Droid X: Meet the Android phone that could finally take a bite out of Apple
On Wednesday, Verizon took the tarp off the Droid X, the newest smartphone in Verizon's popular Android line. The Droid X wasn't exactly a secret – the Droid murmurs began in earnest earlier this month – but the handset, which sports a big screen and the Android 2.1 operating system, has already attracted a lot of buzz. For good reason: In many ways, the Droid X is a better phone than the forthcoming iPhone 4.
Don't believe us? Let's get down to the nuts and bolts. First, the screen. According to Steve Jobs, the iPhone 4 will feature 326 pixels-per-inch, four times the pixel density of the iPhone 3G S. The Droid X doesn't quite achieve that level of density, but it will arrive with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, almost an inch bigger than the 3.5 display on the iPhone 4.
For folks who watch a lot of YouTube – we're looking at you, pal – the size of the Droid X screen, paired with its 854 x 480 pixels resolution, will be an attractive choice. “It is pretty spectacular,” John Stratton, chief marketing officer of Verizon said today, according to Wired. “When you have a screen and form factor like this – very thin and lightweight – it screams video.”
Indeed.
The Droid X, which ships on July 15, won't get the front-facing video camera featured on the new iPhone 4. But the Droid X will get an 8-megapixel camera capable of capturing HD video. Verizon says users will be able to connect the phone via HDMI to their televisions to watch their favorite clips. (By comparison, the iPhone 4 gets a 5-megapixel camera which also records HD video.)
As critics continue to assail Apple for its "walled garden" policy, consumers may flock to the Droid X for a breath of fresh air.
More: iPhone 4 vs. iPhone 3G S: A buyer's guide
(Editor's note: The original version of this story misstated the Droid X's default Android version. It comes with 2.1.)
