Amid shortages of the summer’s most popular smartphones, Motorola launched its Android-powered Droid X on the Verizon Wireless network Thursday. The once-dominant handset maker hopes to gain some traction by offering what HTC and Apple can’t: Availability.
The Droid X is available online and in Verizon stores for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year contract. Indeed, availability may be incentive enough for some customers to pick up what has been hyped as a best-in-class Android device.
“One would think that Verizon would use the smartphone shortages as an opportunity to convert some folks waiting for the Droid Incredible over to the Droid X,” said Michael Gartenberg, a partner at Altimeter Group. “At the same time, Verizon should try to capitalize on the negative publicity Apple has had lately to try to get folks who have been on the fence about the iPhone to switch to the Droid X.”
Will Droid X Break Records?
The Droid X promises ultra-high-speed web browsing with a one-GHz processor. The device is also equipped with 3G Mobile Hotspot capabilities, social-messaging features, and, of course, access to the Android Market. Droid X users can also tap into Verizon applications like NFL Mobile, Skype mobile, V CAST Video, and EA Need for Speed Shift.
With a 4.3-inch high-resolution screen, Droid X users can watch Blockbuster On Demand content via V CAST Video. The Droid X video capabilities include a dual-flash, eight-megapixel camera and HD camcorder, as well as DLNA and HDMI connectivity to download, stream and share HD content.
Despite shortages of the HTC Incredible, the HTC EVO 4G, and the iPhone 4, the Motorola Droid X is not an automatic hit. In fact, Gartenberg made clear that the Droid X is not for everyone. Some customers may not like the large screen. Others may not prefer the Android…