Motorola Droid 4 launching this Friday for $199
After some early rumors, the fourth iteration of Motorola's Droid line was announced back at CES this year, but no release date or price was specified. It took a little while, but finally we have an official date and press release confirming the device directly from Verizon. According to the press release, the Motorola Droid 4 will be available for purchase on this Friday, February 10, for $199.
You actually get quite a bit of hardware power for that $199, especially considering that most top of the line smartphones launch at $300. It's not the absolute best, but the Droid 4 includes a full 1GB of RAM, 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, and qHD display. 4G LTE is still probably the most important upgrade over its predecessor, as it was a major feature missing from the last hardware version.
Running on that hardware is Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which is of course disappointing to many of us. However, Motorola and Verizon are promising an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich in the near future, the only worry is how fast they can push it out.
The Droid 4 may not be radically different, but it is an upgrade to a formula that works. Motorola's first Droid launched Android into the public eye, and the Droid 3 was one of last year's best smartphones. As such, I have no doubt that the Droid 4 will be at the top of any shoppers who want a keyboard, and may even win some converts from the standard black slab.
If you're interested, you can find the full press release past the break.
DROID 4 BY MOTOROLA READY TO WORK AND PLAY ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK
Power, Speed and Reliability Get the Job Done
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – The award winning DROID 4 by Motorola will be available to handle even the most demanding lifestyles starting Feb. 10 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com.
Introduced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the DROID 4 is the thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone measuring at less than half an inch thin. DROID 4 not only features a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, but also a five-row QWERTY keyboard with a PC-like layout and edge-lit keys for fast, precise typing, even in the dark. Powered by America’s fastest, most reliable 4G network, DROID 4 customers will have access to 4G LTE coverage in 195 markets covering more than 200 million people.
Additional features
Verizon Wireless 4G LTE – Customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas
- Android™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be upgraded to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- 4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass
- Government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts; preloaded with Citrix® Receiver™ for Android (available in webtop) for desktop virtualization and access
- 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture
- Front-facing camera for video chat
- 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot supporting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
Business Ready
DROID 4 is designed to help customers get more done. Business professionals can impress their audience by presenting to a conference room full of potential customers in a snap by plugging the DROID 4 into an HDTV and presenting directly from the phone. Professionals can also combine the DROID 4 with the Lapdock 500 and its 14-inch display to create a full-featured mobile office. They can download documents, make edits using Lapdock’s full keyboard and email the updated documents to colleagues or customers. The Lapdock even features a built-in webcam so customers can attend virtual meetings and manage their business face-to-face.
The Smart Actions app on the DROID 4 helps automate everyday tasks and optimizes battery efficiency by letting customers create rules, such as automatically setting the phone to vibrate during work hours or dimming the display at a specific battery level.
Business professionals can leave their laptops behind and use the MotoCast™ app to remotely stream documents, videos, music and pictures from their work or home computers to their handset. The remote access of MotoCast eliminates the need to store documents on the handset as everything is stored on their office laptop.
Pricing and availability
- DROID 4 by Motorola will be available on Feb. 10 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
- The Lapdock 500 is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online for $299.97.
- Customers that purchase a DROID 4 will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.
For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Follow@VZWnews on Twitter for the latest news on Verizon Wireless.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Media can access high-resolution images of DROID 4 by Motorola in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.)
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 108.7 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers.
Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Google, and Android are trademarks of Google, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.
