DROID / DROID ERIS [tech related]

KaushikKaushik 320 Posts
edited April 2010 in Strut Central
For the tech oriented people here, any thoughts on pro's and cons of the Motorola DROID vs. the DROID ERIS? My phone is up for renewal and I'm contemplating one or the other. I know the DROID is supposed to be a beast in terms of performance and features, but it may be overkill for what I want to use the phone for. The ERIS is supposedly a "lite" version of DROID, but may be a better fit both in terms of price and functionality.I'm a Verizon user so no iPhone for me unfortunately, though I am really interested in getting apps designed for the Android OS. Any experiences/thoughts/ advice? Here's the ERIS:

  Comments


  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    Isn't Verizon supposed to be getting Iphone soon?

  • I have a droid and I love it. My mother has an ERIS. I dig it too. We signed up for a family plan thing where we got a droid and an eris for 99$ back in December. I ponied up 300 dollars but got back 200 in rebates so I ended up getting the droid for 100 an my mom got the ERIS for free.

    Funcionality is great. Some many dope free apps to use and internet connectivity is sick.

    Droid - I love the keyboard. Makes typing easier when I am doing massive amounts of IM'ing or skype chats. Most of the time I use the onscreen keyboard for little things like google searches and what not.

    ERIS - I like the size of the phone compared to the DROID. The droid is pretty big. The ERIS is smaller and the on screen keyboard is very good at detecting which keys you are pressing. I actually think a little better than the droid. It could just be imaging it I dont know.

    One think that I have found out with these phones and I have talked to other people too is that the battery is a big issue. Also the amount of apps that you have open at a time can cause your applications to crash randomly. It doesn't matter if you don't actually launch an application it will always get launched no matter what like gmail or settings and some other joints. I had to install the advanced task killer so that I can routinely kill apps that I am not using to prevent my apps from crashing all the time. This is on both the ERIS and DROID. I also had to setup shortcuts to different tools that allow me to dim the screen at will and also disable stuff like GPS and WIFI if I am not using it. Also turn off the screen after a minute or two when not using. This seems to have given me a lot more battery life.

    Over all I like them both maybe someone else has a better opinion. If you can handle the onscreen keyboard for the most part then I would say go with the cheaper ERIS. I love the keyboard and the screen size on the DROID. It is good for watching movies on the train into work.

    peace

  • PrimeCutsLtdPrimeCutsLtd jersey fresh 2,632 Posts
    get the droid

  • KaushikKaushik 320 Posts
    Isn't Verizon supposed to be getting Iphone soon?

    I heard about this too but I think it's been pushed back for reasons I can't remember now.

    So, I'm more interested in the Droid vs. Droid Eris comparison than I am in the Droid vs. iPhone.

    Only issue that I'm seeing is the relatively small number of Android apps (vs. iPhone apps), but hopefully that'll change.

  • GrandfatherGrandfather 2,303 Posts
    Android has tons and tons of apps
    There is a 2.1 version that runs flash, so thats even more access to web applications
    The Droid would be a better choice or a Nexus One for verizon if it gets sold.

  • KaushikKaushik 320 Posts
    Android has tons and tons of apps
    There is a 2.1 version that runs flash, so thats even more access to web applications
    The Droid would be a better choice or a Nexus One for verizon if it gets sold.

    That's interesting re: Flash.. I read that Eris is running on Android version 1.5 and is supposed to get an OS upgrade soon, or maybe it's already happened. The Android apps store doesn't have a lot (maybe 30-40 apps) but sounds like there are actually a lot more apps out there - good to know.

  • empanadamnempanadamn 1,462 Posts
    i've actually been working with verizon wireless for a few months now, assisting with the product launch (in nov 09) and did some seeding for initial reaction before it's release (in oct 09). being a iphone user with AT&T, i am their target audience for the "educated smart phone consumer". i'll save you the comparing and contrasting between the iphone/droid & AT&T/verizon wireless. also, don't ask me if or when the iphone is dropping for verizon because I DO NOT KNOW (yes, really).

    re: motorola vs. HTC:
    i think both have their merits, but i'd personally go with the motorola droid. right now, it's better equipped to handle a more advanced users needs. the OS updates only get better and better, and google is pretty on top of meeting demands. as you've noticed, the motorola's OS is a couple steps ahead of everyone else's OS for google.
    i think the major difference between the two is keyboard and aesthetic between the two. i've definitely noticed more women rock the eris than the droid. there was a hard push on the droid being a "man's" phone from the stance that advertising took.

