Droid Preview: iPhone's first real competition has arrived
Summary: Verizon Wireless' highly-anticipated Droid provides the first real honest-to-goodness competition to the iPhone. But should you buy one? Well, that depends.
I've been testing the new Droid mobile phone from Motorola running on Verizon Wireless for a couple of days and have to admit to being impressed by way the new handset has filled many of the gaps left by the iPhone.
I've been a fan of Android since the G1 came out on T-Mobile on and wrote the Google Phone Pocket Guide for PeachPit Press.
Verizon is marketing Droid squarely at potential iPhone customers by promoting its features that aren't available on the venerable Apple device.
Droid's biggest advantages come courtesy of Google's Android operating system, which graduated to version 2.0 (code named Eclair). Android is maturing quickly and its open platform, background apps, widgets and customization expose many of the chinks in the iPhone's armor. When you combine Android 2 with the hardware features included in the Droid handset – including its physical keyboard, removable battery, 5MP camera and expansion slot – you have a potent one-two punch against the iPhone.
As expected, the Verizon network is its best feature. Calls are clear and I haven't had a single dropped call in my testing. My iPhone displays the "Call Failed" error at least once per day. VZW is also attempting to lure customers away from the iPhone (and AT&T) by promoting the company's superior 3G data network with its There's a map for that campaign.
While themes and widgets may seem trivial, they're a welcome upgrade over the iPhone which provides no customization options without jailbreaking the device. Mac users may be concerned about the lack of native sync software for the Mac, but luckily Google Contacts sync natively with Address Book and Google Calendar syncs with iCal.
Droid's optional haptic feedback, which provides a slight vibrating feedback as keys are pressed, is another welcome addition. Another major upgrade in Android 2.0 is the addition of Google Maps with driving directions which provides voice-assisted turn-by-turn directions based on GPS. On the iPhone GPS with directions costs extra – including a hefty monthly fee.
While a physical keyboard may seem like a good idea, I find Droid's mushy with not enough key travel. To make matters worse, it doesn't auto-correct as you type. The good news is that Android 2.0's virtual keyboard has an improved layout which improves accuracy and includes a smart dictionary that includes contact names.
The Droid is available tomorrow for $200 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) and requires a minimum $70 monthly service plan for two years – text messaging costs extra. Droid comes with a 16GB MicroSD card, expandable up to a 32GB.
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Talkback
The MicroSD card is not only expandable
You will be told that this is a disadvantage
Well my simple solution to that
Plus I rarely even swap them. Music and pictures fit handily on the primary 32 GB card. I use the other cards for video, which I do not use on a daily basis.
I absolutely refuse to use a holster
I personally don't view removable storage cards as a particularly desirable feature for me but I'm not stupid enough to claim that the feature makes the device less portable.
What happened to your logic?
There was a time when you posed valid arguments against everything
Apple from time to time. I enjoyed debating the points with you. Now
your argument is that iPhone users, like me, <i>will undoubtedly
argue</i> that a particular feature makes a product less portable.
You then attempt reinforce this claim by bringing it up as a
justification for calling people like me, who happen to like our
iPhones, <i>"stupid enough to claim that the feature makes the
device less portable"</i>.
The problem is that you, sir or ma'am, are the only one who has
mentioned this supposed argument. You have elected to insult
hundreds of thousands of iPhone users with a baseless accusation
from a statement <i>you yourself</i> have created from whole cloth.
Give me a break already!!! If you have something factual to add,
please do so. I really do miss some of our debates. Until then, please
spare me the pain of seeing you devolve into such mindless drivel!
BTW: I have a holster for my iPhone, but it also fits very nicely in my
pocket and is often found there.
(Yes, I know, I fed the troll)
I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried
And I would suggest that if your iPhone DID fit comfortably in your pocket, you wouldn't have a holster. The [b]fact[/b] that you have a holster [b]proves[/b] that the iPhone is too big. The Diamond, being 70% the size of the iPhone, never has trouble fitting in my pocket. It even fits in my Speedos. ;)
I hope the smiley means you were kidding...
My G1 fits in my shirt pocket too, but I choose to use the holster anyway. Partly because I keep my pens in my shirt pocket and don't want them damaging the screen, but mainly because I just prefer using the holster.
???
has certainly never made these claims though. I have seen fanboys
argue that carrying around peripherals is more effort, but not that the
mere ability to do so is more effort.
Not that my personal choices are relevant to an entire marketplace but
let me address the holster. I use the holster during the work week
because it is more convenient access to the phone than standing up to
reach into my pants pocket. I sit at a desk or in a car all work week,
but it is not always the same desk so I don't put my phone on the
table top. On the weekends I tend to be on my feet most of the time.
At those times I carry the iPhone quite comfortably in my pocket. I
grant your privilege to assume what you want based on limited facts of
my personal choices. However, to extrapolate such assumptions into
proof of facts not in evidence smacks of the ridiculous. It's an
opinion, and it's one on which we disagree. Size is a constant but "too
big" or even "too small" is a matter of personal opinion. You feel the
iPhone is too big. I disagree.
just dumb
Right Macadam
Stop getting so defensive about something so trivial as this and go do something actually productive.
Tell you what
years in an Apple store providing no-cost support to that
demographic and then you can tell me what "most Mac users" will say.
When I discuss the Mac community I am discussing it based on
thousands and thousands of direct user support/inquiry/sales
interactions. I suspect that when you do you are discussing it based
on the Internet loud mouths. Mac users who have a need to carry
multiple data cards do so. When they have a question about it the
question is along the lines of "will my Mac read this as it is formatted
by default?" The answer is yes, BTW.
I think that swappable cards are a good thing. I have never in the last
10 years ever felt the need to carry a spare battery for my phone, but I
think that for those who do, that ability is a good thing. My opinion is
that for the majority of users these are not highly utilized features.
The iPhone is NOT for everyone. I have, while working in the Apple
Store, advised people to buy something else if they felt the need for a
swappable battery. If I were in NYC, I would undoubtedly advise
people to get a phone that is <i>not</i> on AT&Ts service.
Who needs Apple Cultists ...
Especially when they have a paid MS Shill (like "Bitty") to speak *for* them?
;)
We will? How do you know that?
I think the iPhone team and AT&T are ready for the Droid.
The extra capacity will be tied to Cloud computing.
Maybe not this year but probably next.
And the App store and ease of purchase of music will outshine the
camera and the smart card.
Disagree
they saw it coming and I don't think they are truly ready for it.
Historically Apple has not been very reactive in these scenarios either.
My hope is that Apple will continue to improve the iPhone and that
they will partner with more US carriers. If they don't then my days
with the iPhone are probably limited due to the way AT&T has recently
treated me as a customer - not the coverage which is fine where I live
but the attitude.
As for the ease of the store? Have you ever shopped Amazon's MP3
store? It is every bit as easy to use as the iTunes store. Anyone smart
enough to develop and market the Droid this well will no doubt come
up with a great app distribution model in due course.
I think the Droid is a good thing. Not because the iPhone is bad, but
because the growth of the product space brings benefit to us all.
Exactly
healthy competition
healthy competition is a bad thing and prefers to take over health care,
banking, automotive, and insurance. So I wonder when they will take
over the phones, they are already working on the Internet.
idiots statements about competion
IF you are trying to quote
Competition is GREAT!
Linux driven devices/appliances.
To the naysayers that Linux distro devices/appliances
are a 'niche' I guess Google is a 'niche' as well...
;)
Yes it is!
has done so as a, reportedly, very capable competitor. I am hoping that
this will inspire further growth/development of the iPhone while also
providing me a real hardware choice in the future.