Droid X: an improved Motorola Droid

by Colin Hilder  |  July 28, 2010

On July 15, Motorola and Verizon launched the new generation of Droid: The Droid X, also known as Xtreme, an Android phone which can easily compete with iPhone 4G and HTC Evo 4. The release date couldn't have been more convenient for Motorola and Verizon, iPhone 4G has a lot of complaints from the users, while the HTC Evo 4 just didn't rise to consumers' expectations. According to Motorola's reps, the new Droid X is “a pocket-sized home theater “ and has all the chances to become the peak of the Android smartphones.

Hardware

At first glance, Droid X is a smartphone which is hard to ignore, and I am saying this not only because of its size: 65.5 x 127.5 x 9.9 mm, but also for its looks: the cope on the back of the smartphone is made out of a sleek matte rubber-like material, which gives a nice feel in the hand, and also has the advantage that it will not slip off a table. Also regarding the looks, I have to mention Droid X 's high-resolution, 4.3-inch 854x480 pixel touchscreen display, which has a ratio of 1:16, and which makes this smartphone just perfect for watching HD videos. All these is powered by a 1GHz TI OMAP3 processor. The X has a built-in memory of 8GB, plus another 16GB microSD card, which is included, and which can be upgraded up to 32GB.

Also in terms of hardware, I have to mention the 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, geo-tagging, autofocus, face detection and capable of HD video capture (up to 720p), which is pretty impressive. With Droid X calling from noisy places it won't be a problem anymore, thanks to the 3 microphones included: 2 for other voice cancellation and 1 used for voice receptivity. Reviews about call quality are quite good, USA Today's Edward C. Baig said that Droid X succeeded where iPhone didn't.

Software

The Droid X is shipped with the Android 2.1 operating system, with the latest MotoBlur extensions, and with the option to upgrade to Android 2.2 (a version codenamed Froyo) later this summer. With this upgrade, we're promised that the new Droid X is going to be more business-friendly. Also this summer, Droid X is going to be enriched with another update: is going to support Adobe Flash (this is another advantage over iPhone). In terms of connectivity, Droid X benefits from Wi-Fi 802.11, USB 2.0, 3G Mobile HotSpot and also Stereo Bluetooth Class 1.5, Version 2.1+ EDR; and  has access to Google, Yahoo! Mail, Microsoft Exchange, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and photo sharing services.

Price and Availability

Droid X is available only on Verizon, at a price tag of $199 (after a rebate of $100), with a two year contract with Verizon Wirelss. But hold your horses and don't go to the Verizon store to buy one just yet, because it seems that Droid X isn't available anymore, due to that fact that it practically flied off the shelves. Try getting one after 23th July, when is going to be available again.

So, thanks to an enhanced set of features and glossy finishes, Droid X has succeeded to duplicate the success of its bigger brother Motorola Droid, and has great chances to even surpass it in sales.

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