Verizon launches Motorola DROID Android 2.0 phone with Google Maps Navigation

Motorola DROID for Verizon

Motorola DROID for Verizon

Motorola DROID for Verizon

Verizon Wireless has officially announced the Motorola DROID, its anticipated and powerful Android-powered smartphone and the company's first handset to come from a partnership with Google. DROID features 3G and WiFi data connectivity, a massive 3.7-inch WVGA (480x854 pixels) capacitive touchscreen^(INFO) display, a 5.0 megapixel autofocus camera, and a ton of Google applications, both new and old.

The device is the first to launch with Google's updated Android 2.0 smartphone OS, which includes new functionality and an improved interface over the 1.6 version that launched in the beginning of October. With DROID's powerful processor, users can multitask easily and can switch between six applications at a time. Of course, users will have access to the Android Market for downloading third-party applications. DROID features voice-activated search for web queries, but users can still utilize the DROID's slide-out full-QWERTY keyboard with the universal search application to look up contacts, apps, and other information on the phone. With 3G and WiFi data connectivity, web pages viewed in the multi-window browser should load quickly, and zooming is never more than a double-tap away.

A 5.0 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash will let users take photos and shoot video to share with friends. Media taken with the phone's camera, along with a wide array of video and audio files, can be saved on the device's 16GB microSD^(INFO) card, which comes bundled with the phone. Listen to music or watch videos for extended periods of time with the DROID's 1400mAh battery, and utilize your Bluetooth headset and headphones with the device for wireless listening or jack in a traditional pair of 3.5mm headphones, as you choose.

As rumored earlier today, Google has indeed been working on a free turn-by-turn navigation service called Google Maps Navigation that is launching first with DROID. Users can tell the phone where they want to navigate to and follow voice-guided directions using Google Maps and the device's aGPS functionality. The DROID also has Gmail Sync and Exchange support out-of-box, and Google applications like Maps, Talk and Calendar are also available.

The MOTO DROID will be available November 6 at Verizon Wireless for $199.99 after a two-year customer agreement and mail-in rebate.