Verizon

Verizon Droid: We Have One

By Peter Ha | October 28, 2009 | +

I just got back from a little shindig for Verizon’s Moto Droid and now have the device on hand. I’m not sure if you guys are interested, but if you are then drop a comment and I’ll do my best to get it answered. Here’s a quick rundown on specs:

• Android 2.0
• 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen (480×854)
• Google Maps Navigation Beta with free turn-by-turn
• 5-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, AF and image stabilization
• 1400 mAh battery
• 802.11b/g
• Includes a 16GB microSD card
• DVD quality video recording and playback (720×480)
• Exchange support including your calendar

The list goes on and on, folks. This is a pretty kick-ass Android device. Definitely the best one available on the market and the only one running 2.0. It will be available from Verizon on November 6 for $200.

Related Topics: motorola, Gadgets, Smartphones, Verizon

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  • http://youtube.com/churchhatestucker Church

    How’s the keyboard?

  • doubleang

    Is the $200 with a contract? What is it w/o one?

  • http://twitter.com/thepeterha Peter Ha

    With a 2-year contract.

  • http://twitter.com/thepeterha Peter Ha

    It’s pretty good except for the chin on the right side. Or maybe my hands just aren’t manly enough to handle it.

  • drabidea

    Is the faceplate glass or plastic? You said it comes with a 16GB SD Card, what does it have for internal memory? Also, in previous editions of android you could not put apps on the external card, has that been fixed?

  • skipjump

    3 q’s:

    1. what about form factor? how does it feel in your pocket? bulky/slim/etc?

    2. how responsive is the OS? is there any delay, or is it pretty smooth?

    3. what browser does it use (pre-installed)? how’s the browsing experience (is it desktop-quality like iphone?) can other browsers be installed?

  • http://twitter.com/thepeterha Peter Ha

    Checking with Moto on screen material, but I think it’s plastic. I haven’t installed any 3rd party apps and currently have 255MB of onboard storage. Doesn’t look like you can store apps externally unless you root the device.

  • http://twitter.com/thepeterha Peter Ha

    1. It feels very industrial. It’s thicker than the iPhone and not as svelte, but I kind of like it that way. Feels fine in the pocket and hand.

    2. Android 2.0 is smooth and responsive.

    3. It’s running the default Android browser. No, you can’t install a third party browser. Check out the video of what’s new in Android 2.0 above.

  • Ffred

    I’m looking forward to your in-depth review. Android is cool, and Verizon has the best coverage in Arizona. I also like the iDon’t ads (I won’t touch Apple gadgets). What e-reader options are there, or is it still too soon for that?

  • http://twitter.com/thepeterha Peter Ha

    The screen is made of glass and Droid comes with 256MB of internal memory.

  • http://thortheninja.wordpress.com thortheninja

    Are you able to make calls? If so, how is the call quality? Is the screen similar to that of the iPhone as far as the touch screen goes (ie, multi-touch, glass, brightness)?

    How’s the browser? Flash support, page rendering times, screen rotation smoothness?

  • masurix

    If you’re able to make calls, how’s the speaker phone? I do tons of international conference calls and I need as much clarity as I can get. It’s madness how hard it is to find a decent speaker phone, compared to all these bells and whistles they put on phones. It might cook your dinner and take your kids to soccer practice, but you can’t understand a word of English when you switch to speaker.

  • tereglith

    Goodness, most of the time it’s lacklustre BSG references and basic randomness, but mention a cell phone and all of a sudden you can almost feel the orthodontia and coke-bottom glasses rays shooting through the comments.

  • masurix

    We’re also giggling and snorting.

  • http://youtube.com/churchhatestucker Church

    Hey, yeah. Did you watch BSG this weekend, Peter?

    *Long look over the clipboard*

  • http://www.simonvinkenoog.nl/beeld/Yogi%20-%20Annelies%20Rigter.jpg yogi

    Yeah Pete! You can put your cylon looking phone picture up, but we’re not going to take the bait. SPECS!!! Give us the spec in full downloadable pdf!!! And where is the jail-breaking software…oh wrong phone.

  • masurix

    Hmm, that phone does look like it has some robot apocalypse on its artificially sentient mind, doesn’t it? It’s like the lovechild of the Eye of Sauron and an old school cylon.

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