Will Motorola Droid Satisfy Us?

The_Chief · 10-21-2009, 12:26 PM

Verizon is now hinting at the Droid, an Android-based iPhone killer that will be hitting stores pretty soon! DroidDoes.com is the OFFICIAL site, and is nothing but a tease right now.

However, Boy Genius has seen this bad boy and reveals it here:

Motorola Droid hands on! : Boy Genius Report

Will you jump on the Chocolate Touch, or hold out for the Droid? Either way, it looks like the Dare has some worthy successors.

CRAZYISH · 10-21-2009, 03:33 PM

well i don't like Motorola, always had a problem with there battery's.
I also think they have a power struggle among there company's CEO's
but who knows and who cares hopefully this phone will kick ass.

ginofs · 10-22-2009, 11:55 PM

I think the Droid looks like an exciting phone, AND from Verizon. Only thing I wonder about is the existing APP library for Android OS. Nothing like the 75,000 apps in the iPhone/iTouch, and with a heck of huge number of people supporting it.

However I will have nothing to do with AT&T, and look forward to possibly having an open-source phone that can do a lot more (potentially) than the iPhone with its restricted functionality.

Some time on October 28th, Verizon will be having their press conferences for the Droid, and Nov. 9th seems like the date of availability.

Definitely worth a look! Of course, it IS a smart phone, meaning Data Plan cost$$, but it MIGHT be worth it. I certainly won't jump right away - I will do a good deal of research as people start to get it. I am hoping the Droid, being open source won't fall prey to the issues we had here with the Dare running out of support too soon. I think Android 2.0 has lots of possibilities.

Presumably MobileRoar will have a Droid section.

Gino

YankeeDudeL · 10-23-2009, 03:41 AM

Ok, I have looked a couple diff places, but I haven't had a satisfactory answer yet, so maybe my Mobile Roar brethren can help me out.

What does open source mean. In English, please. Bad English, if all possible.

YankeeDudeL · 10-23-2009, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Chief

Verizon is now hinting at the Droid, an Android-based iPhone killer that will be hitting stores pretty soon! DroidDoes.com is the OFFICIAL site, and is nothing but a tease right now.

However, Boy Genius has seen this bad boy and reveals it here:

Motorola Droid hands on! : Boy Genius Report

Will you jump on the Chocolate Touch, or hold out for the Droid? Either way, it looks like the Dare has some worthy successors.

Thanks for posting this. This has my attention.

tpriddy · 10-23-2009, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YankeeDudeL

What does open source mean.

Open source means that software is covered under an "open" software license that makes the source code for the software freely available. This means that the user community or 3rd party software vendors could modify/upgrade/fix the software, possibly without cost, but not necessarily.

Many open source licenses are also "free" licenses. Some complain that free licenses are viral requiring that all derivitive works also be free. I expect that all variations and upgrades to the Android OS will be Free as in "Free Speech" and as in "Free Beer."

The Android OS is covered by the Apache Software License, an "open" license. The Linux Kernel that Android uses is covered by the GPLv2 license, a "free" license.

I'm hoping that it also means that the platform will be "open" as well, allowing phone owners to choose which versions, which apps, which bug fixes will be loaded on their phones and when.

Note that even when software is covered by a free license a vendor may charge for its distribution, installation and support. Also note that even though the Android OS and its Linux kernel are free, not all Android Apps are free. By covering the Android OS and its SW libraries under the Apache Software License, vendors may charge for their apps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by android.com

Android Market
Check out our site for some of the more popular applications and games available in Android Market. For a comprehensive, up-to-date list of the thousands of titles that are available, you will need to view Android Market on a handset.

Quote:

Originally Posted by android.com

Licenses (Android Open Source Project)
The preferred license for the Android Open Source Project is Apache 2.0. Apache 2.0 is a commercial and open source friendly open source license. The majority of the Android platform is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license. While the project will strive to adhere to the preferred license, there may be exceptions which will be handled on a case-by-case basis. For example, the Linux kernel patches are under the GPLv2 license with system exceptions, which can be found on kernel.org.

tpriddy · 10-23-2009, 07:43 AM

It will do it for me if droid is an open platform. I suspect though that just like Apple's app store control over their iPhone that Verizon will try to control what can be loaded on "their" Droid.

