The Droid X gets real on Verizon (update: 720p video capture, not display)
By Nilay Patel 
posted June 17th 2010 2:31PM
posted June 17th 2010 2:31PM
Update: We just confirmed that the Droid X prototype we saw had an 854 x 480 display, so we'll have to see if Motorola and Verizon have a serious surprise for us come Wednesday -- we know at least one Engadget editor who's crossing his fingers.
Update 2: Sure enough, Verizon has changed the ad to read "Captures 720p" instead of "720p screen," so that would basically confirm the 854 x 480 display. A nerd can dream, though! See the revised site after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
omg
@pitnefor
It says "720p screen", what does that mean? Higher resolution than 480 x 854?! If so that's awesome!
@month
Hope this is no Evo re-run.
@month It CAN'T to be a mistake. I'm in a state of unmistakable giddy right now. If they announce that they meant to say "720p camera", I will enter the deepest stage of depression possible.
@month I really hope so, the new iPhone resolution is supposed to be amazing, but we sure don't want Apple to get too comfy.
@pitnefor GIMME!
@pitnefor Hey look, I can view the source website and everything.
From my FroYo N1.
@pitnefor
I suppose that gone are the days where the next generation phones are released on a yearly cycle as a courtesy to people who just bought the old phone. I personally have decided to stop buying new phones until Verizon comes out with their 4G network. Droid will hold me off until then.
@fpad77 hey me too on my froyo droid
@pitnefor
Its Motorola so it's guaranteed to not be an Evo rehash.
I actually think Motorola's hardware is a lot better than HTC most of the time...so I'm interested to know how it will fare hardware wise/battery life etc...
It's just too big for me that I'd go for an android tablet instead of this one. Though that would be a nice screen if it's really 720p. Hope we won't hear something like "it's no S-AMOLED" from Sammy.
@pitnefor
Let's hope the the 720p screen is true and not a misprint like it was meant to say 720p video out...
@tarugokomaraki
If this thing has a 1280 x 720 screen on that 4.3 inch screen
The pixel density would be 341.54 and far higher than the iPhone.
Enough to be claimed as a retina display.
Looks like apple's beaten again.
@pitnefor
Soooo where is the 4.3" Android love for GSM/UMTS???
@Paul Elmy
I'm sorry there's NO WAY they can do 1280x720 on a 4.3" screen...it's not gonna happen.
@Paul Elmy actually noone beat anybody at this point.. and it's probably a mistake :-/ I think Joanna would have noticed a 720p resolution..
@pitnefor
looks different from the one engadget reviewed, look at the smaller bezel for example! if this thing is going to be a bit mor handsome, it´s mine!
@DoctarPeppar
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/12/kopin-crafts-worlds-smallest-vga-microdisplay-2k-x-2k-postage/
If you can cram VGA into a dime, you can cram 720p into 4.3" no problem.
What would have been epic is if they had a slogan at the bottom like:
"AYBABTU" or "The invasion has begun..."
@gargle You think she would notice? My desire's 800x480 is more than enough for me and anything higher would be useless as no web graphic would be big enough on the display to not have to be enlarged above the 1:1 ratio...
@month It means 1280x720 screen.
@pitnefor I'm returning my evo for this. Sorry HTC, maybe you shouldn't have released a phone that wasn't optimized for quality...
@who said what
:) I think it will be.
@DoctarPeppar
I don't think it's impossible but I actually hope it doesn't, there's simply no need for it. 854x480 in 4.3" is already almost 2.5 times the PPI as the desktop monitor I'm writing this on now, it's ridiculous. If Moto put such a high res display on this phone it's only encouraging Apple's marketing nonsense.
@pitnefor From twitter: VZWOffers: More than a screen. A display case worthy of display. HDMI output, 4.3” display & 720p screen. Droid X is coming soon http://bit.ly/cqz8l5
@gargle joanna is cool and all, really cool, but according to Jobs, even she wouldn't be able to "notice" such a display
@izzykareem
For all the people clamoring for a 720p screen, understand that your battery life will be in the pits and due to android's lack of GUI hardware acceleration, your cpu will be taxed to oblivion.
