Motorola Droid 2 Review: Rebooting the Droid
by Brian Klug on September 19, 2010 7:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Droid
- Motorola Droid 2
- Android
- Mobile
Performance on the Droid 2
The Droid 2 also uses an OMAP3620 series SoC, similar in nature to the OMAP3630 used in the Droid X. The OMAP3620 and OMAP3630 are both ARM Cortex-A8 based, and clocked at a maximum of 1 GHz. Both share the same PowerVR SGX 530 GPU at the same clocks.
Where the OMAP 3620 differs is in video encode and camera capture support. The OMAP3630 is capable of HD 720p video capture and playback, along with support for camera resolutions above 5 megapixels—this makes the SoC the clear choice for the Droid X, which has a higher resolution camera and unsurprisingly supports 720p video encode. The OMAP3620 in the Droid 2, however, only supports up to SD DVD (720 x 480) video capture and playback, and up to 5 megapixel camera capture.
The reason why 720p video encode isn't present with the Droid 2 is now pretty obvious—SoC support isn't there. The rest of the platform is the same—you get Cortex A8 at 1 GHz, the SGX 530 graphics and the rest of the OMAP36xx platform the Droid X has that made it very quick in our benchmarks. The Droid 2 surprisingly has DDR3 onboard (not to be confused with LPDDR3—OMAP3630 and OMAP3620 support LPDDR1 at up to 200 MHz).
Performance is thankfully relatively speedy, as long as you’re not considering that strangely slow applications menu fade animation. Surprisingly however, the Droid 2 doesn’t post numbers in line with how fast Snapdragon 1 GHz parts with 2.2 are posting in a number of areas. Linpack is probably the most interesting:
I’m uncertain about whether the issue lies with Motorola’s 2.2 install on the Droid 2, but hopefully the X doesn’t suffer the same kind of oddities. Back on 2.1, OMAP3630 in the Droid X packed a fairly decent lead CPU wise whenever we could measure it, so hopefully this is an issue with the JIT compiler or something else simple that will be fixed.
Interestingly enough, browser performance is right where it should be on the Droid 2 with Froyo, scoring just a bit behind the Nexus One.
GPU benchmarks remain OMAP 3620’s strong point, with the OMAP 3620 in the Droid 2 posting Neocore and kwaak3 numbers in line with what we saw with the Droid X. That’s how things should be here, too:
The move to 2.2 or the 3620 (from the Droid X's 3630) doesn't really change those scores at all. It'll be interesting to see if Droid X Froyo performance is in line with the Droid 2 or if other hardware differences make it slightly faster.
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WasabiVengeance - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
The dpad on the original droid was a HUGE selling point for me. I got one of the later model ones with convex keys, and I've been very happy with the keyboard. My one and only complaint was that the dpad didn't have diagonals. This looks to me like they took arguably the BEST smartphone keyboard on the market, and made it significantly worse.vol7ron - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
But now you have arrow keys and a full QWERTY keyboard (save function and numeric keys).I actually like the new design better, perhaps you can get a dpad casing to play those games that require it.
deputc26 - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
Where' the battery life analysis and real-world web-page loading times? Where's the competitive comparison and commentary?Brian Klug - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
I completely spaced on the battery life section - I had it written and all ready, but completely forgot to insert it in the document. It's there now though! ;)-Brian
Marko_Polo - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
Prior to obtaining the Droid2, I was using a standard Samsung flip phone. I have been watching the Smartphone market for years mostly as a disinterested party. When I started dating a more tech savvy woman, I realized that I needed greater connectivity to my friends and family.I have had zero problems with learning how to operate and maximize the Droid 2. I chose the Droid 2 over the Droid X because I wanted a physical keyboard and a smaller size phone. Since I get a substantial Verizon discount through work, I knew I was sticking with a Verizon Smartphone (plus all my peeps are using Verizon). I also have a ZuneHD and really liked the similarity in the interfaces between the devices.
Certainly, the Droid 2 can replace many other types of devices. I have a B&N nook and I have installed the nook app on my Droid and have found it enjoyable enough to use. I also think the Droid 2 could replace my PMP in the car. However, I don't think the Droid 2 makes a great PMP overall because it is very heavy to use while exercising or doing yard work. I'm also not convinced it can handle the sweat and other moisture it would come in contact with while being active.
Finally, I have had little problem with battery life. At work, the poor thing struggles to get a 3G signal and I believe that causes the battery to drain a little quicker. I have the car dock and the multimedia dock at home, so I rarely see the battery get below 40% between charges.
For my first Smartphone, I think the Droid 2 has been great so far. Additionally, I've found the service at the Verizon store to be much better than my previous carrier - that matters to me, especially at the higher end of the Smartphone market.
Ratman6161 - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
I already have the later model Droid with improved keyboard and I kind of like the D-Pad though I don't use it that much. I've got Android 2.2 - rooted - and clocked at 1 GHz with SetCPU. So it sounds to me like I already have the equivalent of a D2 without the MotoBlur crap.Think I'll keep what I have for the foreseeable future!
sprockkets - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
"This feature is basically broken on the Droid 2. There’s just no other way to state it. If you’re getting the Droid 2 for the built in 3G hotspot feature, reconsider until Verizon and Motorola address it with an OTA update. Or use one of a number solutions from the market, or root. Either way, this was disappointing for me."Do you mean 3rd party solutions from the software market or different phones from the market? And how does rooting the phone fix the issue? Is it because you put on different firmware?
neutralizer - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
3rd party solutions from the market will allow you to tether. In addition, you can get free wifi tether if you're rooted. It's just an app that requires root.Brian Klug - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
Third party solutions I have a feeling will work fine, but the built-in default 3G hotspot functionality is completely broken. Sadly I can't root these review units quite yet, but I'm comfortable that those will work.-Brian
deputc26 - Sunday, September 19, 2010 - link
Much better, thanks!