I suspect I'll buy one and hope for a good Droid jail-break.

Phases · 10-23-2009, 12:25 PM

I'm giddy with excitement!

ginofs · 10-23-2009, 07:14 PM

I just read that Motorola has inadvertently released the specs of the Droid on their web site. This info was captured and can be seen on phonearena.com:

Droid makes it to the Motorola site..sort of. Now with Video. (Phone Arena News)

Droid's specs are really good, and ought to make any Dare owner happy (except for possible Data Plan charges). Hopefully, as tpriddy has suggested, Verizon WON'T cripple the Droid. Who knows if Verizon can influence Google?

Also, from Amazon.com, I got a link to the Droid Forum at:
Motorola Droid Forum

I suggest you periodically Google for Droid to see what's out there.

Say, Phases, as an admin, it looks like you can tweak your own reputation, huh? I think that "Reputation: 2147483647" looks kinda fishy!

By the way, I see that The Chief is already a member of the Droid Motorola forum!

Gino

The_Chief · 10-23-2009, 07:26 PM

Yeah I beat you to the punch Ginofs and already have an account at droidmotorola.com

Looks like that will be my next phone so I may as well get settled in!

ginofs · 10-23-2009, 09:25 PM

Chief: Yeah, I joined also - this looks like a really exciting phone that COULD challenge (or surpass) the iPhone.

The handicap the Droid has, as with the Dare, is that this is ONE phone model among the MANY that Verizon sells and supports. Unless Verizon decides to put plenty of support behind this or other Droid models they may decide to carry, the Droid could go the way of the Dare in less than 2 years.

Some time down the road they might change their support for the Droid when some new, flashy thing is released. It's not like Apple, which has only one iPhone, (well, actually 3 or 4 now) and a LOT of support for the platform.

The real hope is that once the Droid hardware platform is out there and working, software and app support COULD come from Google and its network. Provided the Droid is not locked down in some way. Hey! We may soon hear about people who cracked the Droid.

Gino

The_Chief · 10-23-2009, 10:02 PM

We KNOW that VZW will do its best to control the apps available for the Droid, and that Google will do its best to open the phone to as many apps as possible. Somewhere in the middle is probably a back-room secret agreement between the two, and we'll have to wait and see how much Verizon has been convinced to unclench its proverbial fists.

CRAZYISH · 10-23-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_chief

we know that vzw will do its best to control the apps available for the droid, and that google will do its best to open the phone to as many apps as possible. Somewhere in the middle is probably a back-room secret agreement between the two, and we'll have to wait and see how much verizon has been convinced to unclench its proverbial fists.

oh yea :d

tpriddy · 10-24-2009, 04:50 AM

dialed in: verizon launches droid attack - CNET TV

YouTube - iDont MoZella

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginofs

Say, Phases, as an admin, it looks like you can tweak your own reputation, huh? I think that "Reputation: 2147483647" looks kinda fishy!

2^31-1 Leonhard Euler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

YankeeDudeL · 10-24-2009, 08:22 AM

You guys are terrific as always. Thanks for all the info. Def considering this.

The_Chief · 10-24-2009, 02:57 PM

Nice to see so many familiar names on the Droid forum

I guess we'll see how it goes once the phone launches

Phases · 10-24-2009, 05:32 PM

For those of you really lookin' to move the android way, check out:

Android Phone
Android Forums

Hopefully we'll see ya there!

(p.s. Some parts of the world are having DNS problems with the phandroid part of it, if so (for you) it should clear up in coming days. If not, there's a post in the forums section for you to report it)

darebrokenheart · 10-26-2009, 04:24 AM

The motorola droid looks like a decent phone. Just have to wait and see when it comes out and wait for reviews. My concern is the data plan since it's a smartphone and also what apps will it have that will make it worth buying.

