Verizon Droid

Really, Verizon? Really?

You honestly, hand-on-heart, look at your new rebranded Motorola Sholes with the Android 2 OS and see an iPhone competitor? Now don’t get me wrong, I can’t stand the iPhone either, but if you’re targeting the iPhone demographic- sixteen to thirty-somethings who value convenience, ease-of-use and style over freedom, power and versatility- then rebranding the Sholes was entirely the wrong way to go about it. I know retro is apparently cool, but Motorola have managed to find the exact shade of grey, squareness of buttons, and gold trim so that it looks like a cheap calculator from the 80s. I mean, gold? Seriously? I was all ready to believe the hype and celebrate the dawn of a potential iPhone killer (I have no illusions that my beloved Nokia n900 will be one ), but alas, I was misguided and foolish.

It’s not only the styling that damages the Droid’s chances. Having seen pictures of the Android 2 (codename “Éclair”) OS, I’m torn. I’m disappointed by its lack of imagination- if people want the iPhone OS, they’ll buy the iPhone. But on the other hand, you could argue that the iPhone’s functionality and accessibility combined with Android’s relative openness and freedom is a thing of beauty. However, the problem comes when you consider that most people who want the former already have iPhones, or will get iPhones due to the depth of the device’s market penetration- they’ve tried their friends’ iPhones, they’ve seen the adverts, they know that there are at least six times as many apps- the clincher in many circumstances- for the iPhone as for Android. On the other end of the scale, there are the people who want power and the freedom to use it as they will- but Android doesn’t exactly have the best track record of complete freedom, hence the existence of the rooting (jailbreaking for Android) community.

So in the end, the Droid seems to be left in something of a no-man’s land. It doesn’t quite cater to the people it most wants to, but neither is it enough for the people it seems theoretically more suited to. Is this the end for the Droid, before it’s even begun? I don’t think so; there is a median demographic, one that values a good quality UI, but doesn’t place quite as much emphasis on style. They want a modicum of freedom to customise, but don’t want to be in over their heads. They are the average people, non-technical, perhaps believing that the iPhone is as good as Apple claim yet uninterested in their draconian practices, so looking for alternatives. Maybe they specifically want something more like a Palm, HTC, Nokia or Blackberry- which I consider to be the Droid’s real competitors- but want more power and streamlining, and if Gauss is to be believed, there are many more of them than there are of either iFanatics or freedom fighters. The Droid could be looking forward to a bright future- but as a feature-laden powerhouse, the Android equivalent of the Maemo-powered n900 tablet, and not as a direct iPhone alternative.

Promotional Page: http://phones.verizonwireless.com/motorola/droid/

Droid Pictures: http://phandroid.com/2009/10/22/motorola-droid-specs-pics-features-at-motorola-com/

Android 2.0 Pictures: http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/16/android-2-0-screenshot-walkthrough/