The Droid: A Classic Smartphone That Stood Out from the Crowd

In 2009, Motorola released the Droid, a smartphone that was designed to take on the market-leading iPhone 3GS. The commercial for the Droid was notable not only for its clever marketing tactics, but also for its lighthearted and humorous approach to pitting the two devices against each other. The ad featured a series of comedic moments, including shots ripped into the iPhone's screen, which were juxtaposed with the Droid's sleek and modern design. This was a bold move by Motorola, as it openly challenged Apple's dominance in the smartphone market.

The Droid itself was a formidable device, boasting a 3-inch touchscreen display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a 5-megapixel camera. It also featured Android 1.5 (Cupcake), which at the time was considered to be a major improvement over iOS 3. The phone's design was notable for its larger size compared to other smartphones on the market, with a more traditional aspect ratio. This made it a popular choice among consumers who wanted a device that could handle multimedia content and had a more traditional phone form factor.

One of the standout features of the Droid was its removable back, which allowed users to add microSD storage and swap out the battery. This was a key selling point for Motorola at the time, as it provided users with more flexibility and customization options than their competitors. The phone's software experience was also notable for its Android 1.5 interface, which offered a range of features that were not available on iOS 3.

In terms of performance, the Droid was able to hold its own against the iPhone 3GS, thanks in part to its more powerful processor and larger storage capacity. The phone's camera was also notable for its 5-megapixel resolution, which at the time was considered to be a major selling point. Additionally, the Droid featured Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity, making it a solid choice for those looking for a device that could handle basic wireless communication tasks.

The Droid's success can be attributed in part to its release timing, as it coincided with the launch of the iPhone 3GS. The phone's marketing campaign was clever and effective, and it helped to establish Motorola as a major player in the smartphone market. However, despite its strengths, the Droid ultimately failed to gain significant traction against the iPhone 3GS, due in part to the fact that Apple's device had already established itself as a best-seller.

In retrospect, the Droid is still remembered fondly by many for its innovative design and features. The phone was released over 10 years ago, but it remains a testament to Motorola's willingness to take risks and challenge the status quo in the smartphone market. Its legacy can be seen in the modern smartphones that followed, which often borrowed from the Droid's design cues and features.

Personal Reflections on Using an Old Smartphone

I remember using my first smartphone, the Galaxy Nexus, back in 2011. It was a powerful device that could still run most apps today with confidence. However, I'm curious to know what other people think - can you still use old smartphones from years ago? What is the oldest phone that you still use today? Do you have any favorite features or memories associated with your old phone?

This question got me thinking about the state of modern smartphones and how far they've come since the early days of mobile computing. From the original iPhone to the latest flagship devices, there's no denying that smartphones have become incredibly powerful and capable over the years.

The Galaxy Nexus was a notable device in its time, offering a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, a front-facing camera, and Android 3.0 Honeycomb. It also featured a powerful Exynos 4 quad-core processor and up to 1GB of RAM. While it may seem ancient by today's standards, the Galaxy Nexus was still a capable device that could handle most tasks with ease.

In contrast, modern smartphones have become increasingly more complex and feature-rich. They offer stunning high-definition displays, advanced camera systems, and powerful processors that can handle even the most demanding tasks. However, this increased complexity has also led to a proliferation of software updates, security vulnerabilities, and hardware issues that are often glossed over in favor of new features and designs.

Ultimately, whether or not you can still use an old smartphone depends on various factors, including your usage patterns, storage capacity, and personal preferences. Some people may be able to make do with an older device for extended periods, while others may find it too slow or outdated for their needs.

In my opinion, the oldest phone that I could still use today is probably from around 2015-2016. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5, Google Nexus 5X, and HTC One M8 were all capable of handling most modern apps with ease. However, as time has passed, these devices have become increasingly difficult to maintain and update due to various factors such as hardware limitations and software compatibility issues.

Despite the challenges, I believe that old smartphones can still hold a special place in our hearts. They often serve as nostalgic reminders of the past and offer a unique perspective on how far mobile computing has come. Whether you're using an old device or just reminiscing about your favorite smartphone from years ago, there's no denying that the journey to modern smartphones has been an incredible one.

