Verizon just confirmed that the Moto Droid will arrive next week for $199 with a new, 2-year contract and $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will need a voice plan starting at $39 and a web and email plan for $29 per month.
See our full Droid coverage here and look for a full hands-on later today.
HELLO HUMANS: DROID BY MOTOROLA ARRIVES NEXT WEEK
Verizon Wireless DROID By Motorola: World’s First Smartphone with Android™ 2.0
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – High-speed Web browsing, voice-activated search, customizable large screen, access to thousands of Android applications and hundreds of widgets and the best 3G mobile network in the country: DROID by Motorola arrives on Nov. 6.
Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest wireless 3G broadband network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today unveiled DROID by Motorola, the first smartphone powered by Android™ 2.0. DROID by Motorola features the brainpower and breakneck speed of a modern smartphone, designed to outperform where other smartphones fall short.
“We’re proud to work with Verizon Wireless and Google™ on the first smartphone to feature Android 2.0,” said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices. “DROID by Motorola delivers a rich consumer experience with warp-speed Web browsing, a mammoth screen, and Motorola’s expertise in design and voice quality. Combined with Android’s open, flexible graphical user interface and the power of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, DROID is a smartphone that simply doesn’t compromise.”
“This is an exciting announcement for Verizon Wireless, as the DROID by Motorola is the first device that we are bringing to market under our ground-breaking strategic partnership with Google,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “DROID by Motorola gives customers a lifestyle device with access to more than 12,000 applications that will help them stay in touch, up to date and entertained, using the best 3G network in the country.”
DROID by Motorola has a solid exterior, intelligent interior and is one of the thinnest full-QWERTY slider phones available. It is a no-fuss, high-tech, location-aware, voice-recognizing, over-the-air updating, multi-tasking machine – and it is available just in time for holiday wish lists.
With DROID by Motorola, you can:
· Zip through the Web: Access the Internet at 3G speeds via the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network or from any Wi-Fi hotspot. The multi-window HTML browser with a massive processor delivers the Web the way you expect.
· See it all in cinema-style: View the Web, e-mail, Google Maps™, videos and more in widescreen on a brilliant 3.7” high-resolution screen. Boasting a width of 854 pixels to reduce the need for side-to-side panning and more than 400,000 pixels total, DROID has more than twice that of the leading competitor.
· Run multiple applications at once: Customize your DROID with thousands of applications and hundreds of widgets available on Android Market™. Toggle back and forth between up to six applications at a time to juggle the universe and your apps.
· Perform Google Search™ at the speed of sound: Simply tell DROID what you’re looking for using voice-activated search, and it will serve up Google search results based on your location. If you want more, simply type what you’re looking for into the search bar on the home screen and DROID will also search content on your phone, such as apps and contacts, and the Web.
· Capture moments: Snap digital camera-quality photos with a 5 megapixel camera loaded with the works, such as a dual-LED flash, AutoFocus and image stabilization, or capture your friend’s antics in 16 million colors with DVD-quality video capture and playback. Store it all on the included 16 GB memory card, so you always have it on hand.
· Multi-task like a master: Keep tabs on all your messages with integrated Gmail™ and Exchange e-mail pushed directly to you, but don’t let them get in your way. With the handy Android notification panel, go straight to the message or simply ignore it, and get back to the task at hand. And, a smart dictionary learns as you type and automatically includes your contacts.
· Get where you need to go with Google Maps Navigation (Beta): DROID is the first device with Google Maps Navigation, providing turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps. It’s powered by Google and connected to the Internet. Use voice shortcuts and simply say “Navigate to [your destination],” and you’ll be on your way. See live traffic, use Street View or satellite imagery to view your route, and get access to the most recent maps and business information from Google Maps without ever needing to update your device.Pre-loaded Applications and Enhancements to Google Mobile Services:
· Google Maps: With layers in Google Maps, view geographic information, such as My Maps, Wikipedia, and transit lines, right on the map.
· Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
· YouTube™: One-touch recording and playback from homescreen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
· Google Talk™: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
· Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
· Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
· Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
· Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.Pricing and Availability:
· DROID by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, Nov. 6, for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
· Experience the all-new DROID by Motorola at www.droiddoes.com.
· To get the most from DROID by Motorola smartphone, customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide voice plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide voice plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access for 450 minutes and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan is $29.99 for monthly access.
· For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
$199 after the rebate + a 2 yr contract? And it’s one of those annoying debit card rebates that you can never fully spend? That’s hardly competitive.
I HATE THOSE CARDS!
I dont have an upgrade. Im buyin it retail. Does anyone know retail prcing?
