The wireless telecom space is heating up with Verizon's new mobile phone - the Motorola Droid. Designed to compete with AT&T's exclusive offer of the iPhone, the Droid is powered by Google's Android operating system. The Verizon/Motorola Droid had been hyped all summer long, so expectations were high. Google's operating system has been in other phones, so we were interested to see if the Droid was actually going to be different.
The Verizon Droid looks a lot like the iPhone, though it is boxier with sharp corners. This is a bit of a concern over time, as sharp corners tend to take more abuse at the tips then wireless devices with rounded corners. Also, it remains to be seen if they come up with an effective cushioning cover for the device. Otherwise, it looks a lot like an Apple iPhone. I am sure they will be mistaken for each other over time. This may be a big disadvantage. Both the Palm Blackberry and the iPhone created a huge amount of buzz by having a very unique design - people could see that the user had something different and it created something of a status symbol. So in the wireless device design category, the Droid scores a 0, neither positive nor negative.
The screen on the Verizon Droid is actually much sharper than the iPhone. For wireless telecom users who use their device for internet access, this is a huge plus! Images and applications look more like a computer screen than a wireless handheld screen. Score one for the Droid.
One thing that is a bit annoying on the Droid is that it took a while for us to find the call button. We were looking for something on the keypad or the navigation buttons on the top of the device. No dice. The call button is actually on the touch screen. If you are reading an email, or on the internet, you must close your screen to make a call. We found this very inconvenient.
The big things about all these next generation wireless telecom devices are the applications that can be downloaded. This is what made the iPhone different and the Droid needs to neutralize to app difference for it to be a success. Fortunately, the market is responding...more and more wireless apps are being developed for the Android platform. Most of the common ones are already available. The quirky apps that are available on the iPhone are still missing, but give it time and I think that difference will be resolved as well.
Bottom line, the Verizon/Motorola Droid is a good wireless phone! The boxiness and lack of the infinite number of apps the iPhone enjoys are really the only negatives. The improved screen is a huge positive. So, if you like the Verizon wireless network and want an iPhone comparable phone, the Droid is a good choice.
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