Awesome phone January 3, 2010

Reviewer:  E. M. Van Court "Van"  (Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA) -

The Droid is an excellent phone. It handles everything I need a phone for (voice and texting) very well, but comes with a first rate camera (with flash), GPS, and all the functionality that apps and widgets can bring to it.

For texting, I like a QWERTY keyboards, and the slide out keyboard on the Droid is excellent, both large enough and with a good tactile 'click' to the keystrokes. The downside of this is that the phone is a little on the large side, to accomodate the larger keyboard, but this is a trivial issue for me.

I've been very happy with the camera, taking both still and movies with excellent results. The flash is a very nice feature, and something I missed using other camera phones.

The GPS and navigation software are very good. The ability to access Google Earth satellite imagery on the maps is a huge benefit, and proved useful on a recent trip off the beaten paths. Even without satellite coverage, cell towers can give you a modest degree of accuracy, enough for highway driving, but not fine enough for cities or wilderness.

The apps have been great for me, providing me with weather, sun (almanac and sunspot activity), moon, tides, and other information useful when travelling, or just going to the beach. The various news feeds, the flashlight app for the photo flash, and some of the other, more frivolous apps have been fun too, but haven't had the direct impact on my life that the ones I mentioned first did.

The only disappointment is the battery life. I get about three hours of high use (web browsing, or other high processor use), and about two days of 'normal' use out of a charge. I'd *really* like a more robust battery for this phone.

Aside from the battery, the Droid is an incredible tool, and has already made itself indispensible.

E. M. Van Court

Good phone with some issues December 30, 2009

Reviewer:  Oleg Basov  (Northbrook, il USA) -

All and all I like the phone. I have been using it for over one month. Yesterday I exchanged it for a new replacement (same model), the Droid I was using would lock up without me knowing and all my calls went directly into voice mail. The only solution was to remove the battery and wait a few seconds before powering back up. This happened for a third time over a two week period and yesterday I only found out around 11am when I went to check my email accounts. I'm still willing to give this phone a chance as long as the glitch doesn't reoccur. Other issue include not being able to create and edit notes/memos similar to outlook and my blackberry. Also typing is difficult and no spell check is a drawback. This is a second phone that I use for family and friends and web browsing...so for that it is fine. My first phone is a blackberry that I use for business and is still a much better tool. Fun little toy...but I wouldn't rely on it as my primary phone. Good luck.

finally something that takes on the iPhone! December 17, 2009

Reviewer:  Harrison Kent 

Really nice. Big screen that is easy to read. Some good features the iPhone doesn't have, like the keyboard. Lots of software options, with a lot more free options than what I've found on iPhone. Hopefully that continues. Very fast. Like the iPhone, the worst part of this thing is the phone itself. Not bad, just not great compared to the rest of it. If you're just looking for a phone, this may be (and probably is) more than you need. If you like the gadgetry though, there is a lot here. It is up there with the iPhone and will hopefully make both of them better, thanks to the competition.

Droid is all about the Android OS which rocks! December 14, 2009

Reviewer:  R. Wolfe  (North of Florida) -

Sold my iPhone 3g I was so satisfied with the Droid. Much better now that the OS upgraded last week. I've read bad reviews on the camera, but I think it takes fantastic photos and video..Uploaded video to YouTube with one touch..just like the Flip cam.

Now, what will the Nexus One do to the Droid, and do I return this dang thing while I'm still in the 30 day period? Decisions..

Overall, this phone is the best Verizon offers, I've had several conversations with Verizon customer service and they are very helpful and pleasant. Get a Droid or wait and pay $600 for a Nexus, I just don't know.

A855 for over a year! December 8, 2011

Reviewer:  Scott G. Peterson "X Contractor"  (Up North) -

I bought this phone used. It was my first smart phone. I would say that it is a good phone. Never had any issues been dropped 5 times once from 13 feet onto concrete and never broke. Well worth the $150.00 I spent on it.

Motorola Droid October 19, 2010

Reviewer:  Greg Eng015 

I have owned the Motorola DROID A855 Android Phone for almost a year now, and thus far, I love it. It fit all of the criteria I look for when purchasing a phone. It has internet, email, facebook, a solid battery life, and a droid market to explore items to satisfy all of your needs. The Market application provides its users with numerous applications to make ones life easier, as well as provide the user with countless hours of fun with its games. If you are one who is looking to take pictures and videos with your phone, the Motorola Droid comes with a 5 mega pixel camera with auto focus and flash. It also has a google maps function and navigation application have come in handy numerous times. It is easy to use and easy to understand the directions it provide you with.

