J isn’t one for extravagant gifts, but this past Christmas he gifted me with something I had been drooling over for a very long time: the Motorola Droid.

I convinced J to order the phone through Amazon, since its $149.99 pricetag was a lot more attractive than the $199.99 offered by Verizon Wireless stores.

(Note: Amazon is now selling the phone for $119.99 with a new contract!)

I had never ordered a phone via Amazon before, so I was a teeny bit nervous. I was soon to discover that my nerves were not for naught:

1. Amazon did not give me an option to port my existing number. They (or Verizon) automatically assigned me a new number based on my billing zip code. I had to wait for the phone to arrive, then call Verizon customer support in order to use my existing number on my new phone.

   However, I must admit that Verizon made the porting very painless. The entire process took about 3 hours: 15 minutes on the phone with Verizon, and the rest waiting for the number to be ported.

2. The phone I received was not brand-spankin’-new. How do I know this? When I peeled off the protective film, there were fingerprints on the screen. Yes — under the protective film.

   J told me to return the phone to Amazon for a replacement, but as far as I could tell, there was nothing wrong with the phone save for that one tell-tale fingerprint. So I decided to keep it.

Despite these small obstacles, overall I am very, very happy with the phone. It’s hands-down the best phone I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned twelve different phones since 1999!

Now, on to the pros and cons!

Pros:

1. This thing is fast. One of the biggest problems with previous Android devices is that the hardware could not keep up with the software. The Droid’s Arm Cortex A8 processor certainly keeps up and then some. Although the Droid runs a newer and more advanced version of Android than the HTC G1, I could immediately tell the difference in the “snappiness” of each phone.
2. The web browser is amazing. When I first navigated to a site, the page loaded as if I were on my laptop. All I could do was let out a squeal. I use the phone’s browser even when I’m home! (Because there are times when this blogger is too lazy to drag her ass 8 feet to her laptop.)
3. The navigation system is top-notch. I do not drive much, but there were many times that I sorely missed my LG Voyager for its navigation system. Sure, the G1 (and other smartphones) have Google Maps and its navigation feature, but the Droid’s navigation takes full advantage of the phone AND the superior Verizon network. Don’t believe me? See Droid vs iPhone: Which Has Better GPS? Oh, and there’s also the fact that you can use voice-search on the Droid’s navigation system too…

   
   The Droid goes into “car mode” when attached to the optional car mount,
   which can be mounted on the windshield or the dashboard of your car.

4. The design is TDF. I heart, *heart* the sleek angular design (I tend to prefer angles over curves on my gadgets).
5. The build quality is superb. The phone feels solid in your hands, and I could definitely tell that Motorola did not cut corners on parts.
6. The 5 MP camera comes equipped with flash. ‘Nuff said.
7. I finally have a clock for the bedside table! A small confession: we do not own a single clock in our house. As for alarm clocks, we’ve always used our cell phones. So in addition to the car dock, J also purchased for me the multimedia station to place on my bedside table.

   
   The “dock mode” screen in all its glory

   The phone goes into “dock mode” when placed on the multimedia dock (which also acts as a charger). As you can see above, not only does it tell the time, it also displays the current weather, and has touchscreen options for music, picture slideshows, and the alarm clock. When you touch the little lightbulb, the display dims like so:

   
   (Yes, that is my basal body temperature thermometer right next to the phone.)

8. The battery life is superb. Even after a full day of talking, texting, using the GPS with the talking navigation system, picture-taking with flash, AND latching onto various WiFi hotspots, I usually still have 1/4 of the battery remaining.

However much I want to go on and on about the Droid’s merits, no device is perfect, and the Droid is no exception…

Cons:

1. The keyboard sucks. One of my main reasons for choosing to go with the Droid over the iPhone, the newly released Nexus One, or even the über-sexy Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is their lack of a physical keyboard. However, the Droid’s keyboard just plain sucks. The keys are tiny with no gap between each key — even my teeny weeny fingers have trouble typing on this thing!
2. The screen seems to attract grease and dirt. The anti-glare coating used on the Droid acts as a magnet to fingerprints, grease, and dirt. I have read that using certain protective films can help alleviate the problem so I might try this method.
3. This is more of a gripe against the Android system rather than the Droid, but I wish there were a desktop application for managing Android devices. I personally believe this is one of the greatest advantages that the iPhone has over the Droid. Since this topic has been rehashed on numerous sites, I have no doubt that the Android team has a desktop application on the way. The real question is: when will it be ready? And, on a more personal level, will it be Mac-compatible?

So there it is. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them!

