Leaked docs confirm Droid Eris details: November 6, $99

(Credit: Engadget)

New leaked documents suggest all the Droid Eris grumblings we've heard were true: it should launch November 6, and it will supposedly run $99 after rebate. That's pretty cheap considering it matches the specs of the $180 Hero.

What we've heard about the HTC Eris being a slightly reshaped Hero is pretty much right. The spec sheet claims it's packing a 528MHz Qualcomm, a 320x480 screen, and Android 1.5, exactly what you'll get in the Hero. There's also mention of a bundled 8GB MicroSD card. Guess I shouldn't have expected a 16GB card in a sub-$100 phone, but a guy can dream.

Even though it's underspec'd compared with the Droid, I'm actually excited about this phone. I love Sense UI, and I don't feel like I need a full hardware keyboard. Plus, assuming the Droid Eris mimics the Hero's software as well as it does hardware, it should have multitouch, which the Droid doesn't do. The Eris might not be new and exciting like the Droid, but I think it still deserves some love.

Dan and I were talking about how one of Sprint's flagship phones, what was the premiere Android phone before the Droid came along, will be Verizon's el cheapo Android handset come Friday. The Hero more than warrants the $180 Sprint charges, but Verizon sees it as a last-gen device only worthy of last-gen pricing. That, to us, shows the carrier is really planning to push Android hardware to the next level.

(Credit: Engadget)

This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.

[Orion Blastar]

The Droid Eris is the iPhone killer.<br /><br />Named after Eris the Greek Goddess of Discord. She started the Trojan War and did other things. The device is aptly named.<br /><br />Droid because it is based on the Google Android software.

[bonesbautista]

Eris was/is the Goddess of Strife, you're maybe referring to the Latin translation? And, Eris (one of them - there were two) initiated the War, but didn't start it.<br /><br />About the iPhone comment, one of the Eris' was praised and the other was blamed. I'll wager on the latter.

[baconstang]

iPhone killer? Sounds like mythology alright.

[Random_Walk]

You do realize that only Discordians would bother buying one based on the name, right? <br /><br />There ain't enough of them around anymore to make a dent.

[Random_Walk]

PS: Discord started the Trojan War, all by herself. ;)

[bonesbautista]

Yeah, I got one more. Eris offered an Apple of Discord, but it was Paris of Troy's insult that started the conflict. Had to get an Apple in there... 8-d<br /><br />If there would only have been a Trojan War in the first place...

[12wolves12]

How do you know this stuff

[TwinFeats]

While I can't wait to get one of these, please - iPhone killer? No phone that will come out this year could possibly kill the iPhone, just like no MP3 player will "kill" the iPod. I'm even an Android developer, but the iPhone market is huge and will stay that way for a while yet.

[kayceeisms]

I'm still dying from "and did other things".

[AppleSuxLeo]

Wow ! This is a very capable phone , a tweaked version of Sprint`s well reviewed HERO which has pinch-zoom via the wonderful HTC GUI. Supposed to have good battery life as well as a 1500miliamp hr battery. BTW...T mobile is pushing out Android 1.6 to their HERO phones right now.<br />I`d be surprised if it didn`t have 1.6 from the get go.<br />They will sell millions , this is a great phone at a great price.

[AppleSuxLeo]

If it doesn`t get 2.0 then will it not have GMVN (Google Maps Voice Nav) ?<br />Increased feelings for Droid I have pre-ordered LOL<br />Sony "Rachael" would make me leave both , maybe ? Announcement 10/3/09 !!! Android...your making it SO difficult !

[AppleSuxLeo]

Correction...T mobile is pushing out 1.6 to the MyTouch 3G.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Sony Ericsson "Rachael" Jennifer Aniston Edition !

[dshnva]

&gt;&gt; New leaked documents suggest all the Droid Eris grumblings we've heard <br /> <br />I think you mean "rumblings." ... "grumblings" would mean complaints.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Why can`t we get "a leak" on where the Rachael is landing ? ; (

[forever4now]

I suspect $99 breaks a psychological barrier, for many consumers, even with the required data contract. There should be a significant uptick in smartphone users, with great smartphones like the iPhone 3G AND the Droid Eris selling at this price.

[mosquitoguy]

Does it support UMA and SIP calling? Skype application available? Thought not.

[gerrrg]

It's got WiFi; why would you want SIP or UMA compatibility, when it already will have access to GV and Skype Lite?

