Verizon, Motorola unveil the Droid
NEW YORK--Verizon Wireless customers will soon be able to get their hands on the much anticipated Google Android phone called the Droid.
The companies officially unveiled the device at an event here. Like most smartphones of its class, the phone will cost $199 with a two-year contract. And it will be available to consumers starting November 6. Customers can pre-register for the device now. John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless, said at the event that the device could be pre-ordered, but Verizon's public relations team said he mispoke, and users can simply put their name on a list to get more information about the device.
The Motorola Droid
(Credit: Motorola)The device offers voice-activated search that allows users to speak a query and the Google-powered search engine will deliver Web results or results from the device such as contacts, music, and photos. The voice search also works with the new turn-by-turn directions for Google Maps. It allows users to view geographic information, such as My Maps, Wikipedia entries, and transit lines on the map.
Stratton said he had used the navigation service just yesterday on a trip to Arkansas. He said he simply spoke "gas station" into the phone and it quickly found nearby gas stations. When he clicked on one of them, it activated the turn-by-turn directions and he was given spoken directions right from the phone.
While the new Droid is loaded with lots of cool Android apps and has access to the more than 10,000 applications available in the Android Market, it does not have many of Verizon's branded services. For example, Verizon's VCast music service is missing in this version. But Stratton said that will be added eventually. And the phone does not have Verizon's VZ Navigator, since it comes bundled with the Google Android navigation.
The good news is that some of the services, such as navigation that Verizon charges for on devices running VZNavigator, will be free to users of the Droid.
In terms of the specifications, they are exactly what had been expected thanks to multiple leaks about the product. It has Android 2.0, a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. It has a Webkit HTML 5 browser, and it's powered by a 550MHz processor and a 1,400mAh lithium ion battery offering 6.4 hours of continuous talk time and up to 11 days of standby time.
And as expected, the device is about 4.6 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighs 6 ounces. And it has a 3.7-inch, 16:9 touch screen with 480x854-pixel resolution. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro-USB port, and comes with a 16GB micro-SD card.
iPhone contender
It's clear that the Droid is targeted at people looking for an alternative to the
iPhone. And Verizon is planning the biggest media campaign it has ever launched for the device. But Stratton said the company is not going to specifically target the iPhone in its marketing. As a sort of pre-Droid ad campaign, Verizon spoofed iPhone advertising.
"We had some fun here with the iPhone stuff," he said. "The teaser was to wake up the market. And I've got to give Apple credit. They revolutionized the industry as a new player and that's extraordinary. But we have to show that the iPhone is not untouchable."
Instead, Stratton said that Verizon will focus its advertising more on what the Droid can do rather than what other devices can't do.
Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said he is impressed with the new device, and he expects it to shake up the market.
Specifically, he said it's important that the device matches the iPhone in terms of onboard storage. And even though it doesn't come with Verizon's VCast music service, it does work with Amazon's music and media service. And users can also manually sync their unprotected iTunes music or other MP3 music to the device. But at least for now, there is no automatic media synchronization. Stratton said that is coming, but right now the iPhone trumps the Droid in terms of ease of use in getting music and media on the device.
But the other key aspect of the device and services offered is the fact that the navigation service is bundled into the device and data service for free. Sprint Nextel has bundled its navigation service into its data services for a while, but so far it hasn't become a competitive advantage. And phone maker Nokia has spent billions acquiring companies and developing its mapping services, and it doesn't offer its navigation service for free. But the Android 2.0 operating system could change that.
Motorola and Verizon are also offering an accessory that mounts the phone in the car. When the phone is in this mount, it recognizes it is in the car and it provides a car-friendly user interface.
"This is going to be disruptive to other smartphones and personal navigation devices," Greengart said.
But the big question is whether or not consumers will flock to the Droid. Several new smartphones are launching right before the holiday season, including additional new Android devices and Research In Motion's new BlackBerry Storm 2, which is also exclusively on Verizon's network.
Marguerite Reardon has been a CNET News reporter since 2004, covering cell phone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate, as well as the ongoing consolidation of the phone companies. E-mail Maggie. 
I know that Motorola makes quality products in use worldwide and I believe this latest Droid phone model will not disappoint users.
But Motorola, making quality phones? They lost that reputation in the mobile phone market a LONG time ago, and it's going to be an uphill battle to get it back. They made some real second-rate garbage phones for a number of years. It's going to take a while to undo that damage.
Storm 2 has had great reviews , and the reason people use Blackberry is because they run Exchange the best , while having great battery life also. Not everyone wants all the things a Droid will do. They just want a powerful communication device , and BB is it.
Seems you are an artificially "intelligent" PR machine for Motorola doing autoposts. It seems you were created with the same source code as all the Windows 7 posters.
Motorola once had several good phones (starTAC, microTAC, etc). Then they lost focus and tried to regain it via the RAZR which turned out to be a pretty good one-hit-wonder. I myself own a PEBL which looks good but works extremely BAAAAD. It even freezes sometimes and has the worst signal reception I've seen, and I had Sony Ericssons and Nokias.
The Droid seem's Android's attempt at saving Motorola, not the other way around.
BTW. If you are Motorola Drone, were you "MotoBlurred" with the spinoff attempt.
@ cosuna: Seems you are an artificially unintelligent FUD machine for market-leader-rival companies doing autoreplies. It seems you were created with the same source code as all the Windows haters.
Your implication that Nokias have bad signal reception shows how little you know about what you're talking about.
BTW, if you are an anti-Microsoft/Nokia drone, is it the fact that they are market leaders that upsets you?
The pre-order option is not available yet.
