`
`Motorola DROID review
`
`By Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 30th, 2009 at 1:10 PM
`
`0
`
`It's hard to look at the DROID without looking at the company
`which brought the device to life. Motorola: for years the name has
`been synonymous with... well, disappointment. While the
`industry-stalwart made cellphones sexy with the RAZR, the days
`which followed have not been especially fruitful or compelling.
`Over the past year or so, we've seen Motorola beating its way back
`into the mainstream through a series of smart plays: first
`embracing Android as a platform, then shucking off the weight of
`Windows Mobile and finally bringing some desirable (and high
`profile) devices to market.
`
`With the DROID, the company has perhaps created its most
`attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet. Forging an
`alliance with both Verizon and Google, Motorola has come up
`with a second compelling reason to count the phonemaker down,
`but certainly not out, while the other two giants have finally found
`a seemingly worthy device to position against the iPhone. So we
`must pose these questions: is this the phone which will catapult
`Android into the mainstream? Is it the device that will pull
`Motorola back from the brink? And -- most importantly -- is it the
`lynchpin Google and Verizon have needed to challenge the leader
`in mindshare in the smartphone market? After putting the device
`through its paces, we think we can give you the answers you seek -
`
`
`
`- so read on to find out!
`
`Motorola DROID review hands-on
`
`See all photos
`
`31 PHOTOS
`
`Hardware
`
`The DROID is an odd and beautiful device. Looking at the
`hardware from a purely philosophical standpoint, the ID of the
`phone seems staunchly defiant. Instead of taking its cues (and
`lines) from current contenders in the smartphone space, the
`DROID is all hard edges and angular slopes. The construction is a
`mix of plastic and metal, and the phone has a solid, expensive heft
`to it. Couple that weight with soft touch materials and gold
`
`
`
`highlights, and the effect is somewhere halfway between a Vertu
`device and the European version of the Hero -- and it's a good
`mix.
`
`The basic structure of the phone is made up of two main pieces,
`the large, glass display up top, and the slightly longer keyboard /
`mainboard lower half. Above, the 3.7-inch screen dominates,
`almost filling the space edge-to-edge, though there are four
`capacitive buttons at the bottom of the display: back, menu,
`home, and search (which might be tricky for folks coming from
`other Android devices, since they've thrown the order of the
`buttons in the blender). The top section slides smoothly upwards
`to reveal the aforementioned QWERTY keyboard, though unlike
`other models of this ilk, it doesn't snap automatically into place;
`rather, it requires a bit of force to move up, then clicks firmly once
`settled. The keyboard is a wide (though mostly flush) affair, with
`minimal amount of spacing between the keys. To the right of the
`four row QWERTY is a 5-way rocker -- a bizarre deviation from
`the CLIQ's left-sided controls -- and the bottom piece has a strip
`which juts out from the device with a small mic hole (closed or
`open). It's almost like Motorola's version of the HTC chin...
`though tempered somewhat. Atop the phone is a 3.5mm
`headphone jack and a power / sleep button; along the right edge
`is a volume rocker, and camera button on opposite ends; the left
`side houses a MicroUSB port; around back the 5 megapixel
`camera (and flash) are revealed, along with a thin, gold,
`crosshatch strip that hides the DROID's speaker.
`
`The thickness of the DROID is striking, coming in at just a hair
`(13.7mm vs 12.33mm) thicker than the iPhone 3GS. The body
`itself is actually narrower than the iPhone. While thinness is
`important (though typically not a deal breaker for us), the fact
`that the phone packs a larger, higher resolution screen and a
`
`
`
`physical keyboard in such a small frame is notable.
`
`In all, Motorola has pulled off what seemed unimaginable for
`them just 12 months ago; they've made a device which is truly
`lustworthy, even next to the best efforts of Apple, HTC, and Palm.