That said, it would be awesome to see!!
@spartandre217
Sony's TX7 Cyber-shot has a 3.5" 720p touchscreen
so why not?
@Techno1q
I really hope this phone does everything it claims and then some! I am an Apple fan, and I love my iPhone 3G (and will equally love my iPhone 4 when it arrives), but I couldn't be happier that there are capable companies trying to compete with Apple. The more companies like Motorola and HTC try to compete with the iPhone, the better results I get in terms of phone and software and features!
@pitnefor
Do not read too much into it. Marketing copy/paste droids are infamous for not really looking at what they copy or even understanding it.
If the device is almost ready to be released, you can guarantee that the screen res is exactly as on the proto.
There is no way they could replace the screen for a 720p res screen in a couple of months.
It's 854 x 480.
It'll be late this year or even might be next year, before we start getting 720p screen mobile phones from big mfgs (ex-Japanese).
@nicholasphan
Wow, you're right. I just checked the Sony site and it says the display has 921k pixels, and 1280x720 = 921,600. That's pretty insane; wonder why a display that high-res hasn't been used in a phone (yet).
@pitnefor
Introducing the new Eagle Retina Display.
@month
I am going to say that it is 720P. Take a look at the Menu. I have the Incredible and it can barley fit 4. That fits nearly 5.
Not to mention, the home screen has 4 rows and 4 columns, plus space below!
I think it is a higher resolution. YAY!
@einhanderkiller
yea Sony is kinda known for using very high-res high quality display in their electronics
@DoctarPeppar
Why not? A couple weeks ago, I thought there was no way they could do 960x640 on a 3.5 inch screen. 1280x720 on 4.3 is not that far off.
@einhanderkiller Camera manufacturers use dots/pixels instead of pixels to describe their screen resolutions. That is, they count the R, G, and B of a pixel as separate points, although they can together only display one pixel.
That camera (like most new ones) is 640 by 480. 640*480*3 = 921,600.
@Shooter McGavin
The luddites who say such a high resolution screen isn't necessary really need to shut the hell up.
@fpad77 So can I, from my Froyo Droid :)
@BrookLynnsFinest Like the droid? Square brick that gets really hot? Terrible keyboard? Although other motorolas have better keyboards
@nicholasphan Actually the screen on the Sony Cyber-shot TX7 is 640x480. The way camera makers count the pixels on their LCDs is a bit different. They count the number of red, blue, and green sub-pixels as the number of dots to report. So the screen is 640x480x3 subpixels for each pixel = 921,600 total dots.
@SlimSpaceman I agree. 720p on a mobile phone screen might be nice but even half that is plenty acceptable. 720p out on the otherhand... there's definitely a case for that.
@vasra
If 720p display becomes a norm, be ready to the return of 4"+ screen. At 326ppi, the iPhone is selling you something we barely need. A 12px font is roughly around 1/27 inch tall. How many of you can read text at this size without zooming? Of course, if you zoom in, you will have to scroll more. Even on my Droid, I rarely find myself reading full desktop website without zooming.
The Droid X, if its resolution is the same as the Droid, with its bigger display, may actually do a favor to the user -- we may actually scroll less.
@trong Now entering state of depression.
@einhanderkiller Price. People burn through mobile phones much faster than their cameras - in particular here in Europe, where the young professionals are keen to always have the latest gadget - and the air time providers have to pay for it. Either way, the next generation of phones will no doubt offer true 720P displays to match their video capture and offer the same benefits as iPhone 4. HDMI out for when that 4" to 5" display is too small.
@DoctarPeppar
And why the hell would you want to? The human eye can not perceive such a resolution on such a small screen. Thus it is silly to do so.
@pitnefor Captures 720p. Fail.
@Gibson
Ignorant stat whores really need to shut the hell up. It's all in your head if you think you can tell the difference between a 250 PPI screen and a 300+ PPI screen.
@Slimnutz
I'm not an eagle.
@pitnefor This better be an xLED screen...
@Techno1q well doesnt the zune hd have a 720p oled display? its been around for about a year