Motorola’s Droid X unveiled on July 15 sold out within a day at most stores in US, despite Verizon’s promise of enough Droid X in inventory. Verizon online store now says that Droid X will be shipped by July 27.
The Droid X runs on Android 2.1 and its features boast of 4.3 inch touch screen, a fast 1GHz processor, a dual LED flash, 8-megapixel camera, HD camcorder, and HDMI connectivity for personal HD content. Droid X also has mobile hot-spot capability and it can serve up to five compatible Wi-Fi services.
Droid X costs $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with two year contract and it requires a voice plan with a data plan of worth $29.99 or more. The 3G Mobile Hotspot service will cost $20 per month. Verizon customers whose contract ends by December 31, 2010, can upgrade to Droid X or any other smartphone.
Here is a round up of the Droid X reviews from the top tech sites/blogs.
Engadget: The Best Android Phone Ever Made
Engadget has mixed opinion on Droid X and it is not impressed with Motorola’s software on Droid X. It says,
It’s good, and it’s a pretty enjoyable execution of Android 2.1, but it’s not a must-have phone — especially in light of the Droid Incredible and the upcoming Droid 2. From a hardware perspective, this phone is pretty much a bang-on execution of what a high-end mobile powerhouse should be, but Motorola clearly still has work to do in order to play in the same software league as HTC does with Sense. If it can get there — or heck, if it can just offer this phone with stock Froyo — you’ve got perhaps the best Android phone ever made.
NY Times: Everything is Bigger in Droid X
David Pogue, New York Times calls Droid X as “the latest best Android phone on the market” as the market is flooded with Android smartphone and he says
If you who crave power, speed, flexibility, dropless calls an almost-Imax screen and Verizon’s network (as opposed to Sprint and its similar Evo), the Droid X is a big, beautiful contender for the “best Android phone on the market” crown.
Gizmodo: Not Happy With Droid X
In a scathing review, the tech blog Gizmodo had both nice things and not so nice things about Motorola Droid X. Showering praise on the hardware Droid X, it said
As a pure expression of the limits of mobile hardware and industrial design, the Droid X is kind of a beautiful thing.
Gizmodo is not happy with software on Droid X and said
It’s ugly, scattershot, and confusing. It feels almost malicious.
Giving verdict on Droid X, Gizmodo recommended HTC Incredible and HTC EVO 4G and said
All things considered, it’s a showstopping phone whose potential is mutilated by ill-considered, ugly software that’s poorly done. The screen is sharp, colorful, resoundingly impressive. The guts are quick. The build is sculpted and robust. Unfortunately, you can’t really get around bad software—it’s is how a user touches hardware. It’s less elegant and focused than the other monster phone of the moment, HTC’s Evo on Sprint (and the Droid X doesn’t even have four gees). If the Droid X was going to be your next phone, you realistically have three options: the HTC Incredible on Verizon, the Evo on Sprint—or you can hold your breath and hope the Droid X gets better via the magic of software update, since that’s where most of the problems are. But don’t let your lungs explode in the meantime.
ZDNET: You Won’t be Disappointed with Droid X
ZDNET in its reviews sides with Droid X, if you are wondering whether to choose an iPhone or Android phone. ZDNET said
The Droid X is no exception. It’s the thinnest, fastest, most eye-popping Android phone I’ve ever used. If you’re on the fence about buying a smartphone, this one won’t fail to please.
But there’s still room for polish. In many ways, the latest Android phones represent the best of the PC laptop market: they don’t offer the curated premium experience of an Apple device, but they don’t have to, matching it with powerful hardware, an increasing number of quality apps and an unbending will to continue innovating at every turn.
Android or Apple? At this point, it’s merely a matter of preference, and if you’re willing to place your hard-earned cash on the $199.99 (with $100 rebate and two-year service agreement) Droid X, I’m confident you won’t be disappointed.
Wired: Madcap Multimedia
Wired.com’s review describes Droid X as a “Massive Dose of Madcap Multimedia”. It says
At its core, the X is designed for a large, splashy, multimedia-heavy experience. Its size disqualifies it from any smartphone quick-draw contests (we permanently left it out-of-pocket for sanity’s sake), and its occasionally power-hungry features make it a bad idea to stray far from an electric outlet. That said, even this phone’s most plain vanilla features (e.g., phone calls) are simple, lightning quick, and well implemented. If you can handle the phone’s immense size, you’ll be treated to one of the finest Android devices available anywhere.
No status light while charging. Movie downloads from Blockbuster are slooow and not viewable on the big screen in HDMI. Flimsy camera button and volume rocker. That mini-HMDI cord will cost you extra. Can’t realistically run a 3G hot spot unless you have POW-AH.
BoyGeniusReport: A Powerful Addition to Android Lineup
We enjoyed our time with the Motorola DROID X, and feel it is a well-balanced, powerful addition to Verizon Wireless’ Android lineup. We would have liked the device to have a better camera, a front facing camera, and perhaps some sort of optical tracking device for easier text correction, but all things considered…we really like this device. If you are or plan on being a Verizon Wireless customer, and love Android — or maybe are just Android curious — you definitely have to take a good, long look at the DROID X.
PCWorld: One of the Top Smartphones
wish that it were a little faster and that the camera ergonomics were a bit more user-friendly, but overall it is definitely one of the top Android phones available right now.
Related posts:
- Droid X to Hit Verizon Stores
- Verizon Confirms Droid 2
- DROID PRO Available for Pre-Order from Verizon for $179
- Droid X Tips: How To Extend Droid X Battery Life
- Droid X to Get Android 2.2 Update Tomorrow
- What Google, Verizon, and Motorola Had to Say on Android @ DROID X
- Droid 2 Available for $100 With Contract
While being a huge fan of the first Droid, I am very impressed with the Droid X. With the improved 8MP camera and new ultra thin look, this phone will be a big seller for Verizon. I am excited to try this phone out with my employee Sling receiver that I recently got from DISH Network. With the Sling receiver, I can watch live or recorded everywhere I have 3G coverage or WiFi. Not that there isn’t anything to add in the future, but the Droid X is the Droid in its perfected state by today’s standards.