The most important thing that sets this phone apart from other Droid phones is the slide out keyboard. My girlfriend has the HTC Eres and hates it. The touch screen constantly malfunctions, it drops phone calls, and it is extremely slow. The Motorola Droid has some slight malfunctions when it gets a couple rain drops on the screen, but it is to be expected. As long as you properly take care of the item, you should have no issues with the phone lagging.

If you are looking for a smart phone that continues to improve with every update then the Motorola Droid is the phone for you.

Diggin the Droid October 6, 2010

Reviewer:  M. Burns  (Oakland, CA) -

The Droid has been great, even though it has now been eclipsed by newer, faster phones, but that's always going to happen. The minutes were more than I wanted, but there is no usable, lower plan. Verizon service has been great so far. Getting this on Amazon was a much, much better deal than I could have gotten through Verizon. I've been able to use my past cell phones for 4-5 years (including a Blackberry 8700), but I think the smartphone era is going to make 2 years tough, at least for a generation or so (of devices, not people).

Great Phone September 4, 2010

Reviewer:  Edward S. Ramirez 

Let me begin by saying that I am somewhat new to smartphones. Now that i have the Droid I have to say that I love it. I got the Android 2.2 on September 3, 2010, from Verizon. The screen is crisp and very responsive. The apps are great and there are plenty of them on the android market. With 2.2 you have 5 homepages and having adobe flash player (which can be downloaded from the market) makes the browsing experience top notch. Google has some awesome apps that come pre-loaded on the phone. such as, maps, navigation, and my favorite goggles. the only downside that i found was that the slide out keyboard is very flush, but having it is a plus. i cant really compare it to any other phone that i have had, but i have played around my friends iphones and i must say that i don't envy them!

Great Phone September 4, 2010

Reviewer:  Edward S. Ramirez 

Let me begin by saying that I am somewhat new to smartphones. Now that i have the Droid I have to say that I love it. I got the Android 2.2 on September 3, 2010, from Verizon. The screen is crisp and very responsive. The apps are great and there are plenty of them on the android market. With 2.2 you have 5 homepages and having adobe flash player (which can be downloaded from the market) makes the browsing experience top notch. Google has some awesome apps that come pre-loaded on the phone. such as, maps, navigation, and my favorite goggles. the only downside that i found was that the slide out keyboard is very flush, nut having it is a plus. i cant really compare it to any other phone that i have had, but i have played around my friends iphones and i must say that i don't envy them!

The droid is good September 2, 2010

Reviewer:  Mo Enteshari 

This is the first really well functioning cell phone I have every had. I am convinced that it is more than just the phone service providing the excellent sound quality. Call quality is great, picture and video are amazing, and the app store has so far supplied me with every extension I've thought up for my phone. The full, physical keyboard was a must for me and while my big fingers do occasionally mis-type things it's not as bad as I thought it would be. The on-screen keyboard isn't terrible either. With the first major update that was released, the browser, gallery, and Google maps all now have multi-touch pinch-to-zoom support. The new gallery is great and it also links in my picasa web albums so I have direct access to all my pictures from picasa as well. The best thing about it for me as well is that it links right into all of my google account, which means I can more easily manage my contacts, and I get to take gmail, gtalk, google voice, etc. everywhere I go. Can't say enough great things about this phone. Just went in the last week and got my wife one as well and she's really been enjoying it. I would highly recommend a protective case for Motorola Droid It's a little difficult to install, but made the touchscreen experience much better and keeps smudges off the screen as well. I, like many people, have been interested in an iPhone and almost left Verizon to get one when the DROID came out. I'm so glad I stayed and didn't leave... The DROID the best phone I've ever owned. It's everything I wanted out of the iPhone, but with a swappable battery and none of the apple-tax. This phone is as easy to use as the iPhone, but with all the bells and whistles that someone who's more technical could ever want.

Comparable to iPhone 3GS August 11, 2010

Reviewer:  Tushar Shah  (CA, USA) -

I am a former owner of iphone of 2 years but after my phone was stolen I had no reason to tolerate AT&T's poor coverage anymore. I settled for Droid because it is only 7 month old model, compatible with Froyo and it is buy 1 get 1 free.

I upgraded to Android 2.2 the next day.