Poland626 · 10-29-2009, 10:24 AM

I am so gonna get the droid JUST based off this graph

Chart

The_Chief · 10-31-2009, 02:52 PM

Darling Bride has signed off on my getting the Droid so it looks like my wonderful Dare will be handed down to my son... whose POS Samsung Glyde needs to go to the dumpster

darebrokenheart · 11-01-2009, 04:37 AM

Well soon the dare will be no dare at all. Still unsure what phone to get. Since they changed the design of the lg chocolate i kinda lost interest in it and far as smartphones the data plans is my concern but with a smartphone you get more features plus APPS THAT ARE USEFUL!!! So i'm humbly taking my time.

The_Chief · 11-01-2009, 02:37 PM

I'm just happy to see that VZW is not getting in the way of the Android App Market at all, and that they are allowing GPS to work without charging for it every month. Maybe they finally GET IT.

Verizon really soaked us on the Dare by charging outrageous prices for every app that was worth downloading... perhaps they heard our voices threatening to jump ship. Somebody did, because this is a complete about-face for them. They will make far more money by being a SERVICE provider and not a CONTENT provider by selling more units and making it up in volume.

What do you think?

YankeeDudeL · 11-02-2009, 04:09 AM

I really hope that is the case. It was starting to look like they really didn't care about us at all, and in one phone, seems to answer many of our gripes (well, at least mine). A lot remains to be seen.

When I encountered my first issues w/ my Dare, I took it into the store to be serviced, and wound up w/ my second Dare I was sent a customer satisfaction survey. I was still seething and rather vocal on that survey. I was surprised when, a week later, I was contacted by the local branch manager. He wanted to address every issue I had, and was able to either solve or at least explain my issues.

I had been impressed and felt that I was more than a dollar sign. I really felt like a valued customer. But for the last few months, that magic had been missing. Maybe it was due to this new shift in focus, and I hope that's the case. Either way, VZW, we've proven we'll pay for it, now we demand the best. Will you deliver?

tpriddy · 11-02-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Chief

VZW is not getting in the way of the Android App Market

Hallelujah

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Chief

Verizon really soaked us on the Dare by charging outrageous prices for every app

Amen

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Chief

this is a complete about-face for them... What you think?

This is a big break for VZW, but I knew what I was getting into with the Dare. I didn't want a Windows or BlackBerry closed platform
I wanted an iPhone and had settled for a very full-featured phone.

I expect Verizon's weighed the cost of servicing (making happy) their high value accounts that might get the Droid and not be ready for it. I expect that eventually Verizon may need to take a hard stand against replacing some bricked phones though.

As for MotorolaDroid, I prefer Phandroid.

darebrokenheart · 11-03-2009, 03:35 AM

I really don't know much about Android. So what makes Android so special? What does it have that makes it equal with WinMobile or better? BTW I never had a smartphone;just regular phones. I know WinMobile is a smaller version of windows on a pc and i really don't know anything about the blackberry's OS cause i never had one so can someone briefly school me on these different OS's?

tpriddy · 11-03-2009, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darebrokenheart

what makes Android so special? ... WinMobile ... smartphone ... regular phones ... blackberry's OS

I can't help you with BB, but in general a smartphone gives you a large color screen and broadband. The Android is special because VZW doesn't control what you use that big screen and big pipe for.

Smartphone started out as the platform designation to differentiate the WinCE phones from the WinCE PDA's and handhelds. The cell phone companies differentiated their plan pricing accordingly, letting Smartphones use $10,$15/mo vs $50,$60,$70 broadband pricing. Smartphone has become a more generic term now that means: just a full-featured phone with a big color screen and broadband email and web browsing capable.

WinCE (WinMobile) started out as the concept of MS Windows on a phone or PDA. It didn't run Windows ('95, NT, 3.1) applications. It couldn't even share all the same document files. The "Office" apps had different sets of features. WinMobile is more mature now and interoperates with its big brother's files better.

The iPhone and Android are UNIX/Mach/Linux kernels with specialty SW libraries for developing phone and hand-held apps.

SW vendors can write apps for iPhone, Android, WinMobile, etc. not so much for SmartPhones.

