New DROID ads show off Android, will make a man out of you
By Paul Miller 
posted Nov 9th 2009 1:23PM
posted Nov 9th 2009 1:23PM
[Thanks, DroidDoesItAll]
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Didn't we have a discussion about how it didn't really do that great?
No, we had a bunch of iPhone fanboys in denial pretending it didn't do that great and discussing their mass delusion.
"Wave Shreading Web Speeds"
We will see a class action law suit stating that users are not getting it... whatever it means.
Kamokaze (lol) - Yes, that's entirely different than all the Droid fanboys in denial pretending the ad did do great. I totally see your point there.
the discussion we DIDN'T have is the fact that this so called ROBOT only can type with ONE FINGER.
no multi-touch? failbot.
J 3 LUNT: "fanboooy it has a REAL keyboard ! You can type with 10 fingers if you want.
Except the keyboard does have multi touch. The browser doesn't.
Bla, bla, bla! Where are the Sales NUMBERZ?!!
Did it even beat the Storm?
Cant only one letter be typed at a time no matter what on any keyboard or screen? I cant just press all the keys to a word at the same time and have it come out correctly.
Lets list some pros and cons of the DROID, facts only. Whether something is a pro or con is my opinion, but these are all facts nonetheless.
Pros: Verizon's network, large capacitive touch screen, physical QWERTY keypad, Android 2.0(includes FREE turn-by-turn navigation, Flash support, all the Google apps, auto-correction when using the software keyboard, a decent browser, the ability to gain root control, and an open-source platform), WiFi, GPS, 3G, 5MP camera, dual-LED flash, 3.5mm headphone jack, removable storage with 16gb microSD included, same CPU as iPhone 3GS, and all in a case not much thicker than the iPhone 3Gs.
Cons: QWERTY keypad has no spacing between buttons, keypad buttons are totally flat, the sliding mechanism is not spring-loaded and does not lock the same way as most others, Android is still not as mature as other mobile operating systems, the Android Marketplace is still lagging behind Apple's App Store, some of Android's multitouch functions are disabled for some reason, and Verizon's smartphone pricing plans and new ETF are more expensive than other carriers'.
Feel free to add your own pros and cons below, but please stick to the facts and remain objective. My goal is to put it all out there, the good and the bad, so people can get the facts and make their own informed decision about the DROID.
So it is now obvious that Verizon is advertising to the Fanboys. I can't imagine the general public getting excited by these ads.
Greg: You really don't think that the turn by turn app and a nice browser doesn't appeal to anyone but fanboys?
@Jayd I agree with Greg. I don't know why Verizon is running ads like this for the Droid. He didn't say that people wouldn't like the free google maps navigation and it's web browser, he's saying the ads don't "only" highlight that. The fact that they have a machine typing on it instead of a human's finger distances the "average" person from the device. The reason apple sold so many overpriced 1st gen iPhones is because they had excellent ads that made it seem like anyone could use the phone no matter their technological knowledge. before fanboys respond... i'm not saying the iPhone is better. I have an iPhone 3G but it's annoying and I'm looking for a good android phone to switch to. I'd take the droid, but I can't be on Verizon unfortunately.
All I'm saying is that Verizon could have played this differently but they chose to get all robot/future-esque on us. They named the thing Droid! Remember when Conan O'brien did that spot with the insult dog razzing Star Wars fans at the Star Wars premiere? Those are the people excited about "Droid". The general public ain't like that. If you want to market to the general public, you don't do what Verizon is doing.
Great marketing and decent products beats bad marketing and great products. Sorry Droid.
@ Greg, you are just in denial because the Droid kicks your ass.
@cal:
Who is the one in denial? Anyone who knows anything about marketing knows that you target a certain audience in your advertising. Verizon has chosen to market to young males who still get excited about a tagline like "Droid Does". It is what it is. Look at the people buying this phone. In a couple months look at the sales figures. It will be relatively small because the market they are targeting is relatively small. If Verizon wanted more than that in this "early adopter" phase, they wouldn't have marketed their phone this way.
PROS: you can swap the battery for a new one any time you want--all by YOURSELF!
hi resolution screen---it is really crisp! makes the iphone and the HTC eris look crappy!
Although these ads are the 'futuristic, sci-fi' type, they more mainstream-targeted than the "iDon't do Open Development" one.
