More Details on Motorola Droid Surface

[MacRumors]

Earlier this week, Verizon began an advertising campaign for the forthcoming Motorola Droid, pitting the smartphone against Apple's iPhone. At the time, Boy Genius Report offered a brief report of its hands-on impressions of the device, calling it "the Android device to beat, and easily the most impressive."

Detailed specs on the Droid, however, were unavailable until product pages for the device apparently appeared prematurely on Motorola's site yesterday. According to the pages, the Droid offers the following notable features:

- 3.7-inch, 854 x 480 touch screen with a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch (ppi), compared to the 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 screen at 163 ppi on the iPhone 3GS.
- Overall device dimensions of 2.4 x 4.5 x 0.5 in, only marginally thicker than the iPhone's 2.4 x 4.5 x 0.48 in. The Droid weighs in at 6 ounces, slightly heftier than the iPhone 3GS at 4.8 ounces.
- 5-megapixel digital camera with image stabilization, autofocus, and dual LED flash, compared to the 3-megapixel autofocus camera found on the iPhone 3GS.
- WebKit-based browser compatible with HTML5 and with support for Flash 10 planned for 2010.
- 16 GB microSD card included, with support for up to 32 GB cards.

Boy Genius Report has also promised a full preview of the Droid for sometime today.

Article Link: More Details on Motorola Droid Surface

 

[williej81]

And the key detail not out, price.

 

[Goona]

So this is the real "iphone killer"?

 

[skeep5]

does Apple have the patent on the on-screen keyboard? Why are people still using plastic keys? What's the advantage?

 

[ChrisA]

I've always said that Microsoft will remain dominant for as long as computers look like PCs (powerful CPU, large monitor, keyboard and mouse) These devices aren't PCs and may in time displace PCs. Microsoft was more to worry about then Apple.

 

[Michael73]

Looks amazing based on specs. 0.02 thicker than the iphone WITH a slideout keyboard

How they keep putting more and more stuff into the same size package is beyond me! I wish my the iphone had a flash...hopefully Apple will put that into next summer's version along with a 5MP camera.

Obviously, the linchpin here is the OS. All the hardware in the world can't make up for a crappy OS that's hard to use. Then there's the app store (or lack thereof). With the Apple's App Store just crossing 100k apps, everyone else has A LOT of catching up to do!

 

[jjxc90]

does Apple have the patent on the on-screen keyboard? Why are people still using plastic keys? What's the advantage?

I'd prefer real keys...but this layout does not appeal to me. IMO, the Pre has a far better keyboard setup than this.

Also if it stays CDMA only it will be VERY limited in which countries can use it. Less use = less app developers = less apps.

 

[timerollson]

Looks good. I'm addicted to my Blackberry though LOL.

Android phones are on the come up!

 

[Small White Car]

FINALLY.

Someone figured out that you don't compete with the iPhone by being "cheaper" or "similar." You compete by being much better.

That doesn't make this an iPhone 'killer.' But I suspect it will be an iPhone 'competitor,' which is something a lot of other phones haven't even been able to achieve.

EDIT: And when I say "much better" I'm just talking about the hardware they've mentioned here. I'd say that software is 75% of the equation, so we'll have to wait and see on that.

 

[RaZaK]

i welcome the competition

it will only serve to motivate Apple to put out an even better product every year.

i hope next year's update is significant compared to this year's.

 

[Goona]

FINALLY.

Someone figured out that you don't compete with the iPhone by being "cheaper" or "similar." You compete by being much better.

That doesn't make this an iPhone 'killer.' But I suspect it will be an iPhone 'competitor,' which is something a lot of other phones haven't even been able to achieve.

They said the same thing about the Palm Pre and since this phone is directly attacking the iphone in ads, it will make the inevitable comparisons all the more harsher. When this phone doesn't measure up to the iphone in a few months it will fade into oblivion just like the other iphone killers until another one comes out.

 

[AlphaAnt]

I'm interested in seeing how Verizon will muck with the OS, as they are wont to do.

it will only serve to motivate Apple to put out an even better product every year.

i hope next year's update is significant compared to this year's.

Yes, me too, just in time to upgrade my 3G.

