HTC Nexus One and Motorola DROID: side by side
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We’ll keep this short because we went over Android 2.0 in depth in our DROID review, and covered the changes in 2.1 in our Nexus One review. Basically, 2.1 is a minor rework of 2.0 that brings an enhanced visual experience complete with 3D animations and Live Wallpapers. The most useful feature, however, is the new voice-to-text feature available in any text box. The server-side recognition works pretty darn well, and we only expect it to get better. A few manufacturers have tried to implement this in the past, but it never caught on due to poor results. Google has (as usual) nailed it and until other operating systems implement it this feature is a big differentiator for future Android devices.
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HTC Nexus One | Motorola DROID |
The Motorola DROID is powered by a TI OMAP 3430 processor running at up to 600MHz, while the Nexus One has a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon under the hood. Both have 512MB of flash memory, but the Nexus One doubles the DROID’s 256MB of RAM. These lead to a noticeably faster experience throughout the device and the HTC Nexus One trounces the DROID in performance, including web browsing. Like the display though, the DROID is no slouch and is still one of the faster phones we’ve ever tested.
Multimedia:
Again, there is little difference in the two devices here. The music and video players are the same in Android 2.0 and 2.1 and codec support for the two phones is almost identical (the DROID “does” OGG). Both feature 5 megapixel cameras that perform slightly above-average. Indoor pictures from both produced a significant amount of noise when viewed at full resolution. Outdoor images showed similar detail and still some noise, but were better overall. The Nexus One performed better in low light situations, and with both the flash is useful only up to a few feet away. Both record videos at 720x480; the DROID records at 24fps and the Nexus One at a minimum of 20fps, though higher if conditions allow.
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HTC Nexus One | |
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25 Comments
5. mr. anderson posted on 20 Jan 2010, 11:00 0 0
moto underclocked it to 550, but its actually a 600mhz processor
2. fsjon posted on 20 Jan 2010, 09:13 0 0
Funny how both behemoth of a smart"phone", failed at the most important aspect of it being a phone...in my eye, both are not desirable since I can't even make a phone call on it(don't want to miss a whole sentence of a conversation, or shift the phone slightly and I can't hear a thing). Should I just get an awesome netbook/internet table, and just carry lots of quarters with me instead?? I guess I could wait for the Nokia N900(to be subsidized). Nokia has the rep. for best phone call sound quality.
8. Striker13084 posted on 20 Jan 2010, 12:33 0 0
Yeah, I agree with you. However, the users of these devices don't use many minuites, they text and do the web more. I know that I talk alot less on my Droid then when I had a regular phone.
15. jwl3429 posted on 21 Jan 2010, 11:38 0 0
i have a Samsung omnia 2 from verizon and after having talked on both a droid and nexus one. i feel if you want a good smartPHONE that has call quality equal to a land line the omnia is the best choice
24. macron2000 posted on 31 Jan 2010, 20:32 0 0
Yes, every nokia I've used has had excellent call and speaker quality. And true, I use less minutes on my Droid these days, but when I do make a call, I'd just like for it to be clear. I probably shouldn't admit this, but ever since switching to the Droid, I find myself going out of my way NOT to have to make a call for that very reason (people saying I sound "underwater" or robotic).
3. pathmarkpolice posted on 20 Jan 2010, 10:41 0 0
Motorola usually has good call quality and I've noticed that Nokia is usually hit or miss with theirs, as most manufacturers are. Call quality on the cliq is good, I don't know about the nexus one, but the droid is kind of static-y, I placed a few calls on it in my area.
4. Ray posted on 20 Jan 2010, 10:56 0 0
people with tmobile do you choose the nexus one to own or the hd2???
25. macron2000 posted on 31 Jan 2010, 20:34 0 0
My girlfriend is going to hold out for HD2, especially with the updated specs (even though she can careless about that). Windows Phone just works out better for her.
6. vzwman posted on 20 Jan 2010, 11:22 0 0
i own a droid and the phone call quality is awsome in my opinion, no problems here!!!
