Skip to main content

Verizon Customers Rejoice as Motorola Unveils Droid Details

motorola droidGreetings humans: the Droid is coming and it’s coming with Google’s Android 2.0 operating system. Verizon’s first Android smartphone is here and it’s rumored to be the best Android phone yet. Today, Verizon Wireless and Motorola officially unveiled their mobile protégé—the Droid. The Droid, built by Motorola, features high-speed Web browsing, voice-activated search, customizable large screen, access to thousands of Android applications and hundreds of widgets. According to the details released today, here’s what Droid Does: Accesses the Internet from any Wi-Fi hotspot using a multi-window HTML browser with a massive processor, navigates with Google Maps using “turn-by-turn” voice guidance, provides more than 12,000 applications at Android’s Marketplace, and keeps tabs on all your messages with integrated Gmail and Exchange e-mail.

Boasting that it is one of the thinnest full-QWERTY-keyboard slider phones available, the Droid also has a width of 854 pixels to reduce the need for side-to-side panning and more than 400,000 pixels total. “We’re proud to work with Verizon Wireless and Google on the first smartphone to feature Android 2.0,” said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices.  “Droid by Motorola delivers a rich consumer experience with warp-speed Web browsing, a mammoth screen, and Motorola’s expertise in design and voice quality.” Jha also notes that the Droid could win the epic battle to take down the iPhone because of Android’s “open, flexible graphical user interface and the power of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network.”

droid
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Droid by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, Nov. 6, for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate. Above picture was provided by boygeniusreport.com.

Editors' Recommendations

Dena Cassella
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Haole built. O'ahu grown
Why you need to be excited about the Google Pixel 8a
A person holding the Google Pixel 8, showing the screen.

This is going to be a busy year for Google Pixel devices. In less than a month, Google is expected to launch its first new Pixel of the year with the Google Pixel 8a. Following that, we're expecting a Google Pixel Fold 2, possibly another Pixel Tablet, the Pixel 9 series, and a Pixel Watch 3 later in the fall.

There's plenty to look forward to with all of those Pixels, but if you ask me, I think the Pixel 8a is the most promising of the bunch. In a year when Google has exciting upgrades planned for its flagship and foldable phones, Google's budget-focused omodel is what's really on my mind.
Google is at its best with cheaper phones
The Google ixel 3a XL (left) and Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu / Digital Trends

Read more
Amazon Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 prices slashed… for now
Someone holding the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet.

If you're looking for affordable tablet deals, it's highly recommended that you check out Amazon's Fire tablets. The latest releases of the brand's largest models are still relatively cheap, and limited-time discounts have further lowered their prices on Amazon right now. The 32GB version of the Amazon Fire HD 10 is down to $95 from $140 for savings of $45, and the 64GB version of the Amazon Fire Max 11 is down to $180 from $230 for savings of $50. You're going to have to be fast with your purchase once you've chosen which one to buy though, because these tablets may be back to their regular prices as soon as tomorrow.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB, with lockscreen ads) -- $95, was $140

The 2023 release of the Amazon Fire HD 10 retains the tablet's budget-friendly price  despite several improvements compared to its predecessor, including 25% faster performance, slightly less weight by 30 grams, and an upgraded front-facing camera from 2MP to 5MP for clearer selfies and video calls. The Amazon Fire HD 10 features a 10.1-inch Full HD touchscreen that's durable enough to withstand daily wear and tear, compatibility with Amazon's Alexa for voice commands, and decent performance for your daily tasks with its octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM. The tablet comes with 32GB of internal storage, but if you need additional space for your apps and files, you can get up to 1TB more through its microSD card slot.

Read more
The camera on this Android phone is confusing, but I love it
The back of the Tecno Camon 30 Premier.

I’m all for a lot of detail, and love to hear about the new technology that’s inside a smartphone I’m about to test, but when I have to search for an explanation of what something means, it’s not a good start. The Tecno Camon 30 Premier suffers from this problem, as it has a lot of cool camera tech that is explained in a mystifying way.

So, I thought the best thing to do was to just ignore the tech speak and find out if it takes great photos the old-fashioned way.
What's the problem?

Read more