Category: (Wireless)
1 new, starting at $49.99
The first Android-powered phone for Verizon Wireless, the 3G-enabled Motorola DROID smartphone offers a full package of powerful mobile connectivity--from easy access to all your social networks and viewing of full Web sites to spoken turn-by-turn directions thanks to the new Google Maps with Navigation Beta app. One of the thinnest full-QWERTY slider phones available, the Motorola DROID also features a high-resolution 3.7-inch touchscreen display and a virtual onscreen keyboard that auto-rotates depending on the phone's orientation. And you'll be able to capture high-resolution images and DVD-quality videos on the go with its 5-megapixel camera with flash.
 The Motorola DROID offers the powerful Android 2.0 operating system, fast and reliable Verizon Wireless 3G connectivity, and a wealth of Google Mobile services--including the new Google Maps with Navigation app. |
In addition to 3G connectivity, the DROID offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. Other features include memory expansion via microSD memory cards (a 16 GB card is included with the device), threaded text and picture messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, Visual Voicemail capabilities, 3.5mm headset jack, and up to 6.4 hours of talk time.
Here are just a few of the things that the Motorola DROID can do for you:
 Other features include a 3.7-inch touchscreen, slide-out full QWERTY keyboard, real HTML web browsing, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, microSD memory expansion (with included 16 GB card), and access to both personal and corporate email (see larger image). |
 See a schematic of all the controls. |
Vital Statistics
The Motorola DROID weighs 5.96 ounces and measures 4.56 x 2.36 x
0.54 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to
6.4 hours of talk time, and up to 270 hours (11.25 days) of
standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as
EV–DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
What's in the Box
Motorola DROID handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger,
16 GB microSD card, quick start guide, user manual
|
Sound quality is a deal breakerReviewed by M. Weber, 2010-03-10
Here is the bottom line and the deal breaker; the sound quality is un-acceptable. You will be able to hear callers very clearly, but you will sound muffled and hard to understand. I suggest you go to a Verizon store, call your voice mail system and leave yourself a message, then listen to it, compare it with other Android phones. Have tried it with atleast 4 different Droid phones at 3 different stores, same result.
Not perfect yet, but it's getting thereReviewed by J. Harley, 2010-03-10
Well, I've been playing with my new Droid for a little while now
and here are my findings.
Email:
This was my biggest letdown on the Droid. The Droid works great
with Gmail. However, if you plan to use any other mail service,
(like Yahoo, Hotmail, or even POP accounts), get ready for some
serious frustration. I encountered major issues. It's very telling
that separate icons exist for Gmail and other mail accounts. The
random problems with web mail (inability to configure accounts,
missing sub-folders, mail sometimes not downloading, old mail
re-appearing, constant false notifications for non-existent "new"
mail...) are well-documented on the web, so I won't go into boring
detail. However, the real surprise was when I confidently thought
I'd bypass all these headaches with my POP-enabled "plus" mail
account. I was able to configure and initially download mail.
However, my sub-folders were missing and occasionally, mail would
stop flowing. To make matters worse, I frequently got new message
alerts and a new mail icon despite no new mail arriving. I did want
to be notified of new mail but hated all the false alarms. My
options were limited. I could either tolerate the false alarms,
disable them, or delete the account. After the umpteenth false
alert at 4am, I finally deleted the mail account from my device and
settled for accessing all of my email over the web in the Doid's
browser (Nothing like paying extra for POP access that you can't
use.) On the plus side, if you use Gmail it will automatically sync
all mail, contacts, tasks, etc from Gmail. It also integrates
nicely with your Facebook contacts (if you choose), and will export
pictures and other Facebook info to your contacts. I really wish
the Droid worked as well with other accounts as it does with Gmail.
Hopefully, this will be addressed in future OS updates.
Web Browsing:
The browser on the Droid is fast and renders nicely. Although there
is no multi-touch capability yet, the feature just appeared in the
latest revision of Google Maps, so I sense it's on the horizon.
It's rumored to be part of the upcoming 2.1 Android update. The
Droid also supports Flash.
Communication tools (Texting, Facebook, Mebo, etc):
Although I like the iPhone's slick Facebook app just a wee bit
better, Facebook on the Droid is a very close second. There are
plenty of good apps available for Twitter, Mebo, etc. Texting on
Droid is great and conversations are presented in a chat style
format. A picture of the user will also appear with the text
message if you've setup pictures on your contacts. There is also a
built in chat/IM client, but I prefer texting because it
essentially looks and acts the same.
