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Early indications suggest that the Motorola Droid could be the breakout hit phone of the holiday season.
You might not have guessed it from the lack of long lines this past weekend, but analysts believe that Verizon is seeing strong sales of the Motorola Droid. The device went on sale on Friday across the country. And unlike other big launches for phones such as Apple's iPhone or even the Palm Pre, retailers had plenty of devices in stock, and customers didn't have to stand in long lines to get their phones.
Neither Verizon nor Motorola is providing exact sales figures, but David Samberg, a spokesman for Verizon, said sales were very strong over the weekend, with a steady stream of customers Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Store representatives in Manhattan confirmed this, with one sales associate telling me on Monday afternoon that there had been a steady stream of customers in the store all weekend and even through Monday.
Analysts also believe that the phone is selling well. Mark McKechnie, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech, who covers Motorola, checked with a small sample of Verizon retailers around the country and said in a research note on Monday that he is encouraged by the anecdotal reports.
"While it is early, and the sample size is small, we are encouraged by our findings," he said.
McKechnie estimates that Verizon had about 200,000 phones in retail channels for the launch, with many stores in larger metropolitan markets, such as New York and Los Angeles, getting about 300 devices. Stores in cities such as San Francisco got more than a 100 devices, and retailers in smaller cities got between 25 and 40 devices each.
Locations were stocked well enough that there were no reports of any stores that were completely sold out. An employee at the Verizon Wireless store on West 34th Street in New York said his store had gotten about 500 Motorola Droids and HTC Android Eris phones for Friday. The store didn't sell out of either phone, but much of its stock is now gone.
That said, the store employee, who didn't want his name used, said his store did sell out of the $29.99 Droid docking station, which charges the device. As of Monday, the company still hadn't restocked its supply of that accessory.
McKechnie reported in his research note that the Droid outsold the HTC Eris, which also went on sale Friday. And checks with Verizon stores in Manhattan back up this claim. While there were plenty of customers looking at the HTC Android Eris in the Verizon stores I visited Monday afternoon, most people said they planned to buy the Droid. The main reasons were the device's higher-resolution screen, better camera, faster processor, and latest Android software.
Still, plenty of customers noted that they preferred the look of the HTC Eris over that of the Droid.
Verizon's marketing may also be paying off. Verizon is spending more money on the Droid advertising campaign than it has on any other device launch. At least one customer at the West 34th Street said Verizon's advertisements had convinced him to get the Droid instead of Apple's iPhone, which runs on AT&T's network.
"I was considering the iPhone," said Henry Goodison of the Bronx borough. "But I saw a commercial about AT&T's 3G coverage. It said, 'Here is AT&T's 3G coverage, and here is ours.' And I thought it would be better to have Verizon, if I travel to another state, where AT&T doesn't have 3G coverage."
AT&T is actually suing Verizon Wireless over this commercial, asserting that Verizon's advertisement is misleading consumers. Verizon dismisses this claim as untrue.
As the second round of the Android Developers Challenge 2 gets underway, Google is again calling on Android users to participate in the voting.
The field has been narrowed down to 20 semifinalists in 10 categories like Education/Reference, Entertainment, and Travel. As with the first round of the challenge, Google is encouraging developers to download the official application from the Android Market and vote on various criteria including originality of concept and indispensability.
Totemo
This developer community vote will constitute 40 percent of the overall score with a panel of Google-selected judges accounting for the remaining 60 percent. During the first Android Developers Challenge in 2008, judges from every founding member of the Open Handset Alliance participated. It's unclear whether Google will take a similar approach for this challenge.
The top three entries in each category will win cash prizes from $25,000 to $100,000. The top three applications overall will then additional bonuses. Third place will get $25,000, second place wins $50,000 and first place will take home $150,000.
The list of semifinalists includes developers who have come to make a name for themselves already. Hexage, an existing game developer, has a pair of games competing in the next round. Both its Radiant and Totemo are prime examples of Android gaming done right.
