Verizon's Droid Phone Seeks to Be the 'iPhone Killer'

Verizon's "Droid" has been hyped for months as the next best hope for a smartphone competitor to Apple's dominant iPhone, and the partnership between Google and Verizon - the leading mobile provider in the U.S. - has been called "groundbreaking." Over the summer of 2009 the Sholes, as it was then called, scored high marks for it's sleek design, but the real excitement was reserved for the phone company's big marketing push, which included a cryptic parody of Apple's signature happy-go-lucky TV ads. See the commercial on YouTube.

It's significant that upon introduction of the Droid name and logo in the commercial, the happy-snappy music is abruptly stopped and darker, more ominous tones begin. The sounds and graphics imply a futuristic environment. The opposition is exaggerated in Verizon's campaign - iPhone is white, rounded, without edges, fluffy. The Droid is dark, sharp, full of edges, hard. It's clear that the Motorola Droid is making a very pointed attempt to position itself as the stark opponent to iPhone - one that will take you into the future, no less. But can Verizon's offering really be the "iPhone killer" that we've all been waiting for? Let's take a look at the details.

The Software
In mid-October 2009 photos of the new device in action were "leaked" to the Web. A blogger at the site BoyGeniusReport.com released extensive screenshots of Google's Android 2.0 - the operating system to run on the Motorola Droid. Though the blogger published a caveat that the version of Android was not final, the pictorial showed many new changes to the operation system. 


Highlights from the new Android 2.0:
* Unified email inbox allows you to combine work and personal email accounts. However, this inbox won't work with Gmail accounts because the OS has dedicated application for Gmail.

* Maps will be considerably more dynamic. Something new, called Layers, will allow multiple search queries, traffic and transit lines, and other features on one map screen. You will also be able to share and receive directions from other users.

* Android has some touch gestures to perform functions like zooming, but it still doesn't compare to iPod's nifty pinching.

* Voice and audio controls are heavily integrated, including a text-to-speech feature. There is also a very useful application called Car Home. This allow things like voice-activated map search or contact location. It's not new technology, but it's new to the Android OS.

* Amazon MP3 is serving as the foil to iTunes. It uses 3G, rather than WiFi to access the Internet.

* Contacts navigation has improved, with a streamlined process to find info. Users can simply tap a contact's photo or avatar and a sub-menu will appear with options for phone, email, or Facebook (at least).

The Hardware
No matter how great the new Android OS is, consumers won't be thrilled unless it's on an equally exciting device. So far, this is where Google has fallen short in popularizing its philosophy of open phone software. Will the droid be able to succeed where its predecessors have failed? Rumor has it the Google for the first time had its hands directly in the production of this device. Although it is a Motorola-made phone, Verizon owns the license to this device and will, therefore, be the only carrier to offer it.


Droid Device highlights and Specs:
* It's been compared to a smaller version of the OQO 02 model computer

* It's just slightly thicker than the iPhone 3GS.

* The 3.7-inch touch screen is high-resolution

* The keyboard slides out via non-spring assistance. One review called it "the thinnest QWERTY-slider we've ever seen." The keys are soft-touch rubber.

* In addition to a traditional charger, there is a cradle charger that comes standard. The cradle will allow users to treat the device as a media center.

* SPECS:
- OMAP3430 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU + 430MHz C64x+ DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)
- Dimensions 60.00 x 115.80 x 13.70 mm
- Weight 169 g
- Battery Li-ion 1400 mAh.
- Standby 450 hours, talk time 420 minute
- Physical screen size is 45.72 mm by 81.34 mm.
- 512MB/256MB ROM/RAM
- microSD / microSDHC expansion slot
- Camera: 5.0 megapixel with autofocus and video recorder
- Connectivity: USB2.0, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Wi-Fi
- Supported audio formats: AMR-NB/WB, MP3, PCM / WAV, AAC, AAC +, eAAC +, WMA
- Supported video formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, WMV


So point for point, can Droid take on the iPhone? Let's revisit the list from that nifty "Droid Does" commercial.

* iDont have a real keyboard. A common complaint about iPhone is that the virtual keyboard, although neat, can be hard to use. Droid has the virtual keyboard for those that like the sleekness of using touch screen keys, but it also offers and manual push-button QWERTY that's neatly tucked away when you're not using it. Reviews say the Droid is only "slightly" thicker than iPhone, but not definite dimensions are published as of yet.

* iDont run simultaneous apps. Droid runs on a super fast TI OMAP 3430 processor at 600 MHz. The superior quality of the hardware allows for multiple applications to run at once. iPhone's Samsung S5PC100 processor also runs at 600Mhz. The device could technically run multiple apps as well, but Apple has opted not to allow this to happen.

* iDont take 5-megapixel pictures. The 3GS - iPhone's latest iteration take pictures at 3 megapixels. The model is the first to offer video capture, but the 640 x 480 (VGA) display resolution is inferior to Droid's 854x480 pixels.

* iDont customize. This point isn't quite so clear, but simple things, like being able to expand storage via SD cards, are a big plus on the customizable end. When you purchase an iPhone you have to decide how much space you'll need and upgrading means replacing the entire phone!

* iDont run widgets. Widgets were an innovation of Android 1.5. They are simple little applications designed to inter with information stored on your phone. Android fan site Phandroid.com gives a warning about widgets: They are "designed for longer-term content that doesn't update very often, and updating more frequently than every hour can quickly eat up battery and bandwidth."

* iDont allow open development. According to tech experts Google is trying to push innovation and progress of mobile technology across the board. Android's open source nature allows device producers to "focus more time, money and energy on their hardware and specific usability for each device... Developmental resources can instead be allocated to innovation and quicker adaptation of emerging technology." - Wired.com

* iDont take pictures in the dark. The Droid is one of few phone cameras to sport a flash, which will enable photos at night and in dark venues. The camera also has an auto-focus feature.

* iDont have interchangeable batteries. This will be one of the most exciting features for casual gadget users. Since the first iPod was released # years ago, users have complained about Apple's cumbersome battery replacement system. The Droid will allow users to buy and change batteries themselves.

So there you are - the main points the Verizon/Motorola/Google marketing machine would like you to notice. Will Droid really be the iPhone killer?