Come next week Verizon users still waiting for a mythical iPhone 4 all their own will get Motorola’s latest, greatest new Android offering — the Droid X — to hold them over. And Verizon users with no interest in anything Apple will have the new king of Google’s ever growing hill to play with.

The original Motorola Droid on Verizon was arguably the first smartphone to really give the iPhone 3GS a run for it’s money. However, it came out months after the iPhone 3GS when hype had abated somewhat, and it’s Droid Does list included things like multitasking, which iOS 4 now Does Too. That means while Droid X is a better, badder phone, it has a tougher challenge ahead of it as well.

If size matters, the Droid X is bigger… 4.3″ of screen but with less pixels, at a lower density, and without iPhone 4’s IPS Retina Display panel.

It’s got a bigger 8 megapixel camera on the back to iPhone 4’s 5 megapixels. But iPhone 4 has a back-illuminated sensor that isn’t as chopped up, which should mean better low-light pictures, and iOS 4 camera software while less feature-filled still seems to produce better images with just a touch of the tap-to-focus-and-balance. iPhone 4 also has a front-facing camera (and FaceTime), Droid X don’t.

3 external mics on the Droid X, including one for video camera work trump iPhone 4’s two mics. iPhone 4 does have a gyroscope, though. And yeah, Droid X has got dual antenna. Ouch. Otherwise they’re both monsters on the spec sheet.

In terms of apps Apple’s App Store still wins on sheer number, though Google’s Android Market retains bragging rights on being more open.

Droid X is only running Android 2.1 Eclair right now, though a turbo-boosting 2.2 Froyo update is on the horizon. So, a lot may come down to whether you like Droid X’s “don’t call it MotoBlur” UI, which seems quicker and cleaner than the CLIQ if not as spartan as the original Droid. iOS 4 on the other hand is iOS 4, there’s only one iPhone and one interface on the market at any time.

Strangely, that may mean the Motorola Droid X will face stiffer competition from something other than Apple’s iPhone 4. Verizon already has the HTC Droid Incredible, Sprint the HTC Evo 4G, and every carrier and their subsidiary seems poised to get a Samsung Galaxy S class-device, including Verizon with the Facinate. As we’ve mentioned before, in a world where Apple releases one major iPhone a year, and Android can drop 8 news phones in a weekend, it gives any one new Android as much competition from within as without. And that’s great for Android lovers.

So is the Droid X currently iPhone 4’s big nemesis? If you live in the US and don’t want AT&T, it’s definitely a phone to look at if you’re in the market today. If not, wait a week or more. AT&T might drop a tower in your backyard and Google might just drop 5 more Android’s on another carrier.

Great time to be a consumer!

Droid X review: Verizon and Motorola’s answer to iPhone 4? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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So much for those reports claiming Verizon was not interested in the iPhone as Bloomberg is now reporting the iPhone is indeed heading towards the carrier in January of 2011. The timing seems a bit odd to release such a device as iPhone 4 right after the holiday shopping season. Then again this timing may have been necessary as it may be exactly when AT&T’s exclusivity agreement with Apple runs dry.

They are basing this latest Verizon rumor on information obtained from two separate sources that claim to be familiar with the rollout plans. All of these back and forth conflicting rumors have been entertaining to say the least but have also gotten old really quickly. Both Verizon and Apple declined to comment.

Any of you sending back your AT&T iPhone 4 to wait for this mysterious Verizon version? Sound off in the comments below!

[Bloomberg]

Verizon to offer iPhone in January 2011? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Maybe, just maybe, these pesky iPhone 4 on Verizon rumors will finally fade away as Droid Life reports they’re fully committed to Android and their current high-end lineup of devices like the new Droid X.

“And the second part of the meeting (and most important to us) was to announce that they will not be interested in the iPhone 4 (as of now) and are putting full effort behind Android and the new lineup of Droid devices.”

In case you were wondering, the first part of the meeting was about a advertising adjustment where the “Wireless” tag is removed from “Verizon Wireless” but we just care about the iPhone part.

Personally I’ve felt since the release of the Motorola Droid last year that it was pretty evident Verizon was standing firm behind the (more controllable?) Android platform and it would be a long while before any iPhone landed on the carrier.

Rene on the other hand feels Verizon is using a bit of reverse phycology in order to get customers to stop waiting for iPhone and start buying Droids. Now if Droid Life is correct, that would mean all of those CDMA iPhones would be headed to Sprint right? You have to love rumors.

You be the judge, has Verizon really given up on the iPhone? Sound off in the comments!

[Droid Life]

Verizon not interested in iPhone 4? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Verizon has a teaser up for their new, big DROID X which is claiming a 4.3″, 720p display (which is usually 1280×720) — a significant challenge to the iPhone 4’s 3.5″ 960×640, LED IPS Retina Display.

It’s more pixels but it’s also a bigger display, so it could net out to the same pixel-per-inch count — somewhere above the magical 300 mark. It’s also teasing HDMI out.

Begun these display density wars have?

UPDATE: Engadget, who had a brief hands on, thinks it might have the same 854 x 480 as the original Droid and Verizon is referring to some video functionality that’s 720p. Verizon does say 720p display however, so at the very least it’s confusing.

UPDATE 2: Verizon has updated their site to correct the erroneous claim. 720p is video recording, NOT display.

[Verizon via Android Central]

Updated: NOPE! Verizon Droid X NOT getting 720p to battle iPhone 4 Retina Display? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Digitimes is once again baiting links with CDMA (read Verizon) rumors, this time hot on the heels of the all new iPhone 4:

Pegatron [Technology] will also start shipping a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 to Apple in the fourth quarter and is currently using its plants in Shanghai, China to produce the products, the sources noted. The company is also working on gaining orders for MacBooks and iPads from Apple, added the sources.

