If the new crop of Nexus devices aren’t getting your juices flowing (we’ll admit, the design is a bit odd), there’s still a few more Android heavy hitters due out by year’s end. In fact, we’ve just received a few new details surrounding the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 including Moto Maker support and an expected launch date.
So we’ve been hearing a lot about the Droid Turbo 2, launching outside the US as the Motorola Moto X Force. Previously known as the Motorola Bounce (the phone’s internal codename) we saw a few specs leak out last month. Our source was able to confirm a few of these specs, including the Snapdragon 810 and once again, a 5.4-inch shatterproof display. Here are the rest originally tipped by @upleaks a few weeks ago:
Motorola DROID Turbo 2 (Moto X Force)
We’re now hearing the Droid Turbo 2’s “unbreakable” display will somehow be reinforced with metal edges to help make it tougher. We’re not entirely sure what that means as just about any phone these days has a metal border surrounding the display, although many — like the Moto X Pure Edition — has a tiny plastic border surrounding the display. Apparently the combination of the Droid Turbo 2’s metal frame — which we saw leaked with wireless charging capabilities back in June — and POLED display will ensure the display wont crack when dropped, thus, shatterproof.
The next bit of news is that the phone will be the first “Droid” handset to be sold via Moto Maker (in addition Verizon Wireless retail stores). Yup, you’ll be able to order custom Droid Turbo 2s directly from Motorola. We actually told you guys about this all the way back in June of this year, but didn’t know which Droid device would be offered there. But here’s the real crazy part: when purchased online through Moto Maker, Motorola will be offering customers a free, 1-time design swap/replacement within 2 years of purchase. Choose a bad color combo or find yourself simply bored of the one you originally picked out? Swap it for a new design. Neat, huh?
We’re not sure on all the customization options (it’s looking like nylon fiber could be making a return), but Verizon will be going all-in on the Droid Turbo and Moto Maker, even dedicating some of their store shelf space to showcasing all the back covers available when purchased online. This will allow customers to see and feel all the options available to them. If you want to see a few of these options, check out our previous post here.
So, when the will Motorola Droid Turbo 2 be available for purchase? Well, early release dates like these are always tentative (even more so when we’re talking about Verizon), our sources are telling us the Droid Turbo is currently scheduled to launch on October 29th, with a formal announcement taking place on October 15th.
With more features like wireless charging, a bigger battery, and slightly smaller form factor than the Moto X Pure Edition, if you were thinking about pulling the trigger on a new Android device for Verizon, you may want to wait until then.