Today, I took the plunge and moved on to an Android OS phone, Verizon’s new Motorola Droid.
I like my iPhone 3GS, but have been feeling disappointed in how Apple keeps the phone OS and app store so locked down. I recently “jailbreaked” my iPhone, and it only served to reinforce my feeling that the phone is capable of so much more than Apple enables users to leverage. So, I read a few Droid reviews this weekend and wandered over to a nearby Verizon Wireless store today.
I confess, I didn’t expect to like the Droid. Recent iPhone competitors haven’t really turned my head (e.g., Palm Pre). However, picking up the Droid and navigating around, I liked what I saw. No stock Verizon apps, seamless Google app integration (not surprisingly), and a useful notification bar at top. Apps, while not as numerous as the iPhone app store, are certainly numerous enough to fill my extensibility needs. I’d read that the touchscreen and navigation seemed to lag at times, but I haven’t experienced that.
The screen is large and gorgeous! There are 3 options for entering text: a physical keyboard and 2 virtual keyboards (portrait and landscape). I’m especially intrigued by the docking accessories — both the desk dock and car dock change the stock user interface to better reflect navigation choices for those scenarios. Those accessories weren’t available in-store (apparently most stores were understocked), so I’m awaiting their arrival via mail — look for a review on those coming soon.
It’s still early but so far I like what I see. Verizon coverage isn’t quite as good as AT&T’s where I work and live, but it’s not horrible so I don’t foresee returning the phone for that reason.
I’m excited about Google’s innovation in the online and mobile space, and think I’ll really enjoy the new Droid.
If you have any questions about it, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll respond with what I know — I definitely have more to learn.
it is what it is 