Wireless October 28, 2009, 10:00AM EST

Verizon's Motorola Phone Boosts Android

The launch of the Motorola Droid puts the powerful Verizon marketing machine and its 3G network behind Google's fledgling mobile operating system

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From the start, Google's Android smartphone software has garnered way more attention from hard-core techies than the general public. That's mainly because the range of handsets and carriers providing the software was uninspiring. Until now.

First, T-Mobile said a couple weeks ago it would introduce the social network-oriented Motorola (MOT) CLIQ. But the real game changer is Verizon Wireless' Oct. 28 introduction of the Motorola Droid, which is not only a very good smartphone, but throws the Verizon marketing juggernaut and its top-tier 3G network behind the fledgling Android operating system, now just over a year old. It comes as a breath of fresh air for the struggling Motorola, in desperate need of a promising handset.

I've only had a few hours to play with the Droid, which will be available Nov. 6 for $200 after a rebate, so consider this a first look; a more in-depth review will come in a few days. But I can already tell that both the Droid hardware and the Android 2.0 software represent a big step forward. Droid will be an overall brand name for Verizon Wireless Android-based phones, but only this model will be the Droid.

An Online Android Bazaar

The new version of Android software includes a number of major improvements. The most striking—though I'm not sure whether this is an official part of the operating system or a newly available application—is Google (GOOG) Maps Navigation, the long-rumored free real-time, turn-by-turn nav service. I didn't have much opportunity to use it; my first impression is that it is far less capable than the $5-to-$10-a-month services offered on other phones. But you can't beat the price.

Other new features include synchronization with multiple e-mail accounts, contact lists, and calendars, with messages, contacts, and appointments from multiple sources combined in single lists, as on the Palm (PALM) Pre's WebOS. Sync with corporate Exchange servers is optional (and included on the Droid), though the lack of encryption of messages stored on the device will leave IT departments unhappy and demanding that workers use BlackBerrys instead to access corporate e-mail.

The Android Market, an online bazaar featuring downloadable apps for use on Android phones, continues to be one of the platform's more attractive features. Of course, with just over 10,000 apps, the Android Market has one-tenth the number available at Apple's (AAPL) iTunes App Store, which on Oct. 27 said its tally topped 100,000. But the numbers game is getting silly. What matters most is whether you can get what you want. With Android, odds are that even if you can't get what you want, you probably can get what you need. Certainly the store is far better stocked than its BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, or Palm Pre equivalents. And the payment system, using Google Checkout, comes close to rivaling Apple's in efficiency. Verizon plans to add its own store, with purchases to be paid for on your phone bill, but is vague about the timing.

Droid's hardware is equally impressive. The handset is about the same length and width as an iPhone and just a couple of millimeters thicker. That extra thickness allows for a slide-out keyboard and a removable battery. The only physical buttons on the phone are an on/off switch and a volume-control rocker.