Bummer.
OK, so Verizon pointed out the "iDon'ts". Now they need to show the "Droid-do's" to convince people that the balance of function is at least good enough to keep someone happy that wants the iPhone on Verizon's network.
This has been covered by the ad campaing as well, "everything iDon't... Driod Does."
Do you really think commecials would be airing during live college and NFL football games if they did?
I mean it's one thing to air it one time on some boring worthless channel like PBS or QVC. But major networks?
Nah. You should climb a little higher and see the bigger picture.
This was a shock campaign as people kept up with rumors that verizon and Iphone were about to make babies.
They did exactly the opposite. Only to make people sit on the couch slack-jawed and ask "WHYYYYYYYY?!"
besides, no one wants to start an ad war with apple, no matter what you think of their products or how annoying their ads can be (mac vs. pc) you have to admit that their advertising is very effective
that was SUCH a stupid statement on this author's part.
you know what happens when you ASSUME?
DROID lives.
Moreover, read the statements of the Verizon CEO.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/26/verizon-idont-not-want-the-iphone/
When asked about a possible partnership with Apple in the future with the iPhone, Seidenberg had this to say, ?We obviously would be interested at any point in the future that they would be interested in having us as a partner. ? This is a decision that is exclusively in Apple?s court.?
the fact is verizon turned down the iphone at first, probably because it knew it would be bad-mouthed as a carrier for not having MMS, tethering, video recording, etc. like at&t was. they simply didn't want to be pushed by apple and apple probably wasn't willing to negotiate either. and now with the release of phones like droid and on a far superior network, i doubt verizon is losing much sleep over not having the iphone.
Don't dish it out if you can't take it.
I tried to write more, but that is all.
As soon as Telus gets a similar phone in Canada I will be trading in my current phone.
Kudos to Google, Motorola and Verizon on this one.
http://phandroid.com/2009/10/25/htc-passion-to-continue-verizon-android-party/
Now something like the HTC Desire looks more my style as I would rather have the screen real estate than a keyboard and no sliding parts means less to break. Hopefully the OS will be less restrictive and I could add a shape writer type keyboard as the default. Then it would be the phone for me.
Those specs are at http://mediacenter.motorola.com/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=12059&NewsAreaID=22
Correction: As of right now, customers cannot pre-order via the website you linked in the second paragraph. You can "pre-register" for updates.
Full specs are back up on Motorola's website:
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile-Phones/ci.Motorola-DROID-US-EN.alt
xD
@RenGek - If you have normal hands instead of sausage fingers, and at least a semblance of adult dexterity the iPhone is perfectly fine, and I think the millions of iPhone owners prove that it's easily got the goods. Jealousy is a very ugly thing.
"When the phone is in this mount, it recognizes it is in the car and it provides an car friendly user interface."
an = a ?
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."
I meant plain UGLY in every way.
"The iPhone trumps the Droid in terms of ease of use in getting music and media on the device."
"I've got to give Apple credit. They revolutionized the industry as a new player and that's extraordinary."
As he said, everyone else is a tail sniffer. By the way... my calls NEVER drop :)
Well if you tried leaving your basement with it maybe you would lose a call or two. lol
"i need a phone that when I pull it out of y pocket everyone goes "WOW!"
Well, how about a phone that actually just works?
Why not just go to Cricket if you just want a "phone that works?"
My wife goes "wow" whenever I take "it" out, but without enough good FUNCTIONALITY, my "device" is basically useless. Size and functionality trumps appearance.
(We're still talking about phones, right?)
CDMA was a good technology 5 years ago, but the fact is that you can't move this device from one network to another is a freakin shame.
I'll be sticking with my G1 for now.
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."
Basically, any phone with a full web browser will require a data plan, which start at $10 a month for 25 MB.
It's Verizon policy. Smartphones get Data Plans. I was grandfathered with Data Turned off before they changed the policy.
check out the slogans on Fox News also
Or the ads for BMW or MBenz
iCAN play music on the iphone! iCAN sync movies and TV Shows to the iphone......WHY in the world would they make a device that can't easily get movies and music on it? Seriously? 90% of the people that will buy it, probably have that listed in their top reasons to get a smartphone....."I would like ONE DEVICE that can do it all, phone/internet/contacts/calendar/MUSIC/MOVIES/apps/Camera" WELL, than you better get an IPHONE!
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."
The fact is, it is EASIER to get music and video onto the Droid than the iPhone, Droid becomes a USB harddrive that you simply drag your music onto. No need to fuss with iTunes or some strange propriatary software. Just drag and drop.
Droid wins.
"But at least for now, there is no automatic media synchronization. Stratton said that is coming, but right now the iPhone trumps the Droid in terms of ease of use in getting music and media on the device."
You left out the "that is coming" and "but right now" parts so very conveniently. Let's face it, as an open development platform, it's only a matter of time before Android has superior syncing capabilities.
iTunes is the biggest PITA I've ever had to use to force something to sync to do a simple job like get my music and audiobooks onto a MP3 player. Every last person I know has to pig wrestle it to force it to do the job they want.
It's only those who don't care about their music enough to bother with things like orgnaization, album art, sequential playback of audiobook tracks etc. that don't have problems. Of the people I know.
don't let the sore get ya
- by Christopera October 28, 2009 9:10 AM PDT
- This looks like a great device. However, as a music obsessed person what does this offer me? My iTunes counts my plays and ratings, then automatically syncs with my last.fm, which automatically updates my music on my facebook. I'm not sure I can handle the loss the music related data when using a non Apple player. Damn you iPhone!!! I'm stuck forever probably.
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