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

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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DROID Turbo 2 launches internationally as Moto X Force

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


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Moto DROID Turbo 2 has surprisingly good camera according to DxOMark

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.

Verizon also offering its employees a bright red DROID Turbo 2

Right before Verizon and Motorola took the stage earlier today to show off its new Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2 smartphones, a red version of the former showed up on the red carrier’s website. And while we now have a clear look at everything the phone offers, it’s interesting to note nonetheless that Verizon seemingly intends to carry on with the “Employee Edition” tradition…

As is the case with the regular Droid Turbo 2, the device’s listing that popped up earlier today showed that it has a lightweight design with a Snapdragon 810 system-on-a-chip from Qualcomm, a 5.4-inch QHD display, and a couple of great 21-megapixel and 5-megapixel cameras (although those are pretty standard for 2015). This particular phone seems to only be available in 64 GB.

While Verizon has already pulled the page detailing the phone, we can assume that it’s not going to be available to consumers — at least for now — anyway. It is the “Employee Edition,” after all. Be sure to read up on the regular Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2, and if you’re really pining for some red on your Droid, you’ll be happy to learn that you can now use Moto Maker on the Turbo 2.

Specifications compared: Moto DROID Turbo 2 vs. DROID Maxx 2

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.


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Verizon & Motorola announce DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2

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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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 2nd generation Moto G (unlocked) $119, USB power deals, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Unlocked Motorola Moto G (2nd generation) 8GB white: $119 shipped (Reg. $180) | Amazon

USB Roundup: Aukey 5000mAh Charger + MFi Lightning Cable $15 (Reg. $21), Lumsing 13400mAh Power bank $23, more

Giveaway: Polk Audio’s Omni Whole Home Music System – Soundbar w/ subwoofer and S2 Speaker ($880 value)

Best Buy lands the first major blow in this year’s battle for holiday shoppers

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

More new gear from today:

Fashion deals at Amazon – extra 20% off fall athletic/outdoor shoes: Caterpillar boots $52, ASICS running shoes $40, more

More deals still alive:

Gift Cards up to 20% off: JCPenney, Sports Authority, more

App Store Free App of the Week: Dr. Panda’s Mailman ($4 value)

New products & more:

Dyson’s pricey 360 Eye robo-vac finally sees the light of day

Use your smartphone as a controller for these AirConsole Mac/PC browser games

 

Moto Maker options for upcoming DROID Turbo 2 revealed in leaked image

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…


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Android 6.0 for 2015 Moto X Pure Edition in ‘TestDrive’ mode, being trialled by select customers

Motorola has already announced which of its handsets will be receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. Among them — of course — are the newest smartphones like the Moto X Pure, Moto X Play and Moto G. As is customary before software updates for Moto, the company is allowing a very select group of X Pure owners to test the new OS…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Sony Bluetooth headphones $135, USB-C accessories for your new Nexus phone, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Over-Ear Headphones: Sony Bluetooth/NFC $135 (Reg. $199), Beyerdynamic from $170 (Reg. up to $270), more

USB-C roundup: Aukey 3-Port USB Hub w/ Gigabit Ethernet $17, Aukey USB Adapter $7more

Moto E & 1-Yr FreedomPop unlimited talk-and-text: $50 shipped (Reg. $70 + plan) | FreedomPop

HTC One (M8) w/ 32 GB flash storage, 4G LTE, GSM (unlocked): $165 shipped (Reg. $300+) | eBay

Amazon Student Days: free $5 credit w/ Gift Card purchase, Kindle Paperwhite $100, Halloween costumes extra 25% off, more

Refurb LG G3 32 GB for Verizon 32 GB: $160 shipped (Reg. $300+) | eBay

Motorola Nexus 6 Unlocked 32GB: $300 shipped (Orig. $650)

Giveaway: Trinity Delta aluminum earbuds feature a unique design and top-notch sound ($135 value), 20% discount

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Bloodborne from $25, Kirby Rainbow Curse $32, Shades Puzzle Game free, more iOS freebies

More deals still alive:

Sony announces official PlayStation 4 price drop, bundles now start at just $349

New products & more:

