Motorola DROID X Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)

by Motorola

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.6 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches ; 5.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B003UESOGA
• Item model number: DROID X
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,722 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)
  • #96 in Cell Phones & Accessories > Cell Phones with Service

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

A worthy successor to the original Droid, the Android-powered Droid X by Motorola for Verizon Wireless is a pocket-sized home theater with a massive 4.3-inch high-resolution display, HDMI high-definition output with optional cable, and 720p HD video recording capabilities. And the 1 GHz processor provides excellent response for game play, such as the preloaded EA Need for Speed Shift.

Droid X by Motorola is a pocket-sized home theater with a high-resolution 4.3-inch touchscreen display.

Additionally Droid X will feature Adobe Flash Player, enabling you to stream video from tens of millions of websites or game play with a full PC Web experience (Droid X users will receive Android 2.2 and Adobe Flash Player 10.1 via an over-the-air update in late summer 2010). You can also easily download BLOCKBUSTER On Demand presented by V CAST Video via a link icon on your home screen or use V CAST to watch your favorite shows.

With integrated Google technology, Droid X brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, GTalk instant messaging (with presence capabilities), YouTube, and Picasa. The Droid X also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. And through Android Market, you'll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.

In addition to high-speed connectivity on the fast and reliable Verizon Wireless 3G network, you can also share the built-in 3G Mobile Hotspot via Wi-Fi among five devices--laptop, another phone, MP3 player, and more (additional service charge). Droid X also utilizes high-performance diversity antennas along with innovative software to improve signal strength and reduce dropped calls.

The large touchscreen display offers pinch-to-zoom functionality and reveals a spacious virtual keyboard, where you can type and text with ease at more than 50 words per minute with Swype using one continuous finger motion across the screen keyboard.

Capture crisp pictures and video with the 8-megapixel camera featuring 720p HD video.

Preloaded social networking widgets allow you to sync and stream your feeds and updates from Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace all to one screen in real time. Other features include an 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, 8 GB of onboard memory and a pre-installed 2 GB memory card, ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, GPS turn-by-turn directions via free Google Maps with Navigation (Beta), and up to 8 hours of talk time.

DROID is a trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. and its related companies. Used under license.

Key Features

• Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV-DO, Rev A network
• Powered by the Android operating system (version 2.1) with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
• Advanced multitasking capabilities allow you to receive notifications, listen to music, and even record GPS data without keeping the application open.
• Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
• 3G Mobile Hotspot: The Droid X comes travel-ready with a built-in 3G Mobile Hotspot--a Wi-Fi hotspot that can be shared among five Wi-Fi-capable devices. The 3G Mobile Hotspot is the perfect family vacation companion, and at $20 for 2 GB and 5 cents per megabyte overage, it provides an allowance big enough for sharing with the entire family for downloading games, Internet access, and more.
• Get where you need to go with Google Maps Navigation (Beta), which provides 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.
• Swype input system allows you to input text faster and easier by gliding your finger around the keyboard, moving from letter to letter in one continuous motion. The Swype technology then calculates what word you're intending to type (learn more below).
• 1 GHz TI OMAP processor with dedicated graphics processor.
• 4.3 inch high-resolution touchscreen display (WVGA 854 x 480 pixels, 16 million colors)
• 8-megapixel camera with fast mechanical shutter (1/1000 second) auto focus, touch-to-focus, face recognition, panoramic modes, and more.
• Capture video in high- definition 720p HD resolution and customize your videos with a slow-motion effect as well as make them flawless with an advanced three microphone solution for directional audio capture and noise cancelation.
• HDMI video output for connecting to a compatible HDTV.
• Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
• 10 GB of storage right out of the box with 8 GB of internal memory and 2 GB preloaded microSD memory card. You can expand the Droid X up to a maximum of 40 GB with its 8 GB internal memory plus optional 32 GB microSD card.
• Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads.

  Watch live sports, latest local and national news, and full length episodes of TV shows with Verizon Wireless V Cast Video on Demand.

