After weeks of those iDon't commercials, Verizon finally released details of the Droid phone yesterday, launching a flurry of press on the possibility that this mobile convergence device could finally end iPhone's dominance of the market. With its technological improvements and access to an ever-growing apps repository, the Droid could enable a new wave of users to consolidate into one mobile device that can handle music, email, phone calls at the same time as it helps to hang level shelves or to decipher laundry symbols...
Verizon Unveils the Droid Phone by Motorola
The Droid features a larger touch-sensitive screen than the iPhone as well as a slide out keyboard that makes its body slightly thicker, a 5MP camera with zoom and flash, a removeable replaceable battery, and turn-by-turn GPS capability . With a price tag of $199 with a two-year service agreement (after a $100 rebate), the Droid is definitely priced to compete with the iPhone. The Droid also features the latest version of Google's Android operating system and includes a slew of Google services (Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, etc).
Though the specs for the phone are impressive, we are most excited about the possibilities created by the Droid's ability to access the Android Marketplace, Google's version of the iPhone App Store. After all, it is the apps that have helped integrate the iPhone into almost every aspect of life these days, and it is the apps that will make or break the Droid. Though the Android Marketplace's 10,000 apps lag far behind the App Store's 100,000, the number of available apps is growing daily. We've already found apps that allow the Droid to act like a level and to help with the laundry, and more home-related apps are sure to follow as the market and demand for such apps increases.
We can't wait to see the Droid in person and are eager to get more feedback on the device which might finally make us content to remain with Verizon. We also wonder what the launch of the Droid will do to negotiations between Apple and Verizon to develop an iPhone for the Verizon network...
Comments (3)
Top Tours
- Louis & Dominika's Bookwormish Home Office
- Tess and Jesse's Basement Studio
- Gregory's Refreshed & Refreshing Home Office
- Houston Hi-Tech in a Small Space
- Tech Tour: Andy & Heather's Geek Chic Living Room
Top Posts
Past Events
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
It'll be interesting to see how well it's music player works because if it's poor then "iWon't live up to the expectations set for me by my ad campaign".
And in regards to the iphone app store, remember, quantity doesn't equal quality.
view matsayswhat's profile
Missed the game changing nature of this.
It's not just capable of turn-by-turn navigation, but it provides them through Google via ad-funding. Net result = free navi.
Currently operators charge anywhere from $5-15 a month, and it's not as good.
view RJHD3's profile
UI still ugly, but then it's google, what do you expect? Free navigation is a game changer though.
view etslee's profile