Quit calling it “the Google Phone”!
The branding "with Google" found on many Android phones has been misleading to many, but no where on any one of these devices does it say "Google Phone" despite the press. When the very first Android powered phone was released, the T-Mobile G1, virtually every article written about it referred to it as "the Google Phone". Proceeding that was the MyTouch 3G, HTC Hero, Motorola Cliq, Motorola Droid and the list goes on but still each of these devices has been referred to as "the Google Phone". Just because the device runs software from Google and is well integrated with Google's services that doesn't make it "the Google Phone", and the Nexus One is no exception to this.
The Nexus One is a device manufactured my HTC and sold by Google. Google is not trying to beat the iPhone, they aren't trying to start their own cellular service and they aren't claiming they, alone, make the Nexus One. Google is simply revolutionizing the way we purchase cellular phones; before the Nexus One everyone purchased their phone from their cellular service provider and if/when they wanted to switch they would have to buy a new phone from their new provider (due to compatibility issues or phones being locked to a provider). Google is introducing a hole new way to purchase a phone, your own phone, not T-Mobile's or Verizon's to force you to use on their network. Imagine if you could purchase any phone you wanted (this is for you iPhone fans) and then you had the freedom to decide which provider you wanted to use it with.
For those who don't want to pay full retail price for expensive devices like smartphones and broadband access a cards then you can sign a service contract with a provider and they will subsidize the cost of the device in order to guarantee you will use their service for 2 years (this how providers can sell you devices so cheaply today) but you still have the freedom of your unlocked device working on any network it technologically supports.
So... quit calling it "the Google Phone"!
Motorola DROID Consumer Review
Yes, there are hundreds of thousands of reviews of this phone all over the world wide web. The difference between those reviews and the proceeding review is the reviewer. I'm not going to glaze over everything and give you a list of hardware specs in comparison to the iPhone. This is all about my experience, in every day life, using this phone since the day it was released. My every day common usage, no benchmark-like test results.
To preface this review, I am a software engineer and I use this phone primarily for personal use. My previous phone that I used for approximately 1 year was the T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream). Like the DROID, the G1 also runs Android OS although a different version. Due to my familiarity with Android, there was no time required for me to become familiar with the interface of the DROID.
The Network
My experience with this phone has been nothing short of extraordinary. The best feature of this phone, hands down, is the Verizon Wireless network. I have been a customer of Qwest Wireless, Cingular, Alltel, T-Mobile and now Verizon Wireless. All subsequent wireless providers pale in comparison when it comes to both stability and coverage. The features on my G1 were very similar but the issue I continued to run in to was that every time I wanted to use most of these awesome features I didn't have a signal. This made it very difficult to show off the impressive capabilities of Android. I've traveled thousands of miles with my DROID and found minimal data coverage dead zones and have yet to come across a voice coverage dead zone.
Android OS
On to the phone itself. The newer version of Android OS (v2.0.1) seems to be significantly more stable than version 1.6, with fewer crashes and "force close" pop-ups. Android OS seems to run noticeably faster on the DROID than on the G1, due to the combination of better hardware and a refined OS. The interface is much more responsive and appears to respond more fluidly while I have fewer applications crashing presenting the "Force Close" window.
QWERTY Keyboard
Another must have feature on any phone of mine is the QWERTY keyboard. I prefer the slide action of the G1, that I would describe to be an "assisted opening/closing" slider, compared to the DROID although it does have a satisfying "click" when slid completely into the open or closed position. I have experienced some minor issues with the slider while carrying my DROID in my pocket, when I take it out of my pocket the slider is just slightly open and not clicked firmly into the closed position. Another benefit to the physical keyboard on the DROID is the D-Pad on the right hand side of the keys making it easier to play games (specifically Nintendo emulator games) on Android!
5.0MP Camera
There has been some controversy over the camera in the Motorola Droid, specifically the time it takes to focus and take a picture and after doing so, the horrible quality of the pictures. It has been discovered that there was a bug in the software that focuses the camera using a time stamp, and that bug is only revealed during a certain time frame every other month. Verizon has pushed an OTA (over-the-air) update for Android 2.0.1 to customers resolving this issue and pleasing hundreds of thousands (soon to be millions) of DROID owners out there!
Performance
My growing list of smart phones includes the Motorola Q, T-Mobile G1 and my Motorola DROID. In comparison to both the Q and the G1 the DROID is lightning fast. A combination of better hardware and a more efficient operating system (Android 2.0.1) contributes to a much more fluid and responsive experience using the DROID. Another factor that affects performance is the network, and on Verizon's 3G network the internet applications available for Android just scream on the DROID.
Accessories
For every smart phone I've owned I also purchased a car charger, car dock and home/desk dock. Until now each of those accessories was aftermarket and low quality. The DROID is the first phone I've owned that was released with a line of OEM branded accessories including more than just car chargers and carrying cases. The car dock and multimedia dock from Motorola not only hold the phone in place but each one activates a feature of the phone that enables more functionality in the dock. The car dock automatically opens the Car Home application so you don't have to scroll through your applications to start the app while driving. The multimedia station dock automatically launches a proprietary application for the DROID that displays a clock along with the weather and shortcuts to your multimedia, making the DROID a convenient alarm clock on top of it's astounding list of features.
Conclusion
As a gadget geek I am always fascinated with the newest and fastest technology and I've always been an early adopter. I know that the next big Android device that comes out will probably end up in my hands and the DROID will end up on eBay. Having said that I feel that the DROID is the best smart phone, multimedia and web device on the market. There are tons of options out there for Android smart phones, on virtually every cellular provider now, but I strongly believe that the DROID is the best in every aspect.
Feel free to leave a comment with your input!
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