`
`Internals
`
`Inside the DROID beats an Arm Cortex A8 CPU (a 600MHz,
`OMAP3430 chip downclocked to 550MHz), 256MB of RAM, and
`512MB of ROM. If that CPU sounds familiar, it should -- it's
`similar to the chip inside the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre. If you're
`wondering about performance, you can breathe a sigh of relief...
`kind of. Yes, there is a noticeable bump in speed when switching
`applications on the phone, scrolling through lists, and generally
`getting any basic tasks done. We did notice, however, that paging
`through homescreens on the DROID actually seemed somewhat
`stuttery; odd, considering this phone is certainly better equipped
`than most Android devices to handle pixel pushing. Pulling down
`the window shade notification area also seemed less than optimal.
`We don't know if this was due to the screen resolution being
`jacked up, or just a software quirk, but it was mildly disheartening
`-- especially considering that the rest of the phone's performance
`seemed extra snappy to us. As an aside, in a totally unscientific
`test of playing a 3D game (Mystique, in case you're wondering)
`the rendering seemed considerably smoother on the DROID than
`with other, older Android-based phones we've used.
`
`Throughout our tests, we were consistently impressed with the
`tightness and speed of navigation on the phone. The DROID
`makes Android feel modern the way the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre
`are -- like machines designed for a pace of life that's increasingly
`more Twitter and less USPS.
`
`Display
`
`
`
`As we mentioned, the screen on the DROID is a 3.7-inch
`capacitive touchscreen -- a full glass display with a WVGA
`resolution clocking in at a handsome 480 x 854. We found the
`responsiveness on the DROID to be on par (if not better) than
`most of its Android contemporaries; gestures and flicks registered
`with little to no lag. Whether that can be attributed to Moto's
`screen technology, Android 2.0 improvements, or just the speedy
`CPU inside the DROID is anyone's guess, but we certainly won't
`knock the phone for it. Another perk to having that big screen is
`seeing webpages how they're meant to be viewed (or at least
`closer), and browsing on the DROID is a solid experience. Those
`additional pixels definitely come in handy when you're looking at
`something graphically intensive or wordy... such as Engadget.
`
`As you have probably heard (or guessed), there's no multitouch on
`this device. That's clearly an issue with Android 2.0 and choices
`that Google is making about user interface -- we're fairly certain
`there's nothing technically holding back the DROID from utilizing
`multitouch input, and we wouldn't be surprised to see some
`tweaked ROMs hit the information superhighway with the
`functionality onboard. Regardless, the resolution, materials, and
`clarity of the DROID display make it an absolute pleasure to keep
`your eyes on. Motorola gets a +1 for the bump in resolution, and
`we can only hope everyone else follows suit.
`
`Note: Android 2.0 does support multitouch events, but the
`functionality isn't implemented here.
`
`Keyboard
`
`
`
`A physical keyboard can be a blessing or a curse, depending on
`just how well (or poorly) it performs. In the case of Android
`devices, QWERTYs have definitely been hit or miss. We think the
`closest case for comparison with the DROID's version would be
`the G1; both have shallow, clicky keys, and both force your right
`hand into a bit of an awkward position. On the G1, it's due to the
`placement of the "chin," and with the DROID, it's all down to the
`five-way rocker living next to the 'board itself. We're happy to
`report, however, that after a short adjustment period, typing on
`the DROID is a reasonable experience. It's not as slick or
`comfortable as a nice, portrait-oriented Tour or (better yet) Bold
`layout, though it bests the CLIQ, and holds its own against other
`landscape contenders like the Moment.
`
`Visually, the keyboard is an easier read (and more aesthetically
`pleasing) than those other QWERTY phones too, though
`sometimes the keys can feel a bit cramped. Additionally, we had
`major issues with the auto-dimming on the DROID. If we left the
`screen in auto brightness mode, the constant on / off dimming of
`the keyboard was intolerable; eventually we had to just switch the
`auto dim off altogether. We also had issues with the keyboard not
`lighting up at all in some instances, requiring us to close and open
`the pad again. Not a huge deal, but annoying when you're trying
`to quickly tap out a message. Admittedly, we missed the CLIQ's
`two-stage keyboard backlighting that only enabled the second
`light when ALT was pressed, but it's a luxury we can do without.
