Verizon Wireless and Motorola today unveiled the Motorola Droid for Verizon Wireless, the first smartphone powered by Android 2.0. The new smartphone will make its debut on November 6, and will get a price tag of $300 with a two-year contract. A $100 mail-in rebate will be given when signing up for a qualifying plan.
According to Verizon Wireless, the Motorola Droid has a solid exterior, intelligent interior and is one of the thinnest full-QWERTY slider phones available. Since the phone is powered by Android 2.0, a range of improvements will be found in the Motorola Droid. Check out this story for a complete list.
The Verizon Wireless Droid sports a 3.7-inch high-resolution screen. The carrier compares the screen to the iPhone 3GS, and says the Droid's screen width of 854 pixels will reduce the need for side-to-side panning.
A 5-megapixel camera with Dual LED flash, autofocus, image stabilization and VGA video recording is also onboard, accompanied by a bundled 16GB microSD memory card. The Motorola Droid will also offer integrated Gmail and Exchange e-mail out-of-box, through a new unified inbox. There's also a Android notification panel for incoming messages as well as an improved dictionary that learns as you type and automatically includes your contacts.
Music fans might find the Motorola Droid especially appealing, as the Verizon Wireless Droid gets the above-mentioned 16GB memory card out-of-box in combination with access to Amazon MP3 Store. The latter is a big step in the right direction for Verizon Wireless when it comes to "service openness".
The Motorola Droid will also be the first smartphone with Google Maps Navigation, providing turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps. It's powered by Google and connected to the Internet. The navigation app supports voice shortcuts, Street View and provides access to the most recent maps and business information from Google Maps seamlessly.
The Verizon Wireless Droid will get an improved Google Search, allowing users to search content on the phone, such as apps and contacts in addition to the Web. A voice-activated search option is also available where search results can be displayed based on your location.
Pre-loaded applications include Google Maps, Gmail (with multiple accounts support), YouTube, Google Talk, Android Market, Calendar, Amazon MP3 and Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail. The latter lets users delete, reply and forward messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Motorola Droid users will also find a range of third-party applications and widgets through Android Market, ranging from productivity apps to entertainment- and Web-oriented apps.
Since the Verizon Wireless Droid is powered by Android 2.0, an improved Web browser will clearly be a key feature on this smartphone. The new Android browser will offer a refreshed UI with actionable browser URL bar that enables users to directly tap the address bar for instant search and navigation. There's also support for double-tap zoom and HTML5.
The Verizon Wireless Droid by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, November 6, for $200 with a two-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate.
To get the most from the Motorola Droid, customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide voice plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide voice plans begin at $40 for monthly access for 450 minutes and an Email and Web for Smartphone plans is $30 for monthly access.
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