The hardware spec is similar to iPhone 3GS but slightly better. First up, the screen is really sharp and even at its brightest it is slightly difficult to see screen in sun. Live Wallpaper really rocks.
The sound from speaker is crystal clear.
I haven't used slider keyboard much simply because soft keyboard works just fine. I am a fast typist but iphone was great at auto suggesting words so end result was much faster and uninterrupted typing. I could only type at half the speed on Droid because for auto suggested word I have to stop typing to pick the word. I even had touch screen issues in some places - flicking photos in camera album didn't always respond well, using thumb slider in Contacts didn't work with left thumb with works great with right thumb.
The icons on the phone are smaller than iPhone's so it could be harder to see for people with poorer vision. Market has many apps that are popular on iTune.
I love the Car Home feature - navigation is as good as you would find on standalone GPS device. Voice search feature is very easy to use and accurate.
I am little disappointed with the photos but the video is just great. Good thing is that it takes photos even in low light but pictures taken day time do not reproduce the original colors. Subject seems to be covered in white haze/fog. Video is very sharp and clear.
Battery lasts me through the day with moderate use. You have to be careful what programs you run because multi tasking can really suck up your battery. I have turned off sound and vibrate for all alerts. Good thing is that settings shows which part of the phone uses most power (50% is used by the display

Email accounts are easy to setup. Contacts and Calendar sync online which is very reassuring. Using cable to connect your phone to PC is so 20th century. Clock feature is very well designed so it can be kept at bedside.

Overall, it is a good replacement for iPhone 3GS and I would recommend it. I bought my wife one too.

Still the best August 9, 2010

Reviewer:  A. J. Griffiths "DG" 

Still the best on the market for bussiness use with the keyboard and ease of use.

Best phone I have ever had. Absolutely love it! August 4, 2010

Reviewer:  Dustin Slife "DS103"  (Lancaster CA) -

This phone is capable of so much. Works at amazing speeds. Tons of apps to make it even better.

Droid verses the Droid Eris July 29, 2010

Reviewer:  Artimus 

I love my Droid. I started with the HTC Droid Eris 3G and I will say it is a very classy, streamlined phone with a look similar to the iphone. The Eris is easy for anyone to use. The layout is nice and it does a lot of what the Droid does. My husband surprised me by giving me the Motorola Droid 3G however and while it took me about a week to get it set up to my preferences, I must say I couldn't be happier with it. It's like my own little laptop. The Droid is a little heavier and boxier than the Eris but its battery life far outlasts the Eris which would die on me in half a day.(I use my smart phone heavily and the Droid can usually make it through the day.) One of the great features that the droid has that the Eris does not is the voice navigation which works through google and you do not need a gps in your car when you have a Droid. I have used it and it has the same onscreen look that other stand alone gps systems use and the voiced directions are essential. I am the type of smart phone user that takes advantage of almost every feature the droid offers. I am a writer and I can download my book from my email or computer. Up-size it so that it reads in larger font (less words on a line is all) and I can edit and save and either dock or email the results back. I also use Pandora on my phone so I have tunes all the time. I can check my bank accounts safely. I text a lot with my kids. (I don't like the slide up keyboard as much as the onscreen for texting but the Droid out-does the Eris with its larger onscreen keyboard. I play games on my cell; Night at the Museum, Prince of Persia, Sims 3,Iron Sight, and Spore are a few and the Droid runs them flawlessly. Another fun feature the droid has that the Eris does not is animated back grounds,the aquarium looks just like the one on windows and cost only 2 dollars from the marketplace. You can feed the fish and when you touch them they swim fast and it has a shark and manta ray so its a fun little app(many apps are free BTW). I use the camera and the droid phone comes with a flash whereas the Eris does not.They both seem to take good quality pictures. The internet is faster on the Droid than the Eris. You tube works smoothly on both devices, they say both phones do video but the one movie I put on was glichy on both. I think the size might have been to large. I do miss the end and call button that the Eris comes with, the droid has onscreen buttons and calls are terminated when the other person hangs up, but I would have liked those buttons. I only use the physical keyboard when editing in word otherwise I stick with the onscreen one. Both phones use a real basic FB app but you can see posts and mail so its ok. Bluetooth works well on both devices. All in all I highly recommend the Motorola Droid over the Eris, though if you are a light user; internet, calls and a few fun apps the Droid Eris would be just fine.

Had to replace it 3 weeks later May 14, 2010

Reviewer:  Kelly A 

The phone, if working properly, is amazing. However I had to have Verizon send a replacement three weeks after I got the phone. It would frequently reboot on it's own and freeze up. I googled this problem and apparently it is common with all Droids.

Excellent Phone May 13, 2010

Reviewer:  Hojoon Chang  (CA, USA) -

Speedy, Nice,

Verizon seems wider network, but some places I go has low signal. I happens.

