Technology: Motorola DROID

The current article is based on our review of the Motorola DROID, being the CDMA version of the MILESTONE and currently available through Verizon in the US. Both phones are almost identical with a few differences in the software.

Introduction:

You´ve probably noticed that Motorola has not been doing great in financial terms lately, registered record-breaking losses and has been slowly, but steadily, losing ground on the cell phone market and the major winners that cashed in on the weakness of the former leader turned out to be Samsung and LG. The company decided to cast its lot in with Android, the young operating system that is picking up speed as we speak and gaining popularity incredibly rapidly.

By the time of the current review, Motorola has released two handsets utilizing the open source platform developed by Google and they are known under different names depending on the particular region - the first is the Motorola DEXT called the CLIQ in the US. Today we are reviewing the second and more famous handset of the duo, the Motorola MILESTONE. Its CDMA version, the DROID, has already rolled out in the US through Verizon and caused an incredible stir, an outburst of zealous interest that is best described as furore.

The appearance of the Motorola MILESTONE in Europe was less ecstatic and relatively calmer, which is rather odd really, because both devices utilize identical hardware, not to mention they are the first to run Android 2.0. Still, there are certain software differences between them that albeit minor and insignificant at first sight, might have a huge impact on the overall feel and kick you get out of using the phone. We will tell you more about them later on, now let´s first take a look at what´s in the box and pay thorough attention to the phone design.

What´s in the box:
•    The Motorola MILESTONE
•    User guide
•    USB cable
•    8GB microSD card
•    Charger

Design:

This is one of the thinnest landscape-sliding QWERTY devices available on the market,something that we haven't seen too much of from Motorola in the past. It's overall footprint is similar to the iPhone 3GS, except for the fact that its slightly thicker (13.7mm) because of the inclusion of the physical QWERTY. When comparing it to something like the HTC Touch Pro2, it doesn't look as massive – making it seem a lot sleeker and more streamlined. Frankly, the Motorola MILESTONE is built like a tank,as its outer shell radiates a feeling of solid construction that should withstand most of the wear and tear it'll be put through. In addition, its metallic construction adds some weight to the MILESTONE, but of course it’s something expected with such high-quality materials. We definitely enjoy the feeling of the soft matte coating on the rear, how it hugs onto the metallic materials, and that it compliments it well when placed in the hand. Even though its slim looks may fool your eyes in guessing its weight (169 grams), it won't be as noticeable when you close it up and throw it in your pocket. Motorola meticulously went through every portion of this handset to make sure they came out with something that would separate its design from the existing crop.