This Isn't the Droid Name You're Looking For

Besides, “Devour” is a much more memorable name.

The Motorola Devour, which will launch in March, will be Verizon’s first Android (News - Alert) phone with the “Motoblur” user interface, according to industry observer Dan Frommer, who describes it as “basically Motorola’s (News - Alert) take on a simple Twitter/Facebook/MySpace app.”

 

Industry observer Andre