Questions about Droid car mounts?

[doomsjay]

So I'm thinking of buying a Motorola Droid, but I have a few simple questions.

About the car mount:
Does Motorola's car mount with its magnets charge your phone like a quick-charge mat (where you just lay it on top and it charges), or do I still need to plug it in? If not, is there a way to do this? Also, does the Droid auto-sync to the car via Bluetooth when placed in the car mount, or do I have to click something? Can I use the Google Navigation and listen to music or take calls synced with my car's stereo at the same time? For my significant's car, do Bluetooth Tape Adapters even exist?

Also, if you have time to answer,
About music:
How does music playback compare to say, iTunes on iPods and iPhones? Do I have to use Pandora internet radio or can I still load 16 GB of my own songs with custom made playlists and sort by artists, genre, etc.? Does it sound very good (even sound, reasonable bass, treble, etc.) synced to my car stereo?

Battery life:
How long does the battery last with moderate use with all the features like GPS, Bluetooth, bright screen, etc. turned on? With music playing?

Camera:
Will a just-for-fun photographer be able to take reasonable photos of scenery and building with built in camera?

And finally, what are you paying each month for your cell phone plan?
I'm really just curious about the car mount, but if I could be convinced that these android phones can completely replace my 7 MP digital camera, Garmin Nuvi GPS navigator, and iPod, I'd be sold. Thanks

 

[takeshi]

Does Motorola's car mount with its magnets charge your phone like a quick-charge mat (where you just lay it on top and it charges)

Nope. That would be a major selling point and something that they wouldn't omit.

If not, is there a way to do this?

Sure, if you think you can hack a Powermat and the car mount together.

For my significant's car, do Bluetooth Tape Adapters even exist?

You'd really need to replace the head unit in a situation like that.

Do I have to use Pandora internet radio or can I still load 16 GB of my own songs with custom made playlists and sort by artists, genre, etc.? Does it sound very good (even sound, reasonable bass, treble, etc.) synced to my car stereo?

Either. You don't "sync" (don't know why people use sync to mean everything these days) music to the car stereo. You're either streaming to it, playing audio from the Droid via aux or you're accessing the music on the SD card (depending on the approach you choose).

How long does the battery last with moderate use with all the features like GPS, Bluetooth, bright screen, etc. turned on? With music playing?

That's too vague a question to answer. Battery life is going to depend specifically on your usage. You won't know what it's like until you start using it. Actively using GPS kills the battery. Leaving the screen on full brightness for long periods of time kills the battery. Using 3G a lot kills the battery.

Will a just-for-fun photographer be able to take reasonable photos of scenery and building with built in camera?

Again, vague question. The Droid isn't known for its camera. Well, not for the camera being any good. If photography is important to you, I'd suggest getting a real digital camera. If you want to take snapshots in daylight you're probably fine.

And finally, what are you paying each month for your cell phone plan?

Seriously? Check Verizonwireless.com. The info is all out there already. Unless you're planning on having 2 lines with data on both, unlimited SMS, insurance on both and ringback tones on one then what I'm paying won't be relevant to you.

 

[jzsean]

So I'm thinking of buying a Motorola Droid, but I have a few simple questions.

About the car mount:
Does Motorola's car mount with its magnets charge your phone like a quick-charge mat (where you just lay it on top and it charges), or do I still need to plug it in?
You still need to plug it in, but the charging port is convenintly located to be on the bottom side of the phone for easy charging.

If not, is there a way to do this?
To make the mount into a charger? it'd take some engineering on your behalf, but you wouldnt be able to through a magnet.

Also, does the Droid auto-sync to the car via Bluetooth when placed in the car mount, or do I have to click something?
My car cannot sync with bluetooth, but it auto syncs with my headset so I don't know why the car would be different.

Can I use the Google Navigation and listen to music or take calls synced with my car's stereo at the same time?
yes, yes, and yes. All at the same time. You can even stream pandora which quiets during voice navigation.

For my significant's car, do Bluetooth Tape Adapters even exist?
I have no idea what that is.

Also, if you have time to answer,
About music:
How does music playback compare to say, iTunes on iPods and iPhones?
There are tons of different music apps if you dislike the stock music app. You'll find what suits you.

Do I have to use Pandora internet radio or can I still load 16 GB of my own songs with custom made playlists and sort by artists, genre, etc.?
You can load your own music, and youre also not limited to Pandora. There are other streaming music apps such as last.fm.

Does it sound very good (even sound, reasonable bass, treble, etc.) synced to my car stereo?
The equalization is set by your car's stereo, not the handset. But yes the output quality is good.

Battery life:
How long does the battery last with moderate use with all the features like GPS, Bluetooth, bright screen, etc. turned on? With music playing?

If you're going to be using all of those at once I'd recommend charging it while you're at it. Hell everytime I navigate I keep it charging but I would guess a few hours.

Camera:
Will a just-for-fun photographer be able to take reasonable photos of scenery and building with built in camera?
Reasonable yes, but nothing to put in your portfolio.

And finally, what are you paying each month for your cell phone plan?
Cell plan + Data plan. I can't give you an exact number because I don't play for my full plan. My data plan through verizon is $30/month alone

I'm really just curious about the car mount, but if I could be convinced that these android phones can completely replace my 7 MP digital camera, Garmin Nuvi GPS navigator, and iPod, I'd be sold. Thanks
It's my ultimate convergence device, and definately the best GPS I've ever used. I have quite a lot more music than 16GB tho so my iPod stays with me. Have any questions feel free to post.

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[doomsjay]

Thanks for the answers. I think I should stop twiddling about and just buy the thing already.