`
`As you would expect, Android 2.0 includes the onscreen keyboard
`as well, but there don't seem to be many improvements in this
`area. As a backup keyboard for quick SMSs and the like, it works,
`though we eventually had to replace it with the Better Keyboard
`application -- which we think is more usable and snappier. In
`comparison to the iPhone keyboard (really the high bar for virtual
`
`
`
`keys) Android continues to feel like a distant second. Still, you
`won't go to it that much -- the DROID's physical keyboard is solid,
`but it's going to take some getting used to for most people.
`
`Camera
`
`Google has made some pretty major changes to the camera
`application in Android 2.0 (including more control over white
`balance, focal length, flash settings, and effects), and Motorola
`has smartly outfitted the DROID with a 5 megapixel camera
`coupled with an LED flash. It sounds like a match made in
`heaven, right? Well, not quite.
`
`No, no, no. Yes! Our attempts to photograph a watch in broad daylight.
`
`
`
`While the camera certainly seems capable of taking great looking
`photos, getting everything to play nice isn't as easy as it should be.
`First off, the camera is painfully slow to focus and snap pictures --
`and when it does, the results can be unpredictable. Strangely, the
`lens seems to be able to take pretty sharp macro photos (it's even
`a setting in the camera app), but it struggled with getting adjusted
`to close subjects, even in broad daylight. Sometimes we got lucky
`and cranked out a decent pic, but the process was frustrating.
`Furthermore, the new settings Google has added to 2.0 are
`contained in a hard to get to and counterintuitive menu which sits
`to the left of your viewing area. Trying to make changes on the fly
`was a hassle. If this is the best the engineers at Google can do,
`they need to outsource this work.
`
`Motorola DROID camera test shots
`
`See all photos
`
`17 PHOTOS
`
`Video, on the other hand, was somewhat of a pleasant surprise.
`The DROID is capable of shooting at a 720 x 480 resolution, and
`in our tests, produced watchable -- if not totally shake-free --
`video. The phone definitely fares better in this department than
`with stills, and we could easily see using the DROID as a stand-in
`for a flip cam. You can check out a little of the action in the video
`below (with a surprise cameo from !!!'s Nic Offer).
`
`
`
`Speaker / earpiece
`
`The sound on the DROID is second to none -- really. In fact, this
`is simply one of the best sounding devices we've ever used.
`Whether it's audio through the loud (but undistorted) earpiece, or
`a speakerphone call -- even music -- the sound which Motorola's
`device outputs is crystal clear. Now, obviously Verizon's reception
`has something to do with our in-call sound, but it's likely Moto
`put some thought into the aural aspect of the phone. There's not
`really much to say except that we were more than pleased with the
`audio fidelity of the DROID, and we can only hope that future
`phone makers (ahem, Apple) look to this device as a high water
`mark in this department.
`
`Software
`
`
`
`Besides the introduction of the phone itself, obviously 2.0 is a
`major update for Android. Based on the launch and hype
`surrounding Moto's device, we'd say it's fair to assume that Google
`wanted as many eyes on the achievement as possible. They
`definitely got it with the DROID -- but was it worth all the fuss?
`
`The first thing you should know is that Android 2.0 isn't
`drastically different than 1.5 or 1.6, save for a few notable features
`and tweaks that have significant impact. True to form, Google
`hasn't gone for visual flair or wild embellishments for the sake of
`a few dropped jaws; most of these changes are about functionality
`and usability.
