Verizon Wireless will begin selling the new Motorola Droid Turbo smartphone on Oct. 30, starting at $199.99 for a 32GB phone and $249.99 for a 64GB model with a two-year contract.
The availability of the Droid Turbo, which has a 5.2-inch, 2,560-by-1,440 quad-HD AMOLED display and a high-capacity, 3,900-mAh battery that promises up to 48 hours of power, was unveiled by Verizon on Oct. 28. The new device will be available only through Verizon, according to the announcement.
The Droid Turbo will also be available to Verizon customers under the company’s Edge plan with 24 monthly installments of $25 for the 32GB version or payments of $27 per month for the 64GB version. The phones will be sold in Verizon Wireless stores or online from the company. The 32GB model comes in Metallic Black, Metallic Red or Black Ballistic Nylon, while the 64GB version is only available in Black Ballistic Nylon.
To better protect the device, the Droid Turbo comes covered in either ballistic nylon or metalized glass fiber that is reinforced with DuPont Kevlar fiber, according to Verizon. The phones also include scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screens and water-repellent nano coatings that protect the devices against spills.
In addition, the Droid Turbo features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 2.7GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM and a 21-megapixel rear camera with 4K video capture. The new device runs Android 4.4 KitKat and is user-upgradable to the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.
The included Motorola Turbo Charger lets users recharge their almost-depleted phone quickly, providing up to 8 hours of additional power after only 15 minutes of charging, according to Verizon.
Verizon is waiving upgrade and activation fees for customers who buy a new Droid Turbo through the end of 2014. The fees will be credited on future bills within two billing cycles. Special upgrade pricing for the Droid Turbo is also available to any customer who upgraded prior to July 1, 2014, and now want to get the latest Droid device, according to Verizon.
Verizon is also offering a special one-time free replacement for Droid Turbo customers who experience a damaged screen during their two-year contract, whether the customer has a contract or buys the device through the Edge plan.
Other new features in the new phone include Moto Display, which wakes up the phone to show the time and notifications when a user reaches for it, as well as an improved Droid Zap app, which now makes it easier to share pictures and videos with nearby friends. The innovative MinuteCast app provides just-in-time information about when it will rain, snow or hail based on the user’s exact street address for the next two hours.