The Much Anticipated Motorola Droid X2 - Just Another Smartphone?

The Much Anticipated Motorola Droid X2 - Just Another Smartphone?
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The Successor to the Motorola X Throne

The Motorola Droid X was one of the most powerful Android powered handsets to be released by Motorola. Motorola has now come up with the successor to the throne, the Motorola Droid X2. The original Droid X was quite the hit, featuring some impressive specs in terms of hardware that made it a beast of a contender in the competitive smartphone market. In fact the Droid X was quite a momentous step forward for Motorola, showing its competitors that the company was coming out with all guns blazing. The successor, the Motorola Droid X2, has quite a lot to live up.

Motorola Droid X2 Specifications:

  • Dimensions: 5.02 x 2.58 x 0.39 inches (127.5 x 65.5 x 9.90 mm)
  • Weight: 5.47 oz (155 g)
  • Display: 4.3 inch LCD capacitive touchscreen display, qHD
  • Memory: 8 GB and expandable up to 32 GB MicroSD
  • OS: Android OS 2.2
  • Processor: Dual core Tegra 2 processors at 1 GHz
  • Camera: 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash
  • Connectivity: CDMA Dual Band (800/1900 Mhz)
  • Data: 1xEV-DO rev.A
  • Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1
  • GPS: GPS with A-GPS
  • Battery: Li-Ion 1540 mAh

Design and Display (4 out of 5)

Motorola Droid X2 Reviewed

The Motorola Droid X2 will look familiar to owners of the original Droid X. It looks eerily similar to the predecessor with a few minor changes here and there, but overall this release looks very much like the original. Like the original, the Motorola Droid X2 has a candy bar design, dominated by a large 4.3 inch qHD display. Across the bottom of the display are the familiar Android shortcuts for menu, home, back and search. Along the left edge resides the volume rocker and opposite on the right edge resides the microUSB and mini HDMI out. The top has the power/lock button and the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Overall the design of the phone is familiar, but sometimes familiarity isn’t a bad thing. The original Droid X was well designed and the Droid X2 easily follows suit. The display itself is very crisp and clear and Motorola has made a great choice bringing the qHD display to the Droid X2. While the qHD display is impressive, the Super AMOLED Plus display found on the Samsung Galaxy S2 is actually a bit better.

Performance (3 out of 5)

The Motorola Droid X2 comes packed with a dual core processor, both running at 1 GHz. Running on this powerful processor is a preloaded copy of Android 2.2, which is a bit of a disappointment as many newer smartphones are now coming with Android 2.3. The Droid X2 runs Android extremely smoothly and there’s little to no lag involved when running multiple applications. The performance is easily comparable to that found on the T-Mobile G2x, which is another dual core processor smartphone.

While the hardware is powerful and the software is average, the data connection is where the Droid X2 falters a bit. The Motorola Droid X2 is, surprisingly, not a 4G LTE enabled smartphone, meaning that Verizon customers are left with the HTC Thunderbolt and Samsung Droid Charge for 4G smartphones. While Verizon’s 3G network is above average when it comes to data, it would have been nice to have the Droid X2 be 4G ready. Outside of the data, the actual call quality was decent and clear. Outgoing calls were crisp and clear, and incoming calls also came in loud and clear.

User Interface (4 out of 5)

The Motorola Droid X2 is easy to use thanks to the fact that it runs on Android 2.2.2 with a small overlay created by Motorola running on top. It’s not quite MotoBLUR which is actually a good thing. The original MotoBLUR was a bit too intrusive and was information overload, but this particular overlay has really toned it down. The dual core processor is definitely a great addition as the user interface is smooth and fast with no lag.

New users to Android will enjoy the experience, not only because it’s easy to learn but also because it’s so responsive and smooth. Older users of Android will also appreciate the smooth experience offered by the phone. Compared to the previous generation of smartphones, such as the Samsung Epic 4G or the HTC Incredible, the Motorola Droid X2 is much more responsive.

Features (2 out of 5)

The feature list of the Motorola Droid X2 is where things falter quite a bit. First and foremost, it’s not a 4G

Motorola Droid X2 - 8 Megapixel Camera

smartphone, which is a bit of a disappointment. In addition, it doesn’t come with a front facing camera, meaning it doesn’t really improve upon its predecessor that much when it comes to features. The Droid X2 comes with an 8 megapixel camera, which once again mirrors the original Droid X. The quality of the camera is very much like its predecessor as well, while it comes out clean, it does seem a bit underexposed at times.

One thing the Droid X2 has done is remove the camera shutter button, which is a disappointment. Many people under estimate the power of a dedicated camera button, and it seems Motorola has made a slight mistake by removing the button. Another slight disappointment is the lack of true HD recording as the phone tops out at 720p recording. Overall, the Droid X2 doesn’t have any big features to really differentiate itself from the original, other than the dual core processor.

The Final Verdict (3 out of 5)

The Motorola Droid X2 is disappointingly just an ‘Average’ ranked smartphone. The original Droid X made quite a powerful entrance into the smartphone market and unfortunately, the successor, the Droid X2 seems to have fizzled with its debut. The Droid X2 is virtually the original but with a dual core processor, with very minor changes. With a price tag of $200 with a 2 year contract, one has to wonder if it’s worth spending that much cash for what amounts to the original Motorola Droid X with a slight upgrade.

For people looking for a next generation smartphone on Verizon, the Droid X2 may have to be a pass. For those looking for a fast and powerful, 3G smartphone, the Droid X2 may be a decent grab. It may be better to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S2 variant for Verizon. If you cannot wait and do want a smartphone with a nice display, fast processor and okay features, then the Motorola Droid X2 is the choice for you.

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