Still, this is similar to how using Firefox became mainstream. It started with a bunch of people (like us Engadget readers) saying to their friends/family "Don't use IE, use this better browser." Now Firefox has ~20% marketshare.
You could even compare this to when Apple switched over to Intel processors. Apple did some advertising, but the general public mainly found out by word-of-mouth from avid Mac users (fanboys, if you want to call them that).
I find that Verizon is trying to accomplish the same thing by forming their own group of dedicated users/fanboys.
@umm....hello???
Your post is a good example of bias. You could have simply said "Removable battery, 480x854 resolution screen"
OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://wp.appadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/chart3.jpg
Nilay.
Paul apparently.
Paul didn't betray me.
Thx for posting this!!! :)
i wish the vids are posted on youtube. for some reason, vids other than youtube cant be viewed at work.
proxy
I'm glad they ARE NOT on youtube so that I CAN view them from work :P
I feel like there's a Mulan joke in here...
When I read the title I thought they actually put the song in the ads...and then I was disappointed that it wasn't
the last vid looks more like a SEGA CD ad
Like the dog whisperer?
Nice ! :)
Probably my next phone after my iPhone ! :)
its not a phone. it's a robot in disguise!
http://images.intomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/0602_000001_c3xqbk3t2z_1.jpg
pew pew kablam!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfPw0g2nrdo
or this XD
@Husher, That Garfield phone is awesome in that last video. Funny enough they still sell it.
By then, another Android will take its place...
The Android invasion is already here.
I just did this today. Got rid of my iPhone and the AT&T Network and moved to the Driod. So far, really like it.
Oh, and the first thing I did was customize my background and install Google Voice App. Fuck you Steve Jobs....
I love the droid and whole spirit around it :).
But i'm not planing to change my iPhone in to it, because of one small thing. I need phone that would play with itunes nicely. I have huge music library and I like to carry a big part of it with me, but also i hate to carry many devices. And iphone does it all for me.
I got mine this weekend. The first thing I did while in the store was call my iPhone. Both me and the sales guy watched as my iPhone didn't ring even though it displayed 4/5 signal strength. 48 hours later... no regrets. It's nice to send texts while on the DC metro. It's nice to have a conversation in my condo without having to go outside to the street. It's nice to be shown 4 bars, and amazingly enough... make a call.
^^^^ I feel your pain... I'm from the area too and all my friends are talking and texting on the metro and i'm left all lonely in the corner :(
@k.misiura:
There is a plugin for iTunes that allows it to sync with non-iPod devices, but I can't remember the name. A friend of mine told me she uses it to sync with her Phillips DAP and her Blackberry. If you want a DROID and that's the only thing holding you back, you should look for this plugin and try it out. I did a search and found one for Windows called iTunes Agent, but I'm not sure if that's the one.
@DC MIKE and Patrick
It sounds like there are some real problems with the AT&T network in the DC metro area. That surprises me. For some reason I always thought that AT&T provided really good service down there but I definitely believe you. I live in the mountains, around the Cumberland area, and AT&T still does not have 3G coverage here. They promised to have it here in early summer, then late summer, now I have no idea. What I do know, however, is that little rinky-dink US Cellular does in fact have this entire area saturated with EVDO. Everytime I think about this I frown upon AT&T.
i've spent extensive time in the DC area with my iphone (and my wife's) without a single problem. are people dropping their phones or dunking them in water to have such bad experiences? maybe apple sent a batch of phones with bad receivers? nobody i know with an iphone has reception problems. nobody.
Depends where you are. For example, in Loudoun County, there seems to be some problems with Verizon. Whereas most of my friends who live around PG County are reporting some serious issues with AT&T.
@Devin: AT&T has some bad coverage even in large cities. NYC had some serious issues too. My iPhone is useless in Central Park, and I couldn't hold a conversation for more than 30 minutes without a drop when out and about in Manhattan. I liked the iPhone for the most part but AT&T is the worst. The people I know with iPhones like it so much that they gloss over the coverage issues and don't complain too loudly, but they do acknowledge it. I can tell you precisely where to get a guaranteed dropped call in several places around DC. The Lincoln Memorial on the Independence Ave side... PLOP. Everytime. 14th ST bridge, the bridge that crosses by the Kennedy Center, National Stadium during a game. There are holes all over DC, Arlington, and Alexandria.
