Verizon offers Droid as latest iPhone rival

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Getting hold of a device before almost anyone else is a great coup but it also comes with pressure. You want to get it right when you review it.

So, Wednesday morning when I got Verizon’s new entry into the touch screen wireless phone market, I had my work cut out. Less than 24 hours to take a good look before any other TV reporter in the state can attempt to get one.

My first impression was: Speed! The web browser seems lightning fast compared to other devices. The Droid manufactured by Motorola runs the Android 2.0 operating system and is powered by Google. That combination, along with Verizon’s 3G Network, brings up graphic-heavy Web sites quickly.

I did a couple of tests along side Apple’s iPhone and, in somewhat scientific results, the Droid loaded Web sites anywhere from a couple of seconds to as much as 12 seconds faster. Its mapping was fast as well. Not only does the Droid pack GPS but, through location finding via wireless towers, it was able to detect my location almost as fast as I could open the Google Maps application.

Apps, now there’s something that will get anyone talking about further comparisons to the iPhone. After all, Verizon went right after the most popular of handheld computers in their ads for Droid that mention what it could do that the Apple device could not. They are both touchscreen devices that can amazingly be driven through menus and screens by your fingertips.

While the iPhone may be Goliath, the slickly structured Droid seems to have some advantages. But I don’t think that anyone who loves their iPhone is going to switch.

So how do they compare? There are some key things that do stand out.

Size - They are both about the same physical size, with the Droid having a slightly larger screen 3.7” compared to the iPhone’s 3.5”.

A true keyboard slides out from the bottom of the Droid and it has the on-screen version that it shares with the iPhone, which seems better on Apple’s device. But if I have Qwerty keyboard, I don’t think I’d use the onscreen version.

The Droid does have a removable battery, the iPhone does not. I like the ability to fix it myself if my battery drains away.

The iPhone comes in 16 or 32 GB sizes, the Droid has a 16GB Micro SD card that can be removed and another slot that is expandable to make 32 GB.

Picture this! — The camera on the iPhone is 3 megapixel while the Droid is 5 megapixel, so higher quality pictures and video.

Resolution — The picture resolution on the screen seems slightly better on the Droid. They have specs with lots of letters and numbers but basically, to the eye, there is a slight advantage over the iPhone when zooming to Web sites, etc.

Apps — The Android Marketplace now has 10,000 apps (Supposedly, I didn’t count them) and iTunes has 80,000 (I didn’t even think about trying to count). The bottom line: apps are key and they know it, so I expect thousands more for each.

Entertainment — Apple has iTunes. Game over. Well, not quite. The automatic sync to podcasts, music, movies, is hard to top on the iPhone. With the Droid, you are more on your own with apps and computer sync to get your entertainment.

Both phones are amazing and for those that are comfortable in the Apple culture and the amazing device they have in the iPhone are going to continue to be comfortable. But if you are a Verizon or other cell provider customer, the Droid may be worth a serious look.

I asked a sales rep from Verizon if the Droid means the iPhone will never come to their line up.

He said, “We are always interested having great devices like the iPhone under our umbrella.”

So they are not ruling anything out.

Oh, and the Droid runs on Verizon’s 3G Network. Soon they’ll be building out a 4G network and this current phone will not upgrade.

It's going to run $199 after the $100 rebate and that's with a 2-year service plan. And it also has a data plan fee of $29 a month.