Phone/Carrier:
The bottom line of all these devices is the phone. The Droid does
not disappoint. Coverage is great in my area and clarity of calls
is nice and clear. Ringers are loud and the vibrate mode has a nice
solid vibration to alert through clothing. Caller ID will show a
caller's photo as well as number. 3G service is fast and readily
available. I notice only a slight difference in speed when
switching between wi-fi and 3G, mainly when using things like
Google maps as maps to re-draw. I played some Youtube videos over
3G and wi-fi and didn't experience any stuttering or delays in
either mode.
Operating System/Apps:
The Android OS is a powerful operating system. It is capable of
multitasking, which was one of my major gripes with the iPhone. I
hate being forced to quit what I'm doing if I want to do anything
else. It also does a good job at memory management and, contrary to
popular belief, does not require task killers or app management
software. Most of the time, poorly written apps are to blame for
any problems (like apps that hijack the GPS at the wrong time and
prevent location services from properly functioning), rather than
Android's memory management. The Droid market is full of nice paid
and free apps. Although it may not currently have "100,000"
available apps, there are thousands of entertaining and useful
apps, including some, (like game emulators), that can't be found on
other more restrictive platforms like the iTunes store. The freedom
of the Droid market gives you a much better selection of apps
without the need to "jailbreak" (or as they call it in the Android
world, "root") your phone and risk voiding your warranty. App
purchases are handled through Google checkout. There is no option
yet for direct billing to your phone bill.
Camera:
The 5-megapixel camera is okay. It's a bit (audibly) noisy, laggy,
and shows noticeable noise in all but the best of lighting. It has
a built-in flash. The camera will get the job done in a pinch but
don't expect it to be a replacement for a regular digicam, even at
5MP. I'd rather have smaller razor-sharp photos at 3.2MP than large
fuzzy photos at 5MP. Video is not bad. But once again, remember,
it's a phone. It's not going to compete with a flip or dedicated
video pocket camera. There aren't any built-in photo editing tools
to speak of. The media gallery is okay, but I don't like the fact
that it lumps all photos into the same folder. You can separate
media into individual folders, but there is one central folder that
stores all photos as well. File management apps seem to be the
workaround if you want to keep some things private or not readily
viewable on the phone.
Navigation:
This is one of the best features. The Droid uses Google Maps, which
includes turn by turn GPS navigation. A side-by-side test with a
Garmin proved the Droid to be just as reliable. The best part is
that Google Maps is constantly updated, so no need to purchase map
updates. There are a few nice car mounts out there that will
automatically place the Droid in navigation mode when it is
inserted (just take care not to purchase a phone case with magnets
because this feature is activated by magnets. If you place your
Droid near magnets, it will stay in GPS mode, never sleeping and
thus draining the battery). The Droid also has Google Latitude
which will show you the location of friends with GPS enabled phones
that have Latitude enabled. With Google Maps navigation and
Latitude, that's two less services (VZ Navigator and Family
Locator) you have to spend money on. The GPS can also be utilized
by apps for everything from localized weather to cool apps that
will trigger your phone to do certain things (like launch
reminders, go into silent mode, etc) when you enter specific
geographic areas.
Music:
Obviously, the iPhone beats the Droid hands-down in this area.
Honestly, can anything really compete with an iPod turned into a
telephone? The Droid features a so-so music player and standard
headphone jack. Bluetooth headphones will also work. It does
support quite a few formats (including MP3, WAV, AAC, MIDI, OGG,
and WMA). The Droid doesn't support DRM, so you might be in trouble
if you have a lot of protected iTunes music. Music is copied to the
Droid through simple drag and drop from your computer (same with
any other files you wish to copy to the Droid). You can either
attach the Droid to your PC via the included USB cable or remove
the micro-SD card and copy directly to it. I prefer the cable
because the card is located inside the battery compartment under
the battery. That means popping off my case and removing the
battery whenever I need to transfer files. The USB cord is much
simpler and faster. The Droid comes with a 16GB micro-SD card but
can support up to 32GB cards.
