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This business of iPhone killing is a lot harder than it looks.
Putting together a package that can overtake Cupertino's magic device has proven extremely difficult, mostly because Apple has created a product that is elegant, fun to use and boasts not only a powerful piece of hardware but an almost infinite amount of third-party software.
But there are ways to blunt Apple's advantage, even if you can't go toe-to-toe with the iPhone experience. The Motorola Droid, which went on sale last week for $199.99 (after a $100 rebate), is a study in just that kind of striving.
While it doesn't match the iPhone's simplicity or produce the same end result, Droid creates a compelling package that is the best iPhone challenger yet. In some ways, it even surpasses the iPhone, but its list of advantages doesn't provide the one killer punch necessary to knock the iPhone down.
Perhaps the best edge for Droid is its network. On Verizon Wireless, the Droid has a powerful network that finds me in the nooks and valleys of San Francisco. I've had an easier time finding a 3G signal with the Droid than with my iPhone 3GS, which is an AT&T exclusive.
This is not a trivial matter, because Verizon folks are very loyal. Some have defected to the iPhone, but they would love to stay on the Verizon network. With a Verizon iPhone looking doubtful at this point, the Droid should keep those Verizon customers happy.
Aesthetically, the Droid hardware won't set any hearts on fire. Its best attribute is its beautiful 3.7-inch screen which is not only bigger than the iPhone's but, at 854x480 with a 16:9 aspect ratio, also boasts a better resolution.
The rest of the phone design is rather ho-hum. It's got a glossy black body framing the screen, with four touch buttons for back, menu, home and search. The back of the phone has a rubberized black matte finish with gold accents.
Slide-out keyboard
Despite being just about 1 1/2 millimeters thicker than the iPhone 3GS at its thickest point, the Droid manages to hide a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Unfortunately, it's not a great type pad. To accommodate the thin body, the buttons are flattened and have shallow channels between them. The result is some inaccurate typing.
I'm more of a fan of the Droid's virtual keyboard, which thankfully has improved auto-correct software. Even for longer messages, I was tempted to just type using the virtual keyboard in landscape mode rather than slide out the physical keyboard.
Android 2.0
The Droid is the first phone to run Google's Android 2.0 software. The highlight of this operating system upgrade is the inclusion of Google Maps Navigation, a free turn-by-turn direction service that works pretty well. Because it's Internet-connected, the service can also pull up live traffic, nearby searches and Google Street View for points along your path.
Android 2.0 also provides other nice touches, including the ability to collapse contacts and information from multiple sources into one view. You can sync contacts lists from Google, Exchange and Facebook. Different e-mail accounts can feed into one in-box. It's not as elegant as HTC's Sense user interface, but it creates intuitive connections and integration not found on the iPhone.
Some other advantages for Droid over the iPhone are its ability to multitask, customize and support widgets. The iPhone has multitasking for many Apple apps, but third-party apps have to be closed before accessing another application. Android allows applications to run in the background, but it doesn't provide a huge benefit.
Android 2.0 also provides support for more camera features. The Droid sports a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash and some nice effects and modes like sepia or portrait. Droid's photographs aren't noticeably better than the iPhone's, but the video is pretty good.
Amazon MP3s
One of the iPhone's strengths is its tight integration with iTunes. Not only can users sync media easily, they can buy songs, videos and apps right from the iPhone. Droid offers access to Amazon's MP3 service, but there's no equivalent for easy video downloads. You can move your own media over by plugging your Droid into a PC or Mac and dragging and dropping files onto the Droid.
The Web browser looks especially nice on the Droid's larger screen. Double tapping on a page brings up a closer look.
The iPhone set my expectations for responsive touch-screen interfaces, but Android's experience has been easy to grasp.
Finally, Apple still has a huge edge in applications, aside from the numbers advantage (100,000 apps versus Android's 12,000). Apple also has some very polished software from both independent developers and big-name publishers.
Credible alternative
In the end, the Droid doesn't kill the iPhone so much as offer a credible alternative. The iPhone still has an edge, but considering the distance the Android platform has closed in just one year, you have to wonder what the competition will look like in another year.
E-mail Ryan Kim at
rkim@sfchronicle.com
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