Agility Loop

Since I posted a one word status update that just said “Droid” I have had many folks ask what I think about the Droid and whether or not they should get it.  Back in the day I would have posted earlier, but lately work has been a little too busy to try to throw together a post about it (read – I’m busy, but really I’m just lazy).   So here is a quick take on my thoughts on the Droid so far.  Also keep in mind that I was coming from a 3+ year old Blackberry Curve running on AT&T so my iPhone comparisons are mostly from all of my friends who took the plunge and got the free Birkenstocks when they bought it.

Screen, Video, and Audio

The screen on the Droid is really pretty fantastic.  The screen is a little wider than the iPhone and video and movies look great (in particular, Shakira looks great).  I have watched Family Guy episodes, movie trailers, and played games and all look great.  I remember when I almost bought a ZuneHD instead of a iPod Nano a couple of months ago.  Glad I didn’t…really no need for another portable media device (you iPhone users already know this joy).

As for actually managing audio and video, the solutions aren’t as slick as what is available with iTunes and the iPhone.  As you would expect, the Droid can’t play DRMed content from iTunes (which is why I buy all my mp3s from Napster or Amazon).  Morotola has an application that can sync non-DRMed content directly from iTunes, but it is a bit of a pig.  The media player on the device is OK, but it could use an update…it just isn’t that user friendly.  BUT, it works…mostly.  I have noticed some weird crackling for some songs when I plug the Droid into my car via the aux jack.  These same songs are on my Nano and I have no problems.  This is seldom however, and I have solved the problem by turning the content down on the Droid and up on the stereo.

You can buy music directly on the device from the Amazon store.  That being said I haven’t used it yet.  I just buy them on the computer and then sync to the Droid.

Keyboard

So the Droid has a slide out keyboard and the requiste touchscreen keyboards.  As a long time Blackberry user the physical keyboard was pretty appealing to me…until I used it.  It has been described as mushy by others, and I see what they mean.  It is difficult to tell the difference between keys without looking.  I have gotten used to it, but it still isn’t great.

Like the iPhone, the Droid supports on screen keyboard in both portrait and landscape modes.  It took some getting used to, but luckily the predictive engine on the Droid is pretty slick so very often it is smart enough to choose a word for you.

Android Applications

The Droid comes pre-installed with what you would expect.  Email clients, browser, Google Maps, Alarm Clock, etc.  Facebook is pre-installed and it is a big leap from the Blackberry version, but is still not quite as impressive as the iPhone version.  The browser is quite good and fast (the 3g network helps).    Email clients can access web clients like Yahoo, but it is a “pull” from Yahoo so your Droid has to go out and pull your new emails.  Gmail integration is far superior and supports push email so email almost immediately is delivered to your phone as it hits Gmail.  Google Calendar and Contacts will also sync to the phone.  It basically just finally forced my hand to make the switch to Gmail.

The Droid can talk to Microsoft Exchange, and even other solutions like Zimbra.  Email is then pushed, and contact and calendars are synced JUST like the Blackberry.

The Droid can run over 10,000 applications that are available via direct download to your Droid from the Android Market.  Although Apple likes to brag about having over 100,000 apps, I have found all the apps that I really need.  Pandora, Bump, Lightsaber, Google Sky (a really cool app), Weather, etc.  Perhaps in another post I’ll put up a list of useful apps as I did with Blackberry.

The Droid also allows supports voice recognition.  You can use it to call someone, navigate to a restaurant, search your music, and search the web.  So far, I have been very impressed with accuracy.  However, it does require that you have a connection to the network for voice recognition to work (although so far Verizon’s network is fine everywhere except my office…awesome).

Of special note is Google Navigation.  Google Navigation is basically a full blown navigation system on your phone.  It uses GPS to determine your location and has the ability to dynamically route you to your destination.  I have navigation in my car, but it is such a PITA to enter a new destination.  Instead, I have found myself using my voice to simply state “Navigate to Rhino Bar & Pumphouse” and the phone takes over.  The one downside is that to you need a network connection for this to work.  However, I have read that if you lose a connection, the app will “catch up” once you have signal.

Usability

Overall I find the phone to very usable.  There are some functions that are not intuitive, but once I have gotten used to it I find that it just as quick as any other phone.  The phone allows you to do more customization of your experience, which in turn can make things more complex.  BUT, additions like gadgets (mini applets that run on your home screen and can tell you information, what music is playing, etc) make it worth thte learning curve.  What’s more, since the Droid can multitask, you can play tunes over Pandora while browsing the web, checking your calendar, and sending email.  However, the more you multitask, the more you kill the battery (more on that below).

If you are thinking about the Droid though, goto the store and play.  You will find out pretty quick if it can work for you.

Camera

Like ALL camera phones, the camera in the Droid is subpar.  Sure, if the conditions are right, you don’t move AT ALL, the picture is fine.  There is also a focus problem that is supposed to be covered in an update this week.  BUT, you do get a flash (so less people screwing with you when taking pics with the iPhone…who knows when they actually take the pic?), and  it is a 5.0 megapixel camera.  If the fix can take care of some of these problems, the camera will be much improved.  I still wanna know WHY cell phone vendors can’t get a damn camera right?  I’d love to not have to carry my Canon Elph if I already have my camera.

Battery Life

So so far, this has been the Achilles heal of the Droid.  Although the Droid can do so many things, first and foremost I need it as a phone AND for email/txting.  My first couple of days I would unplug when I wake and by the time I was heading home the battery was close to 20-30%.  That is CRAP.  Part of the problem is the custom nature of the Android OS.  Since you do so much, you can almost do too much and kill the battery.  The iPhone has been optimized over time to have better battery performance.  I have learned that I need to make sure that services like GPS and WiFi are off when they are not needed, the screen is set for low brightness, and to turn it off when I leave it at home or the car.

Still, I have contemplated over the last month that I may return it.  Like I said, I want to be able to count on my phone.  However, I now have gotten my phone to last almost 20-24 hours (I let it run all the way down yesterday…good to let this happen every 30-40 charges).  ALSO, there is a software update for the phone that is supposed to improve battery life.  My hope is that Verizon will continue to support the phone and keep on optimizing battery life (there is another rumored update coming in January.

Definitely recommend that you buy a car charger and maybe even a charger for work to cover your bases.  BUT, buy it off of ebay and not from Verizon.  It is WAY cheaper.

Overall

SO, should you get the Droid?  If you want something that is less customizable but more intuitive, then you may want to still consider the iPhone (here is some patchouli for you as well).  If you’re a heavy email user, the keyboard weakness may be a tough and the Blackberry still may be what you want.  However, when I first saw this was coming out I wanted to try something different, and overall I am happy with the phone.  Google is ALL IN when it comes to the Android OS and you should be seeing dozens of Android phones in the next months.  I am counting on Google  and Motorola maintaining an interest in this market and continuing to enhance the Android OS and the Droid phone.