Though Nexus One Tempted Me, I’m Keeping My Droid

The Motorola Droid has been a fairly contentious piece of equipment to date. Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no doubt that it’s done a lot to bring the Android operating system to the forefront of the world of smart phones. There were other Android-based phones in 2009, but none made as big a splash, in part, due to the lack of publicity. But now there’s another Android phone pushing it’s way to the front of the fray. The Google-branded Nexus One. Like the Droid Eris, it’s manufactured by HTC, so I know it’s going to have strong industrial & UX design. I love the design and functionality of my wife’s HTC Droid Eris. But I chose the Motorola Droid, and, despite a number of flaws, I’m not going to return it. But before I explain why, let me tell you why I considered kicking it to the curb.

1. It’s bulky. The slide-out keyboard speaks to the design-by-committee quality of the phone. Somewhere is an executive who insisted that a physical keyboard would give the Droid an edge over the iPhone. In theory, that’s true, but the Droid’s physical keyboard is very hard to use. I feel like it was created by an exasperated engineer who was ordered to fit it into too small a space, so it’s flat and much more difficult to use than the on-screen soft keyboard. So I don’t use it. The only aspect that is beneficial to me is the cursor control, which brings me to my next point.
2. Navigating text while you’re typing is a huge pain. I have an iPod Touch, and Apple’s solution is okay; while it’s tedious, it works. Droid has almost no solution. You can either keep tapping at the screen until the cursor blessedly jumps where you want it to, or you can slide open the keyboard and use the rectangle to the right of the keys to move the cursor where you want it. Somebody tell me why it’s so difficult to put cursor controls in the soft keyboards. You can type just about any character needed by switching between keyboard layouts. Where are the cursor keys — am I the only one who misses them horribly? Apple, Google, help me understand. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. And what about a forward delete key? Okay, rant over.
3. The permanent soft keys below the screen are way too sensitive. I am constantly accidentally hitting the search button, particularly while using the camera. Why is the search button even active while the camera is being used? Who decides they’re going to do a search while they’re taking photos? And going from the camera, to the search, and then back again takes forever. So the shot is missed.
4. The battery door falls off. This is probably the Achilles heel of the Droid. Such a costly device should not have a battery door that falls off. Not only is it inconvenient, it makes the Droid seem cheap.
5. Android doesn’t have multi-touch out of the box. Apple is the Microsoft of smart phones, with huge market share and tons of patents, and Google is a bit afraid of them for that reason. But the Droid has the capability for multi-touch. I have two apps that use it, and I look forward to more.

Though there are other flaws, these are the reasons I considered returning the Motorola Droid in favor of the upcoming Google Nexus One. It’s technically similar to the Droid, with much superior design. Edit: This isn’t actually right. The Google Nexus One uses the Snapdragon 1GHz processor, whereas the Droid uses the Arm A8 — the same as the iPhone 3GS — at 550MHz. But I’m sticking with the Droid. Here’s why.

1. It’s a great device. The screen is superb, the processor is strong, there are a lot of awesome apps for it, and it’s a really good phone.
2. I don’t know exactly when the Nexus One will become available for Verizon subscribers. It’s supposed to be available in Spring, but that could be June. So I could be without a smart phone for almost 6 months. Blech.
3. I don’t know how much the Nexus One will cost. With my 2-year plan, I got my Droid for $150 with rebates, etc. But I could end up paying $300+ for the Nexus One. There’s no way to know at this point.
4. The case I ordered yesterday will obviate the battery door issue.
5. I believe that a lot of the Droid’s issues can and will be resolved with software. The accidental searches can be fixed if certain apps would disable the search button. Android 2.1 will be available for the Droid sometime this year. I still hold out hope for the missing text-navigation feature. The Droid has been rooted, so there are and will be custom software releases.
6. By the time the Nexus One is available for Verizon subscribers, it will be old news. There will be something better on the way, I have no doubt. I could hold out indefinitely for the perfect smart phone, but it’s not worth it to me.
7. Most importantly, I like the Droid. No, it’s not sleek and magical like the iPhone was when it first appeared. Droid is rough around the edges (figuratively speaking) and it feels like technology rather than magic. But it’s still pretty cool, and I’m glad it’s mine.

So for all of you Verizon subscribers who are holding out for the Nexus One, good for you. I’m sure it’s an awesome phone and it will be worth the wait. But while you’re waiting, I’m going to be enjoying my Motorola Droid.

Update: I’ve installed a custom ROM that allows adjusting the processor speed up to 1.2GHz, as well as providing a multi-touch gallery and a few other cool features. I’ve had it installed for about a month, and it’s at least as stable as it was with the stock software. I generally run it at 1GHz. I’m loving my Droid now more than ever. Check out http://www.droidmod.org.