Keeping an Open Mind

For so long, companies who create the smartphone have been chasing Apple's iPhone for the "must have" mobile device, and you can't blame them.  Ever since it came out, it's been a true sensation.  That's not to say that these companies didn't release great phones;  they just didn't pull in the masses like Apple has.  I, for one, have not made the leap to the iPhone, because it would require leaving Verizon and going to AT&T, which I never had any intention of doing.  So I admit that when I first heard about the Motorola Droid, and how amazing it is, and how it could be the iPhone killer, I kind of rolled my eyes.  An iPhone killer from Motorola?  I doubt that.  I'm pretty sure I never gave Motorola a single thought when hunting for phones, so why would I start now?  Since Day 1 of owning my first cell phone, I've bought nothing but LG phones.  There's been no rhyme or reason for this, except to say that when it was time for me to buy a new phone, LG seemed to have the phone that was a perfect fit for me.  But before I bought each of those phones, there was a lengthy bit of research into what phone would work best for me at the time.  I still do this today.  And with the latest phone to my name, I did more research than I've ever done.

So as I read through the features of the Droid when it was first announced, I came to realize something:  it's not so much about the phone itself - don't get me wrong, that is important - but it's about the operating system running the phone.  The Droid is the first mobile device to run Version 2.0 of Google's Android mobile operating system, and also the first Android phone on the Verizon network.  And as it turns out, this phone is quite the beast.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed upon using the phone was the screen.  I was blown away by it.  With a 854x480 resolution, it is the best looking screen I've ever seen.  Every line, text, and icon is crystal clear and very sharp.  Even when using the browser or some of the apps, very small text is perfectly legible.  Even watching videos on YouTube is a joy.  The 3.7" touchscreen is definitely larger than any other phone I've had, and the touch sensitivity on it is very good.  Scrolling down a page is effortless and tapping on buttons and links is very precise.  

Using the phone is just great.  And the amount of features built into the operating system is great for a choice-driven person like myself.  Because this is an Android phone, your access to Google's services is second to none on a mobile device.  And since I use Google's many services, the phone was a perfect fit for me.  Once my contacts were transferred from my old phone, they were immediately merged to my Gmail contacts.  Then Google merged my Google Calendars into my phone's calendars.  And on top of that, you can merge all your Facebook friends with your contacts, which gives you a wide range of choices when getting a hold of someone.  All this is kept in sync on a constant basis, so if you change events on your Google Calendars, your phone changes with it.  If you add contacts to your Gmail address book, the contacts on your phone update.  And if anyone on your Facebook friends list updates their contact info or even their profile picture, those changes get applied to your phone.  I am now a true fan of Facebook syncing.

I do think that the best Google service available to the phone, and where this phone really shines, is Google Maps Navigation.  I've used Verizon's VZ Navigator for many years for all my driving directions, and it's been great.  But using driving directions with Google Maps is beyond compare.  How sweet is it to look down at a dot of where you currently are, but have that overlayed on a Google Maps satellite image.  That was a wow moment for me.  I couldn't stop grinning.  The navigation updated very fast and the map slides on the screen with such ease.  You can also overlay multiple layers of information on your Google Map, such Wikipedia, real time traffic data, and Google Latitude, which displays the exact real-time location of your friends, provided they are also signed up with Latitude.

Photo taken with the Droid (click for full size)Other features of the phone worth mentioning include built-in wifi, an included 16 GB memory card, multitasking which lets you run up to six applications at once, and a 5 megapixel camera (see photo at right).  You also have full access to Google's App Market, with over 10,000 apps and games to choose from, both free and priced.  I downloaded quite a lot of free apps, and some of them are amazing.  I recommend Barcode Scanner, for starters.

Room for Improvement

With all the great features and capabilities that the phone has, there are some things that I feel need improvement.  First off, the phone's design is very industrial and boxy.  That's not to say that it ruins the phone, but just from looking at it, it doesn't present itself as a phone of today, like Apple's iPhone or Palm's Pre.  Even the most basic of phones have very subtle curves to them, which feels more natural in your hand.

Secondly is the keyboard.  We all have that "getting to know you" period when using a new phone's keyboard for the first time, but I have to admit that even after hours of use, using it is still very rough.  In my opinion, the keyboard doesn't slide out as far as it should, because when typing on the top row of keys, my fingers rub up against or hit the screen's edge, which makes it feel cramped.  My fingers are relatively small, so I feel bad for anyone who does have larger fingers.  The keys themselves, while raised, don't seem to be raised enough, and I'll find myself pressing two keys at once.  Again, my condolences to you larger-fingered humans.  And the keyboard's layout really threw me for a loop.  For one, I don't like having to hit the "Alt" key just to type numbers;  they should have their own keys.  And no lie, it took me over a minute to realize that the "@" and "?" symbols have their own dedicated keys.  I was looking all over the place for them.  Admittedly, these issues should all eventually clear up with lots of time and practice, but with me being a fast typer on these kinds of keyboards, it's just nice to be able to pick it up and go, instead of practice, practice, practice.

If you're like me, and get dozens of text messages every day, you'll want to change the phone's default message ringer right away.  Everytime I got a text message, Gmail message, or app notification, the phone would spit out a very annoying and robotic "DROID" sound.  I'd have moments where I'd get many messages within, say, five minutes, and all I kept hearing is DROID.....DROID.......DROID.  There are a multitude of ringer options to choose from, so you're sure to find one that is much less headache-inducing.

The other big annoyance I have with the phone is its lack of a printed user manual.  It does come with a "Getting Started" pamphlet that covers the basics of what's what, but with so many features built in and buried in the phone, having a user manual is invaluable.  It is available, but you just have to download it in PDF form from Motorola's web site.

Final Thoughts

We all use our phones in different ways, and we buy the phone that best fits those needs.  If you're like me, and need a device that serves many, many purposes, this is the phone for you.  Ultimately, this is the best phone I've ever used.  Despite some shortcomings, it's quick, smart, very customizable, and jammed with features.  Is it the iPhone killer?  Hard to say.  People were saying the Palm Pre was the iPhone killer when it came out this summer, but it never got a foothold.  What I do think the Droid has that no other phone in its class has is the Verizon network, and for many people, that will be the turning point in moving away from the iPhone.