The Droid: Serious iPhone competition

Should I throw my iPhone away now? Or wait a bit this phone rocks and just in time my current an expires this month yaaaaaa

Two things…One, Verizon=CMDA Network=Very OLD Technology. AT&T=GSM Network=Newer Technology. GSM has some serious potential (research what AT&T is planning) and I plan on sticking with a provider that is continuing to research GSM technologies.

TWO, The iPhone has so much capability and potential within the phone itself. Yes Apple has complete control over the phone and the OS,yes I think it is dumb that they do have so much control. All-in-all, Apple just has to release a FREE update and bam the new feature is available.

Until something comes out that really dazzles me, I am going to stick with the ORIGINAL touch screen=The iPhone.

Some will, Some won't, So what! NEXT…

Yes, there are certain features which are possibly nice to have on this phone, that are not on the iPhone . . . but they are not keeping to the old saying "Keep it Simple Stupid" (KISS). If in fact Verizon is still bungling it (ooppss — bundling it) the VCast store / services and nickel-and-diming their customers (as they have done for years), then who needs it. And personally, I think the "soft" keyboard on the iPhone (with its built-in auto-fill / auto-correction), are all you need. The ONLY thing the iPhone is missing is an interchangeable battery. Period!

As a VZ customer, it's all about the service. And in my area, VZ has the best service. The cell phone service, which is what I pay for and use as a business and personal communications tool, has to work wherever I go, not just in populous metropolitan areas.

If VZ were to offer the iPhone as part of its equipment offerings, I would SERIOUSLY consider purchasing it. Until then, I have to look at what VZ is offering. Like the Droid.

After all, the cell phone is only as good as the service.

(No, I am not an employee of Verizon or any of their subsidiaries.)

Knowing Motorola's quality, I don't expect this phone to be any kind of iPhone killer. Actually, I think it is going to have a hard time to be in the top 5. The real iPhone killer is the Android operating system that is going to rule the future market. Like PCs, people want interchangable programs. But, I don't expect this phone to be anything special. And like someone said, it does not look good enough to get people excited.

I'd like to see an iPhone killer that… you know… doesn't look like an iPhone. If you want to impress me, innovate, come up with something that makes me say, "Woah" like I did with the iPhone.

(VirginMobile customer btw, I have no dog in this fight, but really hoping to see the next great thing some time.)

For those of you that say they hate Verizon and are going to go to someone else, I've got news for you. ALL of them have lousy customer service. I have had Sprint, T-Mobile, I just now left AT&T, now I have Verizon. I left AT&T because I constantly have dropped calls and lousy reception. Ever since they introduced that I-Phone, their service has gone down to a point where you are better off with no cell phone at all. At least with Verizon, I have great reception no matter where I am. That to me is worth any hassle that the provider may dish out. BTW, I left AT&T before my contract was up, and I gladly paid the penalty fee.

Hmm Verizon… I hate this company. Once I find out where I am stationed, and my contract is up, the first thing I will do is see what other companies have service where i am. I hate Verizonb's customer service and attitude. They may be number one… but since they have 5 times the network, and cingular is ever closeing the gap (before the Iphone too) I wonder, how verizon's long term viability will hold up.

It's still a Verizon-branded device with their ridiculous VCAST services and store on it.

Oh, and don't forget that Verizon has a boatload of iDon'ts of their own.

While I agree with most posters that Verizon constantly is trying stuff like this (empty claims stating they have the next big thing and will have something better than the iPhone, etc etc) I feel that it is important to put a strong emphasis on the fact that this isn't just Verizon competing w/Apple, Google is coming to the table. There is a reason that until recently, one of the best minds at Google, Eric Schmidt has been sitting on Apple's BOD. Google understands usability as well as Apple does and understands quality software even more so – and Apple's awareness of this is evidenced by their strong ties with Google until Google started to venture into Apple's domain (with the Chrome browser, and Android operating system and the announcement of the Chrome operating system). Apple is a good company and quick on their feet, but Google has a much more consumer friendly profit model – and writing off this device, or any other Android device for that matter, is severely underestimating the competition.

Verizon will disable every single feature in this phone and then nickel-and-dimes to enable every single one of them. Need Wi-fi? That's $5 a month. A full-featured browser? That's another $5. I am a Verizon customer and love their network coverage, but they still don't get how to be truly #1, without really annoying their customers.

This time last year, Verizon was all breathless about the TIM Storm.

This time next year, Verizon will be all breathless about the next iPhone wanna be.

Until, if ever, Verizon get the iPhone, they will keep offering up the latest attempts.