Two other notables, FlyScreen, and BuzzDeck, have a similar appeal but operate in two different capacities. BuzzDeck helps to extend the web experience for Android handsets by using dozens of "cards," from RSS streams, social networking services, and Web services. You can swipe through the cards and pull the latest information from their respective feeds.
Radiant
FlyScreen might look similar, but it's a bit different. Designed as a lock-screen replacement, it lets users pull news feeds and social networking services without actually going into the phone or opening an app. Simply wake your phone and you're greeted with your favorite news feeds. For example, if you're on Twitter, you can see your timeline, friends, and direct messages and you can tweet from within FlyScreen.
And while we're on the subject of Twitter clients, we noticed at least three titles (Xeeku Twitter, Swift Twitter App, TweetAssist) making the cut. While they might not win points for Originality of Concept, they likely scored well on Polish and Appeal.
Have you played with any of the applications on the list? Are there any particular favorites that you'd like to see win? What about titles you expected to see, but don't?
The Droid doesn't do everything.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)One of the latest misconception to make its way around the blogspehere was that the Motorola Milestone features multitouch functionality whereas its Droid counterpart does not. As it turns out, Verizon's first Google Android smartphone does offer multitouch, just not in the same capacity. What's the difference and, more importantly, who made the decision to water down this feature for the Droid?
Made popular by the iPhone, pinching and pulling has become the preferred method for zooming in on a smart phone. While Verizon's Droid handset is built using the same Android 2.0 OS as the Milestone, users are left using a less-accurate double-tap.
The Milestone has multitouch built directly into the Android framework while the Droid relies on APIs that come with the 2.0 SDK. That means that it's up to app developers to implement the features.
For reasons unknown, however, Google hasn't integrated the capability into apps such as Google Maps. Though it could be added into future updates of select titles, the question remains: Who decided to leave basic multitouch off of Droid?
... Read more
Adobe Systems on Friday introduced a new Photoshop app for Android users that lets them edit photos from their phone, as well as access their online photo collection on Photoshop.com.
The app comes just shy of a month after the release of the company's application for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users, which quickly became the top free application in the App Store and grabbed a million downloads within a week of its release.
The version for Android shares the same, simple editing UI as the iPhone/iPod version, both of which let users make edits by sliding their fingers across the screen and undo any changes made. It also features some very basic photo editing tools like crop, rotate, and image flip, as well as controls for adjusting exposure and tweaking color tint and saturation. Android users even get one new tool that iPhone/iPod users don't even have yet, which lets them straighten a shot against a grid.
Photoshop for Android looks similar to its iPhone/iPod sibling, but has a few less editing effects.
(Credit: Adobe Systems)Here's the bad news though: Android users are getting a slightly-less featured version than those who use it on iPhones or iPods. The Android version is missing a whole menu full of filter effects, which can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of using the app. It's also missing the sketch tool, which can add a neat cartoonish effect to photos.
Snap this to jump straight to the app.
There is one feature that could make up for these omissions though, and that is the inclusion of an auto-uploader that can automatically send any photo you take on your Android device to Photoshop.com's cloud storage. Users just need to turn the option in within the app, and it will do it whether they have the app running or not. The only downside to this, is that just like on the iPhone/iPod version, you can only enter the Photoshop app's editing mode on photos that are stored locally.
Photoshop for Android can be found right now on the Android Marketplace. We've also included the app's barcode so you can hop right to it without having to type anything.
Big lines didn't form outside most Verizon Wireless stores the day the new Droid hit the market.
(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET)NEW YORK--The new Motorola Droid got a sleepy reception on Friday morning when it officially went on sale across the country in Verizon Wireless stores starting at 7 a.m. in some places.
From New York to San Francisco, most stores around the country had few if any lines when doors opened Friday morning. There was a handful of people waiting outside at the Verizon Wireless store on West 34th Street here in Manhattan. And about 20 people waited in line outside a store here on Sixth Avenue, as well as at one in Clifton, N.J., Verizon officials said.
CNET reporters in San Francisco reported they saw only about 15 customers lined up for the device before a Verizon Wireless store opened there Friday.