On a SmartPhone you get what VZW chooses to give you. On iPhone you get what Apple decides is politically correct and that is protective of Apple and AT&T revenue streams (telephony, SMS, Music, Video), so no VOIP, no competing music stores.

The raison d'etre of Android is Google setting the cell phone free. Anybody can develop any software they want. Google develops great SW for it then gives it away (GPS w/turn-by-turn) to strengthen their brand and chip away at Microsoft's market dominance.

Some are still wondering if VZW will limit what we use the Android phone for or at least how often we do it, by imposing broadband usage caps. I believe they must or even with a superior/upgraded network, they could have network congestion and unhappy customers.

Some have suggested the $30 plan is capped at 5GB/mo, while others dream "unlimited." I expect it's capped, but it may be a soft limit. If you're a high value customer and you go over their limit once or twice they'll turn a blind-eye to your cheating on the plan's terms and conditions.

I expect that constantly streaming your phone's camera to a web site or streaming from your TV via Slingbox will get their attention and you might get a text message or worse... yikes!

The_Chief · 11-03-2009, 05:44 PM

Then again, if you connect via Wi-Fi (which the Droid will have), then all broadband bets are off since you're not using 3G at all. I like the idea that VZW has finally "gotten it": they are a SERVICE provider, not a CONTENT provider. The 3rd party apps (over 10,000 of them) will take care of that. But I will follow the Droid forum closely and make sure that the phone is truly open before I bite... I think, maybe

darebrokenheart · 11-04-2009, 01:48 AM

We must be careful. Remember how verizon hyped up the Dare and now look at it....it's been kicked to the curb. They're doing the same with this phone. I've learned my lesson. I love my Dare but I don't appreciate being forgotten.

The_Chief · 11-04-2009, 06:56 PM

I feel your pain DBH, but if Verizon actually opens the full Android 10,000+ app market to the phone I won't feel thrown under the bus like I do with the Dare. Here's my $30/month data plan money, Verizon, just unlock the phone to all its wonderful glory and let us use it.

darebrokenheart · 11-05-2009, 08:01 PM

Ok. What can this phone do? I saw the specs (which i like) but what features does it have and are the apps for this phone as good as the iphone apps?

YankeeDudeL · 11-05-2009, 08:53 PM

Something that us as Dare owners can appreciate is firmware support. On the Phandroid site there was an article talking about how they're already working on Android 2.1 when the Droid hasn't even been released yet. This tells me that they have every intention on fixing any perceived problems.

It's no secret that Android is the future of cell phones. They're going to be pumping them out at a ridiculous rate, and have already hit the floor running. I'm hoping they plan to entice us w/ new phones that have better features, but will still support what they've already put out. We'll have to wait till about this time next year before we really know the answer to that.

CRAZYISH · 11-06-2009, 11:35 AM

It would be nice to have a dumb android phone with wi-fi and not have to pay the data charges. now that i would like..

darebrokenheart · 11-06-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRAZYISH

It would be nice to have a dumb android phone with wi-fi and not have to pay the data charges. now that i would like..

I agree with you. That would be nice but it seems these phone makers are not thinking that way. To have a dumb phone with apps like the iphone or any android phone would be sweeeet. I really don't need a business phone. I just need an entertainment phone.

The_Chief · 11-06-2009, 09:34 PM

Got my Droid today. It has wi-fi and I stay connected on my home network while home so I'm not even using the 3G. I have passed my Dare on to my son, but will continue to check in here. CHEERS

darebrokenheart · 11-07-2009, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Chief

Got my Droid today. It has wi-fi and I stay connected on my home network while home so I'm not even using the 3G. I have passed my Dare on to my son, but will continue to check in here. CHEERS

Good for you Chief.

So what are your thoughts on the phone? Is it worth it and how does it compare to the iphone? I know people are tired of hearing about the comparisons between the iphone and whatever phone that comes out that's suppose to rival it but this is the first phone here in the states to really compete against it.

