backtop

Print 25 comment(s) - last by Jedi2155.. on Oct 31 at 10:26 PM

  (Source: Boy Genius Report)
Droid called the best Android phone ever

One of the most popular smartphones on the market today is the iPhone from Apple. As such a popular device, the iPhone is naturally the target for many manufacturers when new devices that hit the market. While overseas the iPhone is going to more than one provider within a country, the iPhone is still stuck with AT&T in America.

Verizon wireless recently unveiled a new teaser campaign for its Droid handset which will be running Android 2.0 operating system and targets the iPhone directly.

Boy Genus Report (BGR) now has a hands-on with the Motorola Droid and posted up a few early details of the device. The handset runs Android 2.0 and is described as only slightly thicker than the iPhone 3GS. The Droid is the thinnest QWERTY slider that the publication has seen. The handset runs the TI OMAP3430 processor making it the fastest Android device BGR has ever used.

The capacitive display gets lots of kudos and is called the best screen ever seen on an Android device and a fantastic screen overall. The keyboard is described as very usable and the device has a desktop cradle/charger that turns it into a multimedia station. Perhaps the biggest thing that BGR reports about the Droid is that it is the most impressive handset it has used since the iPhone. Perhaps we finally have a viable threat to the iPhone coming to the market deserving the title “iPhone killer”.

BGR also goes into great detail about Android 2.0. The caveat is that both the Droid and the version of Android 2.0 are not final. Highlights include built-in Exchange compatibility, layers included in maps, UI makeover for the browser, YouTube widget, integrated haptics feedback capability, and a new app for use in your car allowing voice commands presumably while driving. A whole slew of new features have been added that should make Android 2.0 much better than previous versions.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Bluetooth
By UnWeave on 10/19/2009 12:01:21 PM , Rating: 2
Does anyone know if Android 2.0 is supposed to have any kind of usable bluetooth file-transfer capability built-in? Because at present, it's one of the larger things missing from Android (for me - I guess there are those out there who don't care).




RE: Bluetooth
By GreenEnvt on 10/19/2009 12:14:35 PM , Rating: 2
I'm with you on that. bluetooth in android sucks.
I did get my CarPC to make/receive calls with my HTC Magic now, but the contacts don't share, nor can I do a dial up network to it.


RE: Bluetooth
By MrBowmore on 10/19/2009 12:30:02 PM , Rating: 3
Why not just use the Wifi transfer?


RE: Bluetooth
By sprockkets on 10/19/2009 5:13:01 PM , Rating: 2
Because there are times you want to send stuff via BT to other phones that are set to receive stuff via BT. There are a lot of phones (save the iphone and current Android phones) that can do this.

I've sent pictures and music files to other phones. Of course, gettting to work on WinMob was a PITA.

I've sent stuff to my Mom's RAZR this way because doing that was easier than getting a USB cable and setting up Mototools.


RE: Bluetooth
By sprockkets on 10/19/2009 3:34:08 PM , Rating: 2
They promised it in late 2008, but still no word on it...

I'd rather have this phone or the N900 than an iphone, but only if it has the webkit browser, which of course Android does.

And they better allow full app development, not that java layer crap.


RE: Bluetooth
By Hare on 10/20/2009 12:49:16 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
I'd rather have this phone or the N900 than an iphone, but only if it has the webkit browser, which of course Android does.


Who needs Webkit when you can have a Gecko based browser in the N900 with firefox plugins. Adblock FTW!


No Verizon iPhone?
By ImSpartacus on 10/19/2009 10:13:52 AM , Rating: 2
Man, with this, now we will never get a Verizon iPhone!

Although, if this handset is nice enough, it might be a worthy substitute.

I'm hopeful!




RE: No Verizon iPhone?
By FITCamaro on 10/19/2009 10:39:12 AM , Rating: 3
I'm very interested.....this could be a competitor for me to the Storm 2. I like the idea of Android since I can do my own development which you can't do on Blackberries. Plus I really like slide out/flip open keyboards. Not a big fan of touch screen keyboards.

Is there any idea when this phone will be released?


RE: No Verizon iPhone?
By GaryJohnson on 10/19/2009 4:02:57 PM , Rating: 2
There's a verizon promo site for the droid that has a coded clock that is (according to those who have decoded it) counting down to midnight Oct 30th, 2009.

http://phones.verizonwireless.com/motorola/droid/


RE: No Verizon iPhone?
By Omega215D on 10/20/2009 3:27:59 AM , Rating: 2
The only thing I'm not liking on this Motorola phone are the keys on the keyboard. They look flat and close together which will probably make typing a bit harder compared to my LG enV Touch or Motorola Q9m as both have slightly domed keys and are spaced apart. Still a great looking phone though.