`
`One of the first major changes Google has made is support for
`multiple Gmail or Exchange accounts, and a new universal inbox
`which allows you to get a look at your electronic correspondences
`in a single view. For BlackBerry users, this concept is old hat, but
`for most people with multiple accounts, it should feel like manna
`from heaven. We would have been slightly more stoked about the
`feature if it allowed you to look at both Gmail and POP / IMAP /
`Exchange accounts in one field. Instead, you can view your Gmail
`accounts separately (not in a single stream, but in one place), and
`your other accounts can be blended in the "Combined Inbox"
`view. Not exactly a perfect implementation for those of us with
`both Exchange and Google accounts, but certainly a solution light
`years beyond what previous versions of Android were offering.
`Another minor niggle: deleting an email now takes you to the next
`email in your inbox rather than bumping you back out to the list
`of emails, as it did in 1.5 and 1.6. We preferred the old
`functionality, though we imagine some will prefer the new as well.
`
`We loved being able to keep a few of our accounts in the phone,
`but we ran into a weird and annoying issue when attempting to
`remove one of them. We were using the DROID with two Gmail
`accounts active, but when we tried to remove the second one we'd
`added (note: not the account we used for our contacts or
`calendars) the device informed us that we would need to factory
`reset the phone because that account was "required" for certain
`applications. Try as we might, we couldn't find a way around the
`problem, and we eventually did reset the device. The behavior was
`strange to say the least, especially since it was a barely-used,
`secondary account -- not a daily use address which tied into
`services.
`
`As you may have heard, Facebook account integration is now built
`into 2.0, and there should be more of that coming, as Google has
`created "sync adapters" which allow third parties to plug into the
`contact and calendars of your phone. Mercifully, Google has
`
`
`
`figure out that you might not want your Facebook contacts in
`your address book, and gives you the option to turn off contact
`syncing (as it does with Exchange and Gmail accounts). You're
`also given the option to sync contacts, but keep certain sets from
`displaying in your contacts list; this variation is best
`demonstrated with Facebook integration, because it merges
`duplicate names and pulls the accompanying images, but doesn't
`clutter up your Gmail contacts with additional names. Beyond
`that, the pairing doesn't go tremendously deep, even though we're
`told Facebook had a hand in this version of the OS as well. Really,
`you get a widget for your homescreen which auto-updates, and
`that contact integration if you really want it. This is obviously just
`the tip of the iceberg for this kind of... er, synergy, and we expect
`to see lots of people taking advantage of the feature (hello,
`Twitter). Regardless, it's a forward thinking move that will clearly
`obviate the need for some of the functionality built into BLUR,
`and makes the DROID (and other 2.0 phones) competitive
`against the Pre and Pixi when it comes to social networking
`integration.
`
`Speaking of contacts, Google has made some big and thoughtful
`changes to how contacts are handled (and used) in Android 2.0,
`most notably adding a "Quick Contact" menu to your contact list.
`The quick contact function allows you to tap on someone's name
`and get a context menu with jumps to the various ways you can
`reach out; if you're friends with someone on Facebook, you'll be
`given an option to message them there, along with SMS, phone,
`and email choices. It's a brilliant little touch that makes quickly
`pinging someone a cinch. Android 2.0 also improves the SMS and
`MMS experience by giving you the option to search your
`messages, and also allowing you to set a limit on how many SMSs
`to store before beginning to delete old threads. It's not
`groundbreaking stuff, but nice choices to have (finally).
`
`
`
`You'll notice some major changes within the browser, most
`notably the fact that when you load up pages now, you're
`presented with a fully zoomed-out "overview" (much like the
`iPhone and Pre). If you've been griping about that weird, half-
`zoom that Android has relied on for so long (as we have), this is a
`breath of fresh air. Coupled with the DROID's massive display, it
`makes navigating pages roughly a million times more pleasant.
`The updated browser also now supports double-taps to zoom (as
`does Google Maps) -- making navigation a bit more natural --
`though we noticed some weird column display issues on our site
`and others. As we mentioned before, there's still no multitouch,
`but this does stand in quite well for pinch zooming. While the
`overall browser speed still isn't as snappy as the iPhone 3GS (or
`even the Pre), it's a step up from previous efforts, and when you
`factor in little touches like auto-prediction on URL entry, it's
`eminently usable.
