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Android Phones :
Verizon's Droid Phone and the Android Army
JR Raphael, PC World

My, oh my -- can you feel it? Android excitement is certainly in the air this month. And, with each passing week, the anticipation only seems to grows thicker.

Fueling the flames now is Verizon's cryptic announcement of its upcoming Droid smartphone. The phone, believed to be a Motorola device once codenamed Sholes, was revealed via a spirited TV ad and accompanying teaser site launched over the weekend. The marketing materials take clear shots at the iPhone, using the phrase "iDon't" to list all the things Apple's device can't do that the Droid can.

Verizon's Droid phone is one of several new Android devices on its way to the U.S. smartphone market. Here's a look at what's known about it and the other upcoming Android-based options.

Verizon Droid

Image courtesy BoyGeniusReport.comThe only direct information about the Verizon Droid comes by way of that aforementioned iPhone-attacking ad. The commercial says the device will have a physical keyboard, interchangeable batteries, and a 5-megapixel camera with a flash. It'll also boast the ability to run simultaneous apps and widgets. Moreover, Verizon says its Droid will be fully customizable and built for open development -- two capabilities notoriously absent from that popular Apple product.

The remainder of the info on the Verizon Droid comes to us via vaguely sourced blog reports, primarily from a site called Boy Genius Report. The site claims to have gotten its hands on a prerelease Droid handset (and it has the pictures to prove it). According to the blog reports:

• The Verizon Droid will run the Android 2.0 operating system.

• It'll be about as thin as the iPhone, with the fastest Android processor seen so far (a Texas Instruments OMAP3430 chip, to be precise) and a 3.7-inch touch screen.

• It'll have a custom Motorola user interface different from the MOTOBLUR skin.

• The phone will also feature GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack.

Verizon's Droid ad suggests the device will be available sometime in November. Pricing information has not been released.