By If X marks the spot, then the spot is my coffee table in Baltimore. After attending the Motorola Droid X launch party in NYC (courtesy of Verizon Wireless), I packed it up, brought it home, and have been preparing myself for an in-depth review that you’ll see next week.
While you’re waiting for that, we present you with the obligatory unboxing video:
Tomorrow I’ll be posting a BUNCH of footage from the event including hardware and software tours so be on the lookout. Don’t forget we’ve got our Droid X Forums open as well.
So… what do YOU want to know about the Droid X? Ask your questions below so I know what you want to see in the full review!
i HATE the top it is SO uglifying
Does the camera support optical zoom, digital zoom, or both? If so, to what extent (3x, 5x, etc)?
Also I am interested in how the new motoblur works.
Nice unboxing Rob! Like your humor in the video adn cant wait to watch your reviews on this and upcoming phones. *Hint* *Hint* *Cough* Samsung Galaxy S/Pro *Cough*
i was hoping for a nicer box haha. as much as i dislike mytouch slide, i really liked the box it came in. how’s the “Ninja Blur” on it?
That thing is huge goshh I have to c what I can do to update my phone to this!!!
SHOW US THE CONTEST WINNERS!
I’ll lay odds the bump out is for the antenna.
I need to know if the X’s screen can be displayed on a television like the incredible’s can…not just median content, the entire screen itself.
I’d like to see what the HDMI input/output jack looks like and how it can be used in showing others your weekend carnage.
i like this phone… but motoblur is so inferior to htc sense…. and i really hate that shitty raised camera end on the top…
Is it true about the upgrade eligeability if contract ends on 2010?
How is the phone quality (strength of signal, clarity)?
Can you do voice dialing/calling with bluetooth?
How long does the battery last? Do you have to do a lot of tweaking to get the battery to last all day?
How is the camera quality for still photos and video?
I too wanna see how well the camera works. 8mp is nothing if the software is slow, low light is crapy….I’m going to wait for the next phone with image stabilization.
Is it possible to scale the main font? Most importantly, is it possible to increase the size of the testing font? If you read a lot of the blogs, this is a common complaint of Android devices. It has been fixed in the email setting, but how about testing. Us 40 year olds want to know. Thanks.
any clue on preorder
Rob, I read that “Ninja” Blur can’t be disabled. Will some of the home replacements (like Launcher Pro, Home++ and ADW) still run without problems?
Love this phone! Can’t WAIT!! Rob ur so rude!
Can you turn off Ninjablur easily? What’s the real-world performance (page loads, scrolling, etc) of the phone like compared to the Incredible?
“ninja”blur and some of the other motorola add-ons are really pulling on me to get this device, the fast screen switch, the microphone optimization for video to name a couple. i am coming from an original droid which i love. have to wait and see how the droid 2 will be, not sure i am ready to make the jump to virtual keyboard
I use the original Droid now. Part of me thinks I require a hardware keyboard. But I’m not certain. I’d be curious of your thoughts on the X’s software kb (and Swype)…especially if your primary device has a hw kb.
Not sure if I should grab an X or wait for the Droid 2!
the screen navigation add-on thingy is what i meant, not “oh the screen switches fast” :P
1) Is the screen Gorilla Glass?!
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2) Is their any mention of the blur coming with some sort of JIT thing (like what 2.2 has)? I’m still just a bit puzzled about the quadrant benchmarks.
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3) Is it an OMAP 3640 or 3630?
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4) What’s the battery life like? (please tell us usage and what is turned on)
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5) Please run the simple touchscreen multitouch test. If you could basically do this: http://phandroid.com/2010/06/23/htc-desire-and-samsung-galaxy-s-multitouch-compared/ that would be awesome.
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6) Please test for the sensitivity when not holding it (ie, touch only the screen with one or 2 fingers when in a car dock, on a table, on a couch, on the carpet, etc). I’m sure you read the big issue people have with the Incredible and a few other phones.
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7) If able, please test the bluetooth streaming music in a car. If you could try a few different music apps and also try it plugged in and not plugged in that would be ideal.
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Thanks for considering these requests. Keep up the unwavering, relentless, extraordinary, baller-awesome-dominating-sweetness that we all know and love (not love in a weird way though… unless you consider obsessions weird…)
First: can the phone while in the menu turn sideways and be used in a horizontal format? 2. Is the size a bad thing? 3. Are notifications such as facebook, twitter, etc streamed in a timely manner to the phone? 4. Does the phone have a loud enough speaker for phone calls like a normal call? 5. Does the phone freeze up or slow down on a regular basis like a blackberry?
