Motorola DROID 3

Gone are the days when Motorola DROID was considered to be the Android phone of the generation. It may have been the original flagship started for Android, but the performance of the Motorola DROID 2 didn’t leave as big a mark on the market as its predecessor. Now, Motorola DROID 3 has been released and knowing Motorola’s commitment to the DROID series and it’s no nonsense approach to this series in particular, will this be a success?

Design
Measuring 124 x 64 x 13 mm, you would not be blamed for noticing the fact that this phone is larger than its predecessors, largely due to its bigger display. However, it’s not as thick as its predecessors which would in a small way reduce your burden when trying to fit the phone in your hand. The phone retains some of the design features from its predecessors but has a tough plastic casing with a soft touch rear making it feel solid though a bit heavy (167 grams) at the same time. The 4 inch qHD display was a definite eye catcher especially since its way bigger than its predecessors.  Apart from the usual buttons found around the phone, on this phone, we see the inclusion of a microHDMI-out port. The power button on the Motorola DROID 2 is now in the middle on the top edge like in the Motorola Droid X2 but you need to put a little too much effort to get a response from it. On the front is also the 0.3MP camera to check your make up now and then. Flip the phone and sitting there is the 8MP auto-focus camera with LED flash. The keyboard slides out from the phone and is one of the best keyboards on a smartphone because it’s just spacious and gives an extremely responsive feel.

Features
The Motorola DROID 3 which fits under the high-end category definitely deserves to stay there as it’s powered by the dual-core 1GHz OMAP4 processor manufactured by Texas Instruments. It’s definitely a high speed machine as it’s capable of tackling multi-tasking jobs 27 percent faster than the Motorola DROID 2 Global besides having a graphics chip that is 30 percent faster. The 512MB RAM on board also helps make things move real fast.

MOTOBLUR isn’t exactly the most popular UI that’s out there and it is not exactly gaining popularity either. However, the Motorola DROID 3 still runs on it albeit being rather similar to the Motorola DROID X2. Running on top of the Android v.2.3.4 Gingerbread it actually comes with its own customized characteristics.  This customized interface which allows widgets to be resized is also a pleasure to the eyes with its amazing visuals. However, we must admit, it still needs a bit more work to be up there with the HTC Sense UI which is currently on its own planet. The Motorola DROID 3 is meant for everyone out there as it has all the apps needed like the social networking apps, Gmail and Calendar.

The 4 inch screen that this phone comes with is somewhat the expected size smarphones – especially those considered high end – are to have these days. Its 540 x 960 resolution is miles apart from its predecessors and this resolution gives some great pixel density. The deep and vibrant colors produced plus the fact that it even makes really small text look readable makes this screen an absolute delight. Nevertheless, it had its shortcomings when we played around with the viewing angles. Colors did fade as the handset was tilted and as we have mentioned with every other phone, the colors wash out when used outdoors.

The Motorola DROID 3 boasts an 8MP auto-focus camera, but does that number mean anything? This camera was a major disappointment as its quality was just bad. This may seem extremely weird, but outdoor shots with natural lighting didn’t do as well as pictures taken indoors with some artificial lighting. Details from pictures taken outdoors weren’t good enough to deserve a mention. Somehow though, the shots taken indoors are better as the colors come out to be neutral. The LED flash was probably the highlight on this otherwise bad camera, as it was able to light up subjects rather well in low light conditions. But then again, this might turn out rather useless as it can’t focus on objects properly in complete darkness. Video recording was definitely better and it records videos at a resolution of 1080p at 29 frames per second.

Battery life from the 1500mAh battery that comes with this phone wasn’t too bad. It would definitely be fine for average users who use it for the usual stuff like emails, calling and some social networking. However, they would still need a recharge at the end of the day. However, power users might need regular charges even within a day. As for the call quality, the voice heard on the earpiece is clear for the most part plus it’s also loud.  As for the speakerphone, it’s not the best out there, but I think we can manage with this one.

Pros and Cons
The Motorola DROID 3 has got a bigger screen compared to its predecessors. Adding to that is the keyboard that has been given a lot of thought as it’s great to use thanks to its responsiveness and well spaced out keys. It is also a pretty fast phone as there were no lag issues and most apps ran smoothly even if there were more than one running at a time.

The camera was a major downer as it really took bad photos even outdoors.  The battery life could also have been better as it requires more than one recharge a day if you are a power user. It usually goes without saying that you would be a power user to be using a high end phone like the Motorola DROID 3.

Conclusion
The Motorola DROID 3 has come a long way from its predecessors in many ways that are good rather than bad. It does have its downsides, but overall it’s a great phone to own.