Posted on 06/26/2010 11:27:00 PM PDT by Jeff Gordon
For every iPhone, there's always a Verizon response. With the iPhone 4 out in the spotlight, Verizon has a new flagship device launching on July 15th: the Droid X. Like the iPhone 4, it's getting put through the paces, and the folks who have gotten to play with it are loving it just as much. How does it match up, though? Hit the link below to find out.
The Odd Design
The Droid X isn't shaped like other phones. It's got a fat top and a tapered bottom, yet it doesn't make it feel awkward. "The bottom is super skinny, the body slowly growing growing thicker until it's topped by a fat head," writes Matt Buchanan's Gizmodo. "Which gives you something meaty to grab in your pocket, making it surprisingly easy to whip out."
"This Hummer humdinger of a phone delivers the absolute maximum in state-of-the-art Android power," writes PC Mag's Sascha Segan, adding that it comes "at the cost of stretching the joint between your thumb and your other four fingers."
A Big, Roomy Screen
With a 4.3-inch screen that's larger than the iPhone 4's crystal-clear 3.5-inch offering, the Droid X needs to put all that real estate to good use. Does it do it's job? "From the first glance you'll notice that the phone is nearly all screen," writes ZDNet's Andrew Nusca. "For one, the screen space is a breath of fresh air. Browsing, menu shopping, reading text — everything's easier with more real estate… it's real hard to go back."
The Boy Genius Report's Andrew Munchbach agrees, writing, "Is the screen massive? Yes. Gorgeous? Yes. Too big to pocket? No."
Speedy, Multitouch Typing
Multitouch is quickly making regular old touchscreen phones a thing of the past. The response time is a lot quicker, and if you're ever found typing on a virtual keyboard cumbersome, then it may be time to take another look.
"I'm already in love the true multitouch keyboard, which might be the best Android now," writes Gizmodo's Buchanan. "It's huge, and clean… A neat point is the way you select text--it's iPhone-y, with a zoomed in rectangle when you press and hold."
Triple The Mics
Why does a phone need three microphones? One for the mouthpiece, one on the back to run a little noise-canceling interference and a third at the top of the phone for recording voice. All together, they can make a mean combo for video as well, as Engadget's Paul Miller points out, writing, "There are three mics, and in video mode you can select between 'scenes' based on which mic you want to use: outward facing for regular shoots, inward facing for narration."
That's great and all, but how does it sound? "From the Droid X end, callers sounded clear and loud, on both normal and speaker modes," writes ZDNet's Nusca, adding that from the recipient's perspective the Droid X sounded great when talking normally, but a "little choppy" on speaker.
Verizon Still Has Unlimited Data
Unlike AT&T, Verizon hasn't dropped unlimited access to data yet, meaning you get all the data you can eat for $30 a month. "Droid X will also work as a mobile hotspot," adds Tested's Norman Chan, "which will cost $20/month.You get 2GB of data with this, but after that, it's 5 cents a megabyte."
New for Sprint is the HTC Evo 4G, which is said to be among the very best new phones.
And the Droid, again, came with Verizon's strings about tethering (extra $20 a month, 2gb limit, 5 cents a mb after.)
So it was with some pleasure finding the Mytouch 3g Slide, as I really did want a physical keyboard. Though truthfully, after using the virtual keyboard on the Mytouch, I could easily have stuck without the keyboard. I'm also kinda picky - I got the Sony because I loved having signal when others don't, and I was slightly concerned that the Mytouch would not have that strong of an antenna..
Thankfully, it turns out to have a mighty little powerful one in the case, as still, when we're in the middle of nowhere, I've got a nice strong cell signal while others are griping and talking about going and standing on the nearest hill.
Android apps are, as I had expected, just as much ‘there's an app for that’ as the iPhone. My old Sony had constantly synched my contacts to T-Mobile’s website, and after grabbing an app off of the Android market, I downloaded all those contacts onto my phone. The MyTouch comes with Facebook integration, so all the contact information off of there appeared on my phone.
It came with a couple bugs - ones that are supposed to be fixed soon, but minor - the message tag at the top of the screen won't clear with the sms package that is on the phone, replacing it with Handcent was intended ahead of time, so that didn't make much of a difference. And while the Sense UI package is really pretty, I like functionality, so I downloaded the ADP desktop which cleaned up the remaining issues.
After grabbing one of the universal GPS mounts, and a cigarette lighter charger, a quick download of Waze, and that GPS I had been teasing myself with for the car with live traffic updates was no longer something to concern myself with, as I had a phone that did it, while at the same time streaming Pandora to the car stereo.
Geocaching was supplemented with the c:geo program which automatically downloaded waypoints, put them on live maps and let us log our finds all in the same app. Dolphin browser to handle web browsing, Skyfire for those websites where I wanted to play around with flash apps, and CBS.com’s video app to stream full length shows to enjoy during lunch.
Amusingly, I realized I had made my phone less than a phone with all these changes, and quickly returned a phone app to the main screen, though honestly I can dial from the Handcent screen anyway.
I didn't end up with a forward facing camera, just a 5mp rear facing camera with flash, so no video calling, which is just fine with me, since I don't like to make video calls. Making and uploading videos turned out to be amusingly easy, and I got a big laugh from my mother who got a call from her friend to chide her for not singing happy birthday loud enough five minutes before.
