Every quarter the NDP Group releases a top 10 list of mobile phones purchased by US consumers.  What makes Q4 2009 so special is that all 10 top-selling phones packed a touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard or both – can someone call Nokia and tell them standard key pads are dead?  Topping the list again this quarter was the BlackBerry Curve (all 83XX models), followed by the LG enV3, Apple iPhone 3GS, Apple iPhone 3G, Motorola Droid, LG enV Touch, BlackBerry Tour, Samsung Intensity, Samsung Solstice and Samsung Impression.  As my relationship continues to go strong with my Motorola Droid it’s news like this that makes me excited for the Q2 2010 results.  As Turtle from Entourage said it best, “We got a monster Vince”.

[Via Cellular News]

Next up in the Verizon Wireless Android takeover is the Motorola Devour – a full QWERTY Android slider featuring Motorola’s MOTOBLUR UI.  The Devour will be available in March and besides being the first Verizon Wireless phone to feature MOTOBLUR, the handset comes with a 8 GB microSD card pre-installed to sweeten the deal.  Notable features include a touch-sensitive navigation pad (like the Droid), 3.1-inch capacitive touch screen, Bluetooth A2DP, the Happenings Widget, Universal Inbox, full QWERTY keyboard.  As with any Verizon Smartphone, the Devour requires a Nationwide Talk or Nationwide Talk & Text plan and a Data package for smartphones.  This means the cheapest you can get your foot in the door is $39.99 for Talk and $29.99 for Unlimited Data, but we’d recommend going with the $59.99 Talk & Text plan if we were calling the shots.  A price point and exact release date were not included in the Press Release, but check back a little later and we’ll see what we can dig up.

[View with PicLens]

[via Motorola]

In 2007 when the world was first introduced to the Open Handset Alliance and their goal of developing open standards for mobile devices we were thrilled.  Quickly thereafter the OHA’s first product was unveiled, Android, a mobile device platform with the goal of reinventing the smartphone landscape.  Now that Google has been able to develop Android into arguably one of the best mobile platforms on the market we begin to wonder whether they’ll be able to quickly deliver software updates to so many devices across the world.

The worries of Google delaying software updates stems from the release of a single device, the Motorola Droid.  Being the first device to ship with Google’s Android 2.0 OS, existing owners of Android devices immediately wanted to know when their device would see such an update.  Up until Android 2.0, all builds of the mobile platform had been open source and under an Apache License.  At this point Android 2.0 remains a closed source OS and there has been no official word on whether this will change.

Up until this point in the U.S., T-mobile has been the front runner in the Android campaign since they were one of the first members of the OHA in 2007.  Google has done a good job pushing software updates to both devices over the air albeit with a few hiccups.  The reason for this success is that both devices are ‘Google Experience’ phones which basically means Google controls all aspects of the software resulting in a default Android build.  Theoretically this means that ‘Google Experience’ devices will be the first to receive updates and all other Android-powered devices will require customization from their respective manufacturers.

As it stands today, HTC is focused on driving their Sense User Interface into the Android platform.  Motorola has also realized the power of a fresh UI on Android with MOTOBLUR.  This method of unique branding which results in what we consider a superior Android experience comes at the cost of delayed OS updates.   You can see this first hand with the mysterious Android 1.6 update that never hit the HTC Hero which is now reported to receive the Android 2.0 update in the the near future.  Does this mean that non-Google Experience devices will miss smaller Android updates and instead only be updated to major versions?  If Google needs to release and updated build of Android to address security concerns will we really have to wait until Sense UI can be compatible?

These questions are being echoed throughout the Android community, but an even bigger question is on my mind.  Is Google looking to power play Android 2.0 so wireless carriers can lure customers through exclusive devices and first access to OS builds?  Congress is working on eliminating exclusivity deals between manufacturers and wireless carriers so exclusive access to mobile platforms seems to be the likely evolution.  When the Motorola Droid for Verizon Wireless was released last week and it became the first and only Android 2.0 device on the market I began to seriously doubt whether Google would be able to deliver timely updates of Android to so many devices.

