Droid Turbo vs. Pixel 2 XL Camera Comparison, Low Light

[PowrDroid]

Longtime Droid Turbo owner here that recently moved into a Pixel 2 XL. I loved my Droid Turbo but the battery was getting fatigued and sometimes I couldn't make it through a complete day. In the beginning the Turbo could handle almost two full days of use, but no more.

Back when the Turbo first came out a little over three years ago, there were some lively discussions on this forum, some involving the Turbo's camera. I fell on the side of defending the camera (for the most part) but realized it had shortcomings. At the time it was a pretty good camera. But man, have cameras improved.

Here is a comparison shot of a dark room that I took a couple of days after I got my Pixel 2 XL. It was a little bit after sunset. The room was fairly dark. Both cameras were on auto with no flash. The difference in the quality of the photos is astonishing. The Pixel 2 XL doesn't even know the room is dark!



My criteria for phones is 1.) great battery and 2.) great camera. The Pixel 2 XL has better battery life than the Turbo ever did and you can see the stark difference in the camera. One other thing on the camera. On the Turbo there was often a slight delay after pressing the screen to take the shot and when the actual shot was captured. Not so with the Pixel 2 XL--you touch the shutter and the picture is taken.

 

[Einsteindks]

Longtime Droid Turbo owner here that recently moved into a Pixel 2 XL. I loved my Droid Turbo but the battery was getting fatigued and sometimes I couldn't make it through a complete day. In the beginning the Turbo could handle almost two full days of use, but no more.

Back when the Turbo first came out a little over three years ago, there were some lively discussions on this forum, some involving the Turbo's camera. I fell on the side of defending the camera (for the most part) but realized it had shortcomings. At the time it was a pretty good camera. But man, have cameras improved.

Here is a comparison shot of a dark room that I took a couple of days after I got my Pixel 2 XL. It was a little bit after sunset. The room was fairly dark. Both cameras were on auto with no flash. The difference in the quality of the photos is astonishing. The Pixel 2 XL doesn't even know the room is dark!

View attachment 275740

My criteria for phones is 1.) great battery and 2.) great camera. The Pixel 2 XL has better battery life than the Turbo ever did and you can see the stark difference in the camera. One other thing on the camera. On the Turbo there was often a slight delay after pressing the screen to take the shot and when the actual shot was captured. Not so with the Pixel 2 XL--you touch the shutter and the picture is taken.

1, did you consider replacing the battery?
2, have you tried the non-stock Motorola camera update?

 

[PowrDroid]

1, did you consider replacing the battery?
2, have you tried the non-stock Motorola camera update?

Yes, I considered replacing the battery. After thoroughly researching it (forums, blogs, Amazon reviews, ebay reviews) I decided it wasn't worth it. There are "good" replacement batteries and bad replacement batteries and there is no way of knowing which one you are going to get. Some people said they were pleased with the results while others said the new battery was no better than the worn out one they replaced. Also, people reported that the disassembly/assembly was somewhat tricky.

I don't know what you mean by non-stock Motorola camera update. I have tried third party camera apps from the Google Play store. I've tried Camera FV-5, Camera Zoom FX, and Google Camera. Ultimately, I always went back to the stock Moto camera app as picture quality was about the same and ease of use was the best. Camera Zoom FX actually took noticeably worse pictures. None of these apps can overcome the hardware limitations of the camera sensor in the Droid Turbo. Also, the Droid Turbo camera does not have optical image stabilization.

 

[Einsteindks]

Yes, I considered replacing the battery. After thoroughly researching it (forums, blogs, Amazon reviews, ebay reviews) I decided it wasn't worth it. There are "good" replacement batteries and bad replacement batteries and there is no way of knowing which one you are going to get. Some people said they were pleased with the results while others said the new battery was no better than the worn out one they replaced. Also, people reported that the disassembly/assembly was somewhat tricky.

I don't know what you mean by non-stock Motorola camera update. I have tried third party camera apps from the Google Play store. I've tried Camera FV-5, Camera Zoom FX, and Google Camera. Ultimately, I always went back to the stock Moto camera app as picture quality was about the same and ease of use was the best. Camera Zoom FX actually took noticeably worse pictures. None of these apps can overcome the hardware limitations of the camera sensor in the Droid Turbo. Also, the Droid Turbo camera does not have optical image stabilization.

Yeah, the battery replacement can be a little daunting for the uninitiated. I was referring to the updated Motorola camera app that was never pushed to the Droid turbos. Somebody ported it from a more recent phone

 

[MrPocketsOfSteel]

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[MrPocketsOfSteel]

I don't understand the battery thing "wasn't worth it." (?) Do you or did you have a certified Motorola Repair Shop on your side of town? He showed me the exact battery he put in mine and handed me my old battery back in the little cardboard box that the new one came in. Box and battery stamped with "Certified Motorola" etc etc. My battery is just like when I first got my phone three and a half years ago, not bad IMO. Congrats on your new phone though. The camera is the big selling point for me though, the cam does fine for me if I HAVE TO take a pic of something. But if it's that big a deal to me I'll reach next to me and grab my Canon. Now that's a camera. Ha!

 

[PowrDroid]

I don't understand the battery thing "wasn't worth it." (?) Do you or did you have a certified Motorola Repair Shop on your side of town? He showed me the exact battery he put in mine and handed me my old battery back in the little cardboard box that the new one came in. Box and battery stamped with "Certified Motorola" etc etc.

No Motorola repair shop in my area. I would have done the battery replacement myself. I read the reviews for the batteries available to buy on Amazon and EBay and, yes, the batteries were stamped with the Motorola logo and correct part number but many purchasers said the battery was not good. So I didn't want to take the chance.

Glad yours is still going strong.