Motorola Droid Ultra Review: Ultra Thin LTE Smartphone
When considering the physical design of a smartphone, there’s one key dimension that often matters most to the majority of users: thickness. No one wants to carry around a thick, clunky smartphone. Manufacturers realize thin devices sell, which is why it seems every time we turn around they’re constantly fighting for the title of thinnest device.
The current title-holder is the Motorola Droid Ultra, which is billed as the thinnest 4G LTE smartphone. It measures just 0.28 inches thick and is available exclusively through Verizon Wireless. The Droid Ultra was announced alongside the Droid Maxx and the Droid Mini. Falling in the middle of this trio, the Droid Ultra has a lot to offer especially given its current price tag of $99.99 after discounts and with a contract.
;)
Another popular Motorola phone, the made-in America Moto X, also launched about the same time as the Droid Ultra. While these two phones have very similar hardware specifications, their exterior styling is noticeably different.
In addition to a thin design, the Droid Ultra features a 5-inch HD display and a Kevlar-based unibody frame. The phone is available in red and black. Before we dive in to the full hands-on review, let’s take a closer look at exactly what the Motorola Droid Ultra has to offer:
 |
|
| Processor |
Motorola X8 Mobile Computing System (1.7 GHz dual–core application processor, 400 MHz quad–core GPU, natural language processor, contextual computing processor), Power/Audio Management: PM8921 |
| Memory |
16GB on board memory + 2GB RAM |
| Operating System |
Android 4.2, Jelly Bean |
| Display |
5.0” edge–to–edge Super AMOLED display 1280 x 720 Screen Resolution |
| Camera & Multimedia |
10MP RGBC camera with quick capture 1080p HD Video capture, up to 60FPS 2MP Full HD Recording Front Facing Camera 3.5mm Audio Jack |
| Wireless |
LTE, CDMA/1xEVDO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz) Global Network: EDGE/GSM (850/900/1800/1900), HSPA/UMTS( 850/900/1900/2100), HSDPA 42.2 Mbps (Category 20), HSUPA 5.76 Mbps Bluetooth 4.0 Mobile Hotspot – Connect up to 8 Wi–Fi enabled devices in 4G or 5 in 3G Wi–Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, 2.4GHz and 5GHz Capable aGPS |
| Size |
5.41 x 2.80 x 0.28 inches 4.94 ounces |
| Battery |
2130 mAh Li–Ion Usage Time: Up to 28 hours Standby Time: Up to 13 days |
| Availability |
Verizon Wireless |
| Price |
$99.99 after discounts and with a contract |
The Motorola Droid Ultra's specifications read very much like the Moto X's, which is to say the device falls somewhere in the upper, mid-range of the current smartphone market. As we've mentioned, it's thinness and form factor are what differentiate the Droid Ultra.
