Not on the Best List

B. Diddy

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I had nothing to do with the article, but I would guess that since the 2014 Moto X was on there, it wouldn't make sense to include the Turbo (which is very similar to the X). Maybe they prefer the X over the Turbo due to the ever present Verizon bloat on the latter.

The Moto G is there because of its unsurpassed value, given its bargain price.
 

JimBen73

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The turbo is mentioned right at the end of the moto x portion. They are basically the same phone except for the the bigger battery and display the turbo has. I guess the main reason they high light the X over the turbo is because of the Verizon exclusive.

sent turbo fast
 

Emperor

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The turbo is mentioned right at the end of the moto x portion. They are basically the same phone except for the the bigger battery and display the turbo has. I guess the main reason they high light the X over the turbo is because of the Verizon exclusive.

sent turbo fast

Ha! You are right. They did sneak in the Droid Turbo in the last paragraph of the Moto X section. Since the Droid has a better battery, camera, screen, and more RAM, it should have it's own section. I guess the Verizon tag is really hindering headline endorsement of the DT. Oh well ... so far this is the best droid smart phone i have owned ... Headline or no Headline ... IMO of course.
 

Furt

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Ha! You are right. They did sneak in the Droid Turbo in the last paragraph of the Moto X section. Since the Droid has a better battery, camera, screen, and more RAM, it should have it's own section. I guess the Verizon tag is really hindering headline endorsement of the DT. Oh well ... so far this is the best droid smart phone i have owned ... Headline or no Headline ... IMO of course.

I have to side with article on not including the phone. It may have better specs, but being locked to Verizon and not having any of the customization options of the Moto X, its just not going to be as compelling a sale to consumers.

Posted via the Android Central App
 

doogald

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Side topic: I'd love for android central to start testing Droids on other us carriers just for the heck of it. Do they work? (They should - they're unlocked.) Will they get lte data or just hspa+?

It could be that buying a turbo and popping in a sim for another carrier makes the phone better than other unlocked phones on T-Mobile and AT&T.
 

Furt

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Side topic: I'd love for android central to start testing Droids on other us carriers just for the heck of it. Do they work? (They should - they're unlocked.) Will they get lte data or just hspa+?

It could be that buying a turbo and popping in a sim for another carrier makes the phone better than other unlocked phones on T-Mobile and AT&T.

It's already been done on other YouTube channels and the overall conclusion is that it gets full LTE on T-Mobile and HSPA+ on AT&T. There's a band or two of LTE that the turbo doesn't have for AT&T's LTE which sucks.

Posted via the Android Central App
 

anon(5630457)

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This phone is so much better than the Note 4 because it has the same specs but it's smaller. When I had the Note 3 and put it in my front pocket, it made it incredibly difficult to sit down. I have no such issues with the Turbo.
 
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This phone is so much better than the Note 4 because it has the same specs but it's smaller. When I had the Note 3 and put it in my front pocket, it made it incredibly difficult to sit down. I have no such issues with the Turbo.

Subjective. you could argue the note 4 is better because it's bigger. Try "I prefer" or IMO

Posted via the Android Central App
 

doogald

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It's already been done on other YouTube channels and the overall conclusion is that it gets full LTE on T-Mobile and HSPA+ on AT&T. There's a band or two of LTE that the turbo doesn't have for AT&T's LTE which sucks.

Posted via the Android Central App

Ok, but I'd still like to see android central test it, too. Why not?
 

Masheen

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Just curious why the Turbo didn't make the Best Android Phones list.

The Best Android Phones | Android Central

It didn't even make the "Other Phones Worth Considering" list, but the Moto G is on the list????

... Just saying. Not looking to complain, but it would be nice if someone could explain.:confused:

This phone doesn't make any of the top device lists because it is only released on Verizon in the US (and global to selected markets). Don't let it affect your opinion of the phone. It's best to compare the Droid Turbo to a souped up Moto X, which is considered to be the "Best Android device" on many lists atm. Editorial suggestions usually choose phones for their lists that are accessible across many, if not all, carriers.
 

jesta192

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It is definitely a shame that the Droids get written off by most tech reporting outlets just because it is exclusive to Verizon. Everyone hates exclusive deals, but maybe having (in many ways) the best phone on the market should be reason enough to consider moving to the carrier which has the phone. I don't remember any of the blogs failing to cover the Galaxy S4/5 Active versions just because they were AT&T only... Why do the Droids get overlooked?
 

doogald

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Nobody ever downgraded the iPhone when it was AT&T exclusive...

The Droids have the reputation based on their past, with the dumb robot ads, the dumb Droid ringtone and startup tone. That stuff is pretty much gone but the reputation remains. For a long time Verizon marketed these phones badly.
 

tdizzel

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That's odd. On the Tdizzel Best Phone list(which is the only one i care about) the Turbo is number 1

Posted from my Droid Turbo, Kelly and Ozone
 

HappyFunBall24

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I did a lot of research on all of the so-called top smartphones before ordering the Droid Turbo today. I too have been very frustrated with how many written and video reviews/comparisons seem to slight the Droid Turbo for things that are not among the most important aspects of the phone. I understand that people can weigh these factors heavily, but some do it to the point where they over-emphasize the negatives and overlook positives because of their biases.

The most commonly cited reviewer criticisms of the Droid Turbo that I've seen are:

1. Aesthetics: "looks ugly" (most don't elaborate but some mention the thickness, capacitative buttons, bezel/chin) --> Subjective! Meanwhile, most do not mention the solid build quality at all.
2. Camera: often called bad or horrible, noting that pics are not best-in-class, low-light pics below avg, shutter speed slow ---> I believe overly-critical; of course it's not among the best, but it's certainly not a bad camera
3. Verizon: exclusivity and bloatware ---> bloatware issues are overblown (minor annoyances but easily disabled, it's not 2010); exclusivity concerns are legit, but also somewhat over-emphasized (as others have mentioned above)

Sometimes reviews go deeper than the above, but I've seen a number of them base final impressions/scores mainly on those factors while simultaneously minimizing, discounting, or failing to mention some of the biggest strengths. For example, some don't even mention how the Droid Turbo has the very top of the line hardware across the board as of right now. Sure, some say there's no discernible benefits at all (a crock), but at least mention that the hardware is present! The worst bias I think I've seen is a couple of reviews criticizing the battery for being 'average', not even any better than on their beloved Moto X. C'mon man, ok so maybe it's not 48 hours, but certainly not 'average'.

I realize that users on these and other forums definitely have more valid criticisms (e.g., no simultaneous voice/data, quieter earpiece, no sd card slot), but to me those are not catastrophic issues either. But at least they're more valid than what many reviewers come up with.
 

Mike-Mike

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Great points by HappyFunBall24 (pretty sure I never thought I would type a phrase like that)

I also don't understand why these reviewers don't realize these devices with smaller batteries are not going to keep having great battery life. Sure when they are new they have solid battery life. One year on, most of them will have significant battery degradation.

Whereas any of the Maxx line still has solid battery life.

Posted via the Android Central App