More on the DROID: thoughts from the rest of Engadget
By Nilay Patel 
posted Oct 30th 2009 6:10PM
posted Oct 30th 2009 6:10PM
Nilay:
Keyboard aside, the DROID is very much the ultimate phone for phone geeks. It's not "friendly" in the way that the iPhone is immediately intuitive and welcoming, but that's not what it's trying to be -- at all. It's like a muscle car and a Mercedes: most people are going to take the Benz, but the people who know they want a '69 Boss 429 aren't going to settle for anything less. The Droid is big, heavy, and intimidating, and if you take the time to learn Android's quirks and how to use it, it'll do everything you could ever want -- but at the price of some refinement and style.
I don't think I'm alone in thinking this -- Verizon seems to know it too. Why else would the DROID Does ad focus so heavily on things that are only important to geeks, like open development and customization, and then end with what appears to be a Transformer attacking the Matrix? Hell, every single notification on an out-of-the-box Droid is accompanied by a robot voice intoning DROIIIIID, a sound that appeals only to the nerdiest of the nerds.
But you know what? I am a nerd. The DROID may not be for everyone, but it's very definitely the right phone for some. And in the end, that's really quite encouraging. I just wish Moto would have re-thought that keyboard.
Paul:
I think the DROID is the best phone on the market that isn't the iPhone. Unfortunately, I don't have a car, so Google Navigation doesn't help me, I don't use Exchange, so that's out, and I can't bring myself to pay Verizon contract prices. I'm also slightly more productive on the touchscreen keyboard than the physical keyboard, which isn't saying much for either of these input methods. What's left after all this negativity? Gmail, one of the best screens money can buy, and great coverage / voice-quality, all three of which are so absolutely clutch that it has me considering making it my primary phone. However, at the end of the day I think I'm going to hold out for something touchscreen only with a similar processor / screen resolution and perhaps T-Mobile for a network. If anything the DROID has convinced me that it's almost time to switch to Android, even if this specific phone isn't the exact fit for me.
Chris:
It's a rarity in the wireless industry when the design of a phone -- at a glance, anyhow -- actually rises to the challenge and matches the fanboy fantasy: the original RAZR, the original iPhone, perhaps the Sony Ericsson X1. The realities of designing a working handset just don't often allow for it to hold up against the stratospheric, unrealistic expectations of an overstimulated fan base that's always on the hunt for The Next Big Thing. And even on the rare occasion when it does happen, that initial launch-day euphoria is usually squashed by the time phones are in customer's hands, flaws are rooted out, and the once-untouchable device has suddenly been made human -- case in point, the X1, which launched in the US three full seasons after it was announced and never had a prayer of living up to the hype that had reached a rolling boil.
That's why I know the DROID is a special phone: it pushes my geeky fanboy buttons in ways they haven't been pushed in a long, long time. Unlike the CLIQ or any other Android phone before it, Motorola's second Android handset literally looks like it sprung to life out of a fake, pie-in-the-sky rendering posted on some Taiwanese forum, and handling it just puts a smile on your face. Can you say that about a Storm2? A Pure? An Imagio? Hell, in the year 2009, can you even say that about an iPhone 3GS, which looks nearly identical to the iPhone of 2007?
Of course, it's like dating a supermodel: just because the DROID is unbelievably attractive doesn't mean you want to marry it. Those that aren't used to Android (or have tried it before and didn't like it) might cringe at some of the platform's nuances, and it's still not as visually slick as webOS or iPhone OS is. I personally found the physical keyboard to be a pretty miserable experience -- worse than the G1 and the CLIQ -- an inevitable casualty of trying to fit this much technology into a space less than 14mm thick, but the good news is that the capacitive display is large enough to make the soft keyboard very usable for me. It's also the smoothest, fastest, most satisfying Android experience on any device to date, a combination of 2.0's enhancements and the speedy OMAP3 heart powering them.
