Verizon Wireless is expanding its stable of Android handsets going into the holiday season, with an eye towards riding the Android platform’s popularity with consumers by introducing variant and purpose-specific phones aimed at more specific market segments.
First up, the Motorola Droid 2 Global is the latest variation in Motorola’s Droid line, featuring a 1.2 GHz processor, Android 2.2 “Froyo”and—most important to travelers—dual mode CMDA/GSM capability so the phone can operate in all major mobile markets. The Droid 2 Global features a 3.7-inch 854 by 480-pixel touchscreen display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a five megapixel video-capable camera, 8 GB of built-in memory and microSD removable storage (comes with an 8 GB card, can handle a 32 GB card), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, assisted GPS, and the ability to act as a mobile hotspot for up to 5 Wi-Fi devices. The Droid 2 Global can handle 800/1900, CDMA EVDO rev A, Quad Band GSM, and Tri–Band UMTS/HSPA, making it suitable for global roaming in over 200 countries. The Droid 2 Global is available now from Verizon Wireless for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement.
Also new to Verizon Wireless’s stable is the Samsung Continuum, unveiled today at a press event in New York City. The Continuum is another entry in Samsung’s Galaxy S phone line, and claims to be the world’s first smartphone with a dedicated “ticker” display, a 1.8-inch super AMOLED display beneath the phone’s standard 3.4-inch AMOLED display for “zero-click” access to news, sports, social networking updates, and other feeds—and users can select what content runs across their ticker. The ticker display can be activated separately from the primary display by gripping the sides of the phone below the main display, helping to keep users up-to-date while preserving battery life. Samsung also says it will be releasing the ticker API to developers who want to write apps the leverage the ticker display.
Otherwise, the Continuum sits nicely in the Galaxy S line: it packs a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, Android 2.1 (presumably a ticker-supporting Froyo update is in the wings), a 5 megapixel video-capable camera with LED flash, 802.11bg/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, assisted GPS, onscreen keyboard, and microSD removable storage (the phone ships with an 8 GB card). The Continuum will go on sale November 18 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year service contract.
Both the Droid 2 Global and Continuum are, of course, preloaded with a full set of Verizon-branded software and services, including V Cast Music and Video on Demand, VZ Navigator, and more.
