Motorola unveiled its new Droid Maxx 2 smartphone, which is targeted at mid-range smartphone users. The company also unveiled the new Droid Turbo 2 to compete in the high-end.
The Droid Maxx 2
The Droid Maxx 2 is centered around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC. The SoC contains a total of eight ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores, half of which operate at 1 GHz while the other four can run at up to 1.7 GHz. It also includes a Qualcomm Adreno 405 GPU clocked at 550 MHz, and a Hexagon V50 DSP operating at up to 700 MHz.
There's also 2 GB of RAM. The smartphone contains 16 GB of internal storage, but it can be expanded with up to a 128 GB MicroSD card.
The display measures 5.5" (with FHD 1080p resolution), with a pixel density of 403 ppi. The smartphone uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect the display against scratches or other damage. The phone is also water repellent to further reduce the chance of damage.
The rear camera on the phone is capable of taking pictures at 21 MP, and it uses an f/2.0 aperture lens, which is designed to improve light levels in pictures. The lighting is further improved by the use of a dual-LED system, which should produce a more naturally lit effect. The front-facing camera is a common 5 MP module.
Motorola boasted that the Droid Maxx 2 has excellent battery life, capable of lasting 48 hours of mixed usage. The battery inside is rated at 3630 mAh, which helps explain the remarkably long battery life claim.
The smartphone also supports Motorola's Flip Shell, allowing you to customize the Droid Maxx 2 with one of seven different colored interchangeable backs.
How does it stack up?
Although the smartphone contains relatively high-end features, it is still clearly spec'd below other Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the HTC One M9. These competing smartphones take advantage of faster ARM Cortex-A57 CPU cores and higher-performance GPUs, but also cost considerably more. Both of those smartphones are priced at $649, but the Droid Maxx 2 only costs $384.
HTC, especially, has reason to be concerned, as the Droid Maxx 2 offers a larger screen, longer battery life, and a slightly better camera (according to the hardware specs), all for a lower price.
The Droid Turbo 2
Unlike the Droid Maxx 2, the Droid Turbo 2 is targeted at the high-end smartphone market. It features a higher performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC. This SoC implements ARM's big.LITTLE architecture, with four high-performance ARM Cortex-A57 cores clocked at 2 GHz paired with four more energy-efficient ARM Cortex-A53 cores.
The phone also has a much higher-performance Adreno 430 GPU clocked at 600 MHz, which will be needed to drive the 1440p display.
Motorola makes the same 48-hour battery life claim for the Droid Turbo 2, but also claimed that the smartphone is the world's first with a shatterproof screen.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Droid Maxx 2 | Droid Turbo 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 |
| CPU | 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1 GHz4 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.7 GHz | 4 x ARM Cortex-A534 x ARM Cortex-A57 @ 2 GHz |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 405 @ 550 MHz | Qualcomm Adreno 430 @ 600 MHz |
| Memory | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| Storage | 16 GB InternalUp to 128 GB MicroSD Card | 32/64 GBUp TO 2 TB MicroSD Card |
| Dimensions | 148 mm x 75 mm x 8.9-10.9 mm (L x W x H) | 149.8 mm X 78 mm X 7.6 mm - 9.2 mm (L x W x H) |
| Weight | 169 grams (5.96 oz) | 169 grams (6.0 oz) |
| Display | 5.5" 1080p Full HD, 403 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | 5.4" AMOLED 1440p Quad HD (2560 x 1440) 540 ppi ShatterShield |
| Battery | 3630 mAh | 3760 mAh |
| Water Repellent | Yes | Water Repellent nano-coating |
| Networks | GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, 4G LTE | GSM/EDGE, CDMA/EVDO Rev A, UMITS/HSPA+, 4G LTE |
| SIM Card | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Rear Camera | 21 MP, f/2.0 aperture | 21 MP, f/2.0 aperture |
| Front Camera | 5 MP | 5 MP, f/2.0 aperture |
| Connectivity | Micro USB, 3.5mm | Micro USB, 3.5mm |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 LE | 4.1 LE |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/g/b/n dual-band | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz with MIMO |
| Speaker | Front-ported | Front-ported |
| Video Capture | 1080p HD, 30 FPS (MPEG4, H.254) | 1080p 30 FPS; 4K 30 FPS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Location Services | GPS | A-GPS |
| Base Models | Black with Deep Sea Blue BackWhite with Winter White Back | Black Soft GripWhite Soft GripGrey Ballistic NylonBlack Pebbled Leather |
Both smartphones are available starting October 29. The Droid Maxx 2 is priced at $384 off contract with free shipping, while the Droid Turbo 2 will cost $624.
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Justin Allen Sexton (or MJ) is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware. As a tech enthusiast, MJ enjoys studying and writing about all areas of tech, but specializes in the study of chipsets and microprocessors. In his personal life, MJ spends most of his time gaming, practicing martial arts, studying history, and tinkering with electronics.
Follow Michael Justin Allen Sexton @EmperorSunLao. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.