The Boy Genius Report has their hands on a pre-production version of the Motorola Droid, and has a pretty thorough preview of the device which is running Android 2.0. Sounds like 2.0 brings some much desired improvements, and it’s good to hear that Verizon won’t be touching the Droid in terms of software. I still have nightmares of terrible proprietary Verizon interfaces locking down functions that a phone was supposed to supposed to support (cough*bluetooth*cough), though I still squirm a bit seeing that ugly Verizon branding.
I don’t find the phone itself to be too attractive, especially the keyboard, but with a huge, high resolution, capacitive touchscreen, the Droid looks like it’ll be a nice MIDphone, and certainly goes to show that smartphones are really heading in this direction.
What do the readers say? Would you prefer to have your MID separate from your phone, or have a nice MID that is also a phone?
October 24th, 2009 at 5:28 am
New article: Motorola Droid Preview from BGR http://cli.gs/qH9aH
October 24th, 2009 at 10:19 am
The specs are fine, but yea that keyboard does not look too compelling. I would choose smartphone ehem, midphone before having mid & separate dumbphone.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:22 am
i think this device was way over-hyped & it turned out too disappoint alot of people (whether they want to admit it or not).
i wont go on & on about why it is lackluster, i’ll just be looking down the road for something else.
i wouldnt take BGR’s “views” too seriously on anything, they seem to be even more hated than TechCrunch.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
G1 is my device of choice, MID’a are great, but you don’t usually carry them with you, while phone+mid (3″-4″) can be carried and used anywhere you need it, whenever you need it.
I’m most happy about 3.7″ screen => better browsing
October 24th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I like the thought of 2.0 on a Cortex core but i’m not really a Motorola fan. This one is too big for me anyway. Make it 4.8″, drop the voice capability and turn it into a real MID please!
Carl Reply:
October 24th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Perhaps manufacturers should start making devices in this segment with optional GSM modules. The difference between a smartphone OS and a Linux based MID OS is pretty much nill at this point. The only issue is whether people want to talk on the phone with such a brick or carry a separate phone, and that’s basically a subjective call.
October 24th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
This device is perfect. Not big. Check dimensions.It has fast processor,flash in 2010, capacitive screen, unmodifided android … fully loaded.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Motorola Droid Preview from BGR http://bit.ly/39aSVx
October 25th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Don’t like the thought of a capacitive screen – too restrictive. And it does look ugly. I’d prefer a MID with phone capabilities as the phone part is secondary to me. I also prefer function over fashion so holding a large device up to my ear to take a phone call doesn’t bother me in the least.
October 25th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I prefer my MID to be separate from my mobile phone. You dont want to lug around with an oversized phone on your daily life when you dont need it (going to the cinema, over the weekends, etc). That’s why I’d rather have a small and thin mobile phone and a separate MID for ultra portable mobile working when needed.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I think reality states that you will take one device with you. It also will show that most only can afford one device. In both cases the phone wins.
I don’t get people who call this big. I have the sit-down test – if it fits in your trousers/jeans pocket and you can sit down with out problems then it isn’t too big.
Your next size up is the one that you can fit in your jacket pocket. This should be able to be a fair bit bigger. This is what I consider UMPC territory proper and would look for a minimum 5″ screen, but really hope for up to 9.75″ depending on bezel.
July 20th, 2010 at 2:04 am
The Motorola DROID continues to present new possibilities everyday. We have had it for about 10 months and I’ve had a Blackberry attached to my system due to the fact September 1998. Becoming connected is a vital element of my existence so I’m constantly reachable by family and co-workers. I am a bit addicted to the Market place for DROID Applications. If the device had unlimited memory I would test the capacity. I think this OS may be the way in the long term and intend to grow with all of you to know it by way of and by means of. Thanks for your content.