Droid is coming to Verizon

Could the new Droid finally be the smartphone to knock the Apple iPhone off its pedestal? Droid partners Verizon, Motorola, and Google are positioning it as such.

The latest Android-based smartphone, the Droid, could debut as early as October 30, according to a cryptic countdown code on Verizon's Web site that promotes the new device.

Verizon has set up its Droid promo page with direct challenges to the iPhone, with such slap-in-the face headlines as: "iDon't have a real keyboard," "iDon't run simultaneous apps," and "iDon't allow open development." And "everything iDon't...Droid does."

The page goes on to tout all that the Droid does offer, including high speed, multitasking, networking, a high-resolution screen, speech recognition, directions, video, music, and more than 10,000 apps.

(Credit: Verizon)

The Droid is the same smartphone formerly known as the Motorola Sholes, so some technical specs have already been known.

The phone will run the new Android 2.0 operating system. It will provide a 3.7-inch touch screen along with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The 5-megapixel autofocus and flash camera will offer both still and video recording. Wi-FI, Bluetooth 2.0, and GPS are there as well.

Calls to Motorola, Verizon, and Google for further details were not immediately returned.

But Web sites are already touting the Droid as the hottest phone that will hit the market in awhile.

The Boy Genius Report site says it's already gotten its hands on a Droid, revealing a few key details. The phone is just slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS, says the site, sporting a "pretty usable," ultrathin, sliding QWERTY keyboard.

Powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 processor (the same chip used by the Palm Pre), the Droid is the fastest and most impressive Android device that Boy Genius says it's seen. (Google reportedly had a strong hand in its design.) The site also is gushing over the phone's display, calling it the best screen so far on an Android handset.

The TechCrunch site calls the Droid a three-way effort among Motorola, Verizon, and Google. The site says that, according to people who've tried out the device, the Droid is the "most sophisticated mobile device to hit the market to date from a hardware standpoint." TechCrunch sees it as "Android's flagship product, and the first phone that will pose a significant threat to Apple's iPhone."

Verizon has often been a mixed bag for many customers, offering a reliable, high-speed network but lacking a must-have smartphone a la the iPhone.

[aubskibob]

It's about time

[Teran9]

Gee, if Apple was light-fingered in their advertising this could use a cartoon character with the slogan "Avoid the Droid".

[sting7k]

I hope this can pull Moto back from the brink. Now we need a GSM version.

[pyde_pypper]

There is one in the works. It just got FCC approval a few weeks ago. Won't be out until early 2010 from what I've heard.

[slice77]

...except its for Euro 3G frequencies only. This is going to be a Verizon exclusive in the US for the foreseeable future.

[Thranx]

nice to see a direct challenge to the iDidn't Allow MMS FOR YEARS

Anybody knows will it have an Exchange client?

[slice77]

Android 2.0 (which the Droid is running) will have native Exchange support. I'm guessing it will be a separate client as I doubt Google wants to wrap their Gmail app up with Exchange.

[OfficerNelson]

I'm excited. Been waiting for an iPhone alternative on Verizon for years.

[jwilson61904]

This is all well and good, but does anybody know how much it will cost?

[pyde_pypper]

Word traveling is $199 on a 2yr contract. If you want to pay full retail I've been told somewhere in the area of $550 give or take. However if you are unaware it does come with a docking station tho supposedly.

[jwilson61904]

Thanks for the response. Seems reasonable compared to phones offered by other carriers.

[kahanlon]

21:24:12:00 is what i got when i looked at the timer for a minute.

[davidnpratt]

the countdown signals it will expire at midnight on 10/28.

[xenidus]

That's nice and all, but Verizon is still going to charge the ridiculous mandatory $30 a month data fee, which people with constant Wifi access (college student here) don't need... stupid.

[VJGthe3]

But isn't the whole point of having a device like this the ability to use it where you don't have access to a computer? (i.e. anywhere else)

[pyde_pypper]

How is that any different then any of the other carriers. All carrier charge at least $30/mon if you have a smartphone or BB. Not that I want to say this seeing as I can't stand the things but even iPhone users pay the $30/mon. It is all about revenue these days which is why all we keep seeing is smartphones getting releasd.

[xenidus]

1. You can easily purchase unlocked phones (full price or used and as you mentioned, not blackberry) for ATT or Tmobile and use them with WIFI for free (without paying for data). I know multiple Omnia users who are doing this with the Tmobile network. You just pop in the Sim card.

I don't want to get a free phone if I have to pay $360 a year for internet (which I will never/rarely utilize) for the life of the product.

2. Why do people keep arguing the "Why would you want this without a data plan?". I am surrounded by wifi ALL DAY. At work? Wifi. In class? Wifi. At my house? Wifi. At the coffee shop? Wifi. Why would I want to pay $360 a year for a limited data plan when I will NEVER use it?

