The long-awaited Motorola Droid was officially revealed today by its maker and carrier, Motorola and Verizon. The Droid, powered by Android 2.0, will be released in all its marketed-glory on November 6th. Our initial impressions and full Droid review will debut shortly—so while you wait—here’s what some other tech enthusiasts have said about this rumored iPhone killer:
CNET’s Kent German and Bonnie Cha did a “live” hands-on review of the Droid, updating the post with every moment they discovered something exciting. Their initial impression was that “the display is gorgeous, Android 2.0 looks spiffy, and the handset appears to be lightning fast.” They comment on the clean UI display, but note that a lot of the Motorola Droid’s core features are similar to other Android phones.
CrunchGear’s Jason Biggs just straight up calls the Droid sexy. He praises the Droid’s hardware and software, saying “Google Navigation is an incredible addition to the Android family and looks great.” He reports that “Verizon finally has an Android phone worth a second look.” Notably, Biggs also says the Droid “has the best start-up sound in the whole world.”
Engadget’s Joshua Topolsky called the Droid “incredibly slick and sturdy” and complimented its overall hardware—especially the big LCD screen, saying it was “bright, crisp, and [provided] tons of room for your icons and widgets.” Topolsky also noted the improved overall speed and the browser speed, and says that even though “Android 2.0 is definitely cleaned up,” it is “most definitely still Android.” Meaning: there’s an upgrade to the OS, but nothing too revolutionary.
Gizmodo’s Matt Buchanan says in his hands-on first impression that the Droid seems like “the phone Darth Vader would use.” He’s referring to its hefty, black hardware, which he describes as “substantial.” Buchanan’s review is generally positive: Noting the crisp and clear screen, the stylish and attractive icons, and that the “touch response seems dead on.” He says there is “something weirdly refreshing about such a straightforwardly utilitarian design.”
All four reviews state that it’s still too early to fully critique this new Android phone. As for the initial impressions of today, most hands-on reviewers seemed pleasantly surprised and gave generally positive reports about the Droid. We’ll just have to wait until November 6th to see the consumer reaction.