• YouTube app for streaming video over 3G and Wi-Fi connections.
• Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) certified technology enables you to stream, store and share content with multiple DLNA compatible devices such as a HDTVs, game consoles or PCs
• Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone (Android Webkit HTML5-based browser).
• Text, picture, and video messaging with threaded messaging feature
• Email: Corporate (Exchange 2003 and 2007), Gmail, IMAP, POP3, Attachment and browser document viewer (Microsoft Office and pdf)
• Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off

Vital Statistics

The Droid X by Motorola weighs 5.47 ounces and measures 5.02 x 2.57 x 0.39 inches. Its 1540 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 8 hours (480 minutes) of talk time, and up to 220 hours (9+ days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV-DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.

What's in the Box

Droid X by Motorola handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, 2 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide

Verizon Wireless Services

• Reliable 3G Network: With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon Wireless multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.)

• Visual Voice Mail: This innovative service enables you to delete, reply, and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Visual Voice Mail is the ideal tool for the busy mobile professional who may need to prioritize which messages he or she listens to first. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), create up to 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text or even voice mail.

• V CAST Video on Demand: This optional service enables you to watch full-length TV shows plus news, sports, weather, and live entertainment video clips. It features more than 100 full-length programs from leading broadcast and cable networks, ranging from highly-rated drama and comedy series to reality programs and children's programming. V CAST Video on Demand also delivers live sporting events, including NHL hockey games and an upcoming slate of college football games

  The service offers unlimited viewing of Basic Videos and the ESPN MVP channel. You can choose from 14 categories, including Entertainment, Kids, Music, Sports, Comedy, News, Pop Culture, Information, Women, Latino, Home & Leisure, Multicultural, Cutting Edge, and Hollywood. Additional subscription charges applicable.

Learn More

Swype Keyboard

An alternative to the Android virtual keyboard, the Swype virtual keyboard allows you to input text by swiping the finger with one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard. Based on testing, speed and accuracy are equal to or better than the traditional keyboard-tapping method. You can activate the Swype keyboard by pressing and holding in a text field, wait for popup to appear, click Input Method, and then select Swype.

In the image to the left, the word "quick" was generated from tracing the path shown above in a fraction of a second, by roughly aiming to pass through the letters of the word. A key advantage to Swype is that there is no need to be very accurate, enabling very rapid text entry.

Also Available for This Android Device

	Amazon Appstore for Android Get a great paid app for free every day.		Kindle Buy a book once and read it everywhere with our free Kindle Reading App for Android.		Amazon MP3 Shop 15 million songs and stream your Cloud Drive music directly from your Android device.
	IMDB Find local movie showtimes and TV listings, watch trailers, and search the world's largest source of entertainment information.		Audible Download audiobooks directly to your Android device, then listen wherever you go, get audiobook news, earn badges, and more.		Amazon Mobile Shop for millions of products, get product details, and read reviews--right from your mobile device.

Product Description

Verizon Motorola Droid X MB810 MEDIUM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

405 of 429 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Droid X is my favorite phone of all time, July 17, 2010

By 

Chromebook User (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motorola DROID X Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) (Wireless Phone)

I've own many of the Verizon Wireless (VZW) smart phones including the Treo, Moto Q, XV6700, Saga, Omnia, Touch Pro, Blackberry Curve, Storm1, Tour, etc. I also owned the first Droid (D1) and thought at the time it was the best VZW phone I've ever owned. Well, Droid X (DX) has changed all of that. The DX is now my favorite phone of all time. But is it actually "better" than the D1?!?!?!? Check out my review.


PROS

- The DX's X-tra large screen is beautiful. The touch interface is very responsive. I feels like a powerful computer in your pocket.

- DX is big but I don't think it's too big. I could actually "do" a 5 inch phone if VZW ever sold one. I use the DX one handed but I have big hands. ;-) YMMV, however.

- The screen size also makes typing on the screen easier. I usually hate virtual keyboards but I like this one.

- Web browsing on the big screen is a great experience. I can see myself not using my iPad as much now (I would take it along to the barber, doctor's office, etc.). When the DX gets Flash support, the iPad might be going to eBay. :)

- HD Video recording capability is super great.

- I actually like the new version of Moto Blur. The re-sizable widgets are cool. Plus you can remove anything you don't want to use. I guess this wasn't the case with the original Moto Blur. They just need to add a "close" button (or swipe to close) to the widgets so I don't have to reach down for the back button.