@Ross
The bump is for the camera. The sensor and lens package in any phone is one of the thickest components of any phone. It’s a little cube that needs to be plugged in. Check out the iPhone 4 teardown:
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone-4-Teardown/3130/2
Or the Evo teardown:
http://s1.guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/XJoZAXKqJWTZRk1k.huge
Im torn between this and galaxy s. Galaxy being a newer piece of tech with less features than the x. Hmmmm…
I cant wait to get this phone!!
Can you find out if the bootloader is locked?
Like ahhh how does the flash work? And Does that red eye wallpaper thing do anything other then sit in place? Would you recommend this phone? Does it fit well in your hands? 2.2 do you know when we will get it? Do you think the X is the best phone to get now?
Oh and…is the SD card hard to take out like on the first droid? Looks like it.
how does the UI differ from other UIs (stock/carrier/etc)?
This —-> http://androidforums.com/suggestion-box-feedback/108463-my-post-got-deleted-off-phandroid-article.html
My post that was deleted is in this thread…. http://androidforums.com/suggestion-box-feedback/108463-my-post-got-deleted-off-phandroid-article.html
How is the battery life under different conditions. Also how is the reception compared to the original droid and droid incredible? I have the incredible now and am looking for something with better battery life than 5-6hrs and better reception.
Thanks
I want to know if you can hook the phone up to TV via HDMI and watch movies with the Blockbuster app etc? I have heard it only works with the photo gallery and movie gallery on the Android os? Thanks
So you have to remove the battery to pop the SD card out?
@Mensah
The full review is coming… This is just the unboxing.
Just busting your b****s :)
yes, PLEASE let us know the answer to #14! is it possible for SD Card changes with battery installed?
liking it mo better n the Evo. Still prefer the slightly more pocketable 4″ screen on the SGS.
Yes, gimme the full review.
This phone looks really amazin
the boot up is sooo fast… m liking omap. is that cold boot under a sec btw?
I like some of the other questions. Please let us know what the battery life is like. I am trying to decide between the DINC or this one and battery might make the difference.
Just wondering why my post (found here: http://androidforums.com/suggestion-box-feedback/108463-my-post-got-deleted-off-phandroid-article.html) was deleted and also my subsequent attempts to post here aren’t even being allowed.
Does it have Gorilla Glass? Confirm RAM/ROM sizes? Is the camera button stiff like reported?
Ok, last try to post this b/c it keeps getting deleted for some reason…. androidforums.com/suggestion-box-feedback/108463-my-post-got-deleted-off-phandroid-article (just add .html on the end)
How does the screen look in sunlight?
I’m looking to purchase an iphone or the droid x. I would be interested in a comparison between the two phones. Also which phone is more compatible (easier to sync) with MS Outlook, contacts, calendar, tasks, etc. ?
I also am curious about the ease of changing the micro sd card (#14); is it hot swappable? But most of all, I need to know about the call quality. I returned an Incredible due to garbled and tinny auditory reception. I’ve also read some reviews that commented on sluggish, lagging screen changes and freezes. Also reflectivity of screen concerns. Security issues have surfaced with the Incredible that have me nervous about the android phones. And last, I heard it has a stiff camera button that causes fuzzy photos.
How about some video of using it outside in direct sunlight. I just got the incredible yesterday and outside view-ability is horrible. How about video next to a phone with an AMOLED screen like the incredible including both indoor and outdoor. I am eagerly anticipating your review to help me decide on whether or not to pay the $35 restocking fee to return my incredible and and get the droid x.
Bought the evo on launch day, still within my 30 day grace period…Should I have waited for the X?
I’d love to see comparisons with the EVO. I have a feeling many are in the same boat as me. EVO or X.
The bigger screen will accommodate a larger number of visual capacities (presbyopics). The processing speed will be in the same league as the Incredible which is the lure for me. Is it going to have videoconferencing potential. Will it be able to accommodate the same chager as the Eris because I have 3 wall chargers and 1 car charger becasue I cannot deal with short battery life. Look forward to July 15th.