There are not many reasons to want an iPhone once you have the Motorola Droid, but if there is anything that Google and the OHA can take away from Apple’s strategy it is the consistency and availability of software updates.  All devices receive their updates on the same day world wide and no device is left behind.  The current position of Android is becoming very similar to Windows Mobile where certain devices receive updates and it all ultimately relies on the carrier for your device to deliver that update.  This is not the Android I signed up for two years ago and I hope that this is not the Android of the future.

The massive marketing blitz by Verizon Wireless over the past couple weeks has finally paid off for Motorola and the wireless carrier.  Early reports indicate that over 100,000 Motorola Droids were sold over the opening weekend.  Despite the higher upfront cost of $299 before $100 mail-in rebate, the Droid was able to sell a large volume of units amid rumors that Apple would be releasing a low-cost 8GB iPhone 3GS for $99.  One thing is for certain at this point, Motorola and Verizon have put together an excellent device thanks to Google’s Android OS and it should not be long before we reach the 1 million unit mark.  Viva la droid my friends, Android is here to stay.

[Via Bloomberg]

The DROID ERIS by HTC debuts tomorrow on Verizon Wireless (November 6) for $99.99 on a 2-year service agreement.  The device features HTC’s Sense user interface which is currently available on the HTC Hero for Sprint.  Essentially the devices are identical in specs, but have slightly different designs.

The DROID Eris features a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with trackball interface, 5-megapixel camera with autofocus (no flash) and comes bundled with a pre-installed 8GB microSD card (up to 16GB cards supported).  Bluetooth, WiFi b/g and a 3.5mm headphone jack are also included along with integrated GPS and a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction you are facing.  A Full HTML browser with Flash lite capabilities is also pre-installed and of course like all Android devices the DROID Eris by HTC features seamless compatibility with Google services like Google Maps, Gmail and Google Search.

Now the most popular question that has been asked surrounding the device is who should buy the DROID ERIS by HTC?  The Motorola DROID is leading the marketing blitz and it features a faster processor and arguably better performance along with the newer Android 2.0 OS.  On the other hand the DROID ERIS is half the price and based on early reviews, the keyboard on the Motorola DROID should not be a major advantage due to typing speed and size.  Without having the DROID ERIS to test, I can only assume that the performance will be on par with the Sprint HTC Hero, a device I thoroughly enjoyed despite many reviews claiming the phone to be laggy.  The real advantage to the DROID ERIS over the Motorola DROID really revolves around the Sense UI which brings a new twist on the simple and rather boring standard Android UI we’ve seen on the T-mobile G1 and myTouhc 3G.  The ideal consumer I see wanting the DROID ERIS instead of the Motorola DROID will be someone looking to save some money, not looking for a physical keyboard, enjoys the Sense UI and prefers a trackball over a direction pad.

DROID ERIS by HTC will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com on Friday, Nov. 6, for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an e-mail feature or e-mail plan. Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

When you wake up tomorrow many of you will be on your way down to your local Verizon Wireless retail store to pick up the Motorola DRIOD for $199 on a 2-year service agreement.  However, if you were looking to save a little green and wanted to opt for a touchscreen-only alternative you might want to take a look at the DROID ERIS by HTC.  The DROID ERIS is the HTC Hero dressed in Verizon attire, but placed at a price point that makes it the cheapest Android-powered device available in the United States.  What also makes the DROID ERIS a worthy alternative to the Motorola DROID is that it features the Sense UI which brings 7 home screens and much more polished look over the standard Android Interface.

[via]

The Droid Eris by HTC is coming to Verizon Wireless on November 6 for $99 on a 2-year service agreement.  After Verizon failed to announce the device at their Press Event this week we began to question the rumors pointing towards the November 6th release date.  The confirmation we needed came from our friends at Engadget who received an internal Verizon document outlining both the release date and the price.  Spec wise the device is exactly like the HTC Hero, but the documents do mention an 8GB memory card included in the box.  Now it is just a matter of time before Sprint matches the $99 price point of the Droid Eris by HTC.