Minor correction:

"a yet-unreleased smartphone that is being described by sources who have played with a prototype as the iPhone's 400th first serious competitor"

I've heard "iPhone Killer" used to describe DONZENS of phones.

As for the idon't add… I was actually confused, as a few of the things listed are very minor, or not even an upgrade.

No physical keyboard? Good, I've actually gotten used to the digital board, and prefer it over my work BB's physical keys. Way to live in the past.

5 megapixel camera? Great… but still not going to replace my actual camera.

Multitasking? Great way to bog down a phone. "Why is it running so slow" because you have 16 applications open.

Open Source apps? Because apple's "Closed source" app generator didn't already beget thousands and thousands of apps.

Replaceable battery? A good excuse to make crappy batteries. "Just go buy another one, sheesh"

Customizeable? Or you could just make it work in the first place. I'm sure there's a market for the ability to turn my contact list neon pink, but not really seeing it myself.

Hmm, another 'iPhone killer'.
Positive proof that it is easier to imitate than it is to innovate.
But as with my guitars I use the real thing, not a copy.

I just got the New Android Based Hero from sprint and i must say, i'm impressed. My best friend has iphone and i myself have an ipod touch (iphone minus phone)and i would not trade in my Hero for an iphone. The features on my User interface is more sophisticated allowing you to personalize your phone to your needs.

A bunch of icons lined up is not very impressive.Android let's you choose your "scenes" which actually works better than i expected. For the guy who said that apps and widgets are the same, a widget can display the information right on the screen without having to always reopen the app.I came from windows mobile which is a complete waste of an OS and i'm glad i waited for the Hero. I would have hated to settle for an iphone.
The Motorola phone will probably boast its own list of unique features. It's only a matter of time before the Android Market grows to a respectable amount. The apps i have on my Hero are similar or same to ones found on iphone. Android is better.

Last Saturday, during the Yankees-Angels game, along with Apple's iPhone ads about apps, there were many ads from other name-brand companies (such as Chipotle, Pizza Hut) trumpeting their iPhone apps. At one point, there were three non-Apple iPhone-mentioning ads in a row.

As an earlier commenter said, Apple has changed the game to apps, while Verizon is trying to restart the fight on the pre-app battlefield.

This will be an interesting battle as android ramps up to multiple phones from multiple hardware vendors on multiple networks. Ultimately, the competition will be good for all of us.

For those who don't know android, here are a couple of notes:

@bartleby – Widgets on Android are programs that run on the desktop. Ie, a display clock, stock ticker app, toolbar, etc. that's available in and among the icons so you can see and use it at a glance without actually having to open the application. These are not launched within the browser.

@KenC – Customization on Android means many things. Widgets above are a good example. Pretty much any of the stock phone software is replaceable.. you can download a new browser, phonebook, even a new user interface "home" screen program. You are not locked in to those specific apps that Apple has pre-installed on the phone.

Android already has a huge app store (10K+ apps as indicated by others), and there will only be more apps developed by a larger developer community as the total number of users expands.

It looks like an ugly dude, if I may.
90% of iphone's owners bought the iphone because it "don't" look like an ugly dude.

I hope this will push both companies to push the boundries of cell phones into new territories

A couple of points:

Firstly Bartleby: "but in software dev circles widgets are usually thought of as code modules embedded in web pages. If you want to see widgets in action look at something like iGoogle. If the iPhones doesn't run these types of widgets and the droid does that is a pretty significant thing because it makes Web 2.0 available to droid."

This is exactly what the iPhone had when it launched and everyone said it was a miserable failure. It still has it – anyone using 2.0 tools can develop a web app for the iphone. Widgets in this case actually mean mini apps that sit on the home page – like somat that shows you the weather for example.

Secondly @Don: "Why would any developer write an app exclusively for Apple/iPhone, when they would write it for Android and reach multiple phones/carriers."

Because the tool set is pretty damn good for the iPhone and they are mature tools as they are the same dev suite that has been available for the Mac for the last 10 years.

One other thing is that there are now a shedload – actually a small cities worth of programmers that know how to develop for the Mac. Look out guys there are interesting times ahead.

Well I am not an iPhone owner so I don't know if this is correct, but in software dev circles widgets are usually thought of as code modules embedded in web pages. If you want to see widgets in action look at something like iGoogle. If the iPhones doesn't run these types of widgets and the droid does that is a pretty significant thing because it makes Web 2.0 available to droid.

Funny ad, it looks like it was made with Keynote!

It's certainly a riff on Apple's ads, with a song that sounds remarkably similar to a song Apple might use for an iPod ad. Was it Feist? Sounds like her.

As for the actual content, the iPhone does run multiple apps, but only the ones that count, which is always allowing the phone to ring, when you are doing something else.