`
`
`
`As we said, most of the alterations are under the hood -- not stuff
`that immediately jumps out at you, though there are some notable
`visual tweaks which bear mentioning. Google has added some
`new fades and cross-application animations into 2.0 which makes
`Android seem a bit more contemporary. Of course, older
`iterations of Android contained animations, but 2.0 seems far
`more polished to our eyes. Additionally, icons and elements have
`been updated across the board to give the OS a more modern
`look, sadly there is much of this UI and its applications that
`remain unchanged -- and not for the better.
`
`A few of the obvious spots include the music player, which is quite
`frankly a mess; not only is the navigation poorly thought out, but
`the application is just straight-up ugly. It's not easy on the eyes,
`and not much fun to use either. The same goes for the phone app -
`- the remnants of a hastily thrown together interface are plain
`here, and the functionality of the phone itself gave us some issues.
`Often the screen was confused or unresponsive during calls, as if
`the hardware and software weren't communicating with each
`other properly. It seems obvious to us that some portions of
`Android need a serious, ground-up reworking... but they don't get
`them here. Another annoyance was the home screen -- unlike
`with HTC's tweaks (or even Motorola's BLUR), you only get three
`screens for icons and widgets. Furthermore, the DROID doesn't
`come equipped with even the most basic widgets you see in most
`
`
`
`new builds, like weather. The weird thing is that there is a
`weather app in the dock display, but no way to access the
`application in standard phone mode.
`
`Additionally, some third-party (and even some first-party)
`software seems unable to deal with the DROID's new resolution.
`There are bitmaps that look upscaled and jagged, such as the
`attachment icon in Gmail. The game Robo Defense seemed to play
`slower than it did on the Hero, which was a bit of a surprise,
`though it has been updated to support the new resolution. None
`of these problems are show stoppers, but it points to a disconnect
`between where Google is at versus its developers. There is catch-
`up to be played.
`
`Also notable (and perhaps a selling point for some) is that the
`DROID is a Google Experience device, which should theoretically
`mean that it's more likely to receive fast and frequent software
`updates than its skinned cousins like the CLIQ. The Google
`Experience is sort of the "gold standard" Android showcase for
`the company, so to speak, and it's in Google's best interest to keep
`it rock solid at all times -- and since there's no third-party skin to
`revalidate after every Android version is released, the update
`process should go a heck of a lot smoother.
`
`One thing to keep in mind: when it comes to media syncing,
`you're in the same boat you were for previous versions of Android
`-- which means sideloading or additional desktop apps.
`doubleTwist has just introduced DROID compatibility, though the
`experience leaves much to be desired. In fact, after our tests, we'd
`say you're better off just mounting that SD card and dragging
`your content over.
`
`Motorola DROID / Android 2.0 screenshots
`
`
`
`See all photos
`
`25 PHOTOS
`
`Navigation
`
`One of the biggest pieces of news (perhaps the biggest) to come
`out of the DROID launch was the introduction of dedicated, fully
`realized turn-by-turn navigation which integrates with Google
`Maps. The DROID makes further use of this functionality by
`switching into a nav mode when snapped into a dock (you can
`also enter the application normally, sans dock). Google has gone
`all out on this, providing a rich mixture of its satellite, map,
`traffic, and location info with text-to-speech directions. Of course,
`the big G takes it one step further and adds layers like parking
`info, ATM spots, restaurants, and gas station locations (amongst
`others) to the stew, making the navigation more robust than
`many dedicated PNDs -- which would explain that nasty drop in
`Garmin and TomTom stock we saw yesterday.
