’re skeptical to take the manufacturer’s own word for it, DxOMark seemingly agrees. Having put the Turbo 2’s snapper through its paces, DxO awarded it with 84 points, putting it in joint third position with the Nexus 6P. In short: Motorola finally made a good camera.
Breaking it down, the Turbo 2’s still photos were similar to those on the LG G4, Xperia Z3+ and Galaxy Note 4, but its videos were surpassed only by the Xperia Z5. DxO notes that its images in good light are fantastic. Its autofocusing is exemplary, as is its exposure, contrast and color control. In lower light conditions, its performance drops a little (as you’d expect) and, while white balance is generally good, it does apparently have the tendency to make whites look a little pink at times.
It’s a similar story with video too. It’s great all-round when shooting in good light. It tracks objects and focuses well. But in lower light, it struggles with autofocus and noise a little. On the plus side, it’s good at adapting when light levels and scenes suddenly change.
All in all, it seems we may finally have Motorola phones on the market which don’t force you to compromise on the camera to gain the rest of its selling points. It may not be the best camera on the market, but it’s nothing like as bad as previous generations.
At a small and relatively short event in New York City this morning, Verizon and Motorola unveiled the latest smartphones to bear the iconic DROID brand-name. The DROID Turbo 2 and Maxx 2 both take influence from the latest series of Moto X devices, and continue the legacy of their predecessors. The Turbo 2 is the company’s shatterproof flagship, while the Maxx 2 is more moderately priced and is essentially a Verizon-branded Moto X Play.
Verizon and Motorola have today announced both the Droid Turbo 2 and the Droid Maxx 2, a pair of smartphones that give Verizon customers some really great flagship and sub-flagship options. The big announcement here is the shatterproof screen coming exclusively to the higher-end Droid Turbo 2, but that reveal is coupled with the announcement of a mid-range, all-around good phone, the Maxx 2. Here’s everything we know…
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In case you didn’t know, Verizon and Motorola are prepping to launch a couple of new Droid phones today, and they say that our “expectations will be shattered.” And while we are on the ground ourselves in New York City to find out if that turns out to be true (I’m betting against it, personally), I’m happy to report that Verizon has indeed provided a livestream if you want to tune into the action yourself.
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Verizon has already teased its rumored DROID Turbo 2, sharing an image that clearly shows off the design of the phone and suggesting that it could have a more rugged-feel to it. Now, a post on the Chinese social network Weibo claims to show the colors in which back of the device will be available via Moto Maker…
Even before Motorola officially announced the Moto X Play and Moto X Style/Pure, the rumors surrounding the Lenovo-owned company’s new devices also included new DROIDs for Verizon. Since the launch, the evidence has been pointing towards a rebranding of the X Play as the new DROID Turbo, which perhaps explains the decision not to launch the X Play in the US.
While we’ve already seen a fairly official looking render leak, it doesn’t come more official than Verizon tweeting a teaser from its official handle. Today, the company posted a video clearly showing the design of the phone, as well as insinuating that it’ll be okay to drop on the floor, it can handle it. The tweet reads “introducing the perfect phone for imperfect people” before following up with “The new Droid is dropping soon”. Get the hint?
[tweet https://twitter.com/verizon/status/656505056116781056 align=’center’]
While the company is clearly focussing on the durability of the phone, it’ll be interesting to see how specs and performance are compromised, or if they’re not. While we don’t know a huge deal about the new DROID(s), it’s not likely to be a carbon copy of the X Play. The Moto X Play’s biggest turn-on is the huge 3,630mAh battery which can power through two days of moderate use on a full charge. In the past, the DROID Turbo and DROID Maxx series’ phones have had great batteries too, so we’re not expecting that to be any different this time around.
Verizon and Motorola will announce the new DROID phones at an event on October 27th, and we’ll be there in person to bring you coverage.
Verizon and Motorola have begun sending out press invites this afternoon for an event to be held on October 27th in New York City. “Everything you expect from a phone will change,” the invite boldly claims. And clearly, the companies are planning to introduce more than one smartphone, as the invite asks members of the press to join as they unveil the newest “DROIDs”…
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Not long after Motorola officially announced the Moto X Play, X Pure and G at an event in NYC last month, it was rumored that the X Play would be making its way to the States, albeit it as a rebranded Verizon exclusive DROID. Only last week, a render was leaked showing a device code-named ‘Bounce’ or ‘Force’. In many ways, it looked a lot like the Moto X Play, albeit it with a few subtle differences. Today, the device has shown up again, but this time it has the official DROID and Verizon branding, corroborating those earlier rumors that this is the next DROID. Specifically, the DROID Turbo 2.
The Verizon-branded smartphone was leaked by @upleaks on Twitter this morning, and looks virtually identical to previous leaks:
[tweet https://twitter.com/upleaks/status/641946223121862656 align=’center’]
It’s expected that the Verizon DROID Turbo 2 will feature a 5.43-inch QHD resolution display, Snapdragon 810 processor and 32GB or 64GB storage options. What’s more, it could feature 3GB RAM as well as 21MP and 5MP rear and front cameras respectively. With 3,760mAh capacity, its battery is predicted to be larger than the impressive X Play, almost certainly to deal with the extra pixels on the display and more powerful processor. As specs go, it sounds a lot like a flagship phone, which the X Play certainly isn’t. We’re told to expect the supposedly shatter-proof phone to land on store shelves in December, just in time for Christmas.
