Droid Phone...critique wanted

[GB2]

I'm seriously considering the purchase of a Droid phone, I was wondering if anyone could describe the advantages and/or disadvantages of this phone, specifically between the different manufacturers of that phone. I believe there is a Motorola, an HTC and another brand. I understand they use the same operating system but each has different features. My interest is also mainly in using the phone to access email, keep a calendar/schedule, and have constant access to all my contact information. I wanted a phone that would sync to a PC to keep that data consistent and current but it's my understanding that the way it's handled in the Droid system is merely through a Gmail email account and there is no syncing as such. Is that correct or is there another way to maintain that data? I'd appreciate knowing what your personal experience is with this phone if you have one. I'd also like to know about things such as the battery life, etc. If you have first hand knowledge of how it compares to the Iphone, that would be helpful too. Thanks!

 

[300mphGraphics]

Don't care as much for my Droid as I did my old iPhone. Things like voicemail downloaded to my phone through my carrier (Verizon) is an additional fee where it was a standard feature on the iPhone. Of course, I could call in and go through a menu and retrieve it. I'm sure there's a free app out there, but I haven't found it yet. iPhone was much simpler in many ways. Typical Apple intuitiveness. Might be a comfort level I gained after years of iPhone and tweaking the Droid to get it the way I wanted. iPhone just came that way. Hated the iTunes method of updating it though.

 

[Sign_Boy]

Here are a few reviews - I hope it helps

HTC Droid Eris
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/htc-droid-eris-verizon/4505-6452_7-33799594.html?tag=mncol;lst;3

Motorola Droid
http://reviews.cnet.com/motorola-droid-review/?tag=mncol;lst;1

HTC Droid Incredible
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones...zon/4505-6452_7-34064029.html?tag=mncol;lst;2

Motorola Droid X
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones...zon/4505-6452_7-34122129.html?tag=mncol;lst;1

Apple iPhone 4
http://reviews.cnet.com/iphone-4-review/

 

[Ron Helliar]

Droid vs. Tour

I now testing both the BB tour & the Droid. IMO, what you describe you want to do, a Blackberry may be the more efficient platform.
The Droid excels at tying a lot of information together based on google products, but it does take time to set up and work through sync issues. The social networking integration is great. But there are operating problems I did not experience on the BB when you push the Droid hard.
The BB is brutally efficient at pushing email & contact management. Rock solid platform.
I have durability issues with batteries on both. The Tour has a upgraded 2600ma battery I can get a full day out of. The Droid's stock battery must have a charger within reach at all times. (3 hours max with my use). But, I intended to push it without restrictions on GPS, wifi, video and uploads to social networking. You may see a dramatic increase with limited use as phone and contact manager only. And remember the Droid is an open source platform. Which has some obvious security drawbacks complimenting the benefits.
If you are at a purchasing point, I'd strongly recommend picking up a used model of both and switch often to get a feel for your needs. (you'll pay as much eventually in any contract). In the end, any choice you make will have benefits & drawbacks.

 

[scarface]

I have the Motorola Droid for Verizon and LOVE IT. I basically run my business from it other than cutting/printing.

 

[tomence]

Do you print invoices using your little Droid.

Just messing

I have the Motorola Droid for Verizon and LOVE IT. I basically run my business from it other than cutting/printing.

 

[scarface]

haha, The droid is a awesome phone for anyone who uses it for business. It receives emails great, allows you to send photos to customers via email, and vice versa.

I had a BB Tour and it worked well also.

 

[Sparky]

I have the Motorola Droid right now (for another 2 days) and am about to switch to the Eris. I have had several issues with my Motorola Droid related to the phone and it has been replaced once through Verizon because I couldn't answer my calls. The speaker in the ear piece just kinda sucks and doesn't have the same quality as previous phones. The real slide-out keyboard is a bit small for my thumbs to be usable so I wish it was a bit thinner and didn't have the keyboard since I don't use it.

As far as the android operating system goes, I like it. I had an iphone before and will be going back when my contract is up, but until then, I am happy with the amount of apps and a couple of apps that I use that are not on the iphone and will never be.

Like I said, I am getting the Eris in a couple of days so I hope that phone will correct the flaws that I can't stand in the Motorola Droid.

 

[Mike_Koval]

LOVE the droid...previously had a crackberry world edition so it wasn't that hard to forget about that one.

I wouldn't change it for anything...email is perfect for work and ties in with gmail, contacts sync with outlook contacts, camera is nice, apps are useful and fun

 

[MachServTech]

I have the Motorola Droid and love it. I am upgrading to the Droid X

It really is the Android OS that is superior

http://gizmodo.com/5554293/10-things-android-does-better-than-iphone-os

http://gizmodo.com/5518214/whats-with-all-the-android-phones-heres-how-to-pick-just-one

 

[omgsideburns]

my mom is on her second droid eris.. has to put it on the charger every day. other than that she likes it, but she doesn't like that she accidently dials people when trying to scroll through her contacts.

 

[saktrnch]

Syncing with a droid sucks. There is no syncing without a gmail account. Fred Flintstone's phone was more advanced in that department. To sync music and other files it's drag and drop.

Syncing with iTunes and BB is easy. The first time you connect to your computer, you click on what to sync and it's done. I'm not sure how iTunes does it, but it will find music that you had 7 or 8 computers ago.

 

[Mike_Koval]

my sync worked without a hitch, both outlook and gmail...and unfortunately even my wife's facebook LOL.

 

[saktrnch]

my sync worked without a hitch, both outlook and gmail...and unfortunately even my wife's facebook LOL.

Glad you sync works well. So how do you sync the droid if you not on line?

 

[Mike_Koval]

If you are not online, there is nothing to sync to. I would suggest to open a gmail account from your droid and you can start there.

 

[GB2]

Mike, how do you sync to Outlook? I have my own email that I access via the web but it could be setup in Outlook. Would I be able to manage my schedule, contacts and email for that via Outlook on the Droid system?