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9to5Toys Lunch Break: ASUS ZenWatch $100, Droid Turbo 2 BOGO 1/2 off, QuickCharge 2.0 deals, more

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TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

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Asus ZenWatch Android Wear smartwatch: $100 shipped (Reg. $200) | Amazon (ships in 2-4 weeks)

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Buy a Droid Turbo 2 and get a second Turbo 2 or Maxx 2 50% off at Verizon.com

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Moto X Pure Edition designed by Jonathan Adler is now $399 (Reg $474) | Motorola

Buy a Moto G (16GB) and get two free shells | Motorola

Order Moto 360 (2nd gen) with a metal band and get a leather band free | Motorola

Quick Charge 2.0 power bank 15600mAh: $21.99 Prime shipped w/ code Z9646RFC (Reg. $32) | Amazon

Quick Charge 2.0 Car Charger-CHOE Car Charger: $5.99 Prime shipped w/ code 725N2G9D (Reg. $14) | Amazon

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Grab Amazon’s best-selling iPhone and Android Virtual Reality kit for $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

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Acer 15.6″ Chromebook w/ 4GB RAM, and 16GB SSD (Refurb): $175 (Orig. $280)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

 

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Daily Deals: Samsung 40-inch 4K 120MR Smart LED UHDTV $450, GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition Camera $300more

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MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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Nexus Deals: 6P from $450 (Reg. $500), 5X w/ $20 Gift Card $300 (Reg. $350)

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Samsung D3 Station 4TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive $100 shipped (Reg. $130+)

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Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members –Zelda, Far Cry Primal, FFXV: $48 ea (Reg. $60)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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Aereo’s founder is returning with a new ISP that beams gigabit speeds into your home

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This German eBike blends a minimalist design with serious battery power

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You have to see NERF’s new Crossbow and Zombie Brainsaw that are coming out this fall

Upcoming 2016 LEGO sets focus on Marvel, Star Wars and City collections

Razor introduces two new electric-powered products at Toy Fair 2016

Review: Verizon’s new Moto Droid Turbo 2 and Maxx 2 can’t break..free from the past

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Alphabet/then Google CEO Larry Page spilled the beans on Motorola’s big product announcement way back in 2013 on an earnings call justifying the purchase of Motorola:

“Think about your device. Battery life is a challenge for most people. You shouldn’t need to carry around a charger to make it through the day. If your kid spills their drink on your tablet, the screen shouldn’t die. And when you drop your phone, it shouldn’t shatter.

“Having just seen Motorola’s upcoming products myself, I’m real excited about the potential there. In just under a year, they have accomplished a lot, and have impressive velocity and execution.”

Unfortunately, Google capitulated to Samsung and sold off the Motorola division to Lenovo early last year.  That doesn’t mean that the things Motorola was working on stopped.

In fact, there’s a very real possibility that Page was referring to a shatterproof Google-branded Moto Nexus 6, but the shatterproof technology wasn’t ready for launch…just like the fingerprint reader that also wasn’t.

Fast forward to this week and Motorola along with its Droid carrier partner Verizon debuted two new Droids, the Droid Turbo 2 and Maxx 2. I’ve been using both phones since the event and have a pretty good viewpoint on their role in the Android ecosystem.


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Verizon & Motorola announce DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2

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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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New DROIDs from Verizon and Motorola coming your way at 11 AM ET [Livestream]

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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 and Motorola are announcing the latest DROIDs on October 27th

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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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Verizon-exclusive Moto DROID Turbo 2 revealed in leaked press render

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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.

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New photos of DROID Maxx 2 leak, showing striking similarity to Moto X Play

New images are circulating around the web this morning of what is purportedly Verizon‘s yet unannounced DROID Maxx 2 smartphone, believed to essentially be Motorola‘s new flagship Moto X Play rebranded for the “Big Red” carrier. Motorola has been the manufacturer behind most of Verizon’s DROID line of smartphones.


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Motorola DROID (2015) rear shell/chassis leaks, features wireless charging and Moto X-style design

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At its event just a couple of days ago, Motorola took the wraps of three new phones: Moto X Style (or Pure Edition), Moto X Play and the all-new Moto G. But if recent rumors are worth their weight, we could see a new generation of the DROID family make an appearance too. Recent leaks show a design similar to the Nexus 6/Moto X, but with little accents and features that show it to be at least a little unique.


