Will the Droid be a true challenger to the iPhone

As I see it due to restrictions placed on the iPhone by both Apple and AT&T the true ability of the OS is being restricted. Remember this my experience of Verizon in the real world is that they are by far the most restrictive of all the networks. Remember that did not even open up GPS access to non Vz apps prior to a few months back. It also remains to be seen how well the existing CDMA network from Verizon will handle a true Internet device such as the iPhone or perhaps the to be announced Driod. From what I have read it will collapse just as AT&T has buckled. The fact is these networks were just not designed for this volume of data usage. It is very hard for hardware to keep up with the speed of innovation happening in the market place at the moment. The US networks were already behind Asia before this started and the advent of the iPhone just exposed pre-existing failings. That all said it remains to be seen if this new phone from three different players will be able to out perform an integrated device like the iPhone. Remember the reason Apple resisted a removable battery is that it makes the device a lot less solid to the touch. You will see this is one of the largest complaints about the Pre. Users say it feels plasticy. Now I realize that the removable battery is not the only reason for this and Palm could and should have done a better job but it is a major contributing factor. Having used the iPhone for a while now and having owned various BB’s over the years I am not convinced that a physical keyboard is better. I just don’t think typing on a mobile device is ideal in either regard. That said you only have to watch my younger sister text with her thumb to understand what is achievable in the right hands or should I say thumbs. So will the Droid be a true challenger to the iPhone. Perhaps? However if all it achieves is forcing the ruling parties at Apple to remove some of the shackles then it will have performed an important role.

See the following Washington Post aricle by Techcrunch.com Michael Arrington “Verizon Droid Is The Real Deal“