3. I respect the existence of the Data plan for the people that argue "Isn't the whole point of this device to have a data plan?" because apparently the concept of using the phone as a phone and with wifi is absolutely foreign to you. But making the data plan mandatory is just greed. My use of wifi doesn't put any weight on the cell network and doesn't influence Verizon in any way (other than they don't get my hard earned money). Stupid.

[CLUTCH1222]

Sprint has the best plans... they dont nickel and dime users... they dont monitor data plans,, they used to suck but cs has turned 360 . palm pre is the best deal on smart phones....period. htc hero, ..... no one has even mentioned sprint and pre on this thread

[frogpondmedia]

If you have no need for cellular, don't buy a cellular networking device. A PDA with Wifi, an iPod touch, that new Android-powered Archos 5 tablet/media player, etc. It's stilly to complain about having to pay for the primary service for which the device is intended.

[xenidus]

I don't understand what is wrong with people?!?! How is it hard to wrap your mind around the concept of not wanting to be forced to pay for a service when you don't need it? How is that silly? If they made the data plan optional I would not have a problem at all. Smart phones have DOZENS and DOZENS of functions that are built into them that require zero internet to function! How is it possible to think that a "cellular networking device's" only redeeming quality is mobile data plans? In other words the argument is that if you don't need a data plan, you don't need a smart phone device. That's laughable since smart phones started out as a device with zero mobile internet. It's called rational thinking... It's really great, I highly recommend it.

By the way there aren't any modern, viable alternatives on the market for Verizon users (under contract since the data plan fee was enacted last year) wishing to avoid the $360 a year data fee. The PDA market is dead, and that Archos you speak of is getting terrible reviews due to bugs and freezing issues, and you can't just tack on etc. at the end of a sentence when there isn't anything else to follow. Well I'm done illuminating my stance, it's tough arguing against a brick wall.

Granted I could just get a cell phone, a camera, and an ipod touch and carry everything in a fanny pack... etc.

[Ah_knaa]

We're not all college students. Is there wifi on the commuter rail going to boston? Is there wifi on the T in Boston? Is there wifi on the walk from the T to my office? No. You may not need it and if you don't unlock the phone and stop whining like a little bi*tch.

[c_hop]

The cell carrier recoups their subsidization of the price of the handset by selling you that data plan. If you don't want to pay the $30/mo, choose a cheaper handset. It's called capitalism.

[xenidus]

It's called consumer choice and options. Without which companies can take advantage of millions of people by making them think everything is just fine. The option to purchase an unsubsidized phone and not pay for the data plan would be nice right? Or maybe if you all of a sudden run into a financial crunch, having the option of canceling the expensive data plan and still using the phone (instead of purchasing a new phone) would be nice right? Or if you are an underprivileged person on a budget, and you are hoping to get a device to run a small business from with scheduling capabilities and computing power, and you can't afford a monthly data fee. Well Verizon makes it possible for none of this.

Claiming that I'm just "b*tching" is just proving how complacent the US consumer is now a days...

[xenidus]

It's called consumer choice and options. Without which companies can take advantage of millions of people by making them think everything is just fine. The option to purchase an unsubsidized phone and not pay for the data plan would be nice right? Or maybe if you all of a sudden run into a financial crunch, having the option of canceling the expensive data plan and still using the phone (instead of purchasing a new phone) would be nice right? Or if you are an underprivileged person on a budget, and you are hoping to get a device to run a small business from with scheduling capabilities and computing power, and you can't afford a monthly data fee. Well Verizon makes it possible for none of this.

Claiming that I'm just "b*tching" is just proving how complacent the US consumer is now a days...

And if there is a way to "unlock" verizon phones on their network to avoid the data fee, I would love to know how... It doesn't exist as far as I know

[trortvedt]

Um... after looking at the pics of the Droid this will not make apple users switch. It has a very simple look which may appeal to some but not the hard core apple users. This phone may have a few better features but really, how many apps do you need open on a mobile device? Then you go to use it and it is dead from having nine apps open. The only thing people will do is switch for a different carrier. But then Verizon will have the same data hogging problem that AT&T encounters. But that's ok with me because then I'll get to use more bandwidth and not feel guilty!

[slice77]

Please explain how the iPhone look is anything but very simple. It has minimal buttons and the UI is only pages of apps. If anything, simplicity is its fault.

[pjhenry1216]

I'd rather have the choice between battery life and how many apps I have open. If you want battery life, just don't open multiple apps. I don't understand why folks use that as a "feature" of the iPhone. I have an iPhone 3G and its *really* annoying when you wanna just switch to another app really quickly, but instead have to close down your current app, open the other, close that one, and open up the first one. If it has any sort of loading sequence, it probably wastes even more battery AND more time.