- Battery life seems pretty good, much better than the Incredible.

- FM Radio is actually pretty good.

- DLNA support will allow you to browse media stored on your computers, wirelessly.

- The DX is V Cast compatible.

- The DX has all of the standard Android functionality including the best, free voice activated GPS known to man. Need directions to "123 Main Street"? Simply press the search button and say, "Navigate to 123 Main Street". Want to know where the closest Pizza place is? Say, "Map of Pizza". Google voice navigation is unbelievably good.

- The DX includes full Microsoft Exchange support. I'm not sure if it includes remote wipe or other security features that were missing from the initial D1 release.


CONS

- I usually prefer physical buttons but the ones on the DX aren't that great. They feel cheap. Plus they are all the same height so you can't easily press the button you want without looking at the device. This takes away one of the biggest advantages of having buttons.

- Like many smart phones these days, DX doesn't have Send or End buttons. I don't understand why companies make PHONES that don't include buttons for starting and ending a PHONE call!

- Unlike D1, the DX power button is in the middle-top of the phone. This probably helps out the lefties (the D1 power button is on the top-right). However, I don't like the extra reach for the power button. I'm already reaching over a much larger device.

- Motorola has locked/encrypted the boot loader on the DX. Thus, it will be harder or impossible for third party developers to create custom roms for the DX. I think this is a mistake. Custom roms is one of the biggest reasons why the D1 was so popular. The d1 put Android on the map.

- "Free" wifi tether is not available at this time but hopefully soon.

- The syncing software that comes with DX is nothing to write home about. Syncing music, photos, and video to Android phones still remain a hassle. Google needs to develop something like iTunes ASAP. I read that they are working on a music service though...

- I find it hard to put the DX in its desktop doc.

- Haven't tried the camera much yet...


VS BLACKBERRY

I read that the growth of Android is more likely to hurt Blackberry (BB) than iPhone and I believe it. I tried many phones and always went back to the BB for it's reliable and efficient email experience. The keyboard, trackball, shortcuts, sleep case and more kept me very productive. Unfortunately, some of the BB advantages like push email, MS Exchange integration, unlimited messaging, etc. are now available on other platforms. Add to that, the BB doesn't have many of the nice features or apps offered on other platforms.

If 90% of what you do is send email and text messages, the BB is for you. Other than that, I can't really recommend a 5.0 BB device anymore. Hopefully BB OS 6 and the new web kit browser will change that.


VS INCREDIBLE

The INC has a nice screen but it's hard to see in day light. The INC also has incredibly bad battery life lol, possibly due to questionable signal strength. I have to laugh when I read about people disabling stuff on their INCs just to get the battery to last a day.


VS IPHONE

I think the DX is one of the best alternatives to the iPhone, if not the best. However, the advantage the iPhone has over the DX is really about the OS advantage. iOS offers better apps, better developer support, better integration with the desktop, and better overall user experience. The fact that Google leaves android owners to fend for themselves to sync data from the desktop is an epic fail. Sure, I can troll web forums, try several Market downloads, and get something to partially work. iPhone users don't have to do that. Within 10 minutes of getting their new phone home, iPhone owners can sync music, video, apps, photos, files, video podcasts, video rentals, files, etc. to their phone.

Also, custom roms are nice (DX doesn't even have this yet) but I don't think most consumers care about that. Flash might be a big differentiator but for all we know, Apple may soon allow flash to run on iPhone 4.

Until Google offers better desktop integration, the iPhone will maintain a significant advantage over Android phones.


VS DROID 1

This is a tough one... For me, it really comes down to how much you value the bigger screen over custom roms and/or having a keyboard. Some people may be interested in the DX's HD video recording as well. I can't say which is better because it comes down to what features are most important to you. I have to lean toward the DX being "better" at this point. The bigger screen and faster processor makes it better than the stock D1. If you hack the D1, all bets are off. However, if the DX gets custom roms, overclocking, etc., I think it will become the clear winner, at least until Droid 2 comes out. :-)


BOTTOM LINE

I think the Droid X is best stock VZW phone available. Its big screen makes it really a computer in your pocket. The HD video recording capability is great. DLNA support is great. I didn't even know an FM radio was included- nice! Battery life so far has been really good, especially considering its big screen. The DX offers just about anything you need in a phone sans the front facing camera. This one device may replace a standalone mp3 player, gps, camera, camcorder, netbook, and possibly, an iPad. The Droid X simply does it all.

