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
Speakerphone Comparison
We’ve been testing speakerphones regularly on devices, specifically volume numerically using a decibel meter and audio quality subjectively. The Droid 2 is sufficiently loud at maximum volume on speakerphone.
I was surprised, but there’s actually a bit of distortion and saturation at maximum volume. Taking it down one notch results in much better sound quality and no distortion. Nothing rattles around at maximum volume, it just sounds like there's definitely some saturation.
As was the case with the old Droid, the speaker is on the back of the device under the silver (previously gold) grating. Thankfully there’s a raised portion which creates a small channel for that sound to come out the sides. It’s still quite loud even face up as we’ve shown. Handset voice quality is par for CDMA 1x voice.
Camera
About the only unchanged thing on the new Droid 2 is the camera, which inexplicably is the same 5 MP resolution as its predecessor. I wasn’t hugely impressed with the shots that camera produced on the first Droid, nor its interface, but the Droid 2 seems to have mitigated some of it in the software. What has changed on paper is video recording quality—we’re up to 30 FPS from 24 for that SD DVD quality 720 x 480 video. Again, 720p capture is missing because the Droid 2 has an OMAP3620 versus the OMAP3630 in the Droid X.
The first gallery is our bench, which is becoming difficult to ensure stays the same due to changing weather and lighting—which is the reason we've added those controlled lightbox tests.
I noted in the BlackBerry Torch review that I’m going to do more controlled testing with uniform testing in a lightbox, in addition to bench photos. I’ve done the same with the Droid 2, and if you looked, you’ve already seen the shots it produces. Many of you asked for a DSLR pic in the box as well, I've added shots from my D80.
The Droid 2 by default still produces pics that are a bit undersaturated, but not nearly as much as its predecessor. Where it does shine though is using the flash—it’s hard to argue that the Droid 2 doesn’t have the most uniformly lit photo of the bunch.
The Droid X included an interesting and occasionally awesome camera software stack. Essentially everything from that camera application is also ported to the Droid 2.
The only things that are missing are the microphone noise canceling options, and 720P video. Everything else—including the awesome panorama mode—is there. Camera capture is roughly the same speed as it is on the Droid X.
Video Capture
Finally we've got our video tests. The Droid 2 captures video in H.264 video and AAC audio at an average bitrate of 550 kBps in our video. As I mentioned before, it's difficult to control light at the test location. Video capture on the Droid 2 actually is pretty good, and 30 FPS versus the original Droid's 24 makes a visible difference. This section is starting to get a bit unwieldy large, eventually we'll craft a nice switcher for easy comparison.
Motorola Droid 2
BlackBerry Torch 9800
Motorola Droid X
HTC EVO 4G
Nexus One
iPhone 4
HTC Droid Incredible
Motorola Droid
Nokia N900
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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!