Just dropped into the Verizon store to do some "market research."
Tried the Droid and the Storm 2.
Quick Impressions
Droid
Overall, the unit doesn't make much of an impression. Seems like yet another slider, which, at the end of the day, it is. I didn't try any calls, just mucked around with the interface.
Liked- Large screen
- Fast browser
- Fast screen scrolling
Disliked- Google maps crashed on me, twice
- Camera quality, speed seemed very subpar, especially for 5.0 MP
- Interface does not feel at all polished - clunky is a better word, especially compared to the iPhone, or even the Storm 2
- Maybe something needed to be calibrated, but the "click" action on the touchscreen was pretty sketchy
- Difficult to select even a hyperlink in the browser on the touch screen - selection precision very low
- Keyboard is weak and my thumbs collide with the screen when trying to type on the top row keys
Conclusion
Google has a long way to go on Droid. It lacks basic polish still. Pick up an iPhone, and everything seems to be in the right place, and reacts exactly as you'd expect. No so with the Droid. Keeping working at it Google. First impressions are big. I wasn't left with the feeling that I would want to invest the time to get used to the Droid.
Storm 2
This truly is what the Storm 1 should have been. I might have actually kept a unit like this - that wasn't even a remote possibility with the Storm one.
The interface is super snappy, the SurePress has the right feel (still not sure if keeping sure press is a good idea).
Only downside I could see was that the 480 x 320 resolution stretched to that size looks a bit pixellated after using the Tour or trying the Droid. So 6 months ago!
Congrats to RIM for getting the Storm 2 right. You best hope you weren't too late.
Nice try to Google, but you've still got a lot of work to do it seems...