Is it the best Android phone on any carrier? I haven't used the EVO so I can't say which I would like more. VZW's voice network and customer service are better than Sprint's so the EVO loses in that respect. The Incredible was crippled with poor battery life so that's a no-contest. The only real, current competition is a hacked Droid 1, if you care about hacking your phone. I personally don't care about custom roms. For these reasons, I think the DX is the best Android phone to date. However, the current champ may lose its belt to one of the many great phones that are coming out soon. But at the end of the day, the real winner is the Consumer. There will be many great devices to pick from and that's always a good thing.

TIPS

- Hitting the home button twice brings up the voice dial app.

- For free USB or blue-tooth tethering to your laptop/netbook, try PDANet.

- You can tether to your iPad! You have to jailbreak the iPad and install the blue-tooth dial-up networking. Search one of the iPad forums for details.

134 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE MONTH UPDATE AND COMPARISON., July 26, 2010

By 

MP - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motorola DROID X Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) (Wireless Phone)

08/22/10 UPDATE: QUESTION: Would the large screen of the Droid X allow users to see more things or the same things in a larger size on its display? Has already been over five weeks of using the Droid X and no complaints. This week I ran some "home tests" trying to answer the question on how programs will be seen in its larger display and have included some Photos.

The process was a direct comparison with my I-Pods Touch (running IOS-4). Said Apple products were used because their display is the same size as the I Phones and the recently introduced Droid 2. The I Pod Touch accessed the Web trough Wi-Fi and photos have not been adjusted, only cropped to size. The results showed some unexpected results that answered my question but not the way I anticipated. Included are photos demonstrating what I describe below:

1. Keyboard. The virtual keys for the Droid X are almost double the size of the Apple device. More important, the keyboard stretches to the full screen when in landscape (the I Pod does not have landscape capability even with IOS 4) and the key organization of the Droid seems to be designed with users in mind as for having included the period and the comma in the main screen amongst many other goodies.

2. Displaying e-mails. When the same e-mail is displayed in both devices. No major differences as for content but fonts in the Droid X are almost twice the size as in the I Pod Touch.

3. Urbanspoon. With the Urbanspoon, the information is about the same for both devices. The larger display of the Droid X is basically lost area with the "urbanspoon" logo.

4. Weather Bug. Using the Weather Bug, the Droid X shows more content and more important, shows an additional decimal digit for the temperature reading.

5. Browsing the Web. On C-Net's TV podcasts, the larger screen of the Droid X allows users to see more information on the display.

Thus, answering my own question on the larger display on the Droid X, seems that all depends on the way that specific applications/programs were designed for the Android Platform vs the I Phones OS. On some instances (e-mails), things were displayed larger. On others, the larger display of the Moto device allowed more content to be displayed (Weather Bug & the C-Net website). On a third group, exemplified by Urbanspoon, the content is the same and the larger screen shows basically useless/dead space on the display.

A point to remember. These are home tests done with I Pods from 2007 and I have not yet played with the Droid 2. The Droid 2 has many features from the Droid X and new I Pods will soon be unveiled with a front facing camera and not unlikely the Retina Display of the I PhoneFour4. And I use I Pods for e-mail and web browsing through Wi Fi only, never to watch movies or even for music listening. For these, I use old Zen Visions (from 2004) which I modified with 120 GBs of HD space.

Hope that these comparisons are useful or at least interesting to you as a consumer and if someone conducts similar comparisons with the Droid 2, the I Phone Four or the new Sammys, will be worth reading about the results and your opinion.


08/14/10 UPDATE: It has been almost a month (29 days) using the Droid X and time to decide if I it should be returned or if it is The Keeper because the VZNs 30 day return policy ends tomorrow. Since my last update, one major event happened. After all the fuzz & buzz regarding the E-Fuse that allegedly Moto had installed in the Droid X and will self-destruct the phone if users tried to modify it, I decided to see if indeed the phone would self-destruct while still under the return policy.

