Motorola has refreshed its original Droid phone with the new Droid 2, a device that promises a better keyboard, the latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating systems. The biggest improvement the Droid 2 offers vs. its 10-month old predecessor is speed. The new phone's 1 GHz processor is roughly twice as fast as the original Droid's, and the Droid 2 has double the RAM. Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
The Droid 2 refresh comes nearly ten months after Motorola and Verizon launched the original Droid phone. In October last year, the two companies introduced Droid, then one of the most advanced Android devices in the market. The Droid debuted with a 3.7-inch touchscreen display, a slide-out keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera and a 600-MHz processor. Since then, the device has become one of the best-selling Android phones. Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
The Droid 2 refresh comes nearly ten months after Motorola and Verizon launched the original Droid phone. In October last year, the two companies introduced Droid, then one of the most advanced Android devices in the market. The Droid debuted with a 3.7-inch touchscreen display, a slide-out keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera and a 600-MHz processor. Since then, the device has become one of the best-selling Android phones. Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
In June this year, Motorola announced Droid X, a device that extended the Droid brand. The Droid X, however, didn’t come with a keyboard. With its 4.3-inch touchscreen, the Droid X also sports a bigger display and a faster processor compared to the original Droid. Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
Droid 2 will now catch up to some of those specs. One of the key criticisms with the original Droid phone was the device’s keyboard. Many users complained that the keys weren’t comfortable to use. Motorola seems to have heard that. In a newspaper ad touting the imminent arrival of the Droid 2, Motorola highlighted the Droid 2’s “new, advanced keyboard.” Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
Another point to consider is that the feature upgrades won’t put the Droid 2 at the front of the pack of Android phones. HTC’s Evo has an 8-megapixel camera, compared to Droid 2’s 5 megapixels. The Evo also has a front-facing camera and HDMI out — two features that are missing in the Droid 2.
The other standout difference is the new, centered keyboard. The pull-out keyboard on the original Droid was squished and moved off center to make way for a four-way directional pad that many users hardly took advantage of. The keyboard on the Droid 2 replaces that pad with arrows, making the keys larger and easier to use.
Most of the other changes are cosmetic, including a more colorful silver and blue design, a Motorola (MOT, Fortune 500) "skin" on the Android user interface (first seen on the Droid X), and a slightly more rounded look.
"With the new Droid 2, we've taken a big leap forward from the original Droid," said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer for Motorola, in a prepared statement. "We listened to consumers and are providing an even more robust experience." Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
The new phone also gives Verizon a nice marketing strategy in its attempts to out-duel Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPhone: Is a big screen important? Get a Droid X. Want a phone with a great camera? The Droid Incredible is for you. Want a physical keyboard? Get a Droid 2. One question that remains to be seen is whether customers will actually be able to buy the Droid 2s. 2010 in many ways has been the year of the smartphone shortage, with delays hitting the iPhone 4, Sprint's (S, Fortune 500) HTC Evo 4G and Verizon's own Droid Incredible and Droid X. According to Apple, Sprint and Verizon's websites, the iPhone 4 takes three weeks to ship, the Droids take one to two weeks to ship, and the EVO is completely sold out with no mention of when it will be available.
Strong demand for Motorola Droid 2 could result in similar delays. But if customers are able to get their hands on the Motorola Droid 2, Verizon should have another pretty tempting offering for smartphone lovers. Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
"With the new Droid 2, we've taken a big leap forward from the original Droid," said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer for Motorola, in a prepared statement. "We listened to consumers and are providing an even more robust experience." Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
The new phone also gives Verizon a nice marketing strategy in its attempts to out-duel Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPhone: Is a big screen important? Get a Droid X. Want a phone with a great camera? The Droid Incredible is for you. Want a physical keyboard? Get a Droid 2. One question that remains to be seen is whether customers will actually be able to buy the Droid 2s. 2010 in many ways has been the year of the smartphone shortage, with delays hitting the iPhone 4, Sprint's (S, Fortune 500) HTC Evo 4G and Verizon's own Droid Incredible and Droid X. According to Apple, Sprint and Verizon's websites, the iPhone 4 takes three weeks to ship, the Droids take one to two weeks to ship, and the EVO is completely sold out with no mention of when it will be available.
Strong demand for Motorola Droid 2 could result in similar delays. But if customers are able to get their hands on the Motorola Droid 2, Verizon should have another pretty tempting offering for smartphone lovers. Motorola droid 2, droid 2 review, droid 2 release date.
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