We'd broken the news of the
Droid 2's August 12 street date a couple weeks ago, and we're now getting confirmation of that -- at Best Buy, anyhow -- thanks to a couple tips we've received today, including the screen shot above. An actual launch is going to feel like sweet release after what has become the most thoroughly-leaked phone in recent memory, but if you need yet more fodder for your overactive imagination, we'd recommend you follow the break for Best Buy's competitive analysis of the phone, which does a commendable job breaking down all the differences between it and its direct predecessor -- notably the significantly speedier core, the mobile hotspot support, 802.11n, and the onboard storage (though you get a smaller microSD card in the box). Question is, where can we get that
R2-D2 edition?
[Thanks, anonymous tipsters]
posted August 6th 2010 2:29PM
@LANjackal I personally think they should have just released that 2GHz phone the same time as the original Droid this year and threw the "Droid 2" name on that. Keeps it constant and would prove a huge upgrade.
@EggoEspada I agree, but the competition in the Android scene is such that Moto's running into the same problem with the Droid family vs. other phones as MS did with the Xbox vs. the Sony & Nintendo. You can't afford to have no alternative to the competition on the market at any time, so you release first.
In this case I think Motorola's feeling the heat from Samsung's Epic 4G, which is pretty much the equivalent of the Droid 2 at Sprint + 4G which the Droid lacks. Except the Droid will be available before the 4G is.
Doing this isn't necessarily a bad idea: the 360 dominated the PS3 in sales for a long time, the latter's only just catching up. The Droid dominated Android handset sales for a while last year due for the same reason.
In the table, I read that ROM/RAM is 8GB/512MB.
Pinch me, I'm dreaming.
Isn't Bestbuy the one heading the way with EVO?
Now like two weeks later there's something different?
Hmmm... :-/
@APV
Technology stands still for no handset...
@some1sloved1yahoocom hmmm, ok install RockPlayer ARM 7 and once you get 2.2 install Flash 10. Not only will you be able to watch a good percentage of videos online streamed to your phone, most divx, xvid, mov, flv, mp1/2/3 etc can be viewed on your phone without any need to re encode them. But that's not special to the Droid 2. You can do that on any Android phone that runs RockPlayer or any Android phone that has 2.2 through root or OTA.
@EliteMonsterHunter but with this converter you can convert any WHOLE movie file to view in FULL length on ANY phone!!...but it was just a heads up for those who have other phones as well...i know android is the best tho!!
@some1sloved1yahoocom I hear you, but with RockPlayer you don't have to convert anything. Get your videos however you can, torrent, DVD rips, download direct from sites, whatever. Take the file and put it on your SD card and just play it. I have a 32GB microSD card that was in my N1 but I moved it to my Vibrant and I have at least 10 movies on it so far. Full length. 3:10 to Yuma. Devil's Rejects, Kung Fu Panda, Tropic Thunder, Avatar, Unleashed, War...
You're in the Android world now, in THIS world, these things are possible. In the fruity world....not so much.
I really liked the Droid2 before knowing everything but not having HD video and no front facing camera makes me want look elsewhere. Now I have my sights on HTC Glacier... come on qwerty keyboard!
My brothers and sisters nothing can stop us now!
Hmm ... Motorola hinted at a 2GHz superphone to come later this year. Given the time between the Droid 1 & 2, it seems Motorola's on a 9 month update cycle with its Droid models. Assuming that's the case, since the Droid X dropped in July and the 2's coming on the 12th then the 2GHz model must be a completely new species and not an update of the 2 or X.
Does anyone here know what GPU the Droid 2 will have? Same one as the Galaxy?
I hate my touch typing on my Droid X ... just so many mistakes. I'm sure I will end up doing better over time BUT I really miss the slide out qwerty that I've used in the past.
I have 30 days to return my droid x and I'm thinking of getting the Droid 2.
@rthefley Yeah I tried a Droid X earlier today and I still can't get used to soft keyboards. Physical qwerty for me or GTFO
@rthefley
The Droid2 will have the SGX530 (13 MPolys/s, 500Mpx/s@200MHz)
The Galaxy S has the SGX540 (28 MPolys/s, 1Gpx/s@200MHz)
Well Sprint, the Epic 4G is about to get left in galactic dust by the Droid 2, all because your release was light years behind Verizon's. Such a pity really!!! Droid 2 for me please :o).
Get ready for West Side Story-style parking lot throwdowns between RIMjobs and Fandroids. My money is on the Fandroids, a most RIMjobs are employed and thus less likely to spend all day reading Kung-Fu magazines and eating coco-puffs.
@Perspective
I've been giving out random awards for random best quotes and you sir a the winner of the second.
"Best tech blog quote that is at least 50% off topic."
The first one was the best Quote of 1864..
"I would like to kill every reporter in the world, but there would be news from hell before breakfast."
- General Sherman; Union Army
I like hearing about these tips, really I do. Thank you, Anonymous Tipsters! But aren't you at all concerned about your job? You are letting loose company information which you signed you would not share to the outside world.
Be careful and remain anonymous, because if Best Buy finds out who you are... be careful and cover your tracks because I would still like to hear about these tips :)
Question - does anyone know the lxwxd dimensions of the Droid X vs. the Droid 2? Thanks.
But, can the Droid 2 finish the Kessle Run in under 12 parsecs?
--Sent from my Droid running at 1.3ghz
"The first Verizon smartphone to launch Android 2.2"
Oh god... this means my DInc will have to wait for its froyo until after August 12...:(
I guess I just don't understand the point of this phone. As an owner of both the original droid and the droid x, this just seems pointless to me. Yes, the keyboard needed some improvement but to release a new phone with nothing more than a better keyboard and a higher clock speed seems totally useless to me. Why not just release a factory overclocked froyo rom and call it a day. No need for expensive hardware changes and marketing that will cost more than any extra profits they might find from this phone.
Wow, are they really going to advertise the original Droid as not being wifi hotspot capable?
That's just an outright lie.
Ridiculous.
@Johnny Rockets
I totally agree! They must think us all to be idiots. I've used mine as a wifi hotspot many times since rooting it. Works great. No worries, what they can't accomplish the boys over at XDA usually fix.
Why couldn't motorola just release one phone at this time instead of both the Droid X and Droid 2, with that one phone having HD video capture, an 8 MP camera, Froyo, and a slide-out keyboard with a 4" display?
But does it have Moto's lame BLUR? I'd prefer the virgin Android of the original Droid.
Ahhh what to do what to do?! Droid X now Droid 2 and the rumored super phone Droid Pro.. ugh. Why couldn't they have put a dang front camera on the X?! Their sooo close yet so far. I'd buy the X today if it didn't have those cheap buttons and a front facing camera. Come on Moto give us a phone with sum of everything
So what, Moto released a new phone? Not worth blowing an eFuse for.
any idea when the Droid 2 is going to come to the asian market?