DROID X2 by MOTOROLA (Verizon Wireless)

Who should get this phone? Consumers who want a fast Android 2.2 smartphone with a sharp, crisp display and also want the ability to view content on their cell phone on an HDMI-capable TV.

What cell phone compares to this model? This is the update to DROID X by Motorola for Verizon Wireless.

Why should I get this phone? You want a powerful Android smartphone, that’s fast, and sports a spacious 4.3-inch display.

In a nutshell: The DROID X2 by Motorola is a solid update to its predecessor the DROID X. It still has corporate functionality and can record 720p HD videos, but this model is faster, more powerful, and runs the Android 2.2 OS.

The DROID X2 by Motorola isn’t just a good-looking smartphone, it’s also surprisingly light-weight. The real showstopper is its gorgeous and crisp 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen display. It’s bright and viewable in direct sunlight. The entire front of the cell phone is essentially a large screen. The cell phone has a black rubberized-like casing that helps it from sliding around. Beyond the large screen there isn’t a lot more to describe. It has the standard 4 dedicated Android keys across the bottom of the display for Menu, Home, Go Back, and Search. Overall, the cell phone feels good in the hand. If you have smaller hands you likely won’t be able to wrap your fingers around the smartphone, but you’ll probably still enjoy using it.

On one side, you’ll find volume keys and on the other side you’ll find a microUSB port and a microHDMI port. On the top of the DROID X2 are a 3.5mm headset jack and the power/lock button (we should note that if you use this button to illuminate the screen you’ll need to press and hold for three seconds). Turn the cell phone around and you’ll see the 8-megapixel camera lens and dual LED flash (Note: The camera can also be used to record 720p HD video). You’ll need to remove the black rubberized casing from the back of the Motorola DROID X to access the included 8GB MicroSD card. You’ll need to remove the battery if you want to swap out the microSD card.

As noted, the DROID X2 by Motorola is touchscreen-only phone and therefore lacks a tactile QWERTY keyboard. You can choose between two onscreen keyboards: SWYPE or a basic multi-touch version with predictive text. We were impressed with the amount of times we tapped the correct letter on the first try and how well Swype works.

Testing the DROID X2 by Motorola

Making Calls: During calls we could hear callers pretty clearly and callers said they had a similar experience on their end. Regardless of how close you hold the smartphone to your face, the “End Call” button never seems to get “accidentally” hit.

• Volume Adjustment: You can use the side buttons to adjust the volume, but we rarely needed to use them.
• Speakerphone: Call quality is solid when using this feature. We didn’t cut each other off when speaking simultaneously and callers didn’t know we were using the speakerphone.

Operating System: The smartphone comes loaded with the Android 2.2 OS (a version higher than that of the DROID X), sports a Nvidia Tegra2 dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, which makes for a responsive user experience. Along with the included 8GB microSD card (it will support up to a 32GB microSD card), the smartphone 8GB of internal memory so you’ll have plenty of room to store music, photos, videos, and more. You can switch between the seven home screens and launch applications without delay. This also means video playback is smooth and seamless. Overall, the user interface is fairly straightforward and icon friendly.

At the base of the screen are four quick launch buttons for Apps, Phone/Contacts, Messages, and Camera. There are also three profile options: Work, Home, and Weekend. This means there are multiple ways to personalize the DROID X2 by Motorola. . Verizon has included a few apps on the cell phone such as the Blockbuster, Amazon Kindle, the company’s Backup Assistant, NFL Mobile, Skype Mobile, Slacker Radio, and of course access to the various V CAST offerings. We should also note that this cell phone will work with corporate e-mail accounts and corporate sync.

• Web Navigation: Surfing the web is actually pretty fast on this cell phone via a 3G connection thanks to the phone’s dual-core processor, we didn’t need to access a WiFI connection. It also shows the full web site in a single view. You can zoom in and out of a page, set bookmarks, and manage multiple windows. We did also appreciate that you can have multiple browser windows open simultaneously and easily navigate between them. The cell phone does support the latest Adobe FlashPlayer.

• Social Media:
The smartphone comes loaded with a social networking app that lets you add a variety of social media accounts such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, Picasa, and more. If you want access to more social networking options you can easily download them from the Android Market.

Camera Features: The DROID X2 has a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash. However, it lacks a tiny mirror for snapping self-portraits.

• Shutter Speed: We found the shutter speed to be fast. You can also choose between three picture modes: single shot, panorama, and multi-shot.
• Picture Quality: We found colors to be true and details sharp.
• Photo Settings: You can control the flash, zoom, focus, exposure, effects (normal, black and white, negative, sepia, and solarize) and scenes (sport, night portrait, sunset, macro, and steady shot). In addition to location tags, you can create personalized tags, which will help keep all those pictures on your phone organized. If you like a picture you can share it to Picasa, an Online album, via e-mail or text, Bluetooth, or Print to Retail. If you don’t like it, you can always use the included editing features to improve it.
• Video Features: As was the case with the DROID X, you can record 720p HD videos with this Android cell phone. We found quality was acceptable. If you don’t want to shoot your own videos, you can also watch movies downloaded from the Blockbuster and V CAST video apps.

  You can also view videos or pictures taken with the DROID X2 by Motorola on an HDMI capable TV using the Mirror Mode feature. We should note that you’ll need to purchase an HDMI cable accessory.

Music Features: Playback of music through the phone’s speaker is loud, but can be a bit tinny. There’s also a FM Radio application, however, you’ll need to attach wired-headphones to use this feature.

• Formats Supported: We were able to play MP3, and unprotected AAC (Apple’s audio format), and unprotected WMA (Microsoft’s audio format) music files.
• Features: Repeat, Shuffle, and Playlists (you can even create playlists on the cell phone). You can save tunes stored in your cell phone as a ringtone, notification tone or set as an alarm. If the music app is launched, you can still pause or play music even when the phone is locked.

Connectivity: The DROID X2 by Motorola works with Verizon’s 3G network.

• Bluetooth: The cell phone worked seamlessly with the Motorola Roadster and the optional MotoSpeak Android app that reads incoming text messages. Callers didn’t know we were using a Bluetooth connection. We were also able to connect the DROID X2 by Motorola with a MacBook Pro and transfer contacts, pictures, and music.
• WiFi: It has 802.11 b/g/n WiFi (that’s pretty secure) and we were able to log onto available WiFi networks to surf the Web or send/receive e-mail. It just takes moments to set up. The only thing you need is the WiFi network you want to use and password if needed. You can also share the phone’s 3G data connection with up to five WiFi-enabled devices.

Battery Life: The battery life performance on the DROID X2 by Motorola was on par with other 4.3-inch smartphones. We were able to go a full day before needing to recharge the cell phone, when we had the cell phone’s screen set at full brightness and used it to check e-mail, surf the web, listen to music, play games, and take a few pictures.

With its dual-core processor and Android 2.2 OS, the DROID X2 by Motorola is a solid upgrade to the DROID X. We found the phone to be stable, easy-to-use, and the display is one of the sharpest we’ve seen. We just wish it came loaded with Android 2.3.

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