At the end of the day, realities of the US wireless industry are as likely to decide whether you're getting a DROID as anything else. For Verizon -- historically known for one of the worst smartphone selections of any carrier in North America -- the DROID instantly vaults to the top of the heap, so if you're on Big Red or you want to be, the phone may very well be a no-brainer. If you're not on Verizon but you're an Android fanatic, the DROID's also almost impossible to resist -- yeah, it's just that good. Seriously. For the rest of the wireless world, though, the DROID is little more than "another really good smartphone," and regardless of carrier, those are easier to come by than they've ever been before.
i love it. hello moto
Somebody buy Paul a car. :)
Just tape it to the bike helmet, and put on some magnets...
@onelove
Nope, he's still waiting for that 69 boss 429 Nilay promised him... god i hope they use that car as a recession antidote.
btw, whatever happened to those, engadget?
So uh, what's the word on the N900, a phone with real open source capability (Maemo 5)??????
Sorry but the Touch HD2 with it's 4.3 inch capacitive screen and snapdragon proc is way more appealing to me right from the get go.
Also is the dpad good or not? If it is then why not include it on the face of the phone? What makes a dpad useful when the keyboard is slid out but not when it's not?
I'm not even slightly interested in this device. But that is my opinion.
Haven't heard a single thing about the night shot capability of the Droid. That was a big part of the commercial of what it had over the iPhone. Come on Engadget you took one picture with the camera, how about a few more of different objects/distances/lighting?
I guess I'm the nerdiest of nerds, then, Nilay. Please upload the droid sound. I NEEEED it.
From your sig:
Dude!? There's already an app for that. And it will cost you $2.99 with 8bit mono audio I bet.
@recharged Dude, chill. God can't there ever be a review on engadget without someone spoiling the good vibe
Getting it for $150 on friday, hooray few new every two!
Or I could get the Verizon (Hero) for $50. What a decision, I really like the Video quality on the Droid though.
Go for the Droid. Down with ARM11!
How for $150? I have a Verizon contract with three lines and they are all due for new phones.
I'm due for a new every two. i was wondering how that'd work.
For those of you who are wondering - if you're up for a NE2 and you didn't jump the early credit gun, you can still get the full $100 off for new phones. You can do this online, on the phone, but not sure about in-store.
The lowest discount that you'll get is $50 off.
So to wrap up.
$299 price point
-$100 rebate (mail-in or instant online)
-$50/$100
-----------
DROID for $100/150
:D
Really appreciate the other takes, hoping we can get more of these 2nd/3rd/4th opinions on future reviews, helps put things into perspective better than just one reviewer.
I for one don't consider android to multitask. After switching from the Palm Pre to the Hero androids so called multitasking is lame. Want to take a call when navigating? You can but the navigation stops when you answer the call, kind of sounds like this one phone we all hate. True multitasking like webOS has rocks, bumming I gave it up.
Shit wrong spot maybe I should learn to multitask.
Problem is, when you have a superb marketing org like Apple's, all these opinions start using the same buzzwords, same tone and basically the same content...and the true opinions and devil details are lost in the chatter.
It happened with the iPhone and 3GS (not the 3G actually)--Apple paid the marketing price hence it's life-marriage to AT&T. Verizon has enough marketing might to do the same, but up until now, so what if the iPhone makes more sales (look at the Treo vs. the BB same scenario in 2004) I hope they don't over advertise it and just go it grassroots style. With the amount of hardware, openess and Android, the phone will have surpassed any other phone's capability in the next 6 months from OTA updates, hacks and hopefully make people rethink the netbook angle, not the iPhone angle.
It's good to hear that Josh isn't alone in disliking the keyboard layout and design -- I hate it just looking at it. These combined reviews make me want to thank Motorola, if only for showing HTC they need to bring out the Dragon sooner not later, hopefully with a QWERTY like the HTC TouchPro2. Just to make that stick...
"Yo Moto, I'm really happy for you, ima let you release, but the HTC [TouchPro2] had the best keyboard of all time!" -Kanye
Now this is how things should be reviewed! 2 is better than 1 and 3...well you get the picture. And yes, someone should donate a clunker to Paul!
Agreed. The multiple opinions were very helpful. I highly encourage you to continue this practice when something is particularly notable.
I can see the keyboard sucks just from looking at it. But how come you guys aren't going on more about the screen? The screen seem absolutely AMAZING. Over two and a half times the number of pixels on an iPhone display! Can you use those pixels in any material way like say web browsing, or is everything just so tiny it doesn't matter except it just makes everything seem a little sharper?