Cost?
By Bateluer on 10/19/2009 11:35:14 AM , Rating: 2
Looks cool. How much is it going to set me back?




RE: Cost?
By SanLC504 on 10/19/2009 11:52:31 AM , Rating: 2
To remain competitive with Apple and the iPhone, it will likely have a $199 price with a 2 year warranty.


RE: Cost?
By SanLC504 on 10/19/2009 11:52:57 AM , Rating: 2
Err, two year contract, sorry.


By Suntan on 10/19/2009 1:11:11 PM , Rating: 5
Gee, one paragraph (at the very bottom) briefly listing the features that the new hone has, and 4 paragraphs comparing it to the iPhone...

News flash, we all know what the iPhone looks like. We don't need more articles talking about what it is. How about some articles that talk about new phones that aren't the iPhone so we can actually get an idea of what they will be?

-Suntan




Android OS freedom?
By Gian124 on 10/19/2009 12:29:47 PM , Rating: 2
I am interested to see if Android OS allows you to use your own sound files for customization... like Windows Mobile does. On Windows Mobile you can create your own sound files (or splice / patch / remix) and apply those files to any actions you wish... like incoming text or email messages, customized alarms, applying different rings to contacts, etc.

That is one of the big reasons I didn't switch over to the iPhone... you have zero control over your own OS as far as rings, notifications, etc. If you could actually USE any of the songs you purchased or Edit & create sound waves to use ... the iPhone wouldn't be so damn plain-vanilla flavored.




RE: Android OS freedom?
By cplusplus on 10/19/2009 1:24:21 PM , Rating: 2
Yes. Not only can you add your own tones to most of the phone's notifications (even, most times, on a per-application basis), there are programs like Ringdroid that allow you to edit your own MP3s on the device for that use specifically.


aesthetically unpleasing
By Krashnicki on 10/19/2009 12:53:51 PM , Rating: 2
I have been waiting for Verizon to get a quality smartphone. I think i will end up getting this after its is released. This phone has a lot of great features.

However, aesthetically this phone is boring. The iphone is definitely a much sexier looking piece of hardware including the the OS interface.




Verizon's doing pretty good lately
By Bryf50 on 10/19/2009 2:30:24 PM , Rating: 2
I went from getting the omnia 2, to getting the pre in January, to not knowing what I should wait for. It's been a while since verizon got a smart phone worth anything.




By imaheadcase on 10/19/2009 9:52:38 PM , Rating: 2
..its not that popular. lol

I mentioned before, i know 1 person who has one, only because he got it as a gift from parents.

Still see more blackberries and HTC phones out and about. I actually think iphones are popular in just major cities so all the tech sites actually get one and assume they are popular.

You don't see companies issue iphones, its always other phones if that is a indication.




No Multitasking?
By Trisagion on 10/19/09, Rating: -1
RE: No Multitasking?
By cigar3tte on 10/19/2009 11:36:29 AM , Rating: 2
Android does support multitasking.


RE: No Multitasking?
By killerroach on 10/19/2009 11:40:30 AM , Rating: 5
What on earth are you talking about? Android multitasks. Even current Android devices have the ability to multitask... in some situations I've occasionally had a small handful of apps running simultaneously on my G1.


RE: No Multitasking?
By Bateluer on 10/19/2009 11:51:36 AM , Rating: 2
Multitasking is one of Androids highest profile features.


RE: No Multitasking?
By Jedi2155 on 10/19/2009 3:54:33 PM , Rating: 1
Multitasking has been on Android since its initial market release. All variants of Android I've used has supported it even if that hardware isn't up to the task all the time :P.


RE: No Multitasking?
By Jedi2155 on 10/31/2009 10:26:29 PM , Rating: 2
Not to say I don't love its features (I've purchased 3 G1's myself..), but the CPU/RAM size is not large enough in the first gen hardware to give the OS the leg room it needs to really make a great impression.


"We can't expect users to use common sense. That would eliminate the need for all sorts of legislation, committees, oversight and lawyers." -- Christopher Jennings











botimage
Copyright 2012 DailyTech LLC. - RSS Feed | Advertise | About Us | Ethics | FAQ | Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information | Kristopher Kubicki