After a tremendous amount of leaks and rumors regarding the Motorola Droid Ultra family, the Verizon-exclusive line-up has been recently announced by the aforementioned carrier. During the past six months or so, Motorola hasn’t been one of the most active manufacturers in the mobile market. Nevertheless, within this period of time, the now Google-owned company has worked on a future smartphone line-up that could compete with the big players out there.
While the Moto X appears to be a mid-range smartphone that offers a higher-than-usual degree of customization, the Droid Ultra family seems to be the end result of the company’s bigger efforts thus far. Unfortunately, the Ultra line-up is going to be retailed exclusively through Verizon, which might not sit too well with the majority of enthusiasts. At this point, the Droid Ultra / Droid MAXX represent Motorola’s flagship phones and one could say that these smartphones are being held to ransom by Verizon.
But whether or not you’re a Big Red customer, you should definitely learn the details regarding this trio of devices. Thankfully, now that they’re official we can take a closer look at what makes these handsets tick and see whether or not they’re up to par with what the competition has to offer.
Motorola Droid Ultra and MAXX – Specs, Release Date and Price
The Motorola Droid Ultra is the direct successor of last year’s Droid RAZR HD, and as such, this handset is aimed at the high-end market. Does it have what it takes in order to compete with the likes of the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4 (just to name a few)?
Starting off with the internal hardware, the Droid Ultra packs a Motorola X8 dual-core processor running at 1.7 GHz, quad-core graphics, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage (with no possibility of expansion). In the media department, the Ultra comes with a 10 MP RGBC main camera assisted by an LED flash and a 2 MP secondary sensor.
The device features a 5 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 x 1280, resulting in a pixel density of 294 pixels per inch. The entire package is being powered by a 2,130 mAh battery, which Motorola claims offers up to 28 hours of usage or 13 days of standby time.
Other notable characteristics include Android 4.2, Bluetooth 4.0 support and a total weight of 140 grams.
The Motorola Droid MAXX, as expected, features the same overall characteristics as the Ultra with the exception that the MAXX is being powered by a much larger 3,500 mAh battery, resulting in a thicker profile (8.5 millimeters versus 7.1 mm), a total weight of 167 grams, and more importantly, an increased battery life of up to 48 hours of usage and up to 25 days of standby. The MAXX also benefits from 32 GB of storage, doubling the amount offered by its sibling.
Both the Droid Ultra and the Droid MAXX are splashproof and feature Corning Gorilla Glass protection on top of the screen, complemented by a Kevlar body.
As far as pricing goes, the Droid Ultra will be retailed for $199.99, whereas the MAXX has a price tag of $299.99. Evidently, both prices are coupled with a new two-year contract with Verizon. The duo is available for pre-order and is expected to hit the shelves on August 20.
Motorola Droid Mini – Specs, Release Date and Price
While the Droid Ultra and MAXX are attempting to establish themselves in the top-tier market segment, the third and final family member has been designed to accommodate a more affordable range. The Droid Mini will inevitably compete with other “minis” out there, including the ones offered by HTC and Samsung.
Spec-wise, Motorola’s contender packs a Motorola X8 dual-core processor clocked at 1.7 GHz, a quad-core GPU and 2 GB of RAM. 16 GB of on-board storage are also available, and much like its larger siblings, the Mini lacks a microSD card slot.
Come to think of it, the Droid Mini is very similar with the other two members of the family. It also packs a 10 MP RGBC main sensor complemented by a 2 MP secondary one, Bluetooth 4.0 support, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and the Gorilla Glass + Kevlar combo.
The main difference between the Mini and the rest of the family is that the former features a 4.3 inch display instead of a 5 inch one. However, the resolution remains the same (720 x 1280), thus the pixel density increases at 342 ppi. The handset draws its energy from a 2,000 mAh battery which offers up to 28 hours of usage or 14 days of standby time.
The Droid Mini will be offered by Verizon for the price of $99.99 with a new 2-year agreement. Once again, the Mini is also planned for an August 20 launch, but prospective customers can already pre-order it.
Motorola Droid Ultra Family – Closing Wordsrola Droid Ultra Family – Closing Words
The new Motorola smartphone line-up is not entirely what we’ve expected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The main shortcomings of these devices consist in their lack of a microSD slot and the fact that they don’t deliver a Full HD resolution.
On the other hand, all three devices promise good battery life (with the MAXX excelling in this regard), and deliver high build quality boasting a resilient combination of materials.
It’s a slightly different route than what we’ve seen so far. It’s not necessarily all about the numbers: the highest possible display resolution or the highest number of CPU cores. The Ultra line-up seems to be well balanced, making a few compromises in order to deliver a solid overall experience.
What are your thoughts regarding the Ultra family? Are you excited about these smartphones? Have you already pre-ordered? Is the exclusivity deal preventing you from doing so? We’d like to hear from you, so join us in the comment section below.
Vlad Andrici is editor for gforgames.com and writes about technology issues. Follow Vlad on Google Plus.