The_Chief · 11-07-2009, 03:29 PM

Well, never having had an iPhone I can't compare the two. I love that I can use wi-fi to connect without eating up 3G bandwidth; the GPS is unlocked and accurately got me where I needed to go; and I can have multiple browser windows and multiple apps running at the same time.

On the CON side, the music often shows up as "unknown album" and is a jumbled mess (not in CD order yet, but the Dare had the same issue and v05 fixed it); and the 5 MP camera takes 1 MP quality stills. Don't buy it for the camera!

All in all, I've had the Droid for 24 hours, read the online .pdf manual (it doesn't come with one), and I miss my Dare less and less.

dunkin · 11-09-2009, 08:25 PM

"Thrown under the bus" is exactly how I feel after buying the Dare.

I was playing around with the Droids and I'm very impressed. I like HTC's Sense UI better than the standard Android UI. HTC says they're going to update Sense to work with v2 and port v2 to the Hero. So maybe the Eris will get the update too. (I'm sure Vz won't allow it because it would hurt sales of the Moto phone)

My partner just got the new BlackBerry Storm

and it's the phone that the I thought the Dare was going to be. It makes me hate my Dare. It's a great phone. Take a look at it when ditching your Dare.

April seems so far away....

YankeeDudeL · 11-10-2009, 08:04 AM

To answer the question of apps, there's plenty of useful ones. It has quite a few music streaming apps that act like inet radio. One example is Pandora, which seems to be pretty well known. I didn't have time to put music on my phone before I went to the gym the first time, so I tried out the app. I typed in a band (Metallica), and immediately started playing "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Every song after that was a diff band, but relevant to the category (and all some of my favs).

They have ereader apps, tons of weather apps, soundboard apps, barcode scanners (to compare pricing and finds the best prices on all sorts of items, cardio trainers, Nintendo and Sega games, recipe finders, ringtone creators, movie times, Photoshop, translators, converters, Yellowbook, stopwatches, flashlights, etc...

Some of the crazier ones are the metal detector (actually works, it's crazy), Bubble (an actual level, and it's accurate!), a marine compass, locale (which automatically adjusts your phone to customized setting depending on where your at (like wifi when home, or silent when at work, etc), and probably the most heralded is Google SkyMap. You simply hold your phone up to the sky and you'll see the stars and constellations you're looking at. Is that a planet? The North Star? Now, you know.

YankeeDudeL · 11-10-2009, 08:07 AM

I should also state that of all those I mentioned, every single one was free! I've only paid for one app so far, and that was Weather Widget. There is a free version, but I wanted to be able to customize it, so I bought it ($1.59, I think and one time fee). The free ones didn't offer what I was looking for so I went w/ it.

Oh, and there's TV.com and a couple others that'll let you watch shows right from your phone. Doesn't stream live, but the shows you want to watch are usually there.

YankeeDudeL · 11-10-2009, 08:13 AM

Something else I like is the ease of customizing it. W/ the Dare, I felt like I was going around all the blocks Verizon was putting up, stopping me from freely customizing it w/o going through them. But w/ the Droid, customization is what it's all about, and it's rather simple to do. Uploading wallpapers is a cinch, getting ringtones is a simple as searching and DLing, then there's all the diff ways I can reach my contacts, as it'll sync w/ Facebook and Email clients.

darebrokenheart · 11-10-2009, 10:26 PM

Hey YD. Do you know if can go to hulu.com on the phone and watch shows on there? I like to go there and catch up on the shows i've might missed during the week. Also i know Chief told me already that the camera is not good but I would like to know your opinion since you've had it for a decent amount of time. It would be sad to have the camera on the droid inferior to the dare's phone.

dunkin · 11-10-2009, 10:27 PM

Pandora...Really...Where did you get the app from? I don't see it and would love to run in on my phone. If you go here (Pandora Radio - Listen to Free Internet Radio, Find New Music) you won't see the Dare listed...Lucy, you gotta lotta 'splaining to do!

When I look all I see are crappy apps that want to charge subscription fees.

tpriddy · 11-11-2009, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunkin

Pandora...Really...Where did you get the app from?

