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Droid a Savvy Choice for Smartphone Fans

Users sick of AT&T now have an option

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:38 AM CST

(Newser) – Verizon has finally come up with a phone that will satisfy users who want an iPhone-quality smartphone to run on the firm's zippy 3G network, writes Walt Mossberg. The Motorola Droid, is, like the iPhone, "a powerful hand-held computer that happens to make phone calls," Mossberg writes. The Droid, at an iPhone-matching $200, runs the smooth 2.0 version of Google's Android which adds some functionality Apple's platform lacks, Mossberg notes.

Calls are crisp and clear on the "handsome" Droid, and web surfing is fast and reliable over Verizon's network, writes Mossberg. The Droid has some drawbacks, incuding "a pretty awful" keyboard, but "I regard it as a success overall," Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal. "It's the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola phone I've tested, and the best hardware so far to run Android."

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A user demonstrates the Motorola Droid mobile device in San Francisco earlier this month. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

The new Motorola Droid smart phone. (AP Photo/Russel A. Daniels)

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The official Verizon Wireless walkthrough of the Droid. (VerizonWireless)

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The Droid is potentially a big win for Verizon, Motorola and Google, as well as for loyal Verizon customers. - Walt Mossberg

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 3 comments

AllisonMW

Nov 6, 2009 6:49 AM CST

I was told by a VZW employee that Verizon decided not to get the IPhone b/c Apple wants its customers to go to the Apple store for service, etc, while VZW likes to help its customers in the store...I played with the two versions of the Droid phones this morning. They are very fast, but that's about all that's impressed me about them. I'll keep my BlackBerry Storm for now. I hope other brands (i.e. LG, Samsung) release phones with this software-I trust them a lot more than HTC (???) and Motorola.

patrickd79

Nov 6, 2009 1:13 AM CST

I am a Mac user and have an i-phone, but if I would have known the poor quality of the AT&T 3G service I would have held out forsomething like this. I just wish Apple would have paired the i-phone with Verizon, but I am sure there are reasons for this that are beyond my understanding. I also have a friend with a Google phone and he loves it, and it is an older 1st gen model from T-mobile.

Odoggy

Nov 5, 2009 4:33 AM CST

So....it's like an iPhone, but not iPhone. What an original idea! Like buying a Coby Walkman.

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Verizon • iPhone • Walt Mossberg • Motorola • smartphones • Android • consumer electronics • iPhone 3G • Droid • Verizon Droid review

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Droid a Savvy Choice for Smartphone Fans