We’re live at today’s top-secret Droid event, and Verizon and Motorola just made the Droid X official. The handset has been the subject of numerous leaks, but it’s only now that we’re getting all the specs, not just ones hidden in video frames. With a monstrous 4.3″ 854×480 screen, gorgeous metal casing, and the coveted 2.2 arriving later in the summer, we wonder whether this thing isn’t going to eat the Incredible’s lunch.
The 8-megapixel camera on the back is impressive with its mechanical shutter, but of course, the quality won’t be any better than 5-or-6-megapixel camera with that lens and tiny aperture. The Droid X will also shoot 720p video. Anybody else feel the reign of the pocket cam is ending? The X will even do “super slow mo.”
Media playback is obviously a major priority here: between the EVO 4G and the iPhone 4, the superphones out there need some serious chops to compete. The X sports HDMI out, and will play back non-DRM’ed media in HD on your TV. And not just local media. As Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, said: “The Droid X expands our commitment to mobile video.” It’s got Blockbuster, VCast video, NFL Mobile, and Skype. Woo-hoo, VCast, my favorite! Seriously, though. Your media capability is mainly in the apps — and with its generous storage space, it could be a nice little mobile theater.
It has the ability to create a wireless hotspot with up to five slots — it won’t be as fast as the EVO 4G, but it’s still a nice ability to have. The $20 fee for 2GB seems a bit restrictive. 5 cents per megabyte overage. Why not just get an app and tether with that on your unlimited data plan?
The Droid X will support Exchange, Gmail Enterprise, and of course push and all that. It’ll ship with Android 2.1, to the dismay of many, but will definitely receive 2.2 (Froyo) and Flash 10.1 later in the summer. It’s got Motoblur on top, which they say has dramatically changed. It’s shipping with Swype, though, which could be really nice on this big multitouch screen.
Here are the specs all together in one place:
- Display: 4.3″, 854×480
- CPU: 1GHz TI OMAP
- Storage: 8GB onboard, 16GB microSD card included (32GB max)
- Camera: 8-megapixel, dual LED flash
- Ports: HDMI out
- Battery: 1500mAh
- Other: 3 microphones (one noise-canceling), GPS, Bluetooth
Pricing and availability: the Droid X will be available on July 15th for $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate. $30 for unlimited data and an extra $20 for hotspot functionality (2GB cap). Any Verizon customer with a contract ending in 2010 is eligible for the upgrade.
The Droid X will be Verizon-only (i.e. CDMA) but it was hinted that there will be a similar phone for international purpose available later.
We’ll have a hands-on post in just a few minutes.