I'm not sure what iDon't customize means, unless they are talking about skinning the background screen, since that's a PC-sort of definition.

The bit about a "real keyboard" is a bit of a snark, since when did "real" equate with physical?

A 5mpxl camera is a red herring, as many have pointed out, including David Pogue of the NYTs. More pixels does not equate to better images. There's actually an optical reason why this is so. Fundamentally, it's down to the distance between the lens and the focal plane. Cellphones would have to get thicker, to allow a greater distance between the lens and focal plane, allowing for a larger lens, and more light, which would allow a higher pixel camera to take advantage of.

Not sure what running widgets will do for you, since many apps are essentially widgets, like the iPhone's weather app/widget.

The issue of open development means virtually nothing to the consumer since the iPhone has 85k apps. What's the point?

And if a keyboard and replaceable battery were such advantages, then just about every other smartphone has that advantage too. They ought to list only those "unique" advantages. In fact, now that I think about it, the Droid doesn't have any unique advantages over a Nokia N-series.

Looks clunky in comparison. But the Droids should have pretty good success – coming at the expense of RIM, Winphones,Symbian.
Droid and iPhone will be feasting on taking marketshare from the above for about two years. Then there should be quite a collison.

By the way, I agree with rattyUK re: launch date. Check the droiddoes.com website (actually a redirect to verizonwireless.com). There is a counter on the bottom of the page. It is counting down to midnight 10/30. I would guess that will be the release.

But good job on keeping this pretty quiet this long. Of course, it really isn't hard for Motorola to keep things quiet since no one is watching anymore. Maybe this will help change that.

Droid is running Google's android OS along with about 20 other phones by years end. It has an app store with almost 10,000 apps! Why would any developer write an app exclusively for Apple/iPhone, when they would write it for Android and reach multiple phones/carriers.

Apple is making the same mistakes with smartphones as it did in the 80s/90s with PCs.

Motorola is a preview of whats going to happen at Microsoft in the near future, a long ugly death. Both companies are based on a really bad business model, that model destroys companies from the inside out. They worry more about internal bureaucratic rivalries than their real competitors, and it destroys them. The first myth of management is that it even exists.

@Anthony; this phone runs Android OS. Same OS as on several other phones already released such as HTC G1, Hero, myTouch, Motorola CLIQ. The Android market already has 10,000+ apps and encourages open development.

"the iPhone's first serious competitor"… I thought that was the Palm Pre and before that the G1, so which is it?

If there isn't a great, fully stocked App store, it won't succeed.

@ Anthony "Unless they have an app store the droid will be dead on arrival."

OH I am sure they'll have an app store. The outstanding question is whether it will be the Android app store or Verizon app store. If it is the former then it stands a pretty good chance of working but if it is the latter then it starts to look like the Android attack will fragment. Google are involved so steady heads should reign on this one but this is Verizon we're talking about here and I really don't think they will want to let go of the control.

At the moment it is looking like the openness of Android is working towards the goals of the Wireless Carriers and not the end user.

Unless they have an app store the droid will be dead on arrival. The phone companies still haven't figured out that it isn't one or two features that is making the iPhone so popular, it is the whole package. From the user interface to the app store. Apple also has another advantage in that they are good at building relationships with other industries which is why the app store is overflowing. Most of these phone companies are stuck in their own world when it comes to product development. Honestly the only phones that I think will provide any competition are the google phones. They have the same mentality as apple when it comes to product development. Design the best product that can solve the problems of consumers.

Hey, if someone can seriously compete with Apple, everyone wins due to the competition.

However, I also think it is rediculous that people keep saying that they iPhone will come to Verizon on 4G. Yes, it very well could. But how quickly will 4G cover enough of the US to make it worthwhile? Remember, the problem with the iPhone on Verizon right now is CDMA. If Apple doesn't support CDMA, a Verizon iPhone would ONLY work on 4G. My old Verizon phone couldn't even keep high speed connections to Verizon all the time, and I live in the 4th largest city in the US.

If Apple doesn't include a CDMA modem, the iPhone won't be on Verizon for at least five more years.

PED – The release date is the 30th of October.

The sticking point with this is how much control are Verizon willing to give up? If they are prepared to go the whole way and embrace the Google ecosystem then it should do well. But this is Verizon we're talking about, isn't it?

This is the Verizon Droid, which is being manufactured for them by Motorola. It sure sounds like Verizon are not taking the "hands-off" approach.

The other point for Mac people here is that this campaign looks to me that Verizon have given up on Apple. This looks like war. Do you really think Steve Jobs would want to do business with a company that has just taken this kind of approach to his baby?