[gerrrg]

Here's a thought: Eris isn't an iPhone killer, it's a Pixi killer. Pixi is priced the same, but it lacks WiFi. Say goodbye to Palm.

[powellmap]

I was in my Verizon Wireless store earlier today and they had both the Motorola Droid and the HTC Eris behind the counter. I was the only customer in there and they let me play with both of them. They both are great looking phones. I would take either one. The screen on the Moto Droid is amazing though.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Wow...when I went in the non-phone people didn`t even know what the Droid was.

[AppleSuxLeo]

And the amazing screen is what people will notice...esp. iPhone users ; )

[powellmap]

Yeah. The screen is MUCH clearer than the iPhone screen and I think the iPhone screen is great.

[AppleSuxLeo]

I would actually go for the Sony "Rachael`s" 4.1 inch touch-type screen because I think the extra size would make it easier. Decisions ! Darn you Android...too many choices.

[bctexas]

I think it's funny that so many, actually, so few of the "same people" keep wanting to lable something an "iPhone Killer". You hopefully realize that for something to truely be an "iPhone killer" it would need to bring to the game a 1-2 punch of not just an amazing and beautiful phone that is amazingly useful and simple to use, but ALSO something as robust, simple, and easy to use as the iTunes app store. Until that can be done, the iPhone will never even come close to dying. <br /><br />The fact is that the iPhone can likely not be "killed", it will likely always be the phone that always sets the bar to a new and higher level. Thank you,.....come again please. ;)

[AppleSuxLeo]

It doesn`t HAVE to "kill" the iPhone to succeed...just eat a big piece of Apple Pie !

[lazycat202]

remember GM Motors? it's dead. Nothing lives forever. 5 more years, what Apple is going to do with their iphone? same design? add few functions to it so it would survive? With technology devices, people will get bored easily.<br />To be honest, I wouldn't hold on the same phone more than 2 years :P I switch phones to phones regularly. <br />Expand the horizontal and vertical! Don't just lock yourself in a box for the rest of your life. It's the reality!!

[AppleSuxLeo]

Have to agree. The iPhone interface looks stuck in the 90`s while Touch Wiz and others looks so cool.

[Perry_Clease]

So you like to touch wiz eh Leo?

[ballmerisanape]

Apple is not Microsoft. They evolve their products... even when they don't have too. If you really think the iPhone will be unchanged in 5 years.. you really have not been paying attention.

[Ray180]

Android 2.0 on the Droid + Verizon coverage looks like a sure-fire 1-2 punch to me. And for the under $100 crowd, we now have the Eris + Verizon... another 1-2 punch right to the gut of the iPhone 3G. Verizon now has both price points covered with hardware, software and service that beat the iPhone an ALL fronts... unless, of course, you need more than 12,000 apps, LOL.

[NYuserX]

HTC phones are very low in quality. I bought HTC dual and in 6 months its touch screen is not working. There are so many similar complaints by the users. HTC charges same dollars but products are not that great.

[AppleSuxLeo]

And many millions of others think they make a great phone ; )

[sent2null]

bctexas you are missing what is happening here, the Iphone will suffer a "death by a thousand cuts" it is not that any one phone will kill it, the attack of multiple very good Android based phones is what will do it in. Your claim concerning the app store is already addressed, all of the android phones have easy access to the android app marketplace just like the Iphone....the beauty of an open OS platform is the software doesn't have to be ported to the new devices. Google designed the development language used for Android to be extremely OO, features that are not available on a phone are simply not accessible on the phones interface...where as the same feature appears on a phone that has the hardware for it. As a developer this is a god send and makes me far more likely to develop apps. for Android (note the OS not a particular phone hardware) than the Iphone to take advantage of the much wider base of "devices" that could be using my software.<br /><br />The ironic thing about this is Apple should have seen this coming the moment Google announced they were making a phone OS. If you go back 25 years, replace "Android" by "DOS" and the different phone hardware by the PC architecture and see why...Google is trying to do with mobile devices what Microsoft did with the modular pc architecture back in the early 80's. They saw what was happening with the emerging clone market and how that was going to really make it hard for the proprietary makers of hardware to sell their machines (since their OS's only ran on those machines and nothing else) ...proprietary control of hardware and software was seen as a competitive advantage but Microsoft saw that the shift to cloned modular hardware produced by different manufacturers (HP, IBM, DEC..) would allow them to spread their OS across the platforms ...amortize costs of hardware across all manufacturers (making them cheaper to produce) and thus enabling regular users the ability to buy ..and that is exactly what happened. <br /><br />I go into more detail in this blog post:<br /><br />If Apple doesn't open up fast, they are going to suffer the same dwindling market share issue they did from 84 to about 93.<br /><br />http://sent2null.blogspot.com/2008/12/apples-long-term-memory-loss.html

[AppleSuxLeo]

Exactly...iPhone may end up having Mac-type market share. Apple makes a profit on it , but it is self-limiting.