The scene was somewhat more lively last night, when Verizon Wireless opened its West 34th Street in New York City from midnight to 2 a.m. About 100 eager Droid customers were in line when the store opened last night. Verizon spokesman David Samberg said the company sold 85 Droids in the first 45 minutes the store was open on Thursday night.
But even though the Droid didn't stir enough enthusiasm to get people to stand outside on a cold November morning, there appeared to be a steady stream of customers in several Verizon Wireless stores. Many customers were interested in the Droid, while some were checking out the new HTC Android Eris, which also went on sale Friday.
Lines are overrated
Samberg said that a lack of a long line or shortage of devices is actually a good thing. And he urged people to not prejudge the phone's success on that alone.
As you may have heard, Verizon Wireless' Motorola-made Droid smartphone goes on sale November 6. It's all anybody can talk about and arguably the most anticipated new phone since, well, the iPhone.
Verizon is selling it for $199.99 after a mail-in rebate, but Wirefly has the Motorola Droid for $149.99 shipped, no rebates required. (As always, there's that pesky two-year contract.)
Do you want to know more about this iPhone killer phone? Start with this CNET video, and then read the complete review.
When you're done watching, check out the Android Atlas blog for a lot of Droid-related goodness. (In case you didn't know, the phone runs Google's Android operating system--hence the name.)
I just got my first hands-on time with the Droid, and it's a mighty nice phone. It's a little heavy, but Android is really looking sharp and a lot of developers are starting to hop on board the platform.
Granted, it'll be awhile before we see 100,000 apps like there is for the iPhone, but you can already get cool stuff like Facebook, Foursquare, Slacker Radio, and the much-ballyhooed new Google Maps Navigation app.
So if you've been drooling over this phone and planning an early morning trip to your local Verizon store, consider Wirefly's deal instead. It'll save you 50 bucks and let you shop in your pajamas (always a plus).
Show of hands: Who's planning to bring home a Droid? If I weren't already an iPhone owner, I'd be very seriously considering it.
On Sale Now:
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View the latest prices for Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless)
NEW YORK--More than a hundred people were lined up at midnight outside a Verizon Wireless store in midtown Manhattan to be among the first people to buy the new Motorola Droid.
More than a hundred people showed up at a Verizon Wireless store in New York City at midnight to buy the new Motorola Droid Thursday night.
(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET)About 65 eager shoppers lined the south side of West 34th Street across from Macy's in Manhattan at 11:30 p.m. Thursday waiting for the store to open. Verizon opened the store from midnight to 2 a.m. to give people in the Big Apple a head start on the morning cell phone rush. By midnight, when the doors officially opened, about 100 people stood in line as Verizon officials ushered in customers 25 at a time.
Once inside the store, about 13 sales representatives and another four or five device specialists milled around, helping customers and demonstrating the phone's features. Representative were also helping customers transfer contacts to their new phone.
Verizon Wireless spokesman David Samberg said he felt confident that Verizon would be able to meet customer demand for the new Droid in New York City. The 34th Street store alone had at least 500 Droids as well as some HTC Android Eris phones, and Samberg said he expects anyone wanting to buy a Droid on Friday in New York City will be able to get one.
"Five hundred phones is a lot of phones to sell in one day," he said.
Most people standing in line for the new Motorola Droid are long time, loyal Verizon Wireless customers.
(Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET)Most of the people standing in line at midnight for a Droid were loyal Verizon Wireless customers. Geoffrey Aravallis, who stopped to pick up his Droid on his way home from a dance club in the city, said he has been a Verizon Wireless customer for nine years.
He said he had been tempted to switch to AT&T for the iPhone but didn't because he felt Verizon has a better network than AT&T. Now that the Droid is out, he is glad he waited.
"I use Gmail and all kinds of Google services, so it's nice to be able to have all that on my phone," he said. "And the Droid is much more open than the iPhone."
Gabrielle Dahms admitted she had also been tempted to get the iPhone. But she had heard terrible things about AT&T's network and was leery about making the switch. Instead, she decided to wait for the Droid.
