Motorola Droid Turbo 2 vs Moto X Style (Pure Edition) quick look

Motorola and Verizon Wireless took the wraps off of the new additions to their Droid series of smartphones yesterday, with Verizon users now having two new devices to choose from, the Droid Turbo 2 and the Droid Maxx 2, with the former being the more high-end of the new offerings. Motorola followed an identical pattern with their own Moto X series as well, and as such, there are quite a few noticeable similarities between the Droid Turbo 2 and the Moto X Style (Pure Edition), as well as the Droid Maxx 2 and the Moto X Play.

Focusing on the respective high-end devices in this comparison, does the Droid Turbo 2 manage to be more than just a re-branded Moto X Style that is available exclusively from Verizon? We find out, as we take a quick look at the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 vs Moto X Style (Pure Edition)!

Design

In terms of design, both smartphones do share some common elements, such as the metal frame, and the Motorola dimple on the back, that is now a part of the metallic bar that also houses the rear camera unit. The bar is a little thicker and shorter on the Droid Turbo 2, but in both cases, the dimple is placed at the point where your index finger would rest.

Turning over to the front, both devices come with Motorola’s usual suite of sensors around the display that allow for the various gesture controls available. The placement of the buttons, headphone jack, SIM card and microSD card slots, and microUSB port are also identical. However, there are some distinct differences to be seen here as well.

For starters, the Droid Turbo 2 is the shorter of the two smartphones, courtesy of the smaller display the device comes with. Surprisingly though, the Moto X Style manages to be a touch narrower, with it featuring much sleeker bezels along the sides of the display. With more of a curve to it, the Moto X Style is slightly thicker than the flatter Droid Turbo 2, at their respective thickest points.

Below the display of the Droid Turbo 2 is the Verizon logo, that splits the speaker grill into two. Talking about speakers, while the Moto X Style comes with a dual front-facing speaker setup, in the case of the Droid Turbo 2, the single speaker unit is housed in the speaker grill on the bottom right of the front face.

The good news for Verizon customers that are considering the Droid Turbo 2 is that Motorola’s Moto Maker customization suite is now available for this smartphone as well. As is also possible with the Moto X Style, users have the option to choose between soft silicone and leather, and change the color of the front-face and the accents. The Droid series has featured a distinct look in the past, but letting users personalize it is certainly a very welcome addition.It is worth noting that the ballistic nylon look found in the Turbo is also an option here, unlike the Moto X Style.

Display

The big difference between the two smartphones is when it comes to their respective displays, with there not only being a distinction in size, but in the underlying technologies as well. The Droid Turbo 2 features  a 5.4-inch AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 540 ppi, while the Moto X Style comes with a larger 5.7-inch IPS LCD screen, with same resolution and resulting pixel density of 520 ppi.

The edge has to be given to the Droid Turbo 2 here, not because of the negligible difference in pixel density, but because of its AMOLED construction that should allow for more vibrant colors and deeper blacks, while also being better suited to take advantage of software features like Moto Display. Further, the Droid Turbo 2 comes with Motorola’s “Shattershield” tech, making for a display that can withstand a heavy beating and remain unharmed.

However, some initial reports claim that the use of Shattershield results in a below average display experience, so that is something we will certainly be testing out further.

Performance and hardware

Under the hood, the Droid Turbo 2 comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and the Adreno 430 GPU, while the Moto X Style is powered by the hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, backed by the Adreno 418 GPU, with both coming with 3 GB of RAM on-board. While the processing package of the Droid Turbo 2 may be more powerful, with Motorola’s software optimization available with both, performance is smooth and snappy with either device, and you will be hard pressed to find a distinct difference in performance when it comes to real world usage.

32 GB and 64 GB storage options are available with both devices, with the Moto X Style also coming with a 16 GB iteration. The good news is that expandable storage via microSD card is possible with both smartphones.

As mentioned, the Droid Turbo 2 comes with a single speaker unit at the bottom right of the display, while the Moto X Style features a dual front-facing speaker setup, that does allow for a comparatively better audio experience. The speaker of the Droid Turbo 2 does get loud though, and while further testing is needed, this should still prove to be a better implementation than any rear or bottom mounted speakers out there.

A key aspect of the Droid series has been the focus on battery life, and that remains true with the Droid Turbo 2, with its large 3,760 mAh battery, that Motorola claims will last through 2 full days of use, with moderate usage. The 3,000 mAh unit of the Moto X Style does provide fairly decent battery life as well, but the upper hand has to be given to the Droid Turbo 2 here. Both devices also feature fast charging capabilities using Motorola’s Turbo Charger, which will have you up and running in no time, in either case.

Camera

The camera is one area in which Motorola has looked to provide a consistent experience across the board with all their current generation offerings, and in this case, both smartphones come with the same camera packages, a 21 MP rear camera with a f/2.0 aperture, along with a 5 MP wide-angle lens front-facing unit. We will be putting the camera of the Droid Turbo 2 through its paces, but if the camera experience with the Moto X Style is any indication, we can expect some high-quality images to be possible with the former as well.

Software

On the software side of things, both smartphones are running a near stock iteration of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box. While an official update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow is in the works for both devices, it is a little bit disappointing to see the newer Droid Turbo 2 not launch with the latest version of Android. The software experience is identical with both devices, with Motorola’s useful enhancements, including Moto Display and Moto Action, to be found. The only difference seen in software is the bunch of pre-loaded Verizon applications that will be seen with the Droid Turbo 2.

Specs comparison

Pricing

The Droid Turbo 2 will be available exclusively from Verizon Wireless, priced at $26 per month for the 32 GB version, and $30 per month for the 64 GB iteration. Considering the 2-year contractual commitment, that sets the full price of the device at $624 and $720 respectively. On the other hand, the Moto X Style is priced starting at a very affordable $399 and is unlocked, which means that the device can be used with any network carrier. While the Moto X Style does work out to be cheaper, the lump sum payment may not be for everybody, and the monthly installment plan possible with the Droid Turbo 2 may be the better option for some.

Conclusion at a glance

So there you have it for this quick look at the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 vs Moto X Style (Pure Edition)! Both smartphones have their similarities, but the larger battery, shatterproof display, and arguably better processing package, does give the Droid Turbo 2 a leg up. Of course, these features do command quite the premium, compared to the highly affordable Moto X Style (Pure Edition).

Keep in mind that the Droid Turbo 2 is exclusive to Verizon Wireless customers, so the Moto X Pure Edition is the only option available to you if you are looking for a similar experience but on another network.