DJI’s new Osmo 4K camera is one expensive selfie stick

The latest littleBits DIY electronics kit turns any kid into an inventor

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto E 2015 for Verizon $40, Wireless Laser printer $25, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Verizon Wireless Prepaid Moto E 4G w/ 8 GB flash: $40 shipped (Reg. $70) | Fry’s

Daily Deals: Pantum Wireless Mono Laser Printer $25, EnerPlex Solar Case for iPhone 5/5s $15more

USB Power Deals: KMASHI 15,000mAh USB $14 (Reg. $20), Aukey 2A Wall Charger $8 (Reg. $16), more

PS4 Destiny Taken King Limited Edition Bundle $350, Xbox One Gears of War bundle + 40″ HDTV $470 w/ .EDU, more

Roku’s new streaming media player supports 4K and finds your remote control for you

Giveaway: Trinity Delta aluminum earbuds feature a unique design and top-notch sound ($135 value), 20% discount

More new gear from today:

Beyerdynamic A200p Portable DAC Headphone Amp for iPhone/Android $160 shipped (Reg. $200)

More deals still alive:

Philips hue Lux LED Starter Kit $60 shipped (Orig. $80), 750-Lumen 9W LED Light Bulb $15 (Orig. $35)

JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Sweat Proof Headphones $90 shipped (Reg. $130), more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/651126504156368896 align=’center’]

New products & more:

Mattel’s retro-rebooted $30 VR View-Master is now available for iOS and Android

Review: Rock Band 4 makes an old favorite come alive with refreshed gameplay, new songs & updated hardware

 

Moto 360 (2nd Gen) unboxing and review [Video]

There’s really not a lot to say about this year’s Moto 360. It’s an Android Wear smartwatch, so there’s really not much different here over similar devices we’re seen over the last year or so as far as software goes. The real discussion with the 2nd gen Moto 360 is the design. What we have now is an evolved and matured version, but with one unfortunate similarity when compared to the first generation: that flat tire.

Like many, I was hoping that Motorola would eliminate this aspect altogether, but that didn’t happen. If you can look past the flat tire, which ultimately adds to some of the functionality here, there’s a lot to love about the Moto 360…


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Motorola announces Marshmallow update plans, Moto Assist and Moto Migrate will be removed

In a blog post published today, Motorola has confirmed that it will be bringing Android 6.0 Marshmallow to several of its phones from the past couple of years. As you’d expect, the list is made mostly of the stock Android phones like the Moto X, Nexus 6 and Moto G. And since Android 6.0 includes features very similar to Moto Assist and Moto Migrate, the company has stated it will be removing those software features from any handset running Marshmallow…


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Roundup: Last year’s Android Wear watches are a painless and inexpensive way to get in to the platform

With so many companies having recently announced their new generations of Android Wear watches, there’s never been a better (or cheaper) time to try out the platform. There were many risks with trying it out before. First off, Android Wear watches weren’t that cheap. For a sibling platform with limited performance, it was a lot of money to gamble on a wrist gadget you might hate. Those same watches are now last generation, and with that, they’re much cheaper and give you an easier access point to Android Wear. Perhaps more importantly, the OS itself has come on leaps and bounds since its introduction. Now you can get a great Android Wear experience without having to fork out a ton of cash…


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Microsoft and Google officially end their phone and gaming patent battles

Microsoft and Google have announced that they’re dropping their long-running smartphone and video game console patent disputes. This announcement brings an end to some 20 lawsuits in the States and in Europe. Neither company revealed the exact financial terms, but did announce that instead of fighting each other over technology, that they envisage a future where the work together for the benefit of their customers…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 6 (unlocked) $300, Galaxy S6 (unlocked) $430, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Motorola Nexus 6 Unlocked 32GB: $300 shipped (Orig. $650)

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $430 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

LG G4 brand new smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $400 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

Brand new Google Nexus Player by ASUS: $50 shipped (Reg. $100) | Best Buy

The best USB car charger (Aukey 4 port/48W) is just $7 Prime shipped, Lumsing 6000mAh Power bank: $10