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Verizon has posted a simulator of the DROID Turbo running 5.1 Lollipop

We wouldn’t blame you for thinking the images above are leaks or even mockups of what Android 5.1.1 Lollipop might look like on the DROID Turbo – but you’d be wrong, because these are straight from Verizon’s website.


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Motorola product manager: no ETA on DROID Turbo 5.1 Lollipop update

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A couple weeks ago we saw a Verizon employee take to his Google+ account to share a picture of a DROID Turbo running Android 5.1 Lollipop with a note saying that the update would drop sometime in “mid-June.” Today we have more news but it’s, well, somewhat of a step backwards. David Schuster from Motorola posted the following to his Google+ account:

Hey, I wanted to give a quick update on our progress on the DROID Turbo 5.1 lollipop upgrade since there seems to be A LOT of inaccurate information out there. We are still in the lab test cycle and things are looking good. We have not provided a launch date yet, but I will let you know as soon as the update is available.

The Verizon employee who made that post about the Turbo’s 5.1 update back in May had this to say about why update on Big Red can take a while:

Verizon delays on latest smartphones are due to Nationwide HD Voice. We want to make sure Software updates for HD Voice service is acceptable and does not impact voice quality. Verizon is the only company that has nationwide HD Voice in the USA. AT&T just has most metro cities here and there. T-Mobile and Sprint are way behind.

So now we really aren’t sure when to expect a rollout, unfortunately. We’ll keep you updated and let you know when it does, though.

 

Rumor: Motorola working on a new 5.9-inch ‘Droid’ phablet, although could ditch Droid name

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According some speculation from DroidForums, Motorola is working on a new “Droid” phone that’s largely based physically on the Nexus 6, but is going to have specs that make Google’s latest smartphone look pale in comparison. The device is said to sport the same 5.9-inch QHD display as the Nexus 6, but will come with a next generation Snapdragon 810 processor. The most interesting part of this rumor, and part of what actually helps us believe its legitimacy, is that the source claims this phone might not be a “Droid” at all, and that it might just be another Motorola-branded alternative.


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Everything you need to know about Verizon’s new Motorola DROID Turbo

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Verizon Wireless on Tuesday announced the oft-rumored Motorola DROID Turbo at a media event in New York. The single biggest feature of the all-new smartphone is up to 48 hours of battery life based on usage time, meaning that you can actually use the device for two consecutive days before a recharge is needed. A complete rundown of the Motorola DROID Turbo tech specs, pricing and more is ahead.
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Verizon schedules Oct. 28 press event for new DROID unveiling

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Following a number of leaks for an upcoming new DROID device from Verizon, we’ve now received word that Verizon has scheduled an Oct. 28 press event specifically to unveil its latest DROID product. While we know that the event will focus on the latest DROID device from the carrier, we can only assume it’s the DROID Turbo leaked through official Verizon channels in recent weeks (pictured above).
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DROID Turbo leaked yet again, this time from Verizon’s official teaser account

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Earlier this week, a user guide for the upcoming DROID Turbo was leaked for all to see. The guide revealed pretty much everything we needed to know about Motorola and Verizon’s latest flagship. Today, however, the official Verizon @DroidLanding account, which has been teasing the DROID Turbo for a few months now, published the above image of the device.


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Motorola DROID Turbo user guide leaks, reveals 5.2-inch display, 21MP camera, more

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After first breaking cover in a leaked image last month, Motorola’s Droid Turbo has now been detailed in an extensive user-guide PDF. Published by MotoFirmware.com, the guide breaks down a variety of specifications regarding Verizon and Motorola’s upcoming flagship, in addition to giving us a clear look at the design of the phone.


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Switching from an iPhone to a Moto X, G or Droid easier as full iCloud support added

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Motorola has added iCloud support to its Motorola Migrate app, making it far easier to switch from an iPhone to a Moto X, Moto G or Droid handset than the longwinded process Eric Schmidt described back in November. Previously, it was necessary to go via Gmail or to use the online migration app.

With this update, you can pull in your contacts and calendar events by simply entering Apple ID and password directly into the app. The app the connects to iCloud and downloads your data automatically.

The app is powered by mark/space, a company specialising in sync technology and behind many consumer and corporate synchronisation tools.