Last week when VZN sent the Froyo (Android 2.2) for the Original Droid users, I was able to download it from the Internet. The phone was backed up (over the air) and the Froyo file copied on a Micro SD Card. Following the instructions, installed the card and rebooted the phone. Opened the zip file and although it seemed to self-install, the phone went dead. I thought that the feared E-Fuse had gone off and would have to go to a VZN store with a credible explanation of what have happened.

But checked on the Internet and found a posting on how to get the phone in recovery mode. Thus, replaced the Froyoed card with the original one, got the phone in Recovery Mode (with the mechanical buttons; power & volume) and was able to restore the Android 2.1 OS. Rebooted it again and the phone self-synchronized with VZN and all contacts, links, etc, came back as backed up. Applications had to be reinstalled one by one. Thus, seems that the story of the E-Fuse that self-destructs the phone is not true at all.

Have used the phone in low reception areas and even with the signal meter showing just one bar, can access the Internet and make phone calls. Battery life continues to be excellent and with the customization capabilities of the OS, the phone goes into a sort of sleep mode (called Off Peak Hours) at midnight and wakes up at 7:00AM. With a third party application; Tasker, have been able to do modifications as to which "things" are on in specific events. For example, the GPS turns itself on when any of the applications that use positioning is launched. Otherwise it is off. With said application and moderate use of the device, have been able to get up to 48 hours from a single battery charge of one hour.

For those of you who are considering the Moto Droids, be aware that you must have a Google E-Mail account to access your contacts. Google allows you consolidation of other e-mails or you just import your contacts from Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. Your Google E-Mail is accessed on the phone and all the information of your contacts show up. The latest from Google is that they allow you to log on multiple accounts from a specific device. Very convenient but anticipate that this will end.

The keyboard has proven to be very convenient, especially the large virtual keys and the predictive texting. With just the first three to four letters of a word, alternatives show up under the texting area and you pick up the proper word. On 08/12/10, Google announced the One Voice for voice recognition or voice to text. I installed it but does not work. Seems that needs Froyo and the latest reports are that will be delivered over the air on the first week of September for the Droid X.

A couple of things that I had not covered before. The camera and camcorder work great and files can be searched alphabetically or by date. Video streaming is uninterrupted but have not received any with HD resolution.

Having said all this, I must re-classify the Droid X with five stars, especially because even after erasing the OS, was able to self-configure itself over the air and have not had any problems at all with the new toy. It's a keeper until at least next year.

Hope that my review and updates have been useful to you.

07/31/10; UPDATED REVIEW. First, thanks for the consumers who have found my Initial Review helpful and classified it as such in Amazon. Has been two weeks using the Droid X as my only means of communication besides Skype. Overall, it is an excellent device with amazing customization capabilities but have found that the Droid X may have an even more limited customer market. As amazing as the Droid X is, IT IS NOT A PHONE FOR PERSONS WHO ARE TECHNO OR COMPUTER CHALLENGED, at least for now, if they want to get the most of this marvelous Moto engineered toy. Otherwise, there are many simpler phones that will not complicate your/their life(s).

THE BAD: First issue, being such a new device, not many vendors have the accessories for it and even though I received the ordered seven in one package from Amazon, still, no one has manufactured the proper case for the phone. See last photo below.

Second, the Verizon website offers plenty of features to customize your phone and play with it; messages, ringtones, etc. But it does not work with 64 bit computers. And after downloading and installing the software, you get a message that it does not support computers running 64 bit OS.

Third, there is not much information on the Web and most of it relates to the original Droid which is not compatible with the new X version. After following advices posted to load ringtones, videos and photos, noticed that most were wrong and had to erase all the OS system.

THE GOOD: Reception, battery life and call quality continue being amazingly good for a device with such a large display and now that I have been playing with some Multi Media features, can give you an update on these. Besides, the phone has become the center of attention of some persons; from a Security Officer at the local Airport to friends that have noticed the change from my Blackberry look alike old Nokia (E-71) to this MONOLITHIC 2001 SPACE ODYSSEY Movie alike icon.

Unlike other devices that limit MM features, if you work around, you will be able to customize caller IDs with JPGs (not animated graphics like some Samsungs), from your favorite characters to recent pics of your kids and/or significant persons. The Photo Gallery even included the date of the pictures you uploaded. The audio is OK with a single rear facing speaker unlike other devices which have two speakers. The only limitation encountered is loading videos. Have tried at least 10 different movies to be converted from VOBs into compatible and reasoably small formats but unable to load these on the X-device.