@schmidtdustin: Well, it depends on the apps I think. Some programs run perfectly fine in the background, some don't. I suspect that is for battery life reasons. Though obviously navigation apps should run in the background. They can at least keep the GPS signal so when you switch back it can quickly continue navigation. And probably directions should still be given. Does the Pre do that? Haven't tried it, the build quality appeared horrible... I'd even say the Motofone F3 is feeling expensive compared to the Pre... ok, almost.
Heh, I was wondering why there were Pre comments on this. I am a very happy Pre owner, and Android 2.0 isn't doing anything to sway me, but I can see why its so appealing to others.
I'll be shocked if this sells.
lolwut
you best be trollin'
Well considering it's not out yet, and I'd already be willing to drop my iPhone to give it a try, as well as have friends who are waiting to sign a new contract for it, I'm not so sure I'd jump to that conclusion just yet.
My iPhone don't multitask, but droid does.
The original poster of this comment did not mention anything about the iPhone...
Obviously, but what I'm saying is I'm willing to drop my iPhone, which is reguarded as "the" smartphone right now, for this phone. I was simply making a point that he doesn't think it's going to sell, but that others are willing to drop their "god" phones for it, therefore making his point completely incorrect.
Just "ll be shocked"? Thought you will hang your head in Shame you iExtremeTroll.
@AgentFed
Why are you assuming Brien is an "iExtreme Troll"? He could be a Pre fanboy, or Symbian... Why do people assume that if someone says something negative about a phone, they are automatically iPhone users? Seems pretty closed-minded in an open-source discussion.
Who are you kidding? Every day, after work, and all day on the weekends I've been going to Verizon store and Best Buy one after another- and every one of them has been asked about the DROID on multiple occasions. Best Buy preorders started silently today at around 12pm- with no official news whatsoever, and by the time I got there to put in my own at 2:00pm I was already 6th on the list. That's saying alot. This phone is going to sell, and sell out. Period.
@Jimmy
You are right, he could be anything you mention. The problem tho, is either
1. engadget's commenter really hate ifanboys that much, or
2. ifanboys troll too much that everyone assume any trolling is done by ifanboy.
This phone sounds real cool. The only problem is it is ugly. they should call it the itank.. or ibulk or just iugly.
@uUgly
Well considering when you put an "i" in front of something, it's supposed to be directed towards the iPhone, you'd be saying those things about the iPhone and not DROID. I think it's hawt, and the iUgly is the one that needs a facelift. Maybe you're cool with your Ngage styling, but I'm definitely trading in my LG Dare for this when my contract runs out in April (unless somethings better comes around).
Well.. I think it's ugly too =/
Heretics! Burn 'em at the stake.
/sarcasm
I never really liked motorola handsets, IMO i think they are rushed and poorly designed..
The android phone I am really looking forward to is Sony Ericsson Rachael!
"I can't bring myself to pay Verizon contract prices"
I hope you don't pay AT&T contract prices for the iPhone then, cuz they are the biggest rip-off around.
Took my boss who had a basic phone, NO data over to AT&T and iphone. She saved money but nice try!
Why would you subject your boss to such crappy service? You'll probably get fired now. I've never used another phone on AT&T, so maybe it's the iPhone that sucks and not the networks, but I wouldn't want to subject my boss to such torture.
You, Sir, have never been to Canada.
Who would want to go to canada tho?
So this guy doesn't have a car, and is too cheap for Verizon plans (which are roughly equivalent...so it doesn't even make sense)
YET..he's a writer for engadget?
How does this work? Is AOL paying you guys in gadgets...or....were they not willing to expense more than one calling plan?
We'll see how much verizon manages to charge for the "free" navigation. Probably have to pay monthly to turn on the gps just like in my razr.
No kidding... iPhone call and data prices are literally the same cost if not just a bit cheaper (maybe $5-$10), and Verizon's network kills at&T.
@scott... The GPS will be open and free as long as you sign up for the PDA data to use the google apps.
I do not think it is ugly.
... As the International Model he was introducing his mother to nodded in agreement.
Droid + Verizon Cell Coverage = KickASS