Quick Hit: Motorola Mobility’s Droid 3 is an incremental update from the first two versions of the device, but doesn’t stand out from the pack of Android devices on the market.
Review: Motorola clarified how it planned to finally transition from the iconic RAZR device into smartphones when it released the first Droid smartphone in fall 2009. Since then, a dense flurry of black slabs have entered the market with seemingly identical specs and hardware.
As specs and features have improved throughout the lineup of Android devices, Motorola’s inability to deliver an LTE smartphone ahead of its competitors is glaringly obvious on this device.
While the Droid 3 is up to snuff on every other measurement and configuration, any new Android smartphone on Verizon Wireless is going to be a tough sell if it can’t claim zooming LTE speeds. Why should any Verizon Wireless customer buy a Droid 3 when there are LTE-equipped alternatives?
For previous Droid owners and fans of the slide-out QWERTY keyboard hiding beneath a 4-inch screen, the Droid 3 should hit all the right notes. Horizontal QWERTY keyboards are spread out, and for many they serve as the perfect alternative to touch based input.
I’m not a fan of the horizontal QWERTY configuration though. Given the option between a horizontal QWERTY keyboard or a touchscreen, I’ll always opt for the touchscreen, especially if that device supports the fantastic predict text-input solution from Swype.
While I’ve tried and later dismissed form factors like the Droid 3, it’s good to see Motorola at least offering its customers a range of choices to meet the very personal preferences that users look for in their mobile devices today.
The Android 2.3-powered Droid 3 sports a 4-inch display, a dual-core 1 GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capability and 3G hotspot capabilities.
The Droid 3 comes in at the same price point as its closest competitors on Verizon Wireless, but devices with identical or better specs and LTE capability are quickly coming onto the scene. Because of that, I expect the Droid 3 to be a second-tier player and once Motorola gets its act together with an LTE smartphone, it should probably slash the price of the Droid 3 to aggressively compete in the mid range.
The Decision: With so many virtually identical Android devices on the market, the Droid 3 doesn’t pack any punches that differentiates it from the others. And with no LTE on board, the Droid 3 is going to have a tough and perhaps short lived road ahead. Top class features and specs, but a glaring technology omission earns the Droid 3 a solid B+.