 

[AidenShaw]

does Apple have the patent on the on-screen keyboard? Why are people still using plastic keys? What's the advantage?

Accuracy, and you don't lose half your screen to the keyboard image!

 

[Small White Car]

They said the same thing about the Palm Pre

I don't know what "they" said, but I never got the impression that the Pre had better hardware than the iPhone.

I always felt the Pre was trying to be "the same, with differences."

 

[kdarling]

So this is the real "iphone killer"?

I think the only real way to compare how phones sell, is if they're on the same network.

We'll see what happens when ATT gets some Android phones.

does Apple have the patent on the on-screen keyboard? Why are people still using plastic keys? What's the advantage?

The beauty is that it gives you choice. You can still use an onscreen keyboard or not. People who are more tactile, or touch-type, or have larger fingers, or who wear gloves, or whatever, can use the physical keys.

I like onscreen for casual entry, but I like physical keys for major typing because they don't obscure the screen. I also find that I rarely make a typing mistake with real keys, whereas I need the sometimes annoying autocorrection with virtual keys. YMMV

Over the past decade, there have been dozens of touchscreen phones with onscreen keyboards. Ironically, before the iPhone came along, the ones that had added physical keyboards were seen as more desirable and elite.

 

[sam10685]

Are there any comparison's with the t-mobile myTouch vs. iphone 3gs? i can't find any.

 

[*LTD*]

fugly.

Has a loooong way to go to even be in the same league as the iPhone.

When this thing won't measure up in a few months, it'll be relegated to everyone's ignore list.

If it can't be Revolutionary Upon Release (the new rule of you want to succeed against Apple), it's chances are slim to none.

 

[Beric]

Well, the hardware appears to be much better. We'll see how it does.

 

[jbellanca]

meh… I'll keep my 3GS, thanks.

 

[Littleodie914]

FINALLY.

Hi-res screen + capable browser + Flash 10 = what the iPhone should have been. It's about time someone gave Apple some competition.

 

[Rojo]

I'm so used to the iPhone's keyboard, and so HAPPY with how much better it is than physical keys, that I'm seriously turned off by the idea of a real keyboard now. All these other iPhone-killer-wannabes are trying so hard to include real keyboards thinking it's a PLUS, when it's a major MINUS -- at least for me.

If the Droid phone did NOT have a slide-out keyboard, and was simply thinner but had the same specs, then I MIGHT have thought it seemed like a cool alternative to the iPhone. But having the board there when the iPhone has proven it's completely unnecessary, would just piss me off.

Just upgraded my 1st gen. to a 3GS, and couldn't be happier with my choice...

 

[Goona]

FINALLY.

Hi-res screen + capable browser + Flash 10 = what the iPhone should have been. It's about time someone gave Apple some competition.

Yeah just like the Palm Pre was supposed to give Apple some competition, in a few months you will be saying the next iphone killer will give this so called competition.

 

[Goona]

I think the only real way to compare how phones sell, is if they're on the same network.

We'll see what happens when ATT gets some Android phones.



The beauty is that it gives you choice. You can still use an onscreen keyboard or not. People who are more tactile, or touch-type, or have larger fingers, or who wear gloves, or whatever, can use the physical keys.

I like onscreen for casual entry, but I like physical keys for major typing because they don't obscure the screen. I also find that I rarely make a typing mistake with real keys, whereas I need the sometimes annoying autocorrection with virtual keys. YMMV

Over the past decade, there have been dozens of touchscreen phones with onscreen keyboards. Ironically, before the iPhone came along, the ones that had added physical keyboards were seen as more desirable and elite.

The Android phones on AT&T will take away iphone sales just like Blackberries which outsell iphone and Android take away iphone sales, they won't do nothing to harm iphone sales. There are Android phones on Rogers on Canada, the same network that has the iphone and I have hardly seen any of them around, no wonder Rogers doesn't release the number of Android devices they sell.

 

[justit]

I think the only real way to compare how phones sell, is if they're on the same network.

I'd think it's more the software. As good as the hardware specs are, the fact that there aren't 100K apps (just a few dozen android at best) means you can't do what you want to with it.

 

[GNice]

Nice features...impressive. But looks are not that great to me. Guess it depends on what floats your boat.

Choice/Options and competition is a beautiful thing.