I admit it — I’m a cell phone whore. And as much as I love my HTC G1, I hate, hate, HATE the T-Mobile network. The problem is made worse by the fact that I had switched over to T-Mobile from Verizon (the best network in the U.S.) for the G1.

I refuse to switch over to the iPhone. I hate that it is a closed platform, and that it forces developers to jump through hoops and wait unreasonable lengths of time for an app to get approved.

(Case in point: the Squarespace iPhone App was finally released this week. Apple’s approval process had taken so long that the Squarespace team is already well into the next version of the application. As with all freshly-released applications, there are minor bugs and issues with this app — which have been fixed in the newer version — but Apple’s lengthy approval time forces the users of this app to keep waiting.)

I also have had bad experience with AT&T in the past, and I hear that they are not much better these days.

This is precisely the reason I have been waiting with baited breath the release of the Motorola DROID, which is available on the Verizon network TODAY.

Just in case you do not follow numerous tech blogs like me, you should know that the DROID is being touted as a “killer phone.” Read Mashable’s roundup of reviews here.

Enough with the drawn-out introduction. Let’s get to the crux of the matter here.

Having read numerous reviews of the DROID over the past month, I am always tickled when I read that one of the “cons” of the DROID (or the Android platform in general) is that it “only” has 12,000+ apps when the iPhone boasts 100,000+.

100,000+ apps? You better be sure there’s an app for that.

But when you really think about it, isn’t 12,000+ a significant number too?

I mean, how many apps do you really need? How many apps can you really use on a phone that cannot run background apps? (Which, to me, counts as another “con” for the iPhone.)

I use my G1 extensively. And after having downloaded tons of applications, I end up deleting the majority of them and only use about 5 extensively. Because let’s face it: whether you use the iPhone, an Android phone, a WinMo phone (shudder), a Palm or a Symbian, almost everything you need comes pre-packaged with the phone. While there are great applications out there for download, the great majority of what is on the marketplace is hogwash.

So I would like to pose this question to all my readers who own iPhones:

How many iPhone apps do you regularly use?

As for me, I’ve alread made up my mind. As soon as my T-Mobile contract ends on December 22, I will be switching back to Verizon and purchasing the Motorola DROID.

As much as I love my Voyager, I think I’ve overused it.

I use it in lieu of an iPod or the radio. I activate its kickass navigation system (which talks to me!) whenever driving to an unknown location. I overdose on its web browser.

So it did not come as a surprise when the phone started acting up. Restarting by itself. Frozen applications. And about a month ago, the web browser would die (and bring the entire phone to its grave) whenever I visited Gmail.

No way to check email on my phone? The horror!

I knew I needed…okay, wanted a new phone, but my current financial situation wouldn’t allow for it.

Then Santa brought me an early Christmas present.

Yesterday, Google announced to its employees that in lieu of a holiday bonus, everyone would be receiving an Android Dev Phone 1, which is the unlocked, developer version of the G1.

(On a side note, reports that past bonuses reached $20,000 – $30,000 per employee are false. They confused the performance bonus with the holiday bonus, which is closer to about $1,000.)

Since J already has a G1, he decided to give the new phone to his wife…me!

As always with any new toy, the pictures:

The outside box…

The inner box!

Unlike the commercial G1 which comes packaged in a white cardboard box, the dev model version comes in a beautiful black box with a magnetic lid!

The phone in action…

The dev model comes with this etched design on the back and sides. I don’t care too much for it but hey, it’s a free, in-demand phone!

The phone, opened. Notice that the keyboard is set against a shiny surface – the regular G1s have matte surfaces.

In addition to the two cosmetic differences above, the dev model is also a different color from the commercial G1. The black G1 is pure black, whereas the dev version is graphite. I personally like this graphite color better than the black.

So far, I’m loving the phone. It literally is a mini computer in your hands – fully customizable and all-inclusive. The user interface is intuitive and everything is running smooth as butter.

The app store is not nearly as full as that of the iPhone; however, I expect it to catch up soon. I’ve already downloaded 39 apps, and I thought I was being conservative!

I’ll keep you updated on my relationship with the G1 as we get to know each other more. But so far it’s smooth sailing!

Lenovo (yes, that Lenovo – the one that doesn’t make cell phones) has designed a cell phone to comply to China Mobile’s Open Mobile System, with Google’s Android at its core.

The thing is, it looks pretty dope.

Deliciously beautiful, in fact.

Too bad we will never see it stateside.

After my elation at such an attractive phone for Android, then the subsequent disappointment at its availability, I told J, “We should move to China.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. This phone is hot.”

“You would move to China for a phone?”

“Yes, you know I would.”

“Don’t joke about that – you know I am willing to move to China if you’re willing.”

Then I shut up.

[Via Engadget]