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Can Droid surpass iPhone's appeal?

Date published: 11/7/2009

I FOR ONE, welcome our Android over- lords. But early evidence indicates that resistance may not be futile.

Despite stellar reviews and the buzz created by Verizon Wireless' cool "iDon't" ad campaign favorably comparing the Google Android Motorola Droid's versatility, utilitarianism and open-source flexibility to Apple and AT&T's iPhone, there were no reports as of this writing yesterday of iPhone-launch-size lines at the carrier's stores around the country.

That might mean the Droid is capturing the imagination of more tech-savvy consumers first and that the masses might follow later. That's what I believe will happen, even if a report about a possible Apple/AT&T move to undercut the Droid is true. More on that later.

Another Android operating-system phone, the slick and interesting $99 HTC Eris, went on sale at the same time as the Droid yesterday. But a seemingly disappointed sales associate at the Central Park store in Fredericksburg said the expected crowds that led to an early morning opening didn't materialize, and plenty of Droid and Eris devices remained in stock.

A regional Verizon spokesperson based in suburban Maryland wouldn't comment on the launch as of this writing yesterday.

But there were extenuating circumstances.

Verizon is selling the phone through its online store with an immediate $100 discount, while requiring that in-store buyers twiddle their thumbs waiting for a $100 mail-in rebate. Best Buy sells the Droid for $200 without requiring a rebate, and Walmart is selling it for $188. So smart shoppers could be going elsewhere.

In any case, Verizon should be concerned about a report by the BoyGenius tech Web site that sources are saying AT&T and Apple will come out with a $99 iPhone 3GS (with just 8 gigabytes of storage) in time for holiday shopping--a tactic said to be a direct result of concern about the Droid. The Droid would have big advantages, including 16 GB of storage, free turn-by-turn Google navigation and a 5-mega-pixel camera. But the iPhone brand remains magical.

Coming up next week: a full review of the iPhone-like $99 Verizon Wireless HTC Eris, another Android OS smartphone--but one that has more or an iPhone type design than the Droid (see Eris photo with this column).

Michael Zitz: 540/846-5163
Email: mzbeckham@gmail.com

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Date published: 11/7/2009