By Motorola and Verizon Wireless have just announced the newest version of their epic line of Droid phones: the Motorola Droid 4. The duo are claiming the device is the thinnest 4G LTE QWERTY Smartphone on the planet. If that’s a tongue twister you can’t tie your noodle around, let me put it in more basic terms: the Droid 4 is only half an inch thick and has a full 5-row slide-out keyboard and 4G connectivity. Pretty impressive.
Some quick Droid 4 Specs:
- 1.2GHz processor
- 1GB RAM
- Android 2.3.5 (Android 4.0 coming soon)
- 4.0-inch qHD display
- Scratch and scrape resistant glass, water-repellant nanocoating for splash resistance
- 8MP camera with 1080p video
- HDMI mirroring
- MotoCast
- 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot support (up to 8 devices)
- Water-repellent nanocoating for splash resistance
- 16 GB on-board memory
- MicroSD slot
There will be a line of accessories available for compatibility with the Droid 4 including a 10.1-inch lapdock, 14-inch lapdock with webcam, HD Dock, HD Station, and Vehicle Navigation Mount. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced, but are expected to come in the following weeks.
My opinion is torn with the Droid 4. I used to be a huge hardware keyboard proponent who couldn’t live without one. The Droid 4 performs what seems to be magic by cramming a full 5-row QWERTY Keyboard into a .5-inch thick frame with a solid set of alterior specs. But personally, with tremendous growth of touchscreen accuracy and performance, I’ve found my own interest in hardware keyboards to wane.
I still see the huge benefit of them for different use cases, but for the average consumer I think 4.0-inch+ touchscreens and greatly improved display input and technology have pushed hardware keyboards onto their last leg in terms of mainstream mobile adoption.
Do you agree? Disagree? Give us your thoughts on the Droid 4 below!
(Android 4.0 coming soon)
Locked Bootloader!
Yeah! Sign me up baby!!
And no NFC (or so reported).
I agree with you on not needing a hardware keyboard anymore. I had the OG Droid and recently replaced it with the Galaxy Nexus. I thought I would really miss the physical keyboard, but I was dead wrong. The software keyboard for ICS is precise and responsive. I’m glad I didn’t stick with a physical keyboard. Having the extra screen real estate and thinner phone is worth it.
wait another month and they will release the droid 4 maxx
Not a Global Phone like the Droid 3 :(
sucks, i read somewhere that 1st gen LTE can’t do global and LTE on the same phone. sad sad sad.
Being a Droid 1 owner, I had been waiting and waiting and waiting for this, and had it come out before the Galaxy Nexus, I probably would have gone this route. Moto build quality is definitely better than Sammy in my limited experience. The physical kb gives you full screen space while banging out emails, txt’s, etc. That’s the big advantage, along w/ perfect typing accuracy. I wasn’t sure I would like a screen only phone, but I’ve been enjoying the hell outta my Nexus Cream Sandwich, and have gotten used to it. Corporate users and IT types will probably still want the D4.
Still a huge fan of physical keyboards over here. Even on my 10.1 inch Transformer I believe the keyboard dock makes the devices. I would lose the keyboard to the right device, but I would be very sad about it.
Do we know for sure about global capability yet? The spec sheet from back in November indicated it was global, but there’s been no confirmation of that. “Business ready” is touted a couple of times in today’s press release, but they don’t outright say global. I have to say that’s possibly the dealbreaker for me, as I travel a bit. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. //crosses fingers//
I definitely prefer hardware keyboards. Regardless of how big your screen is, an on-screen keyboard still takes up screen real estate, and playing a lot of games, especially emulators are horrible with the controls mapped on top of the screen. I still keep an old D2 around to play my oids (nesoid, gensoid, etc.) on.
Now if Motorola could make the D4 a true successor to the OG Droid, ie; stock android, no encrypted bootloaders, etc. – basically a Nexus with a keyboard. I know it’ll never happen again, but I can still wish for it in vain.
Announced is spelled wrong.
You mean “spelt” :)
I hope that is supposed to read “Dual core 1.2GHz processors.”
I miss my physical keyboard. It takes me twice as long to type, proofread, and then send follow up messages clarifying my typos.
Why do they refuse to offer a GSM version of this in the states?
no NFC,no ICS (because i dont even believe the whole “coming soon” thing). and in the picture,the phone looks a little too fat,though i would have to hold one to be sure.
it leaves me wondering if motorola even pays attention to the other phones that are coming out. best case scenario with price with the price is that MAYBE its around $50 cheaper than the galaxy nexus,and personally,i would pay the $50 extra,because the galaxy nexus is so much better. and to think,i was actually looking forward to this phone a little
No ICS = No go
qHD can GTFO in 2012.
I don’t have a keyboard now. I want one. If this were on T-Mobile (I insist on a GSM carrier) I’d definitely be looking at one this summer when my Samsung Vibrant’s term expires.
Assuming it has ICS by then, of course…
wtf does alterior mean? why are you making up words that should apparently mean something completely different from their real-word homophone?
i too was one to say, “no physical keyboard, no buy”
but now i want a larger screen, and since everyone is failing to bring anything more then 4 inches to a keyboard, then i cannot do it.
especially since this phone has a qhd display which everyone knows is crap.
come driod 5 lets get a 4.5 inch 720p display
No removable battery is a no go for me. I was thinking about selling my gnexus for this phone but never mind!!!! Screw you motorola fire making such a move. What is the point of having no removable battery anyway. Pointless if you ask me. it doesn’t make any kind of sense whatsoever, from a business standpoint or a consumer standpoint!
So its the only phone not 720p comming in 2012 wow
Can’t do without a physical keyboard. If you can type a website password with a soft keyboard then you KNOW it isn’t strong enough.