Motorola initially revealed that the Moto X Play wouldn't be released on U.S. shores. The news sent shock waves to dismayed fans hoping to grab hold of the gaming-inclined smartphone. Tech experts, on the other hand, weren't so quick to rule out the possibility.

You see, Motorola's modus operandi with Verizon Wireless has been well documented. The mobile company from Illinois has a reputation of re-branding their products to make them U.S. exclusives for the New Jersey-based carriers. This was the case with the Motorola DROID last year. The device was exclusive for Verizon Wireless users in the U.S., but other parts of the world knew it by a different name, the Moto Maxx.

With Motorola having launched a trio of their next generation smartphones in July 2015, it was justifiable to speculate that one if not two of them would eventually make their way to the U.S.

Now, a new report has confirmed that in fact, two of the devices will debut in the U.S. Naturally, they will be sporting alter egos.

Sources told Phandroid that the Moto X Play and Moto X Style will follow where the Moto Maxx left off. The two devices are to be tweaked and re-branded as the Motorola DROID Maxx 2 and Motorola DROID Turbo 2, respectively. They would be available for Verizon Wireless users later this year.

Motorola DROID Maxx 2

Phandroid's sources didn't elaborate on the DROID Maxx 2's specs although the device shouldn't have much internal difference as the Moto X Play.

To refresh the memory, the Moto X Play has the following specs:

  • 5.5-inch full HD display
  • Snapdragon 615 processor
  • 21-megapixel main camera
  • 2 GB of RAM
  • microSD expansion

The aptly named Moto X Play is built for gaming and other heavy visual feats since it packs a 3,630 mAh battery. Could the DROID Maxx 2 house an even bigger battery? Is that what the "Maxx" means? Only time and Big Red subscribers will tell. The DROID Maxx 2 is expected go out on plans starting at $300.

Motorola DROID Turbo 2

The DROID Turbo 2, meanwhile, is reportedly the higher-end of the pair and will closely mirror the Moto X Style. It was previously reported that the Moto X Style will be released in the U.S. as the Moto X Pure Edition and will be sold via Motorola's online store, Moto Maker. Know more about it here.

As for the DROID Turbo 2, aside from resembling the Moto X Style, Phandroid's sources also claim it will come with an "unbreakable display," in part due to the POLED it will be embellished with.