Three new handhelds have arrived at
Verizon Wireless, just in time for the holidays: the
DROID by Motorola, the first smart phone powered by Google's
Android 2.0 operating system; the
DROID ERIS by HTC, which provides a seven-panel screen designed to bring the most important information forward; and last, but not least, the
BlackBerry Storm2,
the second generation of BlackBerry's touchscreen platform, which includes a new
SurePress "clickable" display and built-in Wi-Fi.
THE DROID
The
DROID by Motorola features a touch-screen plus a full-QWERTY slider keyboard. The unit has a powerful processor and a widescreen, 3.7” high-resolution screen, providing a width of 854 pixels to reduce the need for side-to-side panning.
You can access the Internet either via Verizon's 3G network or any Wi-Fi hotspot, and more than 12,000 applications are available from the Android Market. You can also toggle back and forth between up to six applications at a time.
DROID also offers voice-activated search and is the first device with
Google Maps Navigation, providing spoken, turn-by-turn directions as a FREE feature. The company claims you can use
Street View or satellite imagery to view your route, and get access to the most recent maps without ever needing to update your device.
Also included is a
5-megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash, auto-focus and image stabilization, plus a 16 GB memory card for storage.
The DROID sells for
$199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate. Nationwide voice plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access for 450 minutes and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan is $29.99 for monthly access. For more information, visit
www.droiddoes.com.
HTC DROID ERIS
DROID ERIS by HTC combines the popular Android platform with
HTC Sense, a user experience that makes it easy for customers to create an individualized mobile experience, including a seven-panel screen designed to bring the most important information to the forefront, and “Scenes,” which allows customers to transform the device from a “work” phone to a “play” phone with a touch of a finger.
The unit also has a 3.2-inch capacitive touch-screen and trackball interface, a
5.0 megapixel auto-focus camera, expandable memory with pre-installed 8 GB micro SD card (up to 16 GB supported), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3.5mm headset jack, integrated GPS, including a digital compass with a sensor that knows which direction the phone is facing.
The unit's full HTML browser has
Flash Lite capabilities and is optimized for Google Maps, Gmail, Google Search and more.DROID ERIS by HTC sells for
$99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an e-mail feature or e-mail plan. For more information, visit
VerizonWireless.com.
BLACKBERRY STORM2
Many say the
BlackBerry Storm2 is the touchscreen smart-phone
Research in Motion (RIM) should have introduced a year ago. The unit features a smooth design with a 3.25-inch, 480 x 360 display and new
SurePress technology significantly improves clicking the display.
Among a long list of additional features is a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, image stabilization, flash and video recording capabilities. In addition to 3G and global connectivity for making calls in more than 220 countries and accessing data in more than 185 countries, the Storm2 also supports
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g).
The unit sells for
$179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan. For more information, visit
VerizonWireless.com.
VERIZON DOUBLES EARLY TERMINATION FEE
The tech blogs are abuzz these days about the
Early Termination Fee (ETF) change that is now in effect at Verizon Wireless retail stores and participating dealers. According to reports, Verizon customers purchasing an "Advanced Device" with a 1- or 2-year service agreement after November 15, 2009, are now subject to a penalty of up to
$350 if they disconnect service prior to completing the minimum term. The $350 fee will decrease by $10 for each month of service completed. The previous ETF was
$175.
The increase is supposedly aimed at customers who purchase a new phone, cancel their service, pay a nominal ETF, and then resell the phone on eBay for a profit. Nevertheless, the move has sparked sharp criticism from
N.Y. Times technology columnist
David Pogue and others. A
U.S. Senator has even urged the company to reconsider its decision and asked the FCC to review the matter.
Spokesperson
Gretchen LeJeune says that consumers have a choice when they buy an advanced device from Verizon Wireless: pay the full price or buy it with a subsidy subject to an ETF."Many of our customers find great convenience in buying subsidized devices with contracts that include ETFs," says LeJeune. "This option makes more powerful smart phones, running over broadband wireless networks, available to more people."
As for those who assert that Verizon has customer-unfriendly policies, LeJeune says that the company consistently leads in
JD Power and Associates' rankings of wireless customer satisfaction.