$699.00 at Best Buy
no their rebates are VISA cards so you can pretty much spend them anywhere
Looks pretty long..i mean, the length:width ratio doesn’t seem right..reminds me of my pencil box in school..
Otherwise, the phone’s great!
The debit card has an option to transfer the initial balance to your bank account. That makes this offer just like mailing a rebate check.
i spend it on my phone bill and save my cash for whatever i need
Might have to do it….
the monthly costs are still too high.
i was hoping to find the value of android for me in a lower monthly cost.
Yes the giftcards are visas and they work everywhere. Also the value is incredible. Under 100$ a month for unlimited data usage, free turn by turn navigation, 16 G sdcard, full mp3 player, cardio monitor, calorie counter, qwerty and virtual keyboard, built in wifi, INSURANCE, scientific calculator, thousands of free apps, the fastest mobile network in existence, live mobile tv, garage door opener, mobile dvr access to your home, 5 megapixel camera, alarm clock, digital level, etc. Etc. Etc. Go buy all of that seperately and pay all the monthly charges, upgrade fees, insurance, learn how to use them all and try to put them all in your pocket. VALUE?
Anyone else notice “Google Maps Navigation”? Turn by turn from Google on Droid….
Now also available for other Android phones
I can’t believe how ugly it is…..
I have to admit, you’re right.
Like a couple of mismatched (in size & color) legos stacked one on the other.
Of course, both Verizon and Motorola had to slap their logos on the front of it too — just to make matters worse.
Is that a real screenshot? Seems to me Apple has gone after a lot less blatant rip-offs of their interface elements…
Which element exactly? The fact that it has icons?
I hope it will success.
I am definitely going to get it. The navigation itself is worth paying 200 for, which is offered free. FULL KEYBOARD, the best browser EVER(you can browse multiple sites while they are loading simultaneously). wifi, nice camera (eliminates the need of carrying a separate one) and the swiftness of android with imap processor. 16 gigs of memory and most importantly the most reliable network, VERIZON.
I personally think its a steal for this price
BTW, i dont work for either of those companies
Does Best Buy sell Verizon phones? If they do, wait for them to get it, they don’t do rebates.
the only problem is if you have New Every Two ($50), i dont think Best Buy honors it. Thats what happened on storm 1
>> a web and email plan for $29 per month <<
Way to give me no reason at all to switch from the iPhone.
What about the fact that you can’t get insurance on an iphone. But you can get insurance on any verizon phone.
As with all these other iPhone killers it just doesn’t make me want one instead. Surely someone can make something revolutionary and new.
Everybody seems to answer the questions posed by the iPhone rather than making their own statement.
I think this is the start of the real consumer mobile web in the USA… finally a decent device at a decent price with a decent subscription package and a decent marketing effort. It’s gonna save Motorola for sure.
Tethering?
Probably, but VZW will make you pay $$ for it.
I have to wonder about that. Android is Linux underneath, and the Linux kernel has all the hooks to build a router, so a 3rd party tethering app seems pretty easy. Maybe the Android Store wouldn’t carry it, but apps don’t have to go through the Android Store.
The only gotcha is that you might have to build a new kernel. (Now you can tell I’m a Linux geek. (-: ) Or maybe not. Maybe just loadable modules.
You to be root to play around with routing settings. So far no one has broken through the Sprint HTC Hero – who knows how long it will take to break through this.
Verizon can just sit back, analyze network traffic and flag people who they think are violating tethering terms.
Was just checking out the droid site, and it just keeps looping through the flash intro with the iDon’ts and never goes to the next page. Nice one verizon flash team… Tried on safari and firefox on OS X 10.6
that thing has a slide out qwerty keyboard tucked in there right? that probably has something to do with the appearance…
Amazon mp3 is a nice touch to – I’d much rather buy tunes from amazon that itunes.
Anybody want to buy my storm for cheap?
I’m just not impressed with android i think google can do way better then this imho i really dont see that much of a difference between andriod in winmo step it up google and MS.
haha you clearly havent done your research
Hey, what’s that elephant doing in the room?
Oh yeah … IT’S AT&T “service.”
Sorry, but a lot of VZW customers have been waiting for something smart that actually doesn’t forget its main purpose is to keep your phone call alive.
I think the marketing of the DROID phone along with Google’s marketing of Android is confusing some consumers. They could have chosen a much better name to keep the confusion at a minimum.
I can see the YouTube video now, “What’s the difference between DROID and Android?”
The iPhone definitely needs some strong competition, but I just don’t see DROID making that big of an impact.
I completely agree, but with the companies involved, you’d have to think this was done on purpose, and wasn’t just an oversite.
