Motorola Droid 2 (A955) Motorola Milestone 2 (A953) Motorola Droid 2 Global (A956)Motorola Droid R2D2 (A955)
Motorola Droid 2 (A955)
ManufacturerMotorola
Slogan"Droid Does"
SeriesDroid
Compatible networksDroid 2: CDMA2000/EV-DO Rev. A 800/1900 MHz[1]
Milestone 2: quad band GSM, UMTS 900/2100 MHz[2]
Droid 2 Global: quad band GSM, UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz, CDMA 800/1900 MHz[3]
Availability by regionAugust 12, 2010 (2010-08-12)
DiscontinuedQ3 2011
PredecessorMotorola Droid
SuccessorDroid 3[4]
Droid 4
RelatedMotorola Droid, Motorola Droid Pro, Motorola Droid X, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Droid Bionic, Motorola Milestone, Motorola Milestone 2, Motorola Droid 3, Motorola Milestone 3
Form factorSlate slider smartphone
Dimensions116.3 mm (4.58 in) H
60.5 mm (2.38 in) W
13.7 mm (0.54 in) D
Mass169 g (6.0 oz)
Operating systemAndroid 2.2[5]
2.3.4 Gingerbread with over-air update August 2011
4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with custom ROMs
CPU1 GHz OMAP 3630[6] Droid 2 Global runs an OMAP3640 clocked at 1.2 GHz
Memory8 GB flash ROM, 512 MB RAM
Storage8 GB onboard phone, SD card up to 32 GB (included 8 GB MicroSD Card)
Removable storage8 GB microSD, maximum 32 GB
Battery1400 mAh internal rechargeable removable lithium-ion polymer battery

Talk time: 9.58 hours

Standby time: up to 315 hours[1]
Display480×854 px (0.41 MP) TFT LCD, 3.7 in (94 mm), 16:9 aspect ratio, WVGA
Rear camera5.0 MP, autofocus, dual LED flash, digital zoom, geotagging
ConnectivityBluetooth 2.1, HTML web browser, synchronization, Wi-Fi, WLAN, 3G Mobile Hotspot
Data inputsSlide out full QWERTY keyboard
OtherVirtual QWERTY keyboard, Swype, physical keyboard (QWERTY keyboard)
Hearing aid compatibilityYes

The Motorola Droid 2 (GSM/UMTS version: Motorola Milestone 2; GSM/UMTS/CDMA version: Motorola Droid 2 Global) is the fifth mobile phone in Verizon's Droid line. In the U.S., it is available exclusively on Verizon Wireless,[9] and was released August 12, 2010 (pre-order sales of the device began August 11).[10][11][12][13][14] It runs the Android operating system by Google, and can run Flash Player 10.1.[9] It comes with 8 GB of internal memory and is shipped with an additional 8 GB SDHC card, upgradable to 32 GB. It has a 3.7 in display and a 5-megapixel camera.[9] Unlike the Droid X, the Motorola Droid 2 features a redesigned slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but still features the Swype keyboard found on the Droid X.[9] A limited edition version featuring the Star Wars droid character R2-D2 with exclusive apps and content was announced by Verizon for September 30, 2010, to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary for The Empire Strikes Back.[9][15]

Reception

Reviewers felt that the good aspects of the prior Droid, like the sturdy build and functional styling, were maintained in the Droid 2, but with many refinements. Some reviewers thought that the styling was less abrupt, but some criticised the device for not departing enough from the prior design. The consensus on the screen was that, while it was not as big as some phones, or as high resolution as the iPhone 4, it was good quality and not too small. The new keyboard was praised by some reviewers for being less awkward than on the prior Droid, but others found little improvement. The keyboard overall had mixed reviews but was generally the same but without a d-pad. The camera, like other parts of the device, was criticised by some for being little better than the prior device, but most were happy with picture quality. Most reviewers found the device to be good and solid all around, but were unimpressed by what they saw as a small evolution of an already successful model rather than a revolutionary new device.[16][17][18]

Patent suit

In October 2010, Microsoft filed a lawsuit against Motorola with the International Trade Commission in a district court in Washington, D.C., claiming the manufacturer had "infringed on nine patents in its Android-based devices."[19] The court papers specifically mention the Droid 2 and Motorola Charm smartphones but Microsoft claimed that it was not limited to these phones.

Revised model (new keyboard)

The original Droid phone received criticism for its keys being too flat and for not having an offset placement. The Droid 2 was designed with a replacement closer to that of standard keyboard as seen with computer's keyboard with significantly raised ("domed") keys.

A revision of the Droid 2 features keys that are much closer to the flatness of the Droid 1, but it does maintain the offset placement. Both phones are labeled as Model: A955, HW B on the inside of the battery compartment. Other changes may have been made as well.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Droid² by Motorola". Tech specs. Motorola. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  2. ^ "Motorola Milestone 2". Tech specs. Motorola. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  3. ^ "Droid² Global by Motorola". Tech specs. Motorola. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  4. ^ "Motorola Droid / Milestone 3 gets previewed, Verizon release finally nearing? -- Engadget". Engadget. June 13, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  5. ^ "DROID by Motorola: Android phone". Motorola USA. Archived from the original on December 6, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  6. ^ "DROID 2 by Motorola, A955". MOTODEV. Motorola. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  7. ^ "Set Your Location". Verizonwireless.com. Retrieved April 22, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Droid 2 pricing consistently stays at $0.00 with new contract". Allcellbrands.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e Motorola Droid 2 Officially Announced, Pre-Sale Starts Tomorrow on Verizon - Gizmodo, 10 Aug 2010
  10. ^ "Droid 2 Launching August 12 with R2-D2 Edition?". July 20, 2010.
  11. ^ "Motorola Droid 2 Release Date – Two dates may be involved". Apexnewsnetwork.com. July 23, 2010. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  12. ^ "Motorola Droid 2 Release Date Availability August 2010". CNM News Network. July 24, 2010. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  13. ^ ninagosaimas says (July 19, 2010). "Motorola Droid 2: Release Date and First Verizon Pictures : Product Reviews Net". Product-reviews.net. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  14. ^ "Verizon Motorola Droid 2 sales begin". Engadget.com. August 11, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  15. ^ "Press Release". Basking Ridge, NJ/Libertyville, IL, US: Verizon Wireless. September 27, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  16. ^ Chris Ziegler. "Droid 2 Review". Engadget.com. New York: AOL. Retrieved June 4, 2014.[verification needed]
  17. ^ "Motorola DROID 2 Review". PhoneArena.com. October 7, 2011.
  18. ^ Bonnie Cha. "Motorola Droid 2". CNET.com. San Francisco, CA: CBS Interactive.
  19. ^ Pepitone, Julianne (October 1, 2010). "Microsoft files patent suit against Motorola over Android". CNN.com. Turner Broadcasting. Retrieved October 1, 2010.

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