Droid Vs. Android dumb irritation

[Hrethgir]

Why does this mean they screwed up? What harm does it do if Droid is simply universal shorthand for all Android phones? It doesn't change the models. If anything, it only adds a slight bit of confusion for people referring to the original Motorola Droid, but I think we can all safely assume that someone saying they have a Motorola Droid is probably talking about the original, since most people would refer to their specific model (i.e. Droid 2, Droid X).

Because it adds more than a slight bit of confusion to people referring to the original Motorola Droid. My mom just got her first smartphone, and my parents called me up to ask what the difference was between the Android OS and the Droid phones. But since they are on AT&T, they didn't see any Droid phones in the store, and didn't realize that the Samsung Captivate they looked at was running Android because it didn't have Droid in the name. So the Droid/Android confusion is probably good for Verizon, since there are people out there who think Android = Droid = Verizon, but that isn't the case, and isn't good for Android. By the way, my mom ended up going with the iPhone4.

 

[tystevens]

Wow, funny post.

As a Fascinate owner, I understand that am not privileged to be called a "Droid owner," and I would not insult Verizon's marketing (or those who bought in to it) by claiming to be (j/k). That said, in the week I've had the Fascinate, several people come up and ask if my phone is a Droid or an iPhone. 'Cuz for your average person, that's what there is as far as touch-screen phones with pretty displays. After attempting to explain the difference between "Android" and "Droid" and getting that glazed-over "what's the matter with you, I just wanted to know what kind of phone you have" look a couple of times, I've given up and now say "its a Droid." Shows the success of Verizon's (and Apple's) marketing, I guess. Sorry, don't mean to infringe on the trademark and/or be a Droid poseur, but its just a matter of convenience and having conversations about things that (normal) people are actually interested in.

Oh, and my 2 DX-using co-workers keep referring to my Fascinate as a "Droid", too. As in (when showing his DX to a smartphone-less co-worker), "but you should see his Droid, the screen looks really cool." So it isn't just us Droid-wannabes adulterating the term. Some of your own do it, too! If you want their names to revoke their "Droid cards," I'll deliver them for a price, and promise of protection. Never fear, however -- one may voluntarily surrender his Droid Card, as he's been by to check out my SF a couple times since I got it, and is still in his 30-day window!

Editor's note: for the unitiated, this post is largely sarcasm -- I'm not really trolling for a SF/DX fight! I don't care what kind of phone anyone has, I believe the DX and SF are both great phones, and I sincerely hope that everyone likes their phone as much as I like mine. But the stories are true. Peace out.

 

[2horses]

I looked at a Fascinate yesterday in my local VZW store, and it does seem like a nice phone, sexy-thin too! But I don't think there's anything necessarily better about it, so I won't be switching. I told the guy that met me at the door that I was just there to make sure I still had the baddest, newest hotness in the place - and he assured me I did

 

[Hrethgir]

As a Fascinate owner, I understand that am not privileged to be called a "Droid owner,"

I'm not saying it's a "privilege" to be a Droid owner over a Fascinate owner. I'm just saying that your Fascinate isn't a Droid, and every time somebody calls it, or any other Android phone like the Captivate or Evo, a Droid, it's great for Verizon, but not really for Google or any other carrier. If no phones had Droid in their name, it wouldn't be a problem, but there are Droid phones, and it muddies the water and confuses the regular layman. Sure, it's not a problem for us, but the people on this board probably account for less than 5% of the total Android ownership pool, and even less of the people who are researching phones.