Motorola and Verizon Wireless on Wednesday unveiled the Droid X, a new smartphone running Google’s Android operating system.
Verizon is using the Droid name to denote a series of Android devices. Motorola was the first manufacturer with Droid, released late last year, and Taiwanese company HTC has two devices under the Droid moniker at the carrier.
The Droid X has a 4.3-inch screen and an 8-megapixel camera with a shutter. It is the first device in Verizon’s line-up with a camera shutter and the ability to capture high-definition video at 720p. As part of the phone’s emphasis on video, Verizon introduced an embedded Blockbuster application that allows users to download feature-length films and rent movies. Droid X is Motorola’s 11th Android-based smartphone and provides “an unparalleled smartphone experience,” said co-Chief Executive Sanjay Jha at a press event in New York that was broadcast to Chicago and San Francisco.
The original Droid had a physical keyboard. The Droid X has a virtual keyboard that is multitouch, meaning a user can type a capital letter by holding down the Shift key and typing the letter, as on a PC keyboard.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt said mobile phones represent “a new way of computing” for consumers. “It’s a supercomputer that knows everything about you,” he said.
The Droid X will go sale July 15 at Verizon stores and online for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year contract. The phone requires a smartphone data plan, which costs $29.99 for unlimited access.
I wonder if Android fanboys are getting exhausted being told that Hold on, THIS is the iPhone killer, no wait, not that one…THIS is it, wait one second, forget that one…it’s THIS ONE!
Yaaawn . . . .
Nope.
BORING, NOTHING SPECIAL
I feel sorry for Apple. Every new Droid that comes out diminishes the Iphone’s viability. The specs get better, the OS is drastically getting better. The Super Droids coming this Fall will make the X, Droid 2 and Iphone look silly. The experience of Android can’t be beaten.
Apparently Mr. Owens here has never used the android system. Even my friends who are all iphone/apple are impressed with the android phones and remark how much android is an improvement over the iOS.
Oh those poor iPhone fanboys, can’t seem to do anything else with their phone so they resort to lame insults and trolling on Android news.
Look, the iPhone is great for many people out there. But certainly not for me. Just the same may go for Android too. To each, their own.
I have used both and right now, the Droid has caught up with Apple in all respects other than availability of some of the more esoteric applications, and that will likely change within months. Both a really good choices.
I wonder if the Apple zealots are getting exhausted seeing all of the things the Droid platform does that the iPhone doesn’t? Face it, the iPhone is really made for Apple lapdogs who follow the ways of the Steve Jobs “force”.
Android is a good option to those who do not want to go with the iPhone. Although I have found that the iPhone is still the moving target, Android is no slouch and a worthy competitor. We have programmed for both phones and while the iPhone market is 20 times larger than Android, it won’t stay that way. I have issues with the iPhone on some things, but in my estimation, it is still the gold standard of smart phones for most people because it simply works really well and has so many useful apps (we use quite a few in the medical area). Both are winners and the consumer will ultimately benefit.
no question that the smartphone market is all about the total experience. I have had both Droid and iphone and the iphone is still a far better choice when one considers ease of use and viability of the operating system.
I still like humans better….
I think the iphone is cute and is fine for kids and people who just want to play games. But for those of us who need a reliable connection, the Droid wins hands-down. At work, the people who have iphones rely on me to send messages or look up things on the internet because THEY CAN’T GET A SIGNAL. And we work in downtown Chicago. I think it’s pretty lame when you can’t use your CELLPHONE for what it’s intended for–like making phone calls anytime and anywhere around a major metro area. I also like the idea of putting any or all of my mp3’s on my phone by simply connecting a cord between my PC and my phone. And did I mention how I tethered my Droid to my laptop and cruised the internet while a passenger on a recent road trip over 700 miles away? I spent a few hours checking email and surfing, which really helped pass the time. Because Verizon’s network is so widespread, it’s rare that I don’t get a signal.
My Droid isn’t as pretty as an iphone, but it does so much more, I’m willing to sacrifice looks for function.
Eh, leave the Droid and iPhone at home. The Nokia N900 is where it’s at. Ability to play high definition videos (out of the box), transmit audio over FM radio, the smoothest multi-tasking experience you can get on a phone, a REAL web browser (as opposed to the mobile web browser from both Droid and iPhone). Only downside is no multi-touch.