Motorola Droid X Has Launched!
Today Verizon threw its hat in the ring for contender in the smart phone heavyweight competition. This Android powered phone has been anxiously awaited by Verizon clients and Android fans, promising the greatest blend of technology and features offered for Android (and perhaps even all smart phones.
This launch of Droid X kicked off with a feel good partnership promise involving Google and Verizon. The promise for Flash support was emphasized by the presence of Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe Systems. He may not be as media friendly as Steve Jobs, but his presence indicates the seriousness that all three companies have, and promises that the Droid X will be the very first smart phone to be able to support Adobe Flash.
Unfortunately, the corporate types are still telling us things that we already know. Mobility is more than a phone, it is an arrangement of software, networking, hardware, how the platform's maturity rate parallels with other platforms throughout the years, and so on and so forth. Why do so many launch events include talking down to their audience? The general public aren't the ones who tend to go to these launch events. Anyone who takes the time to show up is obviously interested in the category and is aware of the changing nature of mobile communications.
But on to the good stuff. They get into feature details that promise a lot of entertainment for Droid X owners. Of course there will be Verizon's V CAST video support. But they also announced partnerships to deliver content from NFL Mobile, Skype, Blockbuster video rentals on the go, as well as a backup assistant to protect your data (presumably for when you throw the phone to the ground in rage if your NFL team loses to its rivals).
As for some of the specs, the screen size is 4.3" diagonally. This is a monster size phone, but the extra screen real estate will come in handy. With one of the biggest LCD screens, a Droid X screen protector is recommended to keep the screen clean and scratch-free. It seems a little defensive by taking a shot at higher resolution screens such as the iPhone, claiming that when asked consumers would choose a larger screen. But the audience gives a laugh at the "quantity vs quality" jab.
The processor is a 1 GHz OMAP chip, it sports 8GB of RAM memory, and 16GB of storage. It includes an expansion card to add up to 32GB for a total of 40GB of storage. It has a multi-touch keyboard using Swype.
It can serve as a WiFi hotspot, so you'll be able to connect your laptop to the internet through your phone. They say you can connect up to five devices, though I can't imagine the speed would be tolerable with that many devices sharing the phone's Internet connection.
For voice communications, it includes three microphones, each having its own function: one is for telephone calls, one for video calls, and one is used for background noise cancellation. It includes Bluetooth voice dialing.
For corporate users, this includes MS Exchange and Gmail Enterprise support. As expected, it allows push email, remote management/data wipe, and other IT department pleasers.
Adobe Flash 10.1 we are told has been completely rewritten so it can support the Droid platform better.
In regards to flash, the 8mb digital camera has a flash for taking photos. It also can record 720p HD video. It includes an HDMI out to connect your phone to your TV to share photos and videos.
The data plans announced is $29.99 for unlimited download, and you can add WiFi tethering for $20 including 2GB of data. I am not sure why you need an extra 2GB of data if the $29.99 plan is "unlimited," but I am sure they will clear that up shortly. Perhaps the 2GB limit with 5 cents per MB overage limit is for tethering only, and any data used on the phone is unlimited.
The Motorola Droid X will be available July 15th, at $199 after rebate. The price is just right, you'll probably even have enough money to buy Motorola Droid X accessories. They announced that this phone is going to be US only, though i'm sure there will be similar devices created for the rest of the world.
Will this be an iPhone killer? Time will tell, but it is definitely a heavy hitter to go against all the other smart phones. It is unlikely to have the same flocking effect that iPhone had for AT&T, where people left service providers they liked for AT&T just to get the iPhone. But for Verizon customers that have iPhone envy, this is a very good reason to stay with Verizon.
Tags: droid x, motorola droid x, motorola droid x accessories