Motorola Droid Turbo 2 vs Moto X Pure Edition comparison: Is unbreakable unbeatable?

Note: the Moto X Pure Edition and Droid Turbo 2 are known as the Moto X Style and Moto X Force outside the US.

Droid Turbo 2 vs Moto X Pure Edition: Design

These are pretty similar looking phones, as you'll see in the photo below.There are some pretty important design distinctions, however.

The most obvious of these is the material used on the back of the device. The components that help make the Droid Turbo 2 screen "unbreakable" (more on that later), including the Ballistic Nylon finish, also make the phone considerably heavier and also less pleasing to the eye. In contrast, the Moto X Pure Edition has a silicone finish that makes it ergonomic, easy to handle and a lot lighter.

Both have a microSD and SIM card slot at the top next to the headphone jack, but the aluminum strip that surrounds the rear camera is slimmer and more elegant on the Moto X Pure Edition.

Flip the phones over and there are a few more differences, predominantly in the speaker department. The Moto X Pure Edition has a speaker at the top and bottom of the frame, providing stereo sound, not dissimilar to the Moto G 2014. In contrast, the Droid Turbo 2 has two small speaker bars at the bottom of the front of the phone, which gives a less rounded mono sound. 

The Droid Turbo 2 also has slightly higher edges along its sides and is a little wider than the Pure Edition. While the Droid Turbo 2 can look great, especially with the vintage leather cover, there's little doubt the Moto X Pure Edition takes the design prize.

Droid Turbo 2 vs Moto X Pure Edition: Display

Both of these phones have 2K resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) but that's pretty much where the display similarities end. The most noticeable difference is screen size; the Moto X Pure Edition's is 5.7 inches and the Droid Turbo 2's is 5.4 inches. 

The Droid Turbo 2 uses P-OLED, an AMOLED panel made from a flexible plastic, while the Moto X Pure Edition has an LCD TFT screen with IPS technology that enhances the viewing angles. As a result, the colors and contrast are more intense in the Droid Turbo 2, while the brightness is better in the Moto X Pure Edition.

• Smartphone screens explained

The biggest difference between the two is how their screens are protected. The Droid Turbo 2 layers different materials to make what Motorola claims is an unbreakable screen. It is offering a four-year warranty to back up this claim. It's a godsend for the clumsy among us.

The Moto X Pure Edition is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 which makes it a little softer to the touch but also means your fingers are more likely to slip a little as you press the screen. But it is a little easier to keep clean than the Droid Turbo 2's display.

Droid Turbo 2 vs. Moto X Pure Edition: Software

The Moto X Pure Edition has recently received the Marshmallow update, bringing a host of internal improvements but not a huge amount of visual change to the pre-installed Lollipop 5.1, which is what the Droid Turbo 2 runs. When that phone will get Marshmallow is yet to be announced.

The main difference the upgrade has offered to the Moto X Pure Edition is that the system font is slightly thinner and the system menus are a little more intuitive, while Google Now is also improved. Both devices run on Google and the Google App Launcher so the wallpapers and icons are the same.

Droid Turbo 2 vs. Moto X Pure Edition: Performance

The Moto X Pure Edition has an 808 Snapdragon processor (MSM8992), with six cores at 1.8 GHz and 3GB of RAM LPDDR 3. The model of the GPU is the Adreno 418 (600 MHz), which is able to run games including Vainglory, Asphalt Nitro and Need for Speed No Limits without lagging or dropping frames.

In contrast, the Droid Turbo 2 has an 810 Snapdragon (MSM8994) processor with eight cores at a frequency of 2.0 GHz. Four of the cores are Cortex-A53 1.5 GHz and four are Cortex-A57 2.0 GHz. The GPU Manning device is the Adreno 430, which is capable of playing videos in 4K and running high-level games such as Implosion and Vainglory. However, it can get a little hot during charging and when using 4G for long periods.

Despite the differences in processing specifications, the speed of the two devices is actually quite similar, as you can see from the results of our test in AnTuTu. 

Droid Turbo 2 vs. Moto X Pure Edition: Camera

Both devices feature a 21 MP rear camera with f / 2.0 aperture and offer dual-tone LED CCT color balancing technology. The Motorola camera software is the same on both devices and includes Rapid Focus (fast focus), HDR, panorama, geolocation and an integrated QR Code reader.

At the front, both have a 5MP camera with a large aperture that's ideal for selfies. They also have HDR, touch exposure control and a front LED flash, complete with warning light. Perhaps the best way to get a sense of the two cameras is by taking a look at the photos below.

As you can see, it's fairly safe to say that the Droid Turbo 2 has a higher sensitivity to light, especially when there's not much of it. Its sensor can also deliver better night-time shots with less blur and exposure burst.

In contrast, the Moto X Pure Edition is not quick to autofocus, meaning images often end up looking different from how they looked on your screen before you took the shot.

Droid Turbo 2 vs. Moto X Pure Edition: Battery

Along with the unbreakable screen, the enormous 3,760 mAh battery is one of the Droid Turbo 2's strongest features. It can last for up to 36 hours with moderate use, almost unheard of these days, up to 16 hours of moderate 4G use and up to 22 hours of Wi-Fi use.  

The Moto X Pure Edition has a more typical 3,000mAh battery and you'd expect it to just about last the day under moderate use and last about 11 hours when you're using Wi-Fi. Since the addition of Marshmallow, the Moto X Pure Edition does get a little warmer, especially when you're hammering the 4G, although Marshmallow has made charging a little faster too.

Both come with a 25W Turbo Charger, which is able to deliver about 40 percent charge in 25 minutes and the Droid Turbo 2 is also compatible with wireless turbo charging.

Droid Turbo 2 vs. Moto X Pure Edition: Technical Specifications

Droid Turbo 2 vs. Moto X Pure Edition: Conclusion

Despite their relatively similar looks, these are two pretty distinct phones and each should appeal to different people. 

The Droid Turbo 2 has a significantly better camera and battery life, but it's the shatterproof screen and general robustness that really sets it apart. If you're forever worried about dropping the newer, sleeker phones available, this could be the one for you - although it's worth remembering it's just the screen that's unbreakable not the whole phone. But its major minus point is the price – the Droid Turbo 2 retails at about US$624.

The Moto X Pure Edition is a better choice for those who like a more aesthetically pleasing phone and are confident in their handling abilities. It also has better overall specifications, Marshmallow, and good storage capacity and can be picked up for about US$399.

What do you think? Do you prefer the Moto X Pure Edition or the Droid Turbo 2? Let us know in the comments.