Another Droid

Verizon Wireless has unveiled its latest phone running the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android operating system under the very popular Droid branding scheme. Following in the footsteps of the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid with the large display and the slide out keyboard is the Motorola Droid 2. Verizon has done an outstanding job marketing these devices—this only adds to the list of dozens of new Android phones that are fueling the spike in market share.
The Droid 2 will be available online starting tomorrow and in stores by Thursday for $200 after a $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will have to wade through a number of service plan options, starting at $70 a month for talk, and email and web access. Customers can pay $20 more to be able to use the phone as a modem to connect other Wi-Fi devices.
Some of the complaints about the original Droid should be worked out in this new version. Motorola says the Droid 2 is much sleeker than the original bulky device, and the redesigned keyboard now has raised keys for easier typing. The device comes loaded with the latest Android 2.2 software, including a Flash Player and hotspot capabilities.
Android devices across handset makers and carriers outsold BlackBerry for the first time in the second quarter, and its even narrowing the gap with Symbian the global leader in smartphone OS market share.
While most U.S. carriers have been quick to adopt Android, Verizon has been very aggressive recently in lieu of having access to the iPhone. Jeffrey Dietel, Verizon’s VP of wireless device, marketing and development, said in a press release: “DROID 2 is not only a continuation of our commitment to Android but offers customers the features and form-factor they crave on the Verizon Wireless network.”