Did you ever borrow something from a neighbor, love it so much and not want to give it back?
Well, that's how I feel about the Motorola Droid X, which will be available July 15 from Verizon Wireless.
The first thing I noticed about the Droid X was the screen size. It has an eye-popping 4.3-inch WVGA (the W is for wide), 480 x 854 pixel display. As you'll see below, my attraction to the phone mostly revolves around the screen.
Phone, Audio
The call quality of the phone is nothing short of spectacular.
First, it passes the "Deaf Dad Test." My father couldn't tell that I was driving 70 mph in my car on the highway. He had to ask from where I was calling him.
Secondly, the Droid X has three microphones. One is on the rear of the phone and can be used when shooting video. Another is on the top, front panel and can be used when you want to narrate a recorded video clip. You can also toggle between these microphones to avoid bad audio. Additionally, according to Motorola, the microphones are used for noise cancellation.
Design
A larger screen (it's even larger than the HTC Evo 4G) means a larger virtual keyboard. Motorola boasts about multitouch support but I think the width of the keyboard was a huge factor in typing texts and emails. Going back to a smaller display touchscreen is difficult after using the Droid X for a few days.
For ease of use, the Droid X offers four physical buttons on the front of the phone: home, search, menu and back. I really like not having to search for these on the touchscreen. You can customize the home button to do various things when it's double-clicked. The power button is at the top of the phone in the center, the volume rocker is on the right side and the camera.
The phone was very comfortable in my hands. However, I'll admit that someone with smaller hands might think it's too square or too much phone to handle.
You'll notice the bump on the top of the Droid X. It's there because of the camera housing but doesn't get in your way when holding the device. There's no ergonomic reasoning for the bump, but I found it to be a nice place for my fingers to rest when holding the phone. The bump also raises the phone a bit, which makes the speaker sound much better.
I'm the guy whose wife worries about his phone more than he does. I use a permanent screen protector on my everyday phone, yet I don't use a case. I like the simplicity of shoving the device in my pocket. This device, while noticeably wider and longer than my phone, still allows me to do that.
Display
The display is gorgeous. It's easy to read small text and you really need to look closely to notice individual pixels. Again, I can't stress enough how easy it is to type on this touch screen. The extra real estate (length-wise) is nice for websites and video clarity is top-notch, especially when connected through DLNA
I wasn't able to test the HDMI for lack of a cable. But Motorola claims the Droid X can play back 720p high definition video. Verizon has teamed with Blockbuster and the NFL, for live game streaming.
One negative was that the display underperformed in direct sunlight. Text was readable, but it was a strain on the eyes.
Camera
Photos and video shot with the 8 megapixel dual LED flash camera on the Droid X offered mixed results.
Still frames and video taken outside and in incandescent light were vibrant and clear. In low light, however, the camera struggled in quality. Not using the flash caused graininess, while using the flash over-exposed most shots.
I did find the camera to be very responsive despite a lot of movement. The only trouble it had was moving from very dark to very bright conditions.
Sound quality when recording video was very good with the Droid X, probably because of the three microphone system (See phone, audio above).
One downfall of the camera was the flash setting. The icon on the right doesn't change no matter what mode you've selected.
DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)
This might have been one of the hidden gems on the Droid X. I'm lucky enough to have a DLNA-capable Samsung television, so I wanted to try pairing it with the Droid X.
I've included some photos in the slideshow, which show DLNA in action. The video also shows it playing music wirelessly from the Droid X.
The setup only took me two tries and it was extremely easy. Once the phone and the television are paired, you can play music files, video or still photos from the Droid X to the TV or vice versa.
I was impressed by the speed of the connection. There were no delays or hiccups during the video and the audio was always in sync.
Battery Life
Motorola has given the Droid X a 1540 mAh battery and I applaud the extra effort.
While you can purchase after market batteries for the Droid Incredible or the original Droid that match or exceed the power of the battery in the Droid X, the X comes equipped with enough power to get you through at least a day and a half of heavy usage.
I shot about a half hour of video, watched it through the DLNA feature linked to my television, bombarded the phone with hundreds of emails and let my wife tinker on Facebook for an hour. I also used the mobile hot spot feature and let the kids watch Scooby-Doo on YouTube. After that, I passed it around the office. By the end of the day, it still had 25 percent battery life remaining.
Interface
The Droid X comes with Android 2.1, which will be upgraded to 2.2 this summer. The update will allow Adobe Flash-based content with the version 10.1 upgrade.
There are minor problems with the interface. It just doesn't seem completely polished. For instance, unlocking the phone with a simple swipe seems to lag a bit while the phone "wakes up," if you will. Also, scrolling between the seven panels of home screens brings up an indicator to tell you your location. In this instance, it's not an iPod Touch or an iPhone. I'm hoping the 2.2 Android upgrade will correct these issues.
What I didn't realize, until I had the device for two days, was that the Droid X actually has a new skin that some people are mistaking for Motoblur, the social media-friendly interface made popular on the Motorola Devour. You never need to log into Blur, or whatever you want to call it, and you don't need to use if for your social media accounts.
The new skin is good in that it's pretty much transparent. The bad is that it hasn't been upgraded to address any of its quirks.
Apps
The Android Market has quickly caught up to the Apple App Store and, unless you have a specific app that you need on the Apple platform, the Android interface has just as much, if not more, to offer users.
The Mobile Hot Spot App offers wi-fi for up to five devices. You can add this feature for an extra $20 a month for 2 GB of data.
Conclusion
Phones are improving at an alarmingly fast rate. The phone you get today will be somewhat outdated in a matter of months. This is a problem if you like to have the latest, greatest device (Keep in mind that the Droid 2 with a tactile keyboard is coming soon).
However, many folks sign a two-year contract. Luckily, the Droid X will comfortably get you through two years. If you're lucky enough to have the funds, you can upgrade before your contract expires, anyway.
With a lot of irate iPhone 4 users, I'm guessing that Droid X sales will fare quite well for Verizon. So, what would I do if I needed a new phone tomorrow.
Keep in mind that I own two Macs, an iPhone and an iPod Touch. I live and breathe Apple. You could say I drink the Kool-Aid straight from Steve Jobs' refrigerator.
But, if I were purchasing a new phone today, it likely would not be an iPhone 4, it would be a Droid X.
Purchasing
The Droid X will be available July 15. Pricing is available at the Verizon Wireless website.
Specs
Processor: 1 Ghz ARMv7 with 512 MB RAM
Operating system: Android 2.1 (Android 2.2 late summer); Motoblur 2.1 (2.2 late summer)
Dimensions: 2.6 x 5 x 0.4 inches
Email support: Gmail; push E-mail; Corporate Sync
Battery: 1540 mAh
Connectivity: Stereo Bluetooth; 3.5 mm headphone jack; USB 2.0; HDMI; Over the air sync; PC Sync; DLNA
Display: 4.3-inch WVGA (480 x 854 pixels); 400,000 pixels
Video: 720p HD capture, HD playback via HDMI or DLNA; H.263, H.264, MPEG4, WMA v10
Camera: 8 MP, digital zoom, auto focus, dual LED flash
Memory: 8 GB onboard, 16 GM micro SD card installed, supports 32 GB micro SD for a total of 40 GB
Location services: aGPS (assisted), sGPS (stand alone), Google Maps, Google Maps Navigation, Google Maps with Google Latitude, Street View and eCompass
