Yesterday, after several weeks of speculation, the Motorola Droid X was officially revealed and this phone didn’t disappoint.
Let’s start off with specs as they’re pretty beefy:
- 4.3″ 854 x 480 Screen
- Texas Instruments OMAP 1GHZ Processor
- 24 GB Memory (Upgradeable to 40GB)
- Dual LED Flash 8 Megapixel Camera (with a real shutter button)
- 220 Hrs of Standby Battery Time
- 720p Video Recording with HDMI output
For loyal Droid users thinking about upgrading from their original Motorola Droid to the new Droid X, here are some of the big differences. First, the phone is a lot bigger – the 4.3″ screen is the same size as the HTC EVO 4G for Sprint (for comparison’s sake, the iPhone 4 has a 3.5″ screen – the original Droid has a 3.7″ screen).
The camera doesn’t suck this time around. The dual LED flash and 8MP camera actually take pretty good pictures – nobody will confuse them with DSLR quality, but they’re definitely on par with entry level digital cameras.
It’s faster – a lot faster. It still packs a familiar Texas Instruments OMAP processor, but this one is clocked at 1GHZ and this thing is screaming fast.
No more keyboard. While it does come with Swype (awesome, by the way) as a virtual keyboard option, the Droid X bids adieu to the dedicated slide out keyboard seen on the original though most people I talk to that have a Droid, myself included, rarely ever use the hardware keyboard anyway.
One of the cool features is the ability for the phone to act as a 3G Mobile Hotspot for up to 5 devices, however, this feature is going to run you an extra $20/month. My guess is that since this is a feature built into Android 2.2, at some point you’ll be able to enable this for free (but it may require you to root the phone – I’ll keep ya posted as we learn more and when Froyo shows up on this phone later this summer).
Motorola Droid X - 4.3" Screen - 24GB Memory - 1GHZ TI OMAP Processor
This phone does run Motorola’s skin over Android (unlike the first Droid), but it isn’t Motoblur either. It’s a new skin setup for social networking and such.
It will be officially released July 15 and is exclusive to Verizon Wireless and will run you $199 (after $100 mail in rebate and 2 yr contract) so it’s in line with every other high end subsidized smartphone in the U.S. right now.
If your contract is up anytime this year, you can get upgrade pricing instead of paying full retail costs, which sadly means that all of us original Droid users aren’t going to qualify as we’re less than a year into our 2yr contracts, but it certainly looks like the new flagship model for Verizon Wireless and a worth competitor to the HTC EVO 4G for Sprint and the Apple iPhone 4 for AT&T.
Here’s a sample video taken with the Droid X Video Camera (certainly doesn’t look like your typical cell phone camera video, but won’t be confused with broadcast quality anytime soon, either):
Related posts:
- Droid 2 Vs Original Motorola Droid – What’s The Difference
- T-Mobile Garminfone Review – GPS Focused Smartphone
- HTC EVO 4G Video Review
- Best Cell Phones Available For Each Carrier
- Google Maps Navigation Review
About Gary Ruplinger