Impressions of The Droid (on Verizon)

I've now had the good fortune or misfortune to have my hands on three different Android devices. Given I adopt early, I expect some disappointment, and was with the G1, so while I saw promise, the delivery was short, but the potential was clearly visible.

Next was the recently released MyTouch3 from T-Mobile. While it showed improvement, the lack of a keyboard was keeping it from being more to my liking, as I do more than just read on my phone.

Now comes the Droid, from Motorola. Nirvana? No. iPhone replacement. I think so, mostly because the Verizon network just rocks. Once I learned about Touchdown, a third party Exchange App, everything just sync'd and what's more, the speed of the Android on WiFi or EVDO smokes the iPhone.

One of the features I like is that Skype works ala Skype on Three in the UK. And while it uses your Skype Out credit, if you have Skype Unlimited and keep Skype loaded, (no one app at a time hassle ala the iPhone) you can do a lot more. One catch is to advise GoogleVoice to not be your default calling service, but to make it selectable call by call, otherwise Skype gets lost.

Is it perfect? No. But for someone who loves the Nokia E71, and wanted something much more like it, with a wide range of apps, but on Verizon, I have found the first true open device for Verizon, and have to say, it rocks.

Comments

[Andy Abramson]

Yes when the VoIP apps like Skype and Truphone work over WiFi on the Android.

[Garth Nalleweg]

Alec. Forgive me.
Does that mean that when I am travelling abroad, if I'm connected to Wifi in my hotel for my computer, can I also connect the droid and use skype inexpensively?
Also, if I'm at a hotspot abroad, can I use skype there? does it cost money to connect to the hotspot?
I'm a bit confused about these things, but I get ripped every time I travel. Phone useage can easily outstrip the airFARE, and that ain't FAIR.

Thanx a bunch

[Andy Abramson]

Alec-

Its the total experience.

[twitter.com/asaunders]

Andy, aren't you confusing the speed of the network with the phone? Here in Soviet Canuckistan iPhone the iPhone rocks on the Rogers network. I would imagine that Android phones perform similarly.

So isn't your beef with AT&T and not iPhone?

[Andy Abramson]

David-No. You will use both your Skype minutes and your voice plan minutes.

James-I am using the Skype Beta in the Market for Android. Works great.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501213824]

Let me get this straight, I can use my Skype subscription on the Motorola Droid to place calls in the US, using only Verizon data and not my minutes?
Thanks

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=654651102]

Andy what skype client are you using on Droid ?

Thanks