I’m sure Moto would be quite happy if somebody walks into a store asking about an android phone and is only shown DROIDs.
Sounds wicked good. Really glad VZ is finally focusing on their handsets. Free navigation too! Big Red is quite possibly listening to their customers.
I’m gonna take a real close look at this one. iPhone is great, but AT&T sux. Can’t stand it for much longer.
So…am I reading this right that you just have to have a normal VZ calling plan and then have to pay the $29.00 a month for the web and e-mail to do everything on the phone??
Any information on this phone would be great!
yup so what ever your plan is just add $29.99 for unlimited internet(5g cap, hard to hit that from a phone) and emails. If you already have a pda/blackberry then it wont change your cost
Huh? It reads like you need to get it with voice minutes? As opposed to the blackberry and all other verizon smartphones which have data-only plans as options?
Have they stopped to think that there is a Deaf community?
isn’t voice minutes your normal calling plan?
it is but VZ has data only plans for blackberries/some pdas where you cant talk on the phone(the plan doesnt have minutes)but you can still get emails and get on the internet. I think its called like data-only plan
Yes, voice is the normal calling plan. Between my partner being Deaf though (so we talk via email) and my not liking to talk on phones I can go months on my existing cell without placing a single call. Even a month of the 450 minutes plan would last me years. The blackberry plan is $50 for unlimited data, the 25 cents/minute for any voice minutes … a plan that would suit me ideally.
I like the iphone…but I’m going to go with the Android platform just to get away from AT&T. I’ve never had such terrible service and paid over $100 a month to be agitated. First the iPhone should act as a phone…and it doesn’t. AT&T blows. I seldom ever had a problem with Verizon.
I’m tired of hearing my fellow iPhone users just accept poor service. Finally there’s a way to get AT&T where it really hurts…their wallet.
Sure the Droid may not be the iPhone…but at least I can make a call on it. Why should I have to buy a microcell/femtocell just to use the product. That’s AT&T’s problem…not mine. Kind of reminds me of the folks that bought Vista Computers and then bought XP (before XP was being offered as an alternative). You rewarded a company twice for producing a flawed product, when they should have been offering XP for free to Vista users.
Does anyone know if Android will sync with my Exchange calendar?
hmm thats gonna be tricky…you might have to sync that to gcal and then sync gcal to your phone
Yes Droid / all Android 2.0 phones have “Google and Exchange” support built in
I’ll be in line early Friday to get it…trading in my HTC Imagio. :)
Sprint has android hero with 69 bucks for 1400 minutes and unlimited data, vs. verizon 450 minutes @ same $
cricket wireless has unlimited for $40, but thats not the point. The point is to have reliable service on a nice handset. I believe this will be verizon’s first handset that can do that.
You get what you pay for
Sprint doesn’t work well traveling from Chicago to Akron…I know this for a fact.
But don’t Sprint customers roam on Verizon for free?
The phone itself is worth about $200 to $300 more than the htc hero.
Hey AT&T…I may consider keeping my plan if you provide me with a free femtocell. Otherwise say goodbye to my $1,450 that I pay annually. Email me at FreeFemtoCell at Gmail.com if you want to keep me as a customer. If not…hello Droid!
thats gonna be tricky…you might have to sync that to gcal and then sync gcal to your phone
anyone know if this cdma + gsm? or cdma only?
RT @skremer Verizon introduces Motorola Druid phone. Best coverage standing in middle of a stone circle. Can you Stonehenge me now?
This thing is going to take off.
Any idea how much this will be for people on Verizon with existing contracts?
I’m coming up on 1 year with my existing phone and the Droid is tempting enough to pay a bit and sign on for an extra year.
199.99 after rebates for early upgrade and then if you have new every 2 then you take that off
chad how much you want for your storm??
do you need the voice plan and the web/email plan or one or the other?
both for now then they might launch data-only, but there is no voice only, you have to get internet no matter what
So, I haven’t done a Upgrade in 3 years. So I’m due for one. I’m really interested in the phone but I do get confused with the Voice plan fee … I dont need that if I already have a plan correct??
I will just have to sign up for the $29 web/email?
you are correct tori as long as you have a plan your fine you just need the date fee
Can i get the phone as just the phone without all the email plan and that stuff for the extra $$$ a month or is that necessary to get the phone.
Help! I’ve had a MAC since wayyyyy back, “current model” is a 2002 GR Dual Drive OS 10.4.11
Bought a Storm in ‘08 or’09 and couldn’t get my palm info to come over from my Centro.
Verizon is the best! I’m very interested in a DROID.
Any info would be of assistance – thank you