All in all, I'm highly satisfied. It's not a top of the line phone like the Nexus One or the iPhone 4. But it has handled everything I've thrown at it with ease, from being a thumbdrive for work documents to a vital communications device.
Even works quite nicely for writing this post.
Is it the iPhone killer?
No.
Although the screen IS bigger by nearly an inch that is NOT a good thing as the pixelation remains the same as the older iPhone.
The new iPhone has a dot pitch unheard of and beyond the range of the human eye, better than 300dpi 4 color print processing.
This Droid and all the others each have different sized screens, resolutions and it makes apps each display oddly compared to the uniformity and clarity on Apple.
Fuzzy dots are not the answer. This is the same Screen Size nonsense we had to deal with back on the old CRT monitors. Remember those days? 19” screens as big as a TV and just as fuzzy and unreadable?
Droid really could have moved in the right direction on this end, but failing to do so and then still having unregulated potential of thousands of spyware, viruses and trojan apps?
No... it’s not a killer.
But with ATT still being the only option for Apple, droid will sell. Some people will take the risks and deal with a weaker screen and such over the dropped calls and HORRIFIC customer service that is ATT.
Stupid Verizon... WHY oh WHY didn’t you listen to Apple and say YES !! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!
I am not sure this is still in effect. I have Palm Pre on Verizon. It does Hot Spot(tethering). It used to cost $20/mo. It is now free but does have data limit of 5gb/mo - which is not really a limitation.
What value is a screen resolution “beyond the range of the human eye?” Sound reproduction beyond the range of human ear might be useful for training dogs but I can’t think of any value of a screen resolution beyond the range of the human eye.
I remember in the early days of Apple, we would not do business directly with the US Government. The Government made too many demands on us that had nothing to do with computers. I understand that this is also whey Verizon did not want to deal with Apple. Jobs (whom I admire greatly) is not an easy guy to deal with.
It is only a few pixels over, which means the max dots per inch that matter and a few just in case someone has reeeeeeealy good eyes. So it’s not over kill. But it is the best killer screen resolution offered about anywhere by anyone including some very very expensive super cad screens.
Only Apple did it on a phone!!!
It’s slightly more than the one ego.
Verizon reportedly did not want to nor see any value in changing their system or providing any discounts or cut backs to the manufacturer.
This was just NOT how some toy maker deals with the BIG BAD VERIZON.
So, Apple went to Sprint, who felt MIFFED that they were second pick and passed too.
So, Apple went to Cingular who said WOOOOO HOOOO and did everything Apple wanted and for 3 years, they had NO competition and totally reinvented the whole industry.
Now, of course, they are still STUCK with ATT who bought or became or merged, depending on which point of view, with Cingular.
Stuck for a few more months. End of the year, ATT is gonna loss about 25% ++ of its base. And Droid will lose about 20% of its base as Verizon and or Sprint pick up the rights to finally use the iPhone and DO this time.
everyone... sans Google and ATT is waiting for this day with baited breath.
I am terribly apprehensive, watching the commercials. Does anybody else envision “Terminator”?
That red dot flashing thing get ya? LOL
Droid tries a little to hard to be the NOT Apple iPhone. The commercial and the previous ones were all Macho and very BOY oriented. Wife beater boy oriented. Because they feel mac and apple are metro oriented. LOL
Oh well... enjoy it google gays... iPhone will be free of ATT in a few more months.
The Chinese are building high-speed rail.
We have iJunk.
We are doomed.
Clevon Little would understand.
We have iJunk because too many fools drool over these bright shiny objects and spend way too much money and way too much time playing with their toys.
Yes, we are doomed. We are doomed because we have a nation that is chock full of “adults” with the mentality and the common sense of a 13 year old. Including, judging from the amount of drooling on this thread, a good portion of FR posters.
PS-Those of you who are going to turn that drool to foaming at the mouth about my comment can spare me all the “I really need something like this phone for [insert reason here]” shinola. You do not “need” it and any and all of your attempts to defend yourself will read just like a 13 year old girl telling her parents why she really “needs” a pair of $300 blue jeans.
LOL!
CC
For what its worth, I love my Google Droid.....and I love verizon.....
A young friend recently picked up a new Droid several days after her old cell phone died. It’s loaded with apps. While checking it out I asked what apps she used - only the phone, texting and camera, but “Look at all the apps!.”
There were a couple things I didn’t like about it, the size for one - too big for my likes. She carries it in her purse, I carry mine in a pocket. I doubt I’ll ever like a touch screen, preferring keys. I’ll stick with my old LG until it dies. I have no need for the latest gadget.
An older acquaintance is a gadget freak. He’s gone through half a dozen GPS navigation systems on his car - every time a new one comes out he has to buy it. He buys the latest phone on the market, loaded with apps. All he uses it for is the phone.
I don’t like phones much, and only got around to buying a very basic cell phone last year, and use it mainly as a glorified pager. However, I know plenty of people who use their smartphones as an integral part of their business or political communications, so while there are plenty of people who use their smartphones as diversions, there are many who use them effectively and wisely. So your patronizing comment is way off base, unless you want to be like Hillary or other liberal overweening types and pass a law decreeing that people should not waste time or money on smartphone features that you deem wasteful. Your attitude is the first step towards tyranny - that you know better than the next person as to how they should spend their money or their time.
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