The newest phone to come out is the new Motorola Droid, currently available in the U.S. only through Verizon wireless.
The phone runs Android 2.0, the mobile operating system created by Google. Having been released this week, new users are still pulling out their manuals and putting it through its paces. While there are iPhone comparisons flying around the marketplace, the consensus is that the Droid is only a mild competition, not an obvious superior.
Comparing iPhone and Droid
Dimensionally, the two phones are fairly close in size, though the Droid is the heavier by about two ounces, though much of that could be blamed on the Droid's having an actual QWERTY keyboard. Their memory is essentially the same--Droid's standard 16 GB can have space added to it to bring it up to the 32 GBs of the top-of-the-line iPhone.
In many ways the two phones cover a lot of the same ground. Both the Droid and the iPhone:
- Have 802.11 b/g WiFi
- Use Bluetooth 2.0
- Use a USB
- Take photos
- Play music
- Use the lithium ion battery
- Have plenty of fun apps to play with
- Use cutting edge mobile operating systems
- Have 256 GB RAM
- Headset controls
- Sync to iTunes
So when it comes to the hardware, the two phones, with a few caveats, come from the same stock.
What Droid Does That iPhone Doesn't
The Droid does feature a few things refreshing to those tired of the I-phone's way of doing things, like a QWERTY keyboard to go with their touchscreen. Furthermore, it comes with a battery that can be replaced by the user. Google has also made an easy decision to pre-install their mapping and navigation software into the Droid.
Droid also comes with the ability to run widgets on the desktop, such as a Google search bar. This small feature bring a lot to the plate for Droid, giving it a quick-access feel that takes advantage of a smartphone's wireless access. Droid also allows users to run multiple apps simultaneously--whether they are third party or not.
What Droid Doesn't Do
The phone's battery life isn't lasting as long as some had hoped; however, when pushed to its absolute limits the phone was still capable of lasting for about 7 hours of heavy-use battery life. The advice from many users for use the Google maps and navigation, owners should make sure to spend the money on a car charger.
While Droid's positive sides are strong bonuses to the new phone, it does have some areas where it lags behind the iPhone. The Droid's camera has been shot down by some, and despite having a more powerful camera, the phone's software bogs it down, making lighting issues common when taking a picture with Motorola's new offering.
What is Hurting Droid
Oddly enough, one of the biggest drawbacks mentioned by critics is the marketing campaign. An aggressive commercial against iPhone claims the Droid will fix everything wrong about the iPhone, including "customization". While Droid has more open software capabilities due to the different sources of software (who could really argue Apple has as open a policy as Google?), but that won't affect most users in the least.
Of course, probably the biggest problem with Droid is that it isn't the iPhone. For users coming to a new operating system, the Droid won't have the familiar look and feel of Apple. This may be a benefit in the long run, since the hardware is similar, how that hardware is used will be clearly distinct in both phones.
For those looking for the perfect iPhone clone, this isn't it.
Should You Buy the Droid?
That is a tough decision to make. There are some great strengths to Droid and a few problems with it as well. If you are looking for a phone that isn't the iPhone but offers some of the same great features of a smartphone, Droid delivers a good user experience. Potential owners looking for the famed iPhone killer, will likely find that this isn't the one they're looking for.
For readers wanting to take the plunge, the specs of Droid and iPhone, are well-known and publicized and will go some way to helping make that all-important decision.
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