The new Motorola Droid X phone, with its slim profile and striking display, doesn't set a new standard in industrial design. But what it lacks in style, it makes up for with features, including an emphasis on high-definition video recording and playback.
The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year Verizon contract) will run Google’s latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and will include Adobe Flash Player 10.1, following an update "late summer."
There's one key difference between the Droid X and the original Droid: The Droid X doesn't have a physical keyboard. Instead its 4.3-inch display makes it one of the biggest touchscreens available among smartphones today.
The Droid X's screen is gorgeous and incredibly responsive to touch. The display has a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels compared to 800 x 480 pixels on the HTC Evo. Placed side-by-side, the Evo's display seemed brighter and more vivid.
But the Droid X's touchscreen is a treat. It's extremely responsive without crossing over into the annoyingly sensitive territory.
Unlike the Evo, which has its four Android buttons (Home, Menu, Back and Search) sleekly integrated into the frame, the Droid X has four physical buttons at the bottom of the phone and it is jarring. The matte black finish of the phone gives it a dull appearance compared to the glossy shine of the Evo.
The Droid X's 5.7 ounces feels lighter than the HTC Evo, which weighs 6 ounces. Motorola's latest phone also feels less dense than the Evo, though it is a bit taller. But the bulge at the top of the phone where Motorola has put its 8-megapixel camera is an eyesore. It breaks the phone's smooth lines and makes it seem fatter than it is.
If you ignore that, the inside packs some strong tech specs.
The 1-GHz processor means the Droid X is pretty zippy, and the 8-megapixel camera (Motorola seems to have given the dual-camera trend a miss) is an upgrade over the original Droid's 5-megapixel version.
The standard Android interface on the Droid X is clean and easy to use. Out of the box, our Droid X has Android 2.1 on it, though Motorola says an upgrade to 2.2 will be ready soon after the July 15 launch. The seven Android start-up screens detailing everything from weather to social networking updates can get confusing. However, you can resize many of the widgets on the screen or turn it off.
The Droid X's focus is video. There's an HDMI port so you can connect the phone to your TV to play videos.
There are also some apps that will be initially available only on the Droid X. For instance, Blockbuster will have an Android app that lets users buy or rent movies through their phones. The device also includes a TV app that lets you choose shows from major channels to play on your phone.
Overall, the Droid X seems like a device that feeds into the current demand for touchscreen phones. It doesn't have the style and hardware wizardry of the Evo or the elegant interface of the iPhone.
Still, it is a solid phone that Android fans will appreciate.
Photos: (Stefan Armijo/Wired.com)
