Motorola made bold claims earlier this year when they said their new smartphone, the Motorola DROID Turbo 2, featured a shatter-proof display. Many YouTubers took this as a challenge, putting the device through extreme stress tests most other devices would never survive. But time and time again, no matter how hard people come at the Motorola DROID Turbo 2, the device just wont crack. That’s probably because, unlike most displays, the Droid Turbo 2’s doesn’t have any glass in it all, with Motorola opting instead for multiple layers of plastic for a 100% shatter-proof durability. Proving once again you simply can’t crack thin sheets of plastic film, UnlockRiver is taking a crack at the Turbo 2, dropping it from more than 900ft in the air using a drone. Does the Turbo 2 survive? You’ll have to watch the video to find out:
We are in the midst of reviewing the recently announced Motorola Droid Turbo 2, and one of the most interesting features of the phone is its supposedly shatterproof display. Any phone can survive one or two errant drops. But what about seventy?
As you can see in our video above, the Droid Turbo 2 does indeed survive all manner of droppage. The screen was certainly scratched up, the bezel took a beating, and the SIM card tray came out a bunch of times. But nothing happened that affected the functionality of the phone!
When we first heard of the Droid Turbo 2 and its shatterproof display, we had no idea what that exactly is and how good it was. Most of us, including myself I have to say, thought that is just another marketing trick to improve sales, but new drop test has proved the opposite.
The shatterproof display on Motorola Droid Turbo 2, also known as ShatterShield display, has a total of five different layers and is extremely durable. The smartphone has been tested against all top smartphones, including Apple iPhone 6s, HTC One M9, LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge, and Samsung Galaxy Note 5. All of them failed except one - Motorola Droid Turbo 2.
Although it’s hard to argue that the Motorola DROID Turbo 2 is packed to the brim with top-of-the-line hardware, nobody ever said it was a particularly good looking device. A lot of that had to do with the fact that the front of the device is covered with a variety of sensors, speaker holes, and the odd placement of a huge Verizon logo emblazoned between the bottom speaker. We know. Nobody likes carrier branding on their device, especially when it’s staring them dead in the face everyday. Thankfully, removing the Verizon logo is as simple as peeling off a sticker. It’s true. Like a fine lasagna, the Droid Turbo 2 boasts a crazy 5-layer “ShatterShield” display. Motorola calls the 2 outer layers “lenses,” but they’re more like those plastic screen protectors you find on eBay. In fact, the top most layer — where the Verizon logo is stamped — can be easily peeled off (something our own Rob Jackson almost did during his live unboxing on Periscope. This will make the phone look nearly identical to the Motorola Moto X Force. Well, minus the Droid branding still on the back.
Now, you probably don’t want to remove the outer layer without putting something else there to take its place (it also might void the warranty, so there’s that). Plastic is so much more softer than glass, which is why we’d recommend finding a cheap plastic screen protector on eBay or Amazon, or perhaps upgrading the display with one of those fancy 2.5D tempered glass ones. While going the glass route would take away some of the benefits of an “unbreakable” display, finding a replacement screen protector is way more affordable then replacing the entire display.
You see? No reason to get so worked up over a silly logo.
For years, Corning’s Gorilla Glass has been touted as the toughest of tough glass for smartphone screens. But what if your smartphone screen didn’t need to be glass at all? That’s the point Motorola challenges with the Motorola DROID Turbo 2 for Verizon. The thing is shatterproof. How do I know? Because at today’s announcement in NYC, I watched Motorola’s Rick Osterloh hold the device shoulder high and drop it directly on the solid ground. Twice. That’s not something you do unless you’re confident it will undoubtedly, 100% pass the test with flying colors. It did… and then we took a closer look at what makes it work.
It’s called Motorola ShatterShield and it has 5 layers:
1. Exterior Protective Lens – a protective layer with a proprietary hardcoat designed to guard against dents and abrasion. 2. Interior Lens – highly transparent layer that provides a clear protective shield that won’t crack or shatter. 3. Dual touch layer – in the event of an impact that damages the primary touch-sensitive layer, a second layer takes over to maintain touchscreen performance. 4. AMOLED display -flexible display that absorbs shock and provides amazing picture quality. 5. Aluminum chassis – a rigid aluminum chassis provides structural integrity and durability.
Yes, you read that right: the Turbo 2 basically has two touchscreens so that if one breaks in a fall the second one kicks in and takes over. Motorola is standing by their statement, too, offering a 4-year warranty on the screen (you’ll want to read the fine print).
All-in-all, pretty amazing stuff. It’s just a shame that they’re only bringing the device to Verizon Wireless. Hopefully will see Motorola ShatterShield in other Android devices soon.
Fresh out of Verizon’s New York event is our own Rob Jackson who has been spending the last few hours getting acquainted with the all new Motorola DROID Turbo 2. Launching exclusively on Verizon Wireless, the Droid Turbo 2 is worthy successor to last years original Turbo and while some are billing this as simply carrier variant of the Motorola Moto X Pure Edition, it’s so much more than that. Quite frankly, the Droid Turbo 2 is the absolute best smartphone Motorola has ever built. Well, on paper anyway. It’s jam packed full of impressive hardware like a 48-hour battery and features like its unique shatter-proof display. These are all pain points that, according to various market research, consumers really care about. What’s more is the the Turbo 2 will by the first “Droid” handset that will be customizable through Moto Maker. This allows customers to build a Turbo 2 according to their tastes, choosing between different colors and back cover materials like leather, ballistic nylon, or the standard silicone finish.
Simply put, if you’re shopping around for a new smartphone/carrier, the Droid Turbo is worth more than a look. It deserves your full attention. Check out our hands-on video down above and stay tuned as we prepare a full review in the coming days.