19. totes_magotes (unregistered) posted on 22 Jan 2010, 10:44 0 0
i have a droid as well, and have not experienced any of the issues they claim while testing.
23. MichRick1 posted on 26 Jan 2010, 16:59 0 0
I have had my droid for about six weeks and talk an average of two hours per day. My call quality has been excellent, without exception, and I have never experienced any garbled or dropped words whether I am calling in state or across the country. In fact, I think my droid is the easiest phone to hear on I have ever owned. The speaker phone is also exceptionally crisp and clear and without doubt the best speakerphone I have, even better than my landline phone.
7. remixfa posted on 20 Jan 2010, 11:34 0 0
interesting, the Cliq's call quality is exellent and its concidered a "mid range" phone... lol
10. Homotechual posted on 20 Jan 2010, 13:03 0 0
Cliq is not a midrange phone, The call quality on my Nexus is amazing. Nexus/Tmobile FTW
11. dennismc posted on 20 Jan 2010, 13:41 0 0
I have had this phone for 1 month now and my call quality has been excellent.I dont know what the reviewer is talking about its better than my Blackberry Storm .geez.
14. BigRed83 posted on 21 Jan 2010, 08:47 0 0
I've had my DROID since launch, and am very pleased with it. Put it this way; I still own it. It's better than my Storm 1 was (though I still like that too). I also like the Touch Pro 2. I guess you could say I like technology. Is the Nexus One better? Not with the connectivity problems folks have been having switching from 3G to EDGE frequently. We will see how it does on the SUPERIOR network. Does it cost more? Yep. You also get what you pay for. It's that simple. Sure, Sprint charges fer less to try to grab/keep customer base. Tried them lately? Call their Customer Service? No, thanks. Been there, done that. I'm happy with Verizon, and see myself staying there for a long time. Also looking forward to LTE. THAT will be a kick.
16. SamTime posted on 21 Jan 2010, 14:51 0 0
I could've sworn PhoneArena said the complete opposite about the DROID's call quality in their review... Edit: And here it is: Despite it being a fully feature Android device, it is important to see if it works well for making phone calls of course. Chatting with friends is a pleasant experience on the Motorola DROID because of the powerful speakers emitting strong tones. Being able to hear a caller won't be an issue with the DROID – thanks to its loud earpiece speaker. Voices sounded loud and clear – except for a slight static noise that can be faintly heard at times. On our callers end, they mentioned that our voice was clear and distinct with no issues on their side. Switching to the speaker phone will result in the same manner we had with the media players – it's just too loud and produces crackling sounds on the highest volume, so you have to turn it down some. Fortunately it still manages to work well during our conversations. Overall, you really can't mistake what your callers are saying. We paired a Plantronics Discovery 925 headset and found it a bit unsettling when the DROID was unable to get voice dialing to work. Seriously WTF was this writer looking for? LAN quality voice calls??
20. PaulRivers posted on 22 Jan 2010, 12:07 0 0
Yeah - one review applauds the Droids voice quality, another bashes it. Makes you wonder if 2 different people did the review and one or both of them got paid off by one of the manufacturers doesn't it?
18. SamTime posted on 21 Jan 2010, 15:06 0 0
I'm calling you guys out on this PhoneArena http://www.phonearena.com/html
s/Motorola-DROID-Review-review-r_2304-p_5.html
21. Sweeny Russ posted on 23 Jan 2010, 11:23 0 0
I have the droid, call quality is an issue though I just flash the 2.1 nexus rom on it yesterday so it may or may not be better, you have to have the mic in perfect position next to your mouth or you sound like your talking through a tube, but I think it to be hardware related. That's why my work phone is an HTC imagio. It syncs seamlessly with outlook, call quality is perfect, and unlike the droid the light sensor is smart enough to know when the phone is up to my cheek so I don't end the call suddenly. Don't get me wrong the droid is a perfect toy and overall it completes tasks slightly faster than my imagio, but I only have to reset the imagio maybe weekly vs. the droid I get stuck in weird places several times a week.
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