Okay, I'll admit its confusing to talk about the Droid on the Dare forum, but the answer is yes. The Droid satisfies.

YankeeDudeL · 11-11-2009, 07:54 AM

I haven't found a hulu app yet but there was some chatter on the android forum about one being made. The TV.com one is CBS, the CW, CNET, Showtime and a couple others that fall under the CBS brand.

As far as the camera goes, I like it. I'm one of the few though. It's better than the Dare's, better quality, saves pix and settings automatically, and holding the button down won't change over to video. Most were having autofocus issues but there's a trick for that also on the android forums. And the upgrade next month will also address it.

You didn't ask, but the keyboard took a pretty big hit and I don't agree there either. I prefer it over the virtual one (which is better than the Dare's, IMO) and to top it off, I did this all from it.

darebrokenheart · 11-11-2009, 04:33 PM

Thank you for your comment. I do appreciate everybody's remarks regarding the droid. This phone has been bashed by so many people who only played with it for a little bit and it's been out only a few days. We know next year there is going to be a phone that will come out and be better than the phones of this year. The reputation of a phone only last about 1yr on the market far as it being a great phone. So for those who own the new droid enjoy it and have fun with it. I still have less than a yr on my contract so i am waiting to see what else will come out (though i really want the droid).

darebrokenheart · 11-11-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpriddy

Okay, I'll admit its confusing to talk about the Droid on the Dare forum, but the answer is yes. The Droid satisfies.

I agree. It's funny we're talking about the moto droid on the dare forum. It's because we are still fans of the dare and we come back to see if anything new has come up whether a question or an update. The dare is my first touch screen phone and i love it. My second one...hmmm...i'll get back to you on that one.

Les · 11-12-2009, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darebrokenheart

I agree. It's funny we're talking about the moto droid on the dare forum. It's because we are still fans of the dare and we come back to see if anything new has come up whether a question or an update. The dare is my first touch screen phone and i love it. My second one...hmmm...i'll get back to you on that one.

I love the new Driod except short battery use and BAD pictures but we still have the Dare in the household so now I have to check out two forums.

YankeeDudeL · 11-12-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darebrokenheart

Thank you for your comment. I do appreciate everybody's remarks regarding the droid. This phone has been bashed by so many people who only played with it for a little bit and it's been out only a few days. We know next year there is going to be a phone that will come out and be better than the phones of this year. The reputation of a phone only last about 1yr on the market far as it being a great phone. So for those who own the new droid enjoy it and have fun with it. I still have less than a yr on my contract so i am waiting to see what else will come out (though i really want the droid).

Another phone worth looking out for is the HTC Passion. It may be out as eary as Black Friday but many seem to think it should be out by mid December. It'll also be running Android 2.0 and is slated to have an even larger screen than the Droid (4.3", the huge Droid screen is 3.7"!). That intrigues some and detracts others. Will also have the HTC Sense UI, which most seem to agree is great. Will have a 1 Ghz Snapdragon processor, and I'm told that's amazing fast.

Only trouble is these are mostly rumors and speculation. W/ as much fanfare that Verizon created w/ the Droid, there's been lil to nothing made public about it. But in a year, who knows what'll be out.

YankeeDudeL · 11-12-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darebrokenheart

I agree. It's funny we're talking about the moto droid on the dare forum. It's because we are still fans of the dare and we come back to see if anything new has come up whether a question or an update. The dare is my first touch screen phone and i love it. My second one...hmmm...i'll get back to you on that one.

This was the site that started my interest in cell phones, and this forum is where it became a quiet passion. I got the most out of my Dare b/c of this place, and the great users. I still love this site, and I still have two Dare's on my plan, so I'll be here as long as people keep replying to threads, which prompts me to check for new ones.

CRAZYISH · 11-12-2009, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YankeeDudeL

This was the site that started my interest in cell phones, and this forum is where it became a quiet passion. I got the most out of my Dare b/c of this place, and the great users. I still love this site, and I still have two Dare's on my plan, so I'll be here as long as people keep replying to threads, which prompts me to check for new ones.

yea me too , i would still buy a dare if anyone has one for sale