Great Phone May 10, 2010

Reviewer:  Robert Morris "Not So Grumpy Anymore"  (Spokane, WA) -

I've had mine for 5 months and really like it. It is a very intuitive phone to use initially. I had no problem figuring out the basic features on my own. Once you become a more advanced user the phone is highly customizable. I have done a lot of tinkering with mine, which is a lot of fun. The virtual keyboard works great. I find I don't have to use the slide out unless I'm playing a game which requires it. The battery life is also good - for a smart phone. A charge tends to last me a day or two, unless I'm using the GPS or streaming audio a lot. Overall this is a great phone that utilizes a great operating system.

I Love my Droid April 15, 2010

Reviewer:  P. Neff "BizOpZine Newsletter"  (Pacific Northwest, USA) -

I have had my droid now for close to a month. To say I love it is an understatement. I think it is a small computer that just happens to make phone calls too. This is my first smartphone and it does everything better than I could have imagined.

Motorola Droid Bargain April 12, 2010

Reviewer:  James Yi 

Motorola Droid is my first smart phone. So it is a little difficult to do a comprehensive comparison on where the Droid succeeds and where it fails. However, after extensive analysis in terms of specifications, user ratings/reviews, cost analysis, and the arrival of newer smart phones to the Nexus One and iPhone, I have to say that I am happy with the performance of my new smart phone and it is to an extent, smart.

Specification wise, the Droid and iPhone are similar with the exception of software. The Nexus One on the other hand has specifications that appear to be for the next generation. However, this does not mean that both the Droid and iPhone are old or slow by any means. My Droid runs quite smoothly and with the release of the Android 2.1 OS, many features (such as pinch to zoom) are very comparable to the iPhone and Nexus One. The one area that the Droid does fall short on is the camera, especially compared to the iPhone. The camera does take a long time to load and take a long time to actually take a picture. Pray that you have a steady hand and plenty of background light otherwise your picture will be a noisy, dark mess. However, if you overcome these conditions, the pictures are quite comparable to the snap and shoot digital camera pictures. Also, the touchscreen is quite sensitive which can make typing a little more difficult, but the sliding keyboard makes up for this in my opinion. Once I got use to the new sliding QWERTY keyboard, typing was easy. The direction pad is okay...do not have much to say about it.

In terms of user ratings and reviews, most people have claimed that the Droid is either fantastic piece of mobile machine that does almost everything they want or that it falls short of their expectations. My experience with this phone tells me that this is a fantastic smart phone. Mind you that this is my first smart phone and I only had this for a month. But when I consider what is a good phone and in this case a good smart phone, I want to know that 1) it will function well as a mobile phone, and 2) that it functions well as a smart phone (i.e. allows for smooth internet browsing, streaming, chatting/sms, and applications, etc.). To these criteria, the Droid is a strong competitor to the other smart phones as it actually functions as both rather than a smart device with poor phone aspects or a phone with poor smart features. The only aspect that makes this last comparison more difficult is the fact that none of these smart phones are on the same service...which makes it hard to determine whether it is the phone or the service that causes these expectations to fall short. To sum up, the user ratings/reviews are fairly accurate and the Droid is a great phone.

One important factor is cost. If you look on Google, there are others who have done a cost analysis with and without plan of the three phones I mentioned earlier. All quite comparable. So I wanted to take advantage of everything that could reduce cost down. This includes any rebates and discounts provided by the phone seller and/or the service provider. A note to everyone (especially those working in larger companies), check out your service provider to see if you qualify for monthly discounts...it could mean up to 10% or more off each month. Coming back onto topic, I got my Droid because 1) Amazon was having a great deal, and 2) I wanted to take advantage of service discount.

Lastly, as I was reviewing and trying to narrow down my selection I kept coming across the introduction of newer and smarter phones that had most of the features I wanted in a smart phone. However, with further research, this became an endless game of "wait, this phone has this, but in half a year another phone is coming out with better features." Hence to avoid this kind of vicious cycle, I made an executive decision. I choose the Droid. Why? Because of everything I mentioned above. The Droid's smooth interface and usability regardless of the slower CPU was a pro. The reviews indicated a great phone with few/minor flaws. The cost was right. And I did not want to constantly wait for newer phones to arrive.

KEY POINT: Great phone that actually functions as a phone and as a smart phone. Smooth interface and usability. Could stand further improvements like any other phone.

Simply - AWESOME!!! April 6, 2010

Reviewer:  Kimberly A. Kramer 

This is my first smartphone ever, and I have to say that it is incredible.