    what i'm waiting for is a 2nd gen motorola to drop to fix the design flaws / issues ppl have - flat keyboard, too box-y of shape (yielding difficulty for case or cover use), battery back coming off easily, etc. i think they really just wanted to veer away from trying to look like the iphone or blackberry. if you look at other google based devices, they take on the shape/design of more popular competitors. also, what kills the motorola droid is that it's not a phone for international use (for the time being). you can skype on it, but it's not the same.

    what would be awesome would be a merging of the iphone and droid, if that could happen in some way. i know i'm dreaming, but that'd be pretty awesome.

    i'm curious for what the HTC INCREDIBLE & google's NEXUS have in store later this year.

    the app situation for the droid is so-so. there's a lot of BS out there, especially for free joints. you definitely have to dig for what you're looking for, whether its on the (android) Market or elsewhere. i would highly recommend getting the Advanced Task Killer or another type of auto-closing application for other apps. a lot of the time, folks will be running multiple apps at once which runs through your battery life pretty quickly.

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    Only phone to grab my attention right now from a new iphone would be HTC EVO 4G.


    HAWT SHIT!!!


    The Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two not so much.

  • empanadamnempanadamn 1,462 Posts
    Only phone to grab my attention right now from a new iphone would be HTC EVO 4G. HAWT SHIT!!!

    oh yeah. my chick was telling me about this. she's wanting to make the leap to this from her palm pre. the device looks pretty awesome. i think sprint's big push right now is being 4G, but in terms of their national coverage, it's not so great. still, i'm looking forward to this device.

  • dj_pidj_pi 335 Posts
    Only phone to grab my attention right now from a new iphone would be HTC EVO 4G. HAWT SHIT!!!

    oh yeah. my chick was telling me about this. she's wanting to make the leap to this from her palm pre. the device looks pretty awesome. i think sprint's big push right now is being 4G, but in terms of their national coverage, it's not so great. still, i'm looking forward to this device.

    Reports are Palm may be up for sale to HTC today...

    I have a Droid and absolutely love it. I never use the slide-out keyboard though which would have made me a perfect candidate for the HTC Eris. The reason I didn't go with that, is when the Droid came out, it had a faster processor and people speculated that the Eris would never get any subsequent Android-OS upgrades. (at the time, the Droid came out with 2.0 and Eris was still on 1.9) But, 2.1 has come out and works on both phones and will eventually give us flash support. (aka: atdhe.net for me) I really like the Eris though, so for me, it would come down to the slide-out keyboard as I hear both phones are equally capable processor/speed-wise.

    Can't wait for slingbox app to come out on Android.

  • empanadamnempanadamn 1,462 Posts
    Reports are Palm may be up for sale to HTC today...

    http://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/12/palm-reportedly-places-company-up-for-sale/

  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    I recently got a Backflip and it's quite awesome.



    They've got an app that lets you change the caller ID number and record phone calls. Seems almost illegal.

  • KaushikKaushik 320 Posts
    Thanks for all the great feedback. There are way too many rumors flying around about Verizon planning to announce end of life for Eris in May, then the HTC Incredible is coming out who knows when, etc etc. The Eris discussion threads on the Android Forums are going nuts. http://androidforums.com/htc-droid-eris/

    I'm planning to hold off on my decision until Verizon makes announcements about Eris, Android updates for Eris (which may or may or happen) etc. Eris may soon be offered for a steal if it reaches EOL and they start to push the Incredible, Nexus etc.

  • BurnsBurns 2,227 Posts

    They've got an app that lets you change the caller ID number and record phone calls. Seems almost illegal.


    My Sony Walkman phone does this without an app.

  • KaushikKaushik 320 Posts
    Bump three months later! I finally ordered the DROID X. Getting it today. I considered the Droid Incredible but decided to hold out for the X. The Incredible's gotten really good reviews despite its battery issues. The X seemed to be a better fit for me though and I like the form factor and bonus features (720p HD video - nice).

    Anyone else get the Droid X, Incredible, Evo or other Android phones? How's it working out for you?

  • GrandfatherGrandfather 2,303 Posts
    I've been an early adopter of android devices.
    My buddy got the droid x yesterday, its a pretty bad ass phone.
    Big but still sleek. Video recording is awesome on it.
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