Thus, after using the Droid X for two weeks is still a KEEPER that fulfills my needs as for a device that can make calls, browse the web, get e-mails, messages and use a GPS w/o paying the extra... Read more ›

63 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Droid X or Incredible...I've owned both--which do I prefer? Read on..., September 16, 2010

By 

Jeff Edwards "RadioJeff" (Twin Falls, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Motorola DROID X Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) (Wireless Phone)

When I originally decided to make the switch from Blackberry to Android, I did a great deal of research into the whole Android platform, what's good & bad and did all I could to be entirely ready for the whole new learning curve that a brand new OS usually brings. My plan was to hit the ground running and be as proficient as possible with my new phone by the end of the first day...and THIS is where I ran into my first speed-bump. I went to literally a dozen stores hoping to get an X only to find they were all out-of-stock and the back order was 3-6 weeks. This of course was my own fault for not making the leap when the X first came out. No, I waited a while and found they were totally out everywhere I looked. So I ordered one anyway, and waited. And waited. Week after week I waited. I finally lost my patience (partially because I was going to give my wife my BB Tour and she was quite interested in trading up seeing as her old Curve was in dire straights and we weren't sure how long it'd last) and just went in and ordered the Incredible.

I was initially VERY impressed (see my review) with the Incredible. Unfortunately the sales rep told me a few things in order to get a sale from me that turned out to be entirely false. Namely that the DInc had the same pre-installed SD card as the X--it does not. Oh, and she also said that the 2.2 Froyo update was already done and ON the phone--it was not. This was--IMO--a blatant lie in order to secure a sale. Had I been working with just a regular sales rep at the Verizon store I went to I suppose I could forgive an honest mistake, but this was the Manager, and this kind of mistake was almost certainly an intentional one. I bit my tongue, however and moved on. After a few days decided that I just wanted the bigger screen and came back--to the same Manager--and informed her I would like to use my 30-day trade-in option. Once again, there was NO X in stock and they really couldn't tell me when another would be coming in. I began to get discouraged but a funny thing began to happen literally the moment I began to seriously consider keeping the DInc: I began to really like the phone...a lot.

After a couple weeks I woke up and found the OTA Froyo update was waiting for me to activate. Initially I was VERY excited knowing the phone improvements would make it even better. I noticed better battery life (improved by about 15-20%--but keep in mind the DInc's battery woes were abysmal to begin with) and improved web loading. What I DIDN'T initially figure out was with the update came a few new widgets that would spontaneously start up regardless of how often you used the Task Killer to close--or even by Force Closing it using the Manage Application function. I would routinely check my Auto Task Killer and notice City ID, Skype and a few others almost ALWAYS on and running. I do not use (at least not at the moment) ANY of these apps and yet they would auto-start ALL the time. This infuriated me until I read on dozens of forums how using an app like Auto Task Killer are not really all that necessary because Android is designed to manage most of those functions all by itself. I DO use a Task Killer, but only to exit from the Internet and manually close some of the apps I use now & then and just leave the rest alone. I set the ATK to ignore certain apps and discovered my phone STILL worked fine and I noticed absolutely ZERO lag time or issues with the phone slowing down with some of those programs running quietly in the background. Face it, unless you physically open Skype, or City ID and tell it to DO something, it really isn't using up any memory. For those who are absolutely anal about shutting off absolutely everything using a Task Killer, look around on the 'net and read some of the forums--especially those from Android developers--and see if this isn't true.

Right at the point when I was accepting the fact that my DInc was forever going to be mine, I got the call that an X had showed up. I rushed over, made the trade and I wake up the next day with mixed emotions. I had really grown accustomed to the HTC Sense UI and I gotta say, that overall it was a MUCH more polished and better all around LOOKING system than what I now have with the X. That does not mean I don't like my X, though. They are just two very different phones using a variation of the exact same OS. One just happens to be more polished than the other. I have noticed that the screen is just amazing on the X. Bright and obviously huge...but not TOO big. The X has a few more pixels than the DInc does, but since one has a smaller screen, the density is greater and therefore the Amoled screen on the Incredible also looks brilliant and very vibrant. One thing that hampers the DInc in a VERY serious way was the ability to read it in direct sunlight. I had read all over that this was a major problem, but dismissed it because I rarely used my phone that way--or so I thought. It was amazing how often I did, and boy did it suck under those circumstances. The X on the other hand was much easier in sunlight to see and read. Point goes to the X on this one.