Verizon is much more equipped to deal with the data strains than AT&T. Even if this sold as much as the iPhone (which it won't, whether or not it deserves to), I doubt Verizon would suffer as much as AT&T.

Though to reiterate the above, I'm tired of people trying to justify the lack of multi-tasking on the iPhone. It's just laziness on Apple's part. Either that, or they're holding it back for future "upgrades" of the phone when they just release minor improvements each time around.

[biggstuu]

I am on my iPhone now, playing a Miles Davis track, and replying to this post. As I type this, I hear a familiar 'ding' advising me that I have a new email, checked that email while the iPod app transitioned from Miles to Thelonious Monk, replied and clicked send, 'whoosh' the mail sent, and i clicked on Safari and will post this. There is no app closing, im confused. The page came back where it was left? So someone please educate me.

[GRTK_Brandon]

biggstuu, your safari app does close when you go to check your mail. The browser always saves the last page you were on. To extend a bit on the iPhone's limited multi-tasking capabilities, the iPhone can only use native apps in the manner you're speaking of. For instance, you cannot play a game, listen to music, browse the internet, be on a 3rd party IM client, while downloading/uploading files. You would have to do each one individually. My examples may not be the best, but I think you can see where I was trying to go with it lol.

[biggstuu]

So here's what I tried. Pressed shuffle on Oasis album, wonderwall plays, launched ESPN Score Center App and viewed NFL, NCAA, etc, Dont Look back in Anger plays, and familiar ding from email plays still. To some thats not true multitasking. Even on a PC, you have email, your browser, some app like word open, you dont focus on all of them at once, you copy from A, past in B and keep it moving. Yes the apps run but you dont use them simultaneously, hence affecting battery life.

So trust me, Im not being difficult Im just wondering how many things can you do at once. What really matters to me as a business person that I want multi tasked, let me be on a call and on use a network app at the same time, ie, on a call with a client and I say, "ok, let me pull up my google map app and locate the directions," or send them a email all WHILE IM ON THE PHONE. I can do that on my iPhone on AT&T, but couldnt on my Blackberry on VZW; I got a cool about data connections werent allowed while a call was active.

[Understarsidream]

I bet Verizon screws it up. They usually do.

[be8732]

Looks like midnight on 10/30/09 if you decipher the code.

[bribri8785]

How can you tell what the countdown sats?

[bribri8785]

I mean "says".

[slice77]

Look at the scripting underneath the page

[George-Anthony]

So far, I'm a big fan of Android (I've only experienced it on the MyTouch). I enjoyed the "droid does" ad. Cute marketing. I'm very curious about Android 2.0. I really like the specs for the Motorola Droid (is that its official name?) that are listed. I don't have a problem with Apple or the iPhone (though I've never used an iPhone). So, I'm not anti-Apple or 100% pro-Android. I simply just don't buy/use Apple products (well, with the exception of Safari for my Win pc; such a purty browser interface).

With that said, I will not be signing up for the Motorola Droid, simply because it's kind of ugly (in my humble opinion).

While the specs may not be as good, I'll wait for the debut of the Samsung Moment, then decide between that or the HTC Hero.

Then? Then there'll be more announcements for new Android phones that I will also pine for.

Tech desire is cruel like that.

[funkyboot]

I think third party development will make or break the Android platform more than anything else. When I show people some of the things my iPhone can do, they think it's cool. The reaction is always the same, "Oh that's cool, I should get one...how much does it cost a month?" This is all due to the third party apps and has little to nothing to do with the hardware itself (other than it can run the apps of course).

Frankly, I really hope it is successful. It'd be nice to see some real competition in the "cool smart phone" market (and I mean that genuinely).

[slice77]

The next big (only?) argument left to buy an iPhone seems to be the 80k, 90k+ apps they have available. Sounds like a page out of MacOS vs Windows. There is a point where you don't need 50 alarm options, where there is enough choice and competition between the top 5-10. Android has 10k apps, iPhone OS has 90K apps. As a user of both, I haven't found any general functionality that can't be reproduced on both. I'm sure there is, but for me, the extra apps are a moot point. Hopefully the niche product manufacturers will start cranking out first party apps for their products on both platforms, but in the mean time there is always open source.

The above ad was shown a couple of times when I watching sunday night football on NBC. My first reaction to it was ***? Then realised that it was an ad for an Android phone. Excited to see if the phone actually lives up to the hype, hope it does. As for the commercial, they should have played the terminator theme music in the background. da da..dan da dan..... lol.

[Eludium-Q36]

[according to people who've tried out the device, the Droid is the "most sophisticated mobile device to hit the market to date from a hardware standpoint."]