The Legacy of the Droid

The Motorola Droid was a groundbreaking device that played a significant role in shaping the future of smartphones. Its innovative design and features paved the way for modern devices like the Galaxy S series, iPhone 5s, and LG G series. The phone's success can be attributed to its clever marketing campaign, which effectively challenged Apple's dominance in the smartphone market.

In the years since its release, the Droid has become a cult classic among mobile enthusiasts. Its legacy can still be seen in modern smartphones, many of which borrow from the Droid's design cues and features. The phone's removable back, slide-out keyboard, and powerful processor have all become staple features of modern smartphones.

However, despite its lasting impact on the smartphone market, the Motorola Droid is no longer a top-tier device. Its hardware has become outdated, and it no longer receives software updates or security patches from Motorola or Google. Nevertheless, its legacy lives on through the many devices that followed in its footsteps.

The Motorola Droid may be an old phone, but its influence can still be felt in modern smartphones. It will always hold a special place in the hearts of mobile enthusiasts who remember it fondly as one of the first Android-powered devices to take on the market leader, Apple's iPhone 3GS.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI've seen a lot of comments on videos in the past couple months or on Twitter uh some of which I can agree with but they're all sort of looking at phones coming out these days and saying they're mostly pretty similar they're all big screens on rectangular bodies with big batteries and big cameras and there's only so much you can do with a rectangle I also kind of said it but maybe a little bit differently but in a previous video I said like we don't even really measure smartphones by how good they are anymore or what's so good about them we measure them by what's wrong with them and how many flaws they have and if there's enough flaws to make a phone like a deal breaker it's magic magic at the Sun up there in thein yep see this this is a classic the dro came out in 2009 and that was the same year that we had the iPhone 3GS so this phone was aimed directly at that iPhone and all the shots fired in that commercial all the the rips in that ad were shot at the iPhone 3GS and you don't even really see an entire commercial for a phone dedicated to comparing yourself to another phone like that doesn't even really happen anymore but I'm so glad we got it because that sort of a diss track from Motorola was pretty good to highlight a lot of the differences in style okay yeah so the iPhone had a software keyboard and the Droid had a physical keyboard that it was pretty proud of the iPhone was slightly Infamous at this time for not doing multitasking well and the Android phones didn't even really do it that much better but you did have sort of a little Carousel for your most recently used apps and you could sort of switch between them within Ram before they closed so in that way it was a little better and you could have that as part of your ad the iPhone 3GS had a 3 megapixel camera on the back the Droid has a 5 megapixel camera and if there was ever a time that you could convince someone that higher megapixels in a camera automatically makes it better it's 2009 this was a big one uh remember when you couldn't change your wallpaper on your iPhone this was around that time so you can kind of see where they're coming from and this is still an argument used today people will continue to say that Android phones have way more customization to the way they look and the way they operate than on Android and this was super true when it was just iOS 3 this is another Android thing uh iPhones still don't run widgets boy has that changed uh the Play Store was a big deal for Android at this time and also the App Store was not nearly as much of a monstrosity as it is for iOS today so I guess in that category the iPhone wins the most improved award so the iPhone 3GS didn't have a flash on the back fun fact bet you didn't remember that also uh the Droid does so again this phone had a removable back which would allow you to add micro SD storage and swap out the battery which is again two things that the iPhone has not done since and probably will never do so that's something that's also been different in style so I think what made the Droid Stand Out was it was just a much bigger phone so a bigger display had this keyboard and then the software this Android experience being very different from IOS 3 also this isn't just any Droid this is my Droid this is the first thing I ever reviewed this is should I link it I'll sure I'll link it I'll embarrass myself this is the first review I ever made was of this phone and uh I used it every day for like two plus years and that's a long time for me and I still I'm not going to lie and say I could still use this phone today but there are a lot of things that still stand out about it that are good that are quality things that you look for in phones right now so it was just kind of fun to look back at a device that made a big difference in the way phones are talked about and the way phones are viewed today I kind of want to to pick up some other look at some other classic phones like I would say this is a classic I would say the first iPhone is a classic I would say the T-Mobile G1 I would like to look at