Verizon Unleashes Droid Assault on iPhone

Verizon Wireless is widely expected to launch the Motorola Droid, its entry into the Android smartphone market.

It's ramping up to the event by kicking off an ad campaign that appears to put the Apple iPhone firmly in the crosshairs.

Although Verizon hasn't officially announced details of the phone, The Boy Genius Report has posted a review as well as supposed photos of the device. The only information Verizon is currently offering is a teaser Web site.

Formerly known as the "Sholes," the Droid is slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS and has a slider keyboard, according to The Boy Genius Report. It is made of metal and very sturdy.

The Droid is also very fast, according to the review. Its QWERTY keyboard has a soft-touch rubberized finish, but the keyboard design may not yet be entirely finalized. The Droid will be shipped with a desktop cradle-cum-charger that will turn it into a multimedia station.

The Droid's speed may come in part from a 600 MHz TI OMAP 3430 CPU, as reported previously in LinuxInsider. This is a multimedia applications processor that TI claims delivers up to three times better performance than ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) 11-based processors.

The Droid supports microSDHC cards, according to leaked specs published by AndroidAndMe. It has a 5 MP camera with autofocus and video recorder. Its 3.7-inch display offers a resolution of 854 by 480 pixels and supports 16 million colors.

The Droid reportedly won't be released with BLUR, the Motorola adaptation of Android. Motorola declined to confirm or deny that. "Right now there is no additional information we have to share on our next Android-based device, but please stay tuned for upcoming news," Motorola spokesperson Kathy Van Buskirk told LinuxInsider.

The review posted by The Boy Genius Report glows with positive comparisons to the iPhone, and it appears Verizon wants to directly challenge Cupertino with its marketing strategy. However, the Droid may not pose a very serious threat to the iPhone, according to Carl Howe, director of anywhere research at the Yankee Group. "Every carrier wants a phone that can take on the iPhone," he told LinuxInsider. "This is Verizon's third try after the BlackBerry Storm and Storm2. If this doesn't do the trick, we'll just have to wait for Verizon to get the iPhone 4G, which is rumored for next year."

Android 2.0 Phones Get New Google Nav App

The application is part of Google Maps for mobile. Android version 2.0 will appear on the upcoming Droid handset from Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Verizon, and other manufacturers also plan to release handsets carrying the updated, Google-backed mobile OS.

Although Google makes other mobile applications that work on a variety of mobile platforms, it's unclear when or if its new nav app will make its way to Android rivals like the iPhone or Research In Motion's (Nasdaq: RIMM) BlackBerry devices.

About Google Map Navigation

Built to leverage a smartphone's Internet connection, Google Maps Navigation provides users with up-to-date maps and business listings from Google Maps. The updates are free; GPS system vendors such as TomTom and Garmin (Nasdaq: GRMN) often charge for their updates.

To search, users have the option of entering the name of a business or landmark into the search box instead of the exact address of a location.

Travelers may like the following features, which leverage their smartphones' Internet access: Live traffic data; satellite view; street view; and search along route.

A blinking light in the corner of the smartphone's screen will glow green, yellow or red depending on traffic conditions along the user's route. Users can get more details by zooming out to an aerial view. Like other GPS systems, Google Map Navigation lets users choose alternate routes.

While driving, users can search for a business by name or type, or they can locate gas stations, restaurants or parking by activating pre-installed layers on the map. Double-tapping the map takes users into Street View. Google Maps Navigation can also show travelers a picture of their destination so they know what to look for when they arrive.