Hmm, how soon we forget about the HTC HD2 with its gargantuan 4.3-inch, capacitive touch running the awesome HTC Sense UI. No slide-out keyboard needed. There is NO handset to rival this mutha.

[pickles319]

I agree with you on that. The HD2 seems like one kickass phone.

[black_eklypse]

glad motorola changed the name. The droid sounds infinitely better than sholes. Btw anyone else notice sholes can also be read "s holes" or is it just me?

[biggstuu]

yeah, i love S-Holes LOL

[dylerl]

Pathetic on Verizons part. This Phone will never get close to the iPhone, bulky POS!!!!


Who wants a real keyboard? I hate them and love the touchscreen keyboards, so much more responsive. Verizon screws up every device they touch and this wont be any different. Any mutitasking phone is going to drain your battery faster than you can use those apps. Good luck with this new crap coming out.

[George-Anthony]

I remember being real hesitant about having just a virtual keyboard. Now? Now, I love having one. My boss can't hear me texting during work meetings.

[biggstuu]

I type rings around my colleagues via my iPhone keyboard. By the time that I've reached finished the third sentence, they've just banged out the first.

[GRTK_Brandon]

These are silly arguments. How can a touch screen be more responsive than a button sending a direct electrical signal? I, for one, would much rather have BOTH a physical and virtual keyboard. Physical for when I'm typing in a situation where I can't see the keyboard and for typing out lengthy emails, and virtual when I'm browsing the web.

Verizon's Touch Pro 2 is great, Verizon's Imagio is great, all of Verizon's recent BB's are all great. The iPhone's battery is awful. My girlfriend's can't even last a full day anymore with low to moderate usage. Any multi-tasking device can easily last a full day and then some with moderate to heavy use. THEN when the battery's overall life dwindles (the case with my gf's iPhone), one can simple swap out the batter for a brand new one with minimal effort and less costly than one could with the iPhone.

[pyde_pypper]

well good for you then, but I tell ya all you iPhone lovers sure seem to be freaked about all your attention going away tho. If all you folks love the iPhone so much then why even comment on another device if you are not interested to begin with. And secondly you folks ever think there is other people on planet earth who may want the option of having a keyboard still. As far as I'm concerned full touchscreen is for garbage even on the iPhone. I'll admit the iPhone touchscreen it top notch but I for one am not a full touchscreen fan for all the time specially for typing a longer email or something for work. It's one thing for a quick txt msg, or web browsing. And at least with something like this and being the same thickness as an iPhone you get the best of both worlds. Let alone having a bigger and better looking LCD on it.

I find it funny tho on how you can make remarks about a device not even announced yet, and you've have never used it. so don't make claims of things that may or may not be true if you don't know the facts.

[slice77]

I think an underestimated argument for a physical keyboard is that it doesn't take up the screen! Its annoying to read and edit something you're typing while the keyboard is taking up 80% of the screen.

[teezecrost]

Why are you defending a brand name like it's your child? Someone else finally raising the bar is a good thing. It's ok to just admit this is a better phone feature for feature. Besides, your touchscreen preference is a moot point since the Droid has both.
Some of us are after better features rather than a pretty fashion accessory.

[Ratnok]

What is sad is that the iPhone users have only 1 choice- the stock on screen keyboard. ALL Android phones sport over 30 3rd party keyboard options such as those provided by Better Keyboard on the Android Market and others. The Cliq, G1, Moment, and now the Droid give you those onscreen options in addition to a great physical keyboard. Anyone who has both options will tell you that physical keyboards are faster (especially if you have 5 rows like the G1), but again, many Android phones give you BOTH options- including a keyboard emulator identical to the iPhone- if you're a Mac fan, and a Pre-emulator if you're a Palm fan. That's the beauty of Android. You can do practically anything.

[kxmmxk]

I was a motorola/verizon fans for years. What finally tipped me over to AT&T/iPhone this year was the total lack of support for mac users. I could kind of jury rig my motorola to sync with my mac, but it was a pain and not reliable as there was no direct support. With MACs getting a larger and larger share of the US market, motorola and verizon ought to rethink their choice to ignore macs and only support pcs.

[techgeekdude]

For what it's worth, the iPhone is probably one of the worst devices when it comes to memory management. I use one, and in general, it does what it's supposed to, but memory management isn't one of them. You can't open multiple apps, and more often than not, syncing new apps is more tedious than it needs to be especially when it says you're out of memory and you really have 9gbs left. Throw in the fact that it's on the AT&T Network, and that's where the Verizon value proposition comes in. Only time will tell how Droid works out on Verizon, but I think too many people are enamored with the iPhone simply because it is the iPhone.