Amazon teases one day sale that’ll discount Prime memberships down to just $67

Giveaway: This is Ground’s Mod Laptop 2 is a road warrior’s dream bag, up to $499 value

More new gear from today:

CyberPower 1350VA 810W UPS Mini-Tower w/ Dual USB Ports: $130 shipped (Reg. $175+)

More deals still alive:

GoPro HERO4 Black $389 + shipping (Reg. $500), HERO+ LCD $249 (Reg. $300)

New products & more:

Polk’s new flagship Omni S6 speaker goes after the multi-room audio crown

Sony reveals the first 1TB PlayStation 4 for North America w/ the new COD: Black Ops III bundle

Leaked ‘Lemon X’ could be a first glimpse into Motorola-designed Lenovo phones

A short while ago, @upleaks showed off a press render of what they claim is the Lenovo ‘Lemon X’, and it could be our first look at a Lenovo handset at least partially designed by Motorola’s hardware team. Although specifications and availability plans are thin on the ground, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that the Motorola division is behind the upcoming phone’s design…


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New Moto X Pure Edition now available from Best Buy

As promised, Best Buy has started selling the new Moto X Pure online. The consumer electronics retail giant began selling it today, with white, black and bamboo models available in both 16GB and 32GB storage options.

As with Motorola’s Moto Maker, the prices start at $399 and go up to $475 depending on which memory and finish model you decide on.


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Moto X Style pre-orders go live in the UK

Motorola, this morning, opened up pre-orders for its newest flagship, the Moto X Style in the UK. While the device has been available to order in the US for a couple of weeks already, pre-sales only began today across the pond in Britain. Pricing starts at £399 and increases based on materials used on the back, or which storage option you go for.


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LG G4c review: A budget curved-screen Android phone with a few notable compromises [Video]

LG’s G4 is one of the best phones on the market this year. It has a phenomenal camera, great display and lasts all day on a single charge. So, when LG used the same brand name for a mini version, expectations were understandably high. Does the G4c deliver as a mid-range smartphone?


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

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.

9to5Toys Last Call: Google Nexus Player by ASUS $50, Aukey Quick Charger $8, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Brand new Google Nexus Player by ASUS: $50 shipped (Reg. $100) | Groupon

Aukey Quick Charge 2.0 18W charger + 3.3′ Micro USB Cable: $8 Prime shipped w/ code XW6FG5ZD (Reg. $26) | Amazon

Motorola 15W Turbo Charger (refurb) w/ Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0: $14 shipped (Reg. $35) | Groupon

Jawbone reformulates its UP2 fitness tracker with a new fashion-forward design

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Omaker Bluetooth Speaker $19, HP Envy 5660 All-In-One Inkjet Printer $65, more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/641694204079525888 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/641711274225717249 align=’center’]

More deals still alive:

Motorola Nexus 6 Unlocked 32GB in Cloud White/Midnight Blue: $350 shipped (Orig. $650)

New products & more:

The Raspberry Pi touchscreen display we’ve been waiting for is now available

Review: JBL’s new Flip 3 Bluetooth speaker slims down for an ultra-portable form factor

Android Wear and Moto 360 launching in China after strategic Mobvoi partnership

Android and Mobvoi have formed a ‘strategic partnership‘ to bring Android Wear to mainland China for the first time. This news comes days after revelations that Google is working to bring a tweaked version of Android and the Google Play Store to China. Negotiations have been difficult, and require compromises from Google, but with Android Wear officially landing, it signals the beginning of a much bigger focus on China than has been possible in recent years…


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Motorola originally planned a ‘value tier’ 2nd generation Moto 360 aimed at kids

We saw tons of leaks and rumors about the recently-announced Moto 360 2nd generation prior to its announcement, but none of them mentioned that the company had any plans to sell a budget-friendly version of the device aimed at kids. Now we know, thanks to a blog post on a Motorola engineer’s website, that the company did indeed plan to market such a device — a “value tier” Moto 360 made with bright colors. Sadly, the project was apparently cancelled sometime before IFA rolled around…
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