It's not your next phone, it's the phone after that.
Well that is a better marketing strategy...
I'll take 2 buckets of does, but I'd like to super size that, to more than 512mb of app storage.
I actually really like their ads. They're enticing!
Other companies should follow verizon's marketing campaign. I'm amazed at how non-geeks are actually hearing about the driod. A guy at work who knows shit about phones except the "almighty apple" asked me, Iis the droid verizon's iphone? What's so special about it?" i literally took a chair and told him to sit while i explained the differences. I had never seen so many people ask me about a phone that is not made by apple. Props to verizon's speedy marketing.
Now if palm can do the same...
Right...I actually have the most technologically inept people asking me about the Droid (I'm the tech geek of my friends).
And that surprised me. I honestly thought it would only appeal to us geeks...but everyone seems to be genuinely interested by it. Whether it be because of the commercials...or just being on Verizon.
I pulled out my Droid in class and a girl pulled up beside me and ask "Is that a Droid? Is it better than an iphone?" Bottom line, android is no longer a geeks paradise when put on nice hardware. The Droid is a chick magnet!
Transformers drew in almost half a billion dollars in theaters, despite lacking even a shred of humanity or an inkling of a plot. Why?
"DROID!!!"
Droid does appeal to others... DROID DOES!
bare-knuckle bucket of does
I guess they couldn't afford Dennis Leary but wanted to sound like him.
More like they couldn't bring Rod Serling back.
Seriously, what's next? A Chuck Norris endorsement? Perhaps Brent Spiner?
The DOES campaign is turning out to be a brilliant marketing campaign. My droid comes in tomorrow and I seriously can't wait.
thanks
Fedor Endorses the Palm Pre. How much more "Man" can U get?
@Chad
I'm going to skirt over the absurd assumption that Verizon couldn't afford Denis Leary, and go straight to the real reason why they don't have him - Denis Leary does Ford truck ads. He probably has a contract saying that he can't do voice-overs for other brands on TV.
That being said, definitely sounds very Denis Leary-esque.
dont quite know why, but I feel sorry for those G1 and other android phone users.
I think all Android smartphone vendors & users will benefit, from the success of Droid & the Droid advertising:
1. more Android sales = bigger target for app developers = more apps for everyone.
2. consumers curious about "droids" may discover other Android smartphones they like better.
3. an increase in Android demand should result in even better Android smartphones coming to market.
4. early Android adopters get the satisfaction of knowing they were there when it all started.
As a G1 user, not to worry.
All apps will likely work on the G1 vs. Droid, Eris, Hero, etc... since it's still the most vanilla, most open model--until Droid users figure out the bugs (heck it happened and still is, read P55 chipset, with the iPhone 3 GS).
For Android, it's a lean OS that runs on a JVM... a JVM! From a technology perspective, a 528Mhz CPU run a JVM that runs the OS is quite impressive compared to a Pre or iPhone. And remember, Google release a JNI-ish layer so I'm sure the devs can get 2.0 working on the older phones since the JNI layer can speed things up 2-fold. Look at SenseUI (which likely uses the native layer)... on old hardware!
Those ads make me want the droid...if only so I can once again feel like a man after that unfortunate industrial accident.
lol jeeze what does Verizon have against bedazzled phones? they're fabulous!
:3
p.s i thought real men didn't use gps. they read maps.
+1
Real men are able to navigate their cars while their female partner is screaming at them that this isn't the right way to drive.
No, real men know where they're going... or at least pretend to.
Real men have in built GPS within their DNA. No maps, GPS, or compass needed, lol
Real men Get the Palm Pixi.
No, we ask for directions.
@Banksta3
and bedazzel that bitch up!
my manliness is appealed to, and bellows out it's response: want, want, want!
Yes...this is much better. Showing off the ease of use with an Android device. Much better.
Love the first two but the last one (The Robot Phone) isn't as good.
totally agree. robot phone? ack.
but oooh check out those iphones getting smashed!
Yeah the last one is pretty dumb.
Yeah on the 3rd.... except when they are crushing the KIRF iPhone covers.
Whatcha talking about?? I WANT, no NEED a robot phone.
