Instead of doing a full-on review stepping through each feature or characteristic of the Motorola Droid X, I’d rather focus on the emotional experience. And the Droid X is one of very few phones in recent memory that has sufficiently challenged the iPhone as my primary mobile device.
Unlike most handsets that pass through, I chose to use the Droid X nearly exclusively for the week I had it on loan it from Kevin Tofel (jkOnTheRun) last month. It shattered my notion that anything larger than a 3.5″ or 3.7″ phone is just too big — it’s 4.3″ LCD-toting body fit fine in my pocket, while feeling more comfortable and safer in the hand than the similarly endowed EVO. There’s no question the iPhone 4 has the clearest mobile display, but there’s something to be said for the extra screen real estate found on the Droid X, which I could see replacing my Kindle. The revamped “Motoblur” is mostly an innocuous Android skin job. It adds a few UI enhancements and widgets without bogging down the interface or taxing the Droid X’s speedy processor. As opposed to the more in-your-face Samsung TouchWiz, which seems to generate a distinct love or hate reaction.
In my region, Verizon provides the best coverage. Plus, through one of Verizon’s employer discount programs, I’m able to pick up a VZW phone with only a 1-year commitment. And, unlike my iPhone paperweight, there’s actually a smattering of Verizon reception in the office. So what’s holding me back from making a change? As much as I loved the Droid X, it’s got two flaws which I have a hard time overlooking.
First, for an 8-megapixel camera I was disappointed in picture quality. For me to invest hundreds of dollars in a new phone hardware (plus paying off AT&T via an early termination fee), it’s not enough that a handset be about the same as my current 3GS. It needs to exceed it in some areas by a decent margin. Android still provides a less polished experience than iOS. However, what you give up in that area you make up in control and flexibility. So let’s call that a wash. But I do expect a significantly better camera from any migration –something that would allow me to leave my dedicated digital camera at home. And Motorola’s doesn’t cut it.
Another concern is the large amount of pre-loaded and constantly running crapware that seriously eats into Droid X battery life and requires more attention via Advanced Task Killer than I care to give it. Presumably there are or will be ways to disable these processes permanently and/or remove the programs, but how about just leaving them off altogether? It’s starting to feel like Windows versus OS X all over again.
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