Ergonomics and customization:
The Droid is a solidly built phone. It is a little on the heavy
side. It features a slide-out keyboard, but I find the keys a
little cramped with too little tactile feedback. As a result, I use
the on-screen keyboard 99% of the time. The sliding design makes it
a bit difficult to find nice cases for the phone that offer a
perfect blend of protection and ease of use. I opted for a
two-piece Seidio case (which fits perfectly) for the body and a
pouch for carrying the phone. I also use screen protectors,
although I've seen enough evidence that the Droid's screen is
extremely scratch resistant. One brave chap even made a YouTube
video of himself performing a scratch test on his new Droid by
vigorously scratching his keys against the glass. The glass was
unscathed but the body lost a little paint. The Droid has a large
bright razor-sharp screen. The touch screen is very responsive. The
home screen can be customized with different wallpapers, shortcuts,
and widgets. It can can be further customized in many different
ways through third party apps and widgets.
Conclusion:
There are a lot of other features that I didn't touch on, but I've
rambled long enough to hopefully give you an idea of my experience
with the Droid. It's still a work in progress but I like the
direction so far. I do wish the Droid's email was at least on par
with the iPhone (which handles mail accounts and sub-folders with
no problems), but I'm optimistic this will be addressed in the near
future. The Droid also has a few other "new kid on the block"
warts, which are significantly exposed by the iPhone's polish; but
the Droid also has its share of advantages over the iPhone
(multitasking, interface customization, app freedom, Flash support,
user-replaceable battery, and better file compatibility are a few
examples). I can live with the music inferiority of the Droid
because that was not my primary reason for buying the it. Besides,
music playback on the Droid is good enough for casual listening.
Don't worry Apple, I still favor my iPod over all else for that
purpose.
If they can resolve the email issues and a few other minor
annoyances, it would be the perfect phone. I still love mine and
the upcoming Android 2.1 update has me very optimistic that some of
my minor gripes will be resolved
Pays for itself IMMEDIATELY.Reviewed by Terrance Shaw, 2010-03-09
I'm about to step on the toes of what I'm sure are the lurking
forms of all the iPhone users out there when I say the following
(but keep in mind that I say it with complete sincerity, and no
animosity):
The iPhone is better than the DROID in the same way that a
calculator is better than a desktop computer system.
You can hand an iPhone (calculator) to just about anyone, and
they'll be able to figure its intuitive functionality in no time at
all. This was proven to me when a friend's daughter took hold of my
iPhone and proceeded to show me how she'd mastered it in only ten
minutes. Likewise, however, if you give that same six year old a
computer, she MAY be able to find the calculator application if
she's lucky. Maybe.
That being said, the DROID is a fantastic device, created with
powerusers in mind. It may lack a lot of the shiny smooth corners
that the iPhone touts, as well as its inherent ease of use, but it
more than makes up for these... "shortcomings" with raw power.
Compared to the things that the DROID can do (which are only
AMPLIFIED by the level of synergy with Google), the iPhone is...
well, it leaves a lot to be desired.
Getting to the title of this review, the DROID absolutely does pay
for itself almost immediately. Taking advantage of Verizon's New
Every Two deal, I was able to get my DROID at the discounted cost,
and enjoy all the features it had to offer.
Included in those, of course, was the navigation service (beta),
absolutely free.
Already, I've paid for this device. No longer do I have to go and
spend $100.00 to $200.00 on a GPS, and then $70.00 or so each year
after that to maintain an updated set of maps. Now, I've got a GPS
that gets updated whenever Google Maps does. And on that note, I'm
stoked to mention that I mentioned my apartment was missing to the
Google Maps staff, and within a month, the entire complex was
mapped out. Compared with waiting for a YEAR for my complex to
MAYBE be added in the next GPS revision, this was absolutely
magical.
And that's only ONE SERVICE.
The DROID brings so many more to the table. As does the iPhone,
I'll grant you that.
Ultimately, it comes down to taste. Apple boasts something to the
effect of over 100,000 apps on the App Store. Compared to whatever
number that the Android Marketplace has, I'm sure that Apple has
the iPhone beat.
Numerically.
But what does the app count matter when the apps you have don't
matter to me, the consumer? Who cares if you have 99 law apps, when
I'm not a law student? Who cares if you have 101 dalmations, when
I'm a Husky man at heart?
I'm sure you get the picture.
The DROID is an incredible device, very stable, and very elegant.
Again, it DOES lack the curves of the iPhone, but it's most
definitely not lacking its own inherent sense of beauty and
elegance. There was definitely a lot of thought put into the design
of the DROID, and the only part of the phone that really brings me
a cause for pause is the "chin". I don't really get that, but I
suppose that's neither here nor there.