I’m just looking for stable battery life with that humongous screen with wifi on and moderate use. I know they said similar battery life as the original droid but that flat out doesn’t cut it for me and screen has to munch on battery. using a droid eris right now (temporarily) and while the phone is incredibly laggy with almost every function, the battery life is about double my moto droid. Methinks I’m going to need that 1900mAh battery, stat.
Two more questions:
Can personal photos be used for wallpaper?
And, I heard that the 3.5 mm jack can be plugged into a car stereo; is that just for music playing, or can the phone function be used through the car stereo?
Check out the boot-loader. Signed or unsigned?
Please let us know about the camera, modes, functions… quality especially. I’ve also heard that the camera button is stiff and causes the pictures to blur, please let us know if you have that issue.
Is there a wireless N radio?
How does the resolution hold up on a screen that large?
How does the phone feel in your hand? Does your hand get fatigued using it?
Can you use the phone one handed easily?
What is the construction quality like?
How long does the battery last with all the functions on (wifi, 3g, live wallpaper, haptic feedback, etc)?
What is the battery life like in hotspot mode?
Thanks so much!
Argh. I just watched the unboxing video, and it looks like the sd card cannot be removed without removing the battery.
Is the global font adjustable? Or, at least, can the size of the texting font be increased? This is a common complaint about Android phones. A bigger font on a big screen would be great.
Is the global font adjustable? Or, more importantly, can the size of the text font be increased? Thanks.
Im with GAMBY.
Battery life. I want to know all about how long that battery last!
Does it/will it support wireless n?
Demo of GPU benchmark
battery life for sure, and low light image quality with and without flash. as well as video recording in low light. if its gonna have the big hump (which i personally like) it might as well have a kick ass camera to make up for the eye sore :/
my wife and i were going to upgrade to the incredible at the end of the month but then the x was reviled now i dont know which one to get the incredible is going to take a few weeks to get because of back order and the x comes out before they would even send me the incredible i want to know which one is a better buy maybe you could do a incredible vs. x video pro’s and con’s thanks!
Is the Droid X the same as the Milestone XT720 that is being launched this month in Europe?
I wouldn’t return the INC unless this has features you must have. INC is super fast, can be used one handed, and Sense IU is better IMO. INC is bad in direct sun which the X is much better. Also the INC is a breeze to carry. I wouldn’t have returned my INC if the display worked normally. If the X was 4.0 display, I’d say it would be perfect. Oh, don’t change carriers for a phone – grad school stuff.
Can you turn ” ninjablur ” off? Can the HDMI OUT display your phone on screen doing anything on the phone? Is it sluggish at all?
will the droid x or any of the new droids be able to sync up with my microsoft outlook like my current blackberry does? that was the only down side to the previous droids that i could find.
Check if Blockbuster is useless. I’ve read you can’t use the HDMI to watch it on a regular TV.
For the Wi-Fi, does it have a Wireless “N” antenna like the EVO?
How is it in sunlight? Also, another reviewer said that HDMI output does not work with the blockbuster app. WTF?
Is there a USB tether option? One reviewer did not see it.
Rob, I hate to be negative but after reading this (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/motorola-droid-x-review-bigger-badder-better/15890) I’ve gotta ask….
Are you experiencing the same lag/sluggish performance that the reviewer in that article describes in the section titled “Software: Google Android 2.1 (or 2.2!)”?
I’m not gonna say that this would be a deal breaker b/c I know Froyo is on the way soonish, but I really am hoping for blazing fast, iPhone4-like responsiveness (sorry for that iphone comment…)
The Bump out has been explained at the New York Launching.
It exists for 2 reasons…
1. The mechanical shutter for the camera takes up more space than allowed. That and the lense itself require the bumpout.
2. There are 2 antenna’s on the device. One is located at the bottom and a larger one is located in the bumpout. They did this to maximize signal strength no matter how you decide to hold your phone.
USB tethering and WiFi Hotspot (up to 5 devices) is available — for a price
Ninjablur can be turned off.
No DRM content can be sent over the HDMI cable “this includes Blockbuster content”
with front facing camera. why did motorola not see it as something it would add to the new droid xtreme. as far as i can see the htc evo is a better phone as far as hardware included in the unit. motoral should have released the droid x with the front facing camera.
One reviewer noticed the lack of a USB tether option; I think they are trading that for the mobile hotspot ($20 for 2 GB) as a way to shut off access to the free pdanet alternative for internet tethering.
Excellent, hope you can show us some reviews on the HDMI out, we’re very excited about that and what video formats it might support.