A few days after the Motorola Droid X got a hands-on preview, the Droid 2 has gotten a quick once-over, as well. A Gizmodo reader got some hands-on time with a demo device at a tech show at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and gave some details on the phone. Externally, the Droid 2 looks very similar to the original DROID, except that everything is more rounded and chrome-colored. This includes the camera, which is still 5 megapixels. Once the device is opened, however, the similarities with the first DROID end. The new device has a wider keyboard that is "easier to type on" thanks to the fact that there is no longer a lip on the bottom of the phone. As for software, the demo device was running Android 2.1 beneath Motorola's new MOTOBLUR skin that has been spotted on the upcoming Droid X. A Verizon rep at the show explained that the Droid 2 "probably" wouldn't come with the skin and 2.1 and would "probably" ship with vanilla Android 2.2 pre-installed. The rep went on to say that if the Droid 2 does not ship with Froyo, it will receive the update shortly after release. The demo device had 8 GB of internal storage as well as an 8 GB microSD card installed. Finally, the Verizon rep said that the device had a 1 GHz processor, but didn't say what kind, and that it would be released "in the next few weeks."
The keyboard on the original DROID was a major drawback for some users, so it's nice to see that Motorola has addressed those complaints. As for the similar form factor, Motorola seems to be subscribing to the "if it's not broken, don't fix it" mentality. It's nice to see that the device has fewer hard edges, which should make it more comfortable in the hand but could take away from the potential for Verizon and Motorola to make more uber-masculine commercials like they did for the first DROID. Lastly, it's surprising that the demo unit was running the MOTOBLUR skin since, according to the well-informed Verizon rep, the final product will have vanilla Android 2.2. I think that Motorola will have a much more successful product, especially with the hardcore Android fans, if they ship the Droid 2 with plain Android, so hopefully the Verizon rep knew what they were talking about. Verizon, Motorola, and Google are set to unveil the "next generation of DROID" on June 23rd and PhoneDog will be there for all of the news and hands-on impressions, so keep your browser locked here for all of the DROID goodness.
Via Gizmodo
