Motorola Announces New DROID Handset
The Motorola DROID is getting a second look. Many Android smart phone fans may remember this impressive little handset by the name of Milestone –the name it was given when it was brought over to the UK. This handset proved to be the top selling Android device of the previous holidays, giving users the combination of the impressive Google mobile platform and a slide out QWERTY keyboard.
Now, a new Motorola handset is announced to be carrying the DROID name, the XT 720. While the new device still carries the old DROID moniker, it loses the slide out QWERTY keyboard and gets a sleeker, lighter form factor. Of course, keyboard fans will be disappointed at the loss of the slide out attachment, but it is certainly a great way to get the DROID marketed to the general smart phone community –after all, there are plenty of people who prefer to have a much lighter phone.
As expected, the UK version of this handset will be labeled as the XT 720 Milestone (also Motoroi), and at the weight of 160 grams, the weight difference between the two phones is not exactly far apart (the older Milestone weighed in at 165 grams). Instead, the new phone trades off the older 5 mega pixel camera (with D1 video recording) and replaces it with an 8 mega pixel snapper (with 720p video recording) while the phone itself gets an additional HDMI port.
Overall, the tradeoff between the two phones is more about personal preference than actual device performance. With both handsets using an ARM Cortex A8 CPU (clocked at 600 MHz), 3.7 inch capacitive touch screens and mostly similar hardware specs, the end decision boils down to choosing a more text-centered device with a QWERTY keyboard, or a handset that focuses more on media with its better camera and HDMI output support.
