Review: Motorola Droid

Yesterday I purchased the Motorola Droid. My first smartphone in a long time. At first I had buyers remorse over plunking down $300 ($200 after rebate) for this phone. Then I realized I really need something to keep me connected, and this phone was it. Here is a review on the Droid broken down by the features that matter.

Apps - Just like in video game console wars, the software is what makes the difference for the success of a phone platform. I have to say that I am finding it difficult to find additional third-party apps. Games are scarce, and there are many duplicates of the same game in the Android Market. That being said, the device pretty much comes with everything important. I can get to my email, get to where I’m going, browse the web and use Facebook out of the box.

Battery - I have played with this thing a lot on the first day. I’ve called many people, used Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi. The battery is still holding up well at about 50%. So far so good.

Typing - I chose the Motorola Droid over the Eris because of the physical keyboard. I got used typing on it, but the top row of keys are sometimes difficult to type on because the screen gets in the way (I have big thumbs). I tried the on screen keyboard and was shocked at how easy it was to type on it. I now use the on screen keyboard over the physical keyboard.

Screen - What a bright and brilliant screen! You’d think you were looking at a 47″ HDTV at times it’s so nice. No problems here at all.

Music - I invested a lot of time building an iTunes library. I thought it would be difficult to get my tunes to the Droid since there is no app to automatically sync the music. I was shocked to find that I could drag and drop many of the songs directly from iTunes onto the SD Card drive. The songs that aren’t protected with DRM work on the device and play much better than my iPod Nano.

Camera - People are complaining about the camera being blurry. I think those people have to read the manual first. There is a focus feature you need to learn how to use. Also the picture is taken when you release the button, not when you press it. Knowing this,  I have managed to take very clear, high quality photos. The video is very nice as well.

Calls - Crisp and clear. I talked to my a friend that was 1,200 miles away and it sounded like he was next door. The speakerphone picks up my voice very well.

Overall Value - I truly believe if you’re going to get a smartphone, this is the way to go. It simply has the entire package. I’m shocked they could get the price down this low. The amount of apps are lacking, but there is hope that will change in the next few months as developers come aboard the Android platform. The Motorola Droid is a good investment for those of us that are tech savvy and want a phone that has a growing future ahead.