Motorola DROID X unveiling event - DROID does neXt

Did someone say that the DROID does neXt? Well apparently it's looking to do more than that as the Motorola DROID X was officially unveiled today in New York City where we were fortunate enough in checking it out – just a day before Apple launches the iPhone 4. The atmosphere surrounding the event was similar to what we witnessed with the Motorola DROID back in the fall as it managed to bring Android into the mainstream. Naturally there is a lot that the DROID X has to live up to after the original DROID managed to jump start things for Google, Motorola, and Verizon. All the head honchos from Verizon, Motorola, Google, and Adobe were present as they brought the Motorola DROID X center stage for the entire world to see. During the hour long presentation, big names like Andy Rubin of Google and Sanjay Jha of Motorola, were on stage with others as they presented their vision and ideas that ultimately came together in the creation of the Motorola DROID X.





Android's summer fun might've been kick started by the HTC EVO 4G which brought on that larger than life presence that the platform was looking for. However, Motorola wasn't going to let them have all of the fun as they showed of all of the things what DROID can do – plus we were lucky enough to catch up with all of the action. Taking a look at the Motorola DROID X for the first time, we may not have been as overly impressed by its size now that the HTC EVO 4G has taken flight, but it's still nonetheless captivating as we can clearly see how they've retain some of the key design elements that made the original DROID such a huge success. For a while there, it was suspected to pack on a 4.4” display, but in fact, it tallies in at the same size used by the EVO 4G. After meticulously looking at the display, we noticed the DROID X's to be a bit longer and narrower – while the HTC EVO 4G's display was shorter and wider. We had no complaints in viewing the most detailed of text or images thanks to its healthy 854 x 480 resolution. We were especially taken back by how thin the device is versus the HTC EVO 4G, except for the noticeable hump near the top where the camera internals are stored, but it's construction feels solid – just like how the DROID was built like a tank. Material wise, we were content with their choice of utilizing that soft touch feeling material that doesn't dirty the handset after some use, while at the same time, it provides for an easy grip. After lugging around the HTC EVO 4G, we were also happy to notice how light weight and evenly balanced the unit is. Overall, the Motorola DROID X happily improves upon some of the design flaws that customers found evident with the original, but it will also enable consumers to take pleasure in its contemporary look.





Neither Verizon or Motorola were calling the interface seen on the device as “Ninja Blur” or “MOTOBLUR,” instead, they were simply referring to it as the Motorola DROID X interface running on top of Android 2.1. Upon turning on the device for the very first time, we were presented with the all too knowing animated DROID eye that's prominently displayed on all of the home screen panels. Unlike MOTOBLUR's in your face presentation of aggregating your social networking accounts, the interface on the DROID X is a bit more barren with the default layout out of the box with very few widgets cluttering the available 7 panels at your disposal. Thanks to the 1GHZ processor on board, moving around the new interface is seamless and quick – much faster and smoother than what we experienced on the HTC EVO 4G. It's strength in speed is further justified as we used the responsive, and we mean responsive, on-screen QWERTY to type something in – it's by far the most enjoyable Android handset for inputting text. Naturally, Swype is also on board to provide you an alternative method of inputting text if the default one doesn't meet your needs. Additionally, there are some other applications at your disposal to make the experience gratifying – such as the Blockbuster and NFL Mobile app. The smartphone will have the option to act as a Mobile Hotspot to accommodate up to 5 devices – which is optional and priced at $20 per month. We were also given a demonstration on its HDMI/DLNA capabilities as the handset was able to display a recorded video taken by the DROID X onto a plasma television in full fidelity.





Set to go on sale through Verizon Wireless and a handful of indirect dealers starting on July 15th, the Motorola DROID X is priced accordingly at $199.99 on-contract after $100 rebate. Verizon is looking to attract even more people to side with the power house Android phone by enabling any customer who is eligible for upgrade in 2010 to purchase the handset at the subsidized cost. So if you're upgrade eligibility isn't available until this coming October, you'll be able to upgrade to the handset come launch day and still receive the subsidized cost – so no need to wait until October to do that. Finally, the Mobile Hotspot is optional and will cost you an additional $20 per month if it's something you'll need, but it'll be interesting to see what happens when an Froyo is released later in the summer. We've been given a decent dose of what DROID does, but expect to see our in-depth review soon!

Motorola

DROID X Specifications