Report: Verizon preps Motorola Droid Turbo for Oct. 28 launch

Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) is still in love with "Droid." The carrier sent out invitations for a media event Oct. 28, where it is expected to launch a new Droid-branded Android smartphone from Motorola Mobility, rumored to be called the Droid Turbo.

Verizon's "Droid Does" website is back up and running with a countdown clock winding down to Oct. 28. Motorola has built a wide range of devices for Verizon's Droid franchise, including smaller models and a premium one with extended battery life. However, Verizon seems to be settling on the release of one flagship Droid phone for the holiday season, according to a CNET report.

The phone launch could be one of the last Motorola makes as a unit of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) before Lenovo closes its $2.91 billion deal for the company, a transaction that is expected to close by the end of this year. The rumored Droid Turbo launch likely will tap into a segment of Verizon's customer base that has been loyal to the Droid brand ever since Motorola catapulted into the smartphone market with the launch of the original Droid in 2009. That launch is partially credited with helping turn Android into a mainstream platform in the United States.

Although the Droid Turbo name has been bandied about in rumors, Verizon hasn't officially settled on that name, according to the CNET report, which cited unnamed sources. Motorola declined to comment, the report said.

The Turbo name would make sense given what Verizon has teased thus far about the phone's ability to charge rapidly. "Faster charging is a big deal. That's why we made it a bigger deal," the carrier's @DroidLanding Twitter account said last week.

According to Slash Gear, various rumors have indicated the phone will sport a 3,900 mAh battery, which likely would provide the phone with extremely long battery life. The phone will reportedly also sport a 5.2-inch screen and a 2.7 GHz Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage and a 21-megapixel rear camera. 

For more:
- see this CNET article
- see this Slash Gear article

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