Edward Norton pimps 48 hour battery life on Verizon’s DROID lineup

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This “new” Verizon video includes Edward Norton and a whole lot of silly situations someone can get into during a 48 hour period. The video, which actually went live at the tail end of November is making the rounds this morning after a teaser earlier in November hinted at something relating to 48 hours.


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In an unusual turn, Google/Motorola launches Android 4.4 on Verizon variant of Moto X first

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Fresh from the Motorola Blog, it appears that Motorola will launch its first Android 4.4 KitKat update on Verizon first, with rollouts starting today. The KitKat update brings:

  • An improved phone dialer. Now you can search for contacts directly from the dial-pad and easily see and tap on those you contact frequently.
  • More gallery goodies. KitKat packs in some cool, new gallery effects—such as Posterize, Highlights, and Edges. You can even use the Draw feature to annotate your photos freehand with your finger.
  • New Hangouts app. All of your conversations now in one place—texts, video calls, and other chats all together in one app. Plus, you can now send animated gifs and share your location.
  • Color emojis. For when words aren’t enough, the Google Keyboard now includes colorful characters to send in text messages and other communications.
  • Drag to focus and expose. An updated camera app lets you control both the focus and exposure of your photos. Simply drag your finger to set just the right exposure and focus point.
  • And more… Restyled status and navigation bars, new full-screen mode, and enhancements to Motorola features like Touchless Control.

I say ‘unusual’ because Verizon is usually the last of the four US carriers to roll out Android updates, usually owing the increased wait to Verizon’s lengthier testing process.

Motorola and Verizon have an unusually close bond however with the Google-owned manufacturer now making all of the carrier’s Droid products as well as pioneering the Droid brand. I anticipate that other carrier versions will follow close behind.

Note that I’m still waiting on the 4.4 update to hit the Google Play edition HTC ONE, and even my Nexus 4 and 10!

I guess Google and Motorola are finally tearing down the firewall.
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Verizon’s Moto X arrives on August 29th for $199 on contract

Following a launch on AT&T last week, Verizon confirmed today that it will be launching Motorola’s new flagship Moto X smartphone starting August 29. Leaks leading up to the launch of the device pointed to an August 29th release date for the Verizon version of the device through Best Buy, but Verizon only mentioned online availability in its announcement today. It did note that the Moto X will become available in stores in the coming weeks.

The 16GB model will sell for the same $199 on contract as AT&T (the 32GB is exclusive to AT&T), but Verizon will only offer white and black versions. The customization options available through the Moto Maker tool are currently still available exclusively to AT&T customers.

Moto X is expected to launch on all major US carriers by early September.

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Motorola now exclusive Verizon Droid manufacturer, last pre-Google handsets roll off line

Photo: Yahoo News

Photo: Yahoo News

While we already knew that the Droid MAXX, Droid Ultra and Droid Mini, like all Droids would be exclusive to Verizon (‘Droid’ is a Verizon brand licensed from LucasArts after all!).  CNET now reports that the exclusivity will work in reverse too: with all Droid-branded devices being manufactured exclusively by Motorola.

Starting with the Droid Ultra lineup, Motorola will be the only smartphone manufacturer to build Droid smartphones, Verizon marketing executive Jeff Dietel told CNET on Tuesday.

Verizon had previously used the Droid brand for handsets from a range of manufacturers, including HTC’s Incredible series and Samsung’s Droid Charge. With HTC moving to its own ‘One’ branding and Samsung’s own, more powerful Galaxy branding, the news doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

These latest handsets are likely the last vestiges of pre-Google Motorola and with the Moto X coming in a few short days, these are likely some of, if not the last devices designed before the takeover by Google.  Google-installed CEO Dennis Woodside noted earlier this year that Google was working to clear some mediocre inventory that had been been built by his predecessors. With due respect to Mr. Woodside, the 48-hour battery life and other specs on these are going to give the X phones a run for their money.

Verizon releases video teasing new DROID devices, says that “When it matters, DROID DOES”

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8CHyOTOnSS4

Verizon has just released a new video teasing its new Droid MAXX, Droid Ultra, and Droid Mini devices announced this morning. The video, in typical Verizon/Motorola fashion, is very robot-like. The video teases that “WHEN IT MATTERS, DROID DOES.”

The moments that matter offer no time to pause or stop, no room for bulk or bloat, and no chance to refuel. In those moments, the new lineup of DROID phones delivers.

The DROID Ultra and MAXX will be available on August 20 and the Droid Mini on August 29, with pre-orders starting today. 
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