Back to the stability issue: I owned an iPhone for four months. In
those four months, my iPhone was constantly crashing, taking
upwards of five minutes to start up, and I'd constantly have to
reload my apps. With the DROID, I've loaded each app once, and
they've remained intact the entire time I've had the phone.
Integration with other services. Major plus here.
In addition to pulling contacts from my Gmail account, the DROID
goes and takes it a step further: it siphons contacts from my
Facebook account. I was more than just a little amused when I had
one of my friends text me outta the blue (first time ever).
Person: Hey, Terrance, it's me, Person.
Me: I know.
Person: How do you know, are you stalking me or something?
Me: No, but apparently my phone is.
...Maybe you just had to have been there, but it was incredible to
actually have their face from their Facebook account displayed next
to their name in the MMS, when I'd never texted or talked with them
via phone prior to that.
They even let you replace the generic home app with another app of
your choice to replace how your DROID experience is, well...
experienced. Everything on the phone can be replaced with another
app of your choice. The only limit is the developers'
imaginations.
The only real problem that I've encountered with the DROID is with
connectivity. I'll switch on Wi-Fi, and it'll show that it's
connected, but I won't be able to browse the web or download apps
or anything else involving any sort of connection. Disabling Wi-Fi
and then re-enabling it will solve this every time, but it's a
problem they should address with some haste, I think.
In the end, the DROID is, again, a solid device. A beautiful
device. An elegant device that blurs the line between... well, just
about everything. If you've got a contract with any non-Verizon
carrier, wait it out, then jump ship. If you're with Verizon, you
know what you have to do.
Only one word needed to describe the Moto Droid: Awesome!Reviewed by CLARK KENT, 2010-03-08
I bought my Moto Droid from a well known price club about a month
ago, and can honestly say it's the best electronic device I have
ever owned! I have owned at least a dozen cell phones in as many
years, including Blackberries and the like, and the Droid beats
them all hands down! This phone does so much so well I don't even
know where to begin.
It's a phone, a texting device, a PDA, a GPS NAV, an MP3 player, a
video player and so much more. I have tethered it to my laptop with
great results (even better results when phone is connected to a
fast WiFi network vs Verizon's 3G network, but the speeds with 3G
are still much faster than dial up). And the LCD display on this
device is incredible. It puts the iPhone and many other phones to
shame. I have ripped mp4 movies and copied them to the included
16GB micro-sd card to entertain my toddler at lunch time and the
picture looks like a high def plasma TV, no exaggeration.
And before I forget, the glass on the Moto Droid is "Gorilla Glass"
made by Corning and is extremely durable and wear resistant, so no
need for a screen protector. Gorilla Glass can crack (or even
shatter) if the phone is dropped and lands just right, but it's
basically scratch proof (see Youtube video for droid glass scratch
test). So why do they make screen protectors for the Droid, you
ask? Because a sucker is born every minute. It's an easy sell to
people who don't know any better and have been buying them to
protect inferior phone screens for years now. Ever buy rustproofing
for a new car? It's the biggest and longest running joke in the new
car industry, but they still offer it don't they? Like I
said...
Getting back to what the Droid can do, there are 10,000+ apps
available in the "Market" (built in shortcut on apps page, so very
easy to get to) and more are being developed every day. I currently
have 47 apps (some are apps, some are games) of various kinds
installed from the market that I like and use on a regular basis (I
have installed more than 47 to date, but some apps I tried and
didn't like or need and uninstalled not long after installing, and
you too will experience this "trial and error" process of finding
new apps). Some of the pre-installed apps are very basic with very
few customization options, and you may want to find apps in the
Market to replace these. Others are great right out of the box. The
voice recognition capabilities of this phone are great. I use the
Droid as a NAV unit and search for destinations by voice with great
results.
Bottom line is the Motorola Droid is one powerful device and you
won't be sorry if you decide to buy this phone. Be prepared to play
with it a lot in order to learn as much as you can to get the most
out of it. The more you use it the more you will like it, I promise
you. Motorola and Google did a great job getting this phone right
the first time around. iPhone users can keep their iPhones. They
don't know what they're missing!
So many appsReviewed by Robert K. White, 2010-03-07
bought this about 2 weeks ago, on vacation now and I have to say is WOW. This phone rocks!! I got rid of my bb storm for this thing. There are so many applications out there for this product on the marketplace within the phone. The only complaint I have is the battery, I have to charge this thing twice aday because I'm such a heavy user. There are tons of applications out there, please see: [...] for further info.
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