So Verizon’s Droid is official, and officially arriving a week from Friday. I’m smart enough to know it’s pointless to call any phone an iPhone killer, or even a potential iPhone killer–and that competing with the iPhone is much more about software and overall integration than it is about hardware specs. (If you could kill the iPhone through trumping its specs, it would already be a goner.) But the Droid does pack better specs than the iPhone 3GS in many areas–including its screen, which has well over twice as many pixels. It runs the promising Android 2.0 OS. And it’s on a network that doesn’t provoke much in the way of squawking from its customers. In short, it’s the most formidable Google rival since the Palm Pre.
I have a Droid in hand (lent to me by Verizon) and will report in with a hands-on report soon. But as is my wont, I’m going to begin with a features comparison. Note that the information that follows mostly doesn’t take third-party applications and products into account,
This T-Grid is a work in progress, subject to expansion and revision.
The phones Verizon Droid by MotorolaApple iPhone 3GS
Platform Google’s Android 2.0 Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 Availability November 6th June 19th U.S. carrier Verizon AT&T Price $199.99 with two-year contract after $100 rebate for 16GB model $199 for 16GB model or $299 for 32GB model with two-year contract Service (Unlimited voice minutes, data, and text messages) $150 per month $150 per month Locked? Verizon-only Yup, to AT&T Colors Black Black and white Size and weight 4.56” by 2.36” by 0.54”; 5.96 oz. 4.5″ by 2.4″by 0.48″; 4.8 oz. Screen size, resolution, and technology 3.7″; 854 by 480; LCD 3.5″; 480 by 320; LCD CPU speed 600-MHz, reportedly 600 MHz RAM I’m not sure 256MB Multitasking Yes Only of Apple’s own bundled apps Openness It’s hard to sum up in a chart; Android Market occasionally has apps yanked but apps can also be distributed outside of it; apps can customize interface and otherwise tweak OS; Verizon Wireless rep told me she knows of no apps forbidden to use Verizon network It’s hard to sum up in a chart; Apple approves (or doesn’t approve) all apps; apps are sandboxed; some bandwidth-intensive apps prohibited from using AT&T network Input Single-touch touchscreen, onscreen keyboard, and slide-out physical keyboard Multi-touch touchscreen with on-screen keyboard Connector Micro USB iPod Dock Connector Memory slot MicroSD None Accelerometer Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi and GPS Got ‘em both Got ‘em both Compass Not that I can tell Yup Headphone jack Standard 3.5mm Standard 3.5mm Bluetooth Stereo Stereo Voice dialing Yes Yes Visual voicemail Yes Yes Voice recording I’m not seeing it as a standard feature Yes MMS Yes Yes Camera 5 megapixels; dual LED flash; autofocus; scene modes; does 720 by 480 video at 24 fps 3 megapixels; no flash; no digital zoom; autofocus; does 640 by 480 video at 30fps Voice CDMA
Quad-band GSM Data EVDO Rev. A HSDPA Use as tethered modem? Through third-party apps at least, I think Yes in countries other than the U.S; stateside, only by ignoring your AT&T agreement; AT&T says it’ll offer tethering someday, but I’ll believe it when I see it Battery up to 385 minutes talk time; 370 hours standby; removable Up to 5 hours talk time; 300 hours standby; 5 hours Internet use on 3G; 9 hours on Wi-Fi; 10 hours video playback; 30 hours audio playback; non-removable Copy and paste? Absolutely Finally Note-taking app Not standard Yes Flash First half of 2010, supposedly Maybe, someday Web searching Yes, via Google, with voice search Yes, via Google or Yahoo Web browser Webkit-based browser WebKit-based Safari E-Mail IMAP, POP, Gmail MobileMe, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL; other services supported through IMAP Calendar Yes, no to-do list that I know of Yes, no to-do list Microsoft Exchange support Yes Yes Instant messaging Google Talk, others through third-party apps Yes, but through third-party apps Office Apps Microsoft Office-compatible and PDF viewers, but no editing Microsoft Office-compatible and PDF viewers, but no editing Maps Yes Yes Turn-by-turn navigation Yes, in Google Maps Not as a standard feature Music Music player and Amazon music downloads; supports MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, OGG, MIDI iPod player and iTunes Store; supports MP3, AAC (with or without Fairplay), WAV, Apple Lossless, AIFF, VBR, Audible formats Video Video player; YouTube; no standard store for buying commercial content; supports MPEG-4, H.263, and H.264 formats iPod player, YouTube; movies through iTunes Store; supports H.264 and MPEG4 formats Photos Yes Yes Wireless syncing Yes, including Gmail/Google Calendar and integration of Facebook friends Yes, through MobileMe Desktop syncing No, although you can copy files over via USB Yes, through iTunes Application store Yes, through Android Market; 12,000 apps so far Yes, through the iTunes App Store; 93,000 apps so far Any additions, corrections, or questions?
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