One place I noticed another difference was in swiping the Main screen to the adjacent screens is more responsive on the Incredible and I have found several times that the X takes several seconds to even register that I tried to go from the Home screen to one on either side. This puzzles me because they are both comparable in every way--even down to the 1 gig processor...so why the lag time? Oh well. After using 2.2 on my phone for a few weeks I now am back to 2.1 Eclair on my X, so that too is a small step backwards. It'll come, eventually so I'm not too worried.

I absolutely LOVE Swype. The X comes with it right out of the box, but I really had to look for it for my DInc. The Beta trial had ended at the Swype homepage, so I looked and looked (and even downloaded a VERY similar app called SlideIT which worked great--but after a few days it too ended because it was just a trial version) and finally found Swype for free. I have noticed ONE thing that the version on my X had that wasn't on the version I downloaded to my Incredible was the microphone option for times when I don't want to use my fingers and just speak out what I wish to text (a progam which is absolutely freakin' amazing, btw), there IS one on the Swype keyboard on the X...but I had to change out the keyboard to the original on the DInc in order to use that function. It was a bit annoying, but didn't really bother me. Its nice to see it included here.

I also kind of miss the buttons along the bottom of the DInc along with its optical trackpad. The physical buttons on the X seem quite a bit different--and not in a good way--than what the Incredible had. Just more responsive on the Incredible. I miss them more each day...again, oh well. There are several reasons why you may like one phone over another, and this is also one of the reasons why I believe Android will eventually really eat into iPhone sales: diversity. HTC makes Android phones, and so does Motorola & Samsung just to name a few. Each company have placed their own unique version of Android on their phones, some are better than others, some have options the others do not but its the options that make the platform so amazing. If I hate AT&T (and I DO, with a passion...) but still want the iPhone on T-Mobile...I'm SOL. However I get plenty of options if I want an Android phone, because they have at least ONE model on each and every carrier in the US (more depending on which provider you may have). Being able to customize your phone, having the TRUE ability to multi-task with a Droid versus what iPhone passes off as multi-tasking (and ONLY with the most recent version--if I am not mistaken) is just SOME of the reasons why this platform will not only work, but thrive. For those who are insistent that iPhones are better I say this: honestly, its just a matter of opinion at this point. If I had an option to get an iPhone on Verizon, I really might get one. I think iPhones are awesome (their reception issues notwithstanding), but there are things you can do with Android you simply can't do with the iPhone and vice-versa. The app market for BOTH platforms are SO huge now that it really doesn't matter which phone you get, there are more apps than you will EVER need and all the good ones developed for the iPhone have a counterpart for Android, too so that point is essentially moot. If you are willing to accept AT&T's absolutely horrific so-called nation-wide service, be my guest. Having had such a terrible experience with their service with my BB Bold in my particular area pretty much soured me on them for good...however YOU may get fantastic service where YOU live, so again, its a matter of preference.

Undoubtedly I will make some updates in the coming days and weeks as my experience continues to grow....but I also feel compelled to note that the biggest problem with Android thus far is how amazing they are and how much fun they are to play with can seriously eat into your productivity at work--IF you let it. Keep that in mind and come back soon and see what else I felt important to add to my review. Oh, and thank you for reading.

***UPDATE #1***

Battery life on the X is definitely better than on the Incredible. I'd say roughly 30-40% better...and considering how massive the screen is, that is saying something.

I have noticed an ENORMOUS difference in switching from the Incredible to the X while browsing the internet. I guess you don't really know or appreciate how much different and better the experience is as a whole with Froyo 2.2 than with 2.1 until you use one for a few weeks and then switch to the other. HTC put Flash Lite on the Inredible even without 2.2, but WITH Froyo, the internet really IS dramatically improved--seriously. I... Read more ›