"It has all the features I like on the iPhone," she said. "Plus it has a real keyboard, which sold me."
Many people have been comparing the new Droid to the iPhone, and some have even called the new device the true iPhone killer. But judging from the people I talked with who were buying the Droid, it looks like it might be more of a BlackBerry killer.
Dahms and her boyfriend, Will Welch, had been BlackBerry Curve users. Welch said he had tried the BlackBerry Storm last year when it first came out, but he didn't like it. He also thought the iPhone was cool, but was unwilling to switch carriers for it. And he said he would have probably upgraded to the BlackBerry Tour if the Droid hadn't come along.
The Droid will hit store shelves nationally starting at 7 a.m. Friday in many stores around the country. CNET News will be covering the launch, so stay tuned for updates.
Slacker Radio on the Motorola Droid.
(Credit: Slacker Radio)It's been about a month since we got a peek at the first generation of the for the Android platform. We liked what we saw. On Thursday, other Android users can also cast their own vote about Slacker Radio 1.0 for Android by downloading it for free from the Market application on their Android smartphone.
Like Slacker Radio on other mobile platforms--and also similar to other streaming radio and music discovery apps like Pandora and Last.fm--the app lets you stream music from pre-programmed genres and stations, or from stations you set up yourself online. You'll be able to view album art and bios, block a song or vote it a favorite, and skip ahead--this is limited in the free version and limitless in the premium upgrade. Like what you hear? You can share a link to that station on SlackerRadio.com via e-mail, SMS, or MMS via .
Upgrading to the premium Radio Plus subscription service brings you song lyrics in addition to those unlimited skips and no ads.
While the upcoming version will more or less mirror this Android build, Slacker Radio on Android makes one feature unique--the Now Playing home screen widget that shows you what's playing now. The widget, which you install by giving the home screen a long press and selecting Slacker Radio from the Widgets list, is embedded with pause, skip, favorite, and blocking controls. However, it currently lacks the capability to change stations.
Motorola Droid owners can also grab Slacker Radio in the Verizon channel of the Android Market. Slacker Radio has optimized the Android app for the Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, HTC G1, and HTC MyTouch.
Note: Last.fm and CNET share a parent company, CBS.
Correction: Updated 11/6 at 8:25 am. You can share a link to a station from Slacker Radio for Android, not a link to a particular song.
HTC Droid Eris
(Credit: Verizon Wireless)Perhaps Verizon Wireless is trying to scoop itself, but just as it's set to launch its hype-worthy Motorola Droid, the carrier took the wraps off its second Google Android phone, the Droid Eris. The Eris, made by HTC, is a close cousin to Sprint's HTC Hero. It shows a few design differences, but the feature set is largely the same. Yet, unlike the Hero, the Eris is available at the bargain-basement price of $99 with service.
On the outside you'll first notice the 3.2-inch display, which offers seven home screen for full customization. The display is bright and vibrant and it shows the same touch controls at the bottom. The physical controls are similar as well--there's a trackball and Talk and End/power keys--but the Droid Eris is more rectangular than its predecessor and it has a darker color. We also were glad to see the 3.5mm headset jack.
It has a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a full HTML browser with Flash Lite, GPS, a digital compass, voice dialing, PC syncing, messaging and e-mail, a personal organizer, and USB mass storage. And, of course, it offers seamless support for Google services. But in a change from the Hero, the Droid Eris also has a proximity sensor.
The Droid Eris will go on sale November 6 for $99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Needless to say, that price makes it the cheapest Android phone available--at least for now. We'll have a full review on Friday, but in the meantime please enjoy these hands-on photos.
On Sale Now:
$99.99
View the latest prices for HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless)
The Android onslaught continues with the announcement of Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10 and the rumors of Verizon's HTC Droid Eris. Though we will get to see the Droid Eris in our hot little hands--and for the bargain price of $99--the X10 may never see life in North America. We're not thrilled that the Moto Droid skimped on the finger-pinching multitouch. Also in the podcast, Nicole talks rips on the Twitter Peek.
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Xperia X10
(Credit: Sony Ericsson)
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