[via]

At the Verizon Wireless Communications Store in SoHo NYC, Verizon Wireless has been showing off the Motorola Droid to get an idea of the normal consumer’s first impressions.  As expect they all loved the Droid and felt that the device was sturdy, fast and fully customizable when compared to that ‘other’ phone on the market.  It is too early to tell if the Droid will be the home run Verizon was hoping for, but one thing is certain: Motorola is back in game.

[via]

Verizon failed to mention the Droid Eris (HTC Eris) at their press event yesterday where the Motorola Droid took center stage.  This has not stopped the latest flurry of Internet rumors from pinpointing a price point for the Eris, $99 on 2-year service agreement after applicable mail-in rebates.  This would make the Droid Eris the cheapest Android-based handset available in the US.  At this point we are fairly confident that the Droid Eris will run either Android 1.5 or 1.6 since the first device with Android 2.0 will be the Moto Droid and it will feature the 528MHz processor we’ve seen in all other Android devices up until this point (Moment and Droid excluded).  If the November 6th release date is accurate it will be very interesting how they market the Eris.  Maybe they’ll just sell the Eris to anyone coming in for the Droid and realizing they didn’t want to spend $299.99 plus tax upfront, we’ll see soon.

[via]

First thing in the morning on November 6 most of us will be at the Verizon Wireless store with our $199.99 in hand ready to sign away our lives for the next 2 years for a chance to experience the Motorola Droid.  Before you pony up that cash we wanted to clear the airwaves and end the debates about what may or may not be packed inside this feature rich device by giving you the full spec rundown.

The Motorola Droid features a slide-out keyboard which we’ve seen in both videos and pictures and runs the unreleased Android 2.0 Operating System.  For those of you planning to develop applications for Android 2.0, the Droid has a level 5 API and features the following input types: Capacitive touch screen, directional pad, home/menu/back/search touch-sensitive buttons, physical keyboard and virtual keyboard (on screen).

The capacitive touch screen runs at WVGA resolution (480 x 854 pixels) with up to 16 million colors and a pixel density of 240 dpi.  To power such a beautiful display is the TI OMAP3430 processor which can run at up to 600 MHz.  Multi-taskers will be happy to note that 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM is included, with 256MB available for user storage.  When you fill up your 256MB of memory (which we would imagine you will, quickly) the Droid accepts up to 32GB microSDHC Class 6 FAT32 formatted cards.

When it comes to the sensors behind the Droid there is a 3-axis accelerometer which allows for four-way screen rotation, a magnetometer, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor.  Like CDMA devices before it, the Droid is dual-band CDMA with support for 800/1900MHz and EVDO Rev A.  WiFi includes b/g support 802.11i (WPA2), WEP, and WPA.  Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR takes care of all your headsets and wireless speakers and a USB 2.0 connection lets you sync with your desktop.

Music lovers can sleep well knowing the Droid packs the soon-to-be standardized 3.5mm headphone jack while those looking to replace their GPS units will be happy that both A-GPS and a Standalone GPS with internal antenna are in tote.  If you do manage to get lost even with both Standalone and A-GPS, you can rely on the E-compass to navigate your way through the woods.

Business users concerned about corporate email have also been covered thanks to Exchange ActiveSync 2003/2007 native support in Android 2.0.  Standard IMAP4 and POP3 account support is also included for those not looking to wear a suit everyday.

Now let’s move onto the Media portion of the Droid and in our opinion the true measure of this impressive device.  A 5-megapixel camera (2592 x 1936 pixels) with autofocus, color effects, dual led flash, geotagging, image stabilization, picture quality, scenes, white balance, 4x digital zoom has you covered.  Images will be saved as JPEG with EXIF 2.2 as the native capture format while videos will be H.264 and record at 720 x 480 pixels (D1) @ 24fps and playback at 720 x 480 pixels @ 30fps.  If you are looking to stream media from the Droid your core audio playback format is WMA, while you have the ability to playback AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, H.263, H.264 and MPEG-4.

That pretty much wraps up everything you could possibly want to know about the Motorola Droid when it comes to features.  We hope that you now know exactly what you are getting yourself into next Friday and hopefully you are totally geeked like us.  Feel free to add your questions to the comments section below.