This comes just in advance of June 24 Taiwan Stock Exchange listing, so forgive me if I take it with a huge grain of salt.

Again, there’s certainly a CMDA iPhone 4 in the Cupertino labs, but AT&T exclusivity has to run out and Verizon has to give up control to Apple and make the deal — which means it could happen at any time, or in a long time. And again, we expect it — and will believe it — only when Apple announces it. Same goes for iPhone 4 on Sprint, or Chinese CDMA.

Have to ask the question, though — if a Verizon iPhone 4 does land in 2010, who’ll be less happy, people with poor service who just re-upped with AT&T or people who gave up on iPhone and just bought Droid 2/Droid X?

We now return you to your regularly scheduled GSM/UTMS day…

[Digitimes]

And, of course, here come the CDMA iPhone 4 on Verizon rumors is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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According to one of BRG’s “highly placed” sources, Verizon Wireless is currently testing CDMA-compatible iPads. Their source even went one step further and mentioned LTE with another possible iPad model though that could not be confirmed.

So with all of the Verizon rumors flying around as of late it looks as if we will see both the iPad and iPhone in the hands of Big Red faithful sooner or later.

Is anyone out there regretting picking up a AT&T compatible iPad right about now?

[BGR]

Verizon rumored to be testing CDMA iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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ChangeWave has released their latest survey results, this time asking 1,009 new smartphone buyers (including iPhone buyers) why they chose the phone they did, how satisfied they were with their new phone, and some general opinions positive and negative about their new phone.

The results in a sentence:

The results show the continuing threat the iPhone poses to the rest of the industry.

The results in a lot of stats:

iPhone had the highest satisfaction of any smartphone at 77%, with Motorola second at 64% and HTC 3rd at 51%. Samsung was last at 35%.

iPhone also had the lowest likelihood of return, with only 7%. Motorola was next with 12%, then HTC with 15%, and Palm was last with 36%.

When asked if non-AT&T users would still have bought their current (Verizon/Sprint/T-Mobile) smartphone if the iPhone were on their carrier, 39% said they would, 32% said they would have gone with an iPhone instead, and 29% weren’t sure.

More graphs after the break!

[ChangeWave]

iPhone keeps new users happy, a continued threat to rest of smartphone industry – ChangeWave is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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From the Forums is a great way to see all of the current hot topics in our iPhone and iPad forums. In order to create any new threads of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is a simple process that will only take a few minutes out of your day, so if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now!

• A good poll thread – Do you use your iPhone to it’s fullest potential?

• Want more iPhone on Verizon chat? This is your thread – Verizon iPhone not looking so good now.

• If you are on the fence about purchasing an iPad now or to wait for the 2nd generation, this is your thread right here.

• Need a place to discuss the latest and greatest jailbroken apps, here is your forum – Jailbreak Apps, Games, and Themes.

See you in the forums!

Full iPhone potential, Verizon, Waiting for 2nd generation iPad, Jailbreak apps – From the Forums is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Our sibling site PreCentral.net has their usually full review of the AT&T Palm Pre Plus, and with today’s launch it becomes a second full, capacitive multitouch device being offered on the exclusive US iPhone carrier. What does that mean?

Up until today AT&T’s top level consumer smartphone lineup was iPhone — iPhone 3G on the low end and iPhone 3GS on the high end. There were BlackBerry’s to be sure, but not touchscreen or particularly consumer appealing. And don’t even get us — or our buddies from Android Central — started about AT&T’s Android efforts thus far.

But now consumers who must have internationally friendly GSM can choose the Palm Pre Plus, and perhaps a full screen, multitouch BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider come this summer. You know, when the 4th generation iPhone (iPhone HD/iPhone 4G) usually has that market, and marketing all to itself.

We’ll ask again, without the faintest trace of Verizon in our question, what does that mean for AT&T and the iPhone? And who’ll be picking up the Palm Pre Plus over the iPhone?

Palm Pre Plus hits AT&T, mean anything for iPhone? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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With Apple all but certain to announce a the 4th generation iPhone (iPhone HD/iPhone 4G) with iPhone OS 4 at WWDC the week of June 7, and AT&T to release it later the same month, why would AT&T want to release the new BlackBerry 9800 slider running OS 6.0 at around the same time?

Since 2007 the iPhone has been AT&T’s summer blockbuster. It’s been the phone that got the users and made the numbers, quarter after quarter. Some would go so far as to say iPhone exclusivity is the only thing that’s kept AT&T competitive with their arch-rival, Verizon.

Rewind. Back in March our sibling site CrackBerry.com did a Q&A roundup about the BlackBerry Slider, which could end up being part of the Bold lineup. A full, capacitive touchscreen device with a Palm Pre-style vertical slider it would give the BlackBerry faithful the Storm-like experience needed to compete in today’s mainstream smartphone market, but keep the industry-leading physical keyboard those same faithful are so loathe to do without. And CrackBerry thought it was going to be released on AT&T, and in the summer.

Today Boy Genius added fuel to that fire, saying the BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider would launch on AT&T in June, be exclusive for 3-6 months, and that AT&T had placed an incredibly large order for the device — easily exceeding 1,000,000 units.

Repeat. Why would AT&T want a huge order of an exclusive, powerfully branded, touchscreen smartphone with keyboard differentiation at the same time they’ve traditionally, and successfully launched their heretofore exclusive new iPhones?

Since I’ve sworn off Verizon iPhone rumors this week, including rumors of Verizon iPhone ads, manufacturers and equally large manufacturing runs, and increasing chatter, I’ll let you answer that in comments.

Why would AT&T want an exclusive BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider hero phone this summer? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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