Wow, I guess you must have those droid fingers in order to type on the droid
A co-worker has one, and I was amazed at how easy it was for me to type on the touch keyboard, even in portrait mode. There's also a slide-out keyboard if you don't like touch keyboards, which is nice.
lol... love the last sentence in that last ad spot
My wife asked the same thing when I told her I might buy these for us... "Can you put a cute cover on it?" LOL
I thought the 'island of misfits' spot was better. These ones look semi-cool but the functionality they show (save for the new features in google maps, which have nothing to do with verizon) isn't really ground-breaking.
Island of Misfit Toys spot = created by Verizon to promote the Verizon network
Droid commercials != created by Verizon, therefore do not promote the Verizon network
Good call, but isn't the droid exclusive to verizon? A bit like the Att/iPhone partnership, I feel people will see the products/services as synonymous. I already accidentally did!
Not sure about the exclusivity, but phone manufacturers don't always promote the network. I don't believe Sprint is mentioned anywhere on Palm Pre spots, for example.
all spots were created by verizon, one is about the droid, one is about the network - its just two different initiatives.
same thing as the earlier map for that vs idont commericals
Notice how they have to show the NAV screen- that's no accident, because let's face it the GUI is utterly dull. Add to that the UI is sluggish in lots of places despite supposedly having one of the fastest processors, and it's a big fail fest.
Seeing as Android has Open Home, DX, aHome...and a variety of backgrounds, icons, and mods (if you venture into rooting).
The GUI is as ugly or pretty as you make it.
^ right because joe shmoe that just wants something nice out of the box is really going to get into rooting just to make the thing look halfway decent, right. i actually had pretty high hopes for a new dot-O version of android but they blew it.
@iDavey: not to mention the more crazy ones like PandaHome that completely change the whole paradigm for the gui.
Agree with iDavey - my Droid, with the use of a couple free apps looks nothing like a stock device. Add Open Home, and it's quite different indeed - and it took me less than 5 minutes of tinkering on my own with little android experience to get it setup the way I want. Overall I am very happy with it so far. Widgets are really cool and there are a lot of good/useful free ones.
My experience with the 3G (never had a 3GS), and winmo 6.1-6.5 was much more boring. Pages of apps on black background = lame and boring, and winmo - well, it just looked antiquated.
The toughflo/sense HTC mods to windows look much better, but I have no experience with them.
But hey, if something else works for you, that is cool too. We don't have to all like the same things and have the same subjective experience.
@A 5 Star Dining Experience: None of those require root or anything special. You can literally take the phone fresh out of the box, start it up, go to android market and start downloading them and use them as the main home screen.
As I actually *have* a droid I can tell you with confidence how absolutely wrong you are about responsiveness and speed of the UI. In many spots (such as opening apps or navigating to other screens from apps) it is much faster than any other phone I've used.
Yea, after playing with the phone yesterday at Verizon I didn't really like the UI on the droid. Sure, its functional--but it isn't very pretty.
I'm not sure if anyone else noticed this, but I noticed that there was a little lag on the main screens only when the phone was in landscape. I didn't notice any lag when in portrait--at all. I wonder why that was? Also I'm not sure how I feel about the physical keyboard--it was pretty hard for me to form any opinions with the charger plugged in and rigged to the security strap on the demo unit. Also the portrait keyboard is so tiny! It really made me appreciate the suretype BB keyboard on my storm.
I think I said this in another thread, but I came away really liking the Eris more from a UI and form factor perspective. My storm is huge and the Eris is fairly compact and would be more welcome in my pocket.
But overall both Droids are great and I think I still have some phone envy (but not quite as much as before I went to the store). The Eris is really making me hope/want that the Passion/Dragon is a sweet phone. I think the only thing keeping me from the droid at this point is that the screen isnt quite large enough for me to warrant using it as a dedicated PND and ditching my Garmin.
Yes. As Mark said...none of those (except the mods) require root.
If you're to say it's hard getting an app...then you'd say iPhone is the most difficult phone on this earth because they run off of the App Store.
My point still stays. It is as ugly or pretty as you want it to be.
@perry
Do you use "better keyboard" or any other apps to improve the soft keyboard? I heard it's "ok" on Android and that this App makes it a lot better. It's $2.99 though so not free.
Would you use Panda Home or Open Home?
@htowngator
I can say, Better Keyboard is positively AMAZING. I love the gestures to switch keyboards and symbols.
Although I still prefer Hero's keyboard. Which you can get for free thru an .apk