Basking Ridge, N.J. – Verizon’s next-generation Droid-brand phone, available Oct. 30 through direct and indirect channels, will be the carrier’s first Droid with dual-band LTE (XLTE) out of the box, 4K video capture, Google Chromecast, and a turbo charging feature that provides a charge of up to 8 hours in 15 minutes when the battery runs low.
The 32GB version of the Droid Turbo will be available in three finishes at $199 with two year contract, $599 with no contract, or $25/month for 24 months with no contract and no money down. The 64GB model will be $249 with contract or $27/month for 24 months with no contract.
Like the previous-generation Droids, the new models are exclusive to Verizon and made by Motorola. They will join the current Droid Maxx and Droid Mini in the Droid lineup.
Although the Turbo is the first Droid available with XLTE from the start, other Droids — such as the Ultra and Maxx — have received software updates to enable XLTE.
The new models are designed to be rugged, thanks to a ballistic-nylon-covered aluminum back or an aluminum back covered with metalized glass fiber and DuPont Kevlar. All feature scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and water-repellent nanocoating to protect the inside and exterior from water.
The 32GB version will be available in metalized black, metalized red, and black ballistic nylon, while the 64GB version will be available in black ballistic nylon.
Other key features in addition to the 15-minute battery turbocharge include Android 4.4 KitKat, upgradability to Android 5.0 Lollipop, 21-megapixel camera with 4K video capture, 5.2-inch Quad HD display, 2.7GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 24-hour battery, and wireless charging.
Moto Display wakes up the phone to show time and notifications when a user reaches for the phone. Consumers can wave a hand over the screen to dismiss a phone call or silence an alarm. And the “Zap to TV” feature uses Google Chromecast to wirelessly transmit a slideshow to a big screen.
Other features include MinuteCast, which predicts when it will rain, snow or hail down to the minute based on the user’s street address during the next two hours; and a Softcard payment feature that lets users add credit card information to the app and tap the back of the phone at a POS terminal at checkout.