`
`In our tests, the nav worked excellently for the most part, though
`as you can see in the video above, we did run into some minor
`issues on our hunt for cannoli. It's not uncommon for a GPS unit
`to send you the wrong way down a one way street, and maybe it
`was just unlucky coincidence that it happened on our first outing,
`but being told to turn left where you can't -- then being sent in a
`
`
`
`loop -- doesn't fill us with warm, fuzzy sensations. Still, the
`navigation is super intuitive and cleanly laid out, and even if there
`were major issues (which there really aren't), it's hard to knock a
`service that is completely free. We think a little more time and
`some longer trips will help put it in better perspective, but we like
`what we've seen so far.
`
`Accessories
`
`The DROID will get a few nifty extras when it launches, most
`notably a dock for setting your phone on a nightstand (or
`appropriate flat surface), and a car mount for using the device as
`a proper GPS unit. Both are notable because they use sensors to
`alter the DROID's functionality. The dock turns the DROID into
`something that looks not entirely dissimilar from Verizon's now
`defunct Hub, while the car mount just boots the phone into nav
`mode. Both are nice touches, and you'll want the car mount if you
`plan on taking Google up on that offer of free satnav.
`
`Battery life
`
`We haven't had a lot of time to put the DROID through its paces
`when it comes to battery life, but at a glance it seems to be holding
`its own against the current crop of 3G devices -- impressive
`considering it's only packing a 1400mAh battery behind that
`extremely sexy door. Paul Miller, who has been concurrently
`testing the phone, claims he had 24 hours of on and off usage
`before requiring a recharge (syncing, but no major phone calls or
`lots of screen time). In general, you won't be blown away by the
`DROID's staying power, but it doesn't deviate in any wild ways
`which should make you take pause. It's solid, not breathtaking,
`and it seems better than the CLIQ, which -- despite using the
`same battery -- typically manages to just barely eke through a
`
`
`
`day's worth of typical use.
`
`Wrap-up
`
`It will be difficult for casual observers not to see the DROID as a
`kind of anti-iPhone in Verizon's arsenal. Certainly the company
`has played up the comparison with its "DROID does" ad
`campaign, and it's no secret that Verizon and Apple have
`previously had some friction -- the V famously passed on the first-
`generation iPhone, after all. Of course, it's easy to draw parallels
`between the two devices; as with most current smartphones, they
`share a tremendous number of similarities, though there is plenty
`that set the two apart as well. And that's really kind of the point --
`it's useless to look at devices like this in black and white, or to try
`and figure out if an Android device on Verizon is better than an
`Apple device on AT&T (or any other device on any other carrier,
`for that matter). What it ultimately comes down to when judging
`this kind of device is more complicated than a "yes" or "no"
`answer.
`
`If you must compare the DROID to the iPhone, then know that
`the Android platform still has a ways to go before the experience
`of using the phone is as seamless as the one Apple has created --
`but also know that Apple has a long way to go before its
`messaging, email, and customization can match what Google is
`offering. Both products have very distinct strengths and
`weaknesses.
`
`So, is the DROID a good smartphone? Yes, the DROID is an
`excellent smartphone with many (if not all) of the features that a
`modern user would expect, and if you're a Verizon customer,
`there probably isn't a more action packed device on the network.
`That's not to say the device doesn't have its faults; the camera was
`
`
`
`unpleasant to use, the application selection feels thin in both
`quantity and quality (despite the claim of 10,000 options), and
`the phone has bits of basic, non-intuitive functionality that might
`chafe on some users after a while. But even still, it's hard not to
`recommend the DROID to potential buyers eager to do more with
`their devices. It's easily the best Android phone to date, and when
`you couple the revamped OS, Verizon's killer network, and an
`industrial design straight from a gadget enthusiast's fever-dream,
`it makes for a powerful concoction. Ultimately, the DROID won't
`usurp the iPhone from the public's collective mindshare or
`convince casual users that they must switch to Android, but it will
`make a lot of serious geeks seriously happy -- and that's good
`enough for us.
`
`TAGS: android, android 2.0, android os, Android2.0, AndroidOs, droid,
`features, google, gps, motorola, motorola droid, MotorolaDroid, review,
`verizon, verizon wireless, VerizonWireless
`
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