as a classic and maybe some others around this time too but my question to you is and this is kind of an interesting one what do you think is the oldest phone that you could still use today like I know people we're mostly using phones from like the last 3 or four years I'm using phones from this year you might be using the phone you bought last year or 2015 or 14 but I think I think I could use this which is the Galaxy Nexus back from when it first came out in the Verizon days I think I could use this pretty confidently as my daily phone right now I think let me know what you guys think thanks for watching and I'll talk to you guys in the next one peace they just don't make them like that anymoreI've seen a lot of comments on videos in the past couple months or on Twitter uh some of which I can agree with but they're all sort of looking at phones coming out these days and saying they're mostly pretty similar they're all big screens on rectangular bodies with big batteries and big cameras and there's only so much you can do with a rectangle I also kind of said it but maybe a little bit differently but in a previous video I said like we don't even really measure smartphones by how good they are anymore or what's so good about them we measure them by what's wrong with them and how many flaws they have and if there's enough flaws to make a phone like a deal breaker it's magic magic at the Sun up there in thein yep see this this is a classic the dro came out in 2009 and that was the same year that we had the iPhone 3GS so this phone was aimed directly at that iPhone and all the shots fired in that commercial all the the rips in that ad were shot at the iPhone 3GS and you don't even really see an entire commercial for a phone dedicated to comparing yourself to another phone like that doesn't even really happen anymore but I'm so glad we got it because that sort of a diss track from Motorola was pretty good to highlight a lot of the differences in style okay yeah so the iPhone had a software keyboard and the Droid had a physical keyboard that it was pretty proud of the iPhone was slightly Infamous at this time for not doing multitasking well and the Android phones didn't even really do it that much better but you did have sort of a little Carousel for your most recently used apps and you could sort of switch between them within Ram before they closed so in that way it was a little better and you could have that as part of your ad the iPhone 3GS had a 3 megapixel camera on the back the Droid has a 5 megapixel camera and if there was ever a time that you could convince someone that higher megapixels in a camera automatically makes it better it's 2009 this was a big one uh remember when you couldn't change your wallpaper on your iPhone this was around that time so you can kind of see where they're coming from and this is still an argument used today people will continue to say that Android phones have way more customization to the way they look and the way they operate than on Android and this was super true when it was just iOS 3 this is another Android thing uh iPhones still don't run widgets boy has that changed uh the Play Store was a big deal for Android at this time and also the App Store was not nearly as much of a monstrosity as it is for iOS today so I guess in that category the iPhone wins the most improved award so the iPhone 3GS didn't have a flash on the back fun fact bet you didn't remember that also uh the Droid does so again this phone had a removable back which would allow you to add micro SD storage and swap out the battery which is again two things that the iPhone has not done since and probably will never do so that's something that's also been different in style so I think what made the Droid Stand Out was it was just a much bigger phone so a bigger display had this keyboard and then the software this Android experience being very different from IOS 3 also this isn't just any Droid this is my Droid this is the first thing I ever reviewed this is should I link it I'll sure I'll link it I'll embarrass myself this is the first review I ever made was of this phone and uh I used it every day for like two plus years and that's a long time for me and I still I'm not going to lie and say I could still use this phone today but there are a lot of things that still stand out about it that are good that are quality things that you look for in phones right now so it was just kind of fun to look back at a device that made a big difference in the way phones are talked about and the way phones are viewed today I kind of want to to pick up some other look at some other classic phones like I would say this is a classic I would say the first iPhone is a classic I would say the T-Mobile G1 I would like to look at as a classic and maybe some others around this time too but my question to you is and this is kind of an interesting one what do you think is the oldest phone that you could still use today like I know people we're mostly using phones from like the last 3 or four years I'm using phones from this year you might be using the phone you bought last year or 2015 or 14 but I think I think I could use this which is the Galaxy Nexus back from when it first came out in the Verizon days I think I could use this pretty confidently as my daily phone right now I think let me know what you guys think thanks for watching and I'll talk to you guys in the next one peace they just don't make them like that anymore\n"