Motorola unveils Droid smart phone

Motorola unveiled this morning its much-anticipated Droid smart phone, expected to compete with Apple's iPhone, showing off its speedy Web browsing, Verizon Wireless carrier partner, and 3.7-inch high-resolution screen.

The phone will be sold starting Nov. 6 at Verizon Wireless stores and Verizon online for $199.99 after a $100 rebate, and requires that the user subscribe to a nationwide calling plan and a $30 data plan. Nationwide plans start at $39.99 for monthly access.

"The screen, at 400,000 pixels, gives twice the resolution of any other (smartphone)," said Melissa Gardner, Motorola's vice president, consumer marketing experience. "You get to see a Web site's full screen, and zoom in and zoom out on the site."

The news that Droid would challenge the powerful iPhone leaked last week when Verizon Wireless started running an advertisement at droiddoes.com, touting what the Droid does and iPhone doesn't: take night photos, run widgets, allow customization, have replaceable batteries, and include a slide-out keyboard.

Motorola, which in September unveiled its first smartphone based on the Android operating platform, the Cliq, had promised a second smartphone and many more after the first of the New Year.

Here are other features Motorola is touting about the Droid:

** It runs on Verizon's 3G network, delivering what the companies claim is near-desktop Web access speed;

** It has a unified inbox that collects a variety of incoming email, including work email and personal email, and color-codes the different types so they can be easily identified;

** It offers voice-activated search and navigation so the user can say, "Pizza," and find nearby pizza places;

** The phone attaches to a dock inside the car and turns into a GPS system with turn-by-turn directions. This service is free;

** The phone comes preloaded with Google maps, gmail, YouTube, Android market and the Amazon MP3 store, among other capabilities.

Joseph Beaulieu, a senior analyst at Chicago-based Morningstar, said he isn't certain that the Droid "will be good enough to cut through the noise that you're getting from Apple iPhone, HTC's Hero, Research In Motion's BlackBerry and even Palm's Pre and upcoming Pixi."

If Droid isn't successful, it will be because it doesn't live up to such high expectations, Beaulieu said. After all, the Droid is the first Android phone from a major phone maker being carried by a major carrier.

"This Christmas season will be extremely competitive in the phone market," Beaulieu said.

"There is a lot more riding on the Droid because Motorola hasn't had a true hit product since the RAZR in 2004," he said.