[jz33040]

"Apple is not Microsoft. They evolve their products... even when they don't have too. If you really think the iPhone will be unchanged in 5 years.. you really have not been paying attention."<br /><br />What you mean is Apple customers THINK Apple evolves their products while no one else does because that's how apple customers think. Along with thinking apple innovates everything. But I blame this on Apple's deceptive ImAMac commercials along with over hyped Steve Jobs keynotes meetings that brainwash people into thinking everything he does is revolutionary and innovative. And all they need to dois "thnk different". lol. I mean, it's kind of sad that these people are brainwashed, but are unaware that they are. Apple is a clever, clever company. They make the smallest things seem like innovaitons. Their iphone however is their coolest things and most innovative, but not THAT amazing when you consdier GPS's were out before this with touch screen and music players. But if you get away from the iphone, Apple tries to make EVERYTHING sound innovative when it's a load of cow cookies. All in the marketing....

[ballmerisanape]

No... Not in the marketing... It's in the delivery. Lots of phones could surf the Internet too... but it was a poor experience. Apple made it a better experience..

[AppleSuxLeo]

And they have a great marketing department...but others are learning now.<br />Witness the great Windows 7 launch , the Droid marketing. There is going to be an Android assault that is just amazing.

[elmerfudpuckered]

As far as HTC..Cute toy, too bad they are too cheap to pay Qualcomm for the video acceleration drivers for their chipsets. It is like having a gaming PC running without the proper drivers. As far as I-Phone, They are ok if you are an apple fan boy. The last update finally got you stereo Bluetooth right...well welcome to 2003! How the heck are you going to have a multimedia device that doesn't support stereo Bluetooth? I have to give credit to I-Phone for one thing though, it saved AT&#38;T! As soon as the I-phone goes to other networks, AT&#38;T is done for!! And the other phones will not kill the I-Phone; Jobs' death will do that. It is a shame that his health can shift Apples' stock on rumor alone. Sprint's SEP is great; too bad their customer service sucks. And Verizon? They cripple their phones. If you match their phones to their Sprint counterparts, ram is less and the GPS was, till recently, locked to only their system. I have a TP on Sprint SEP, I like the plan, can?t stand the customer service though. My Telenav came up after my 2 year contract was finished telling me it was expired. Four hours with 7 different people in Sprint + telenav support and I thought I had it fixed. Last week I started to head over to a new job site for 12 hours of OT and needed my nav to get me there and it came up expired again! Needless to say I didn?t make it to the site and lost the 12hrs, but I did gain a butt chewing from the boss later. It took two days at 7 more hours to fix it yet again. The phone works fine but I can?t say the same on the other end of the tower. If it wasn?t for the crew at PPCGeeks.com, I would have tossed HTC to the curb long ago.

[bj70117]

It's a bird? It's a plane? I am waiting for "Jane". The phone that takes no flack. She ended the war in Vietnam. Made by a small company in Arkansas, she will be exclusive to Walmart for Verizon. IPhone RIP.

[TomMariner]

Forget the iPhone killer -- the rise of the Droids is the MS Mobile killer. In a week the top tier of mobile OS's lost one of the previous front runners. My bet is that the hole will be too big for Microsoft to dig itself out of and "App" developers have a choice of two platforms to support, neither from Redmond. Who would have guessed? <br /> <br />And this episode will go down in product development history as proof that time to market is everything and late or ineffective product deliveries will sink your company. As if we hadn't learned that three years ago from Apple.

[rtyler6]

The iPhone is designed well and made well. If Apple would open up their development platform and detach themselves from Ma Bell they would be nearly impossible to catch.<br /><br />'Eris' is a strange name for a product. The Greek goddess of discord?<br /><br />This reminds me of an airline I flew in Ecuador named Icarus.

[johnny--99]

What is the point of this phone if the monthly fee is the same as the Droid ($70 and up)? The extra $100 initial cost is only $5/month over the 2 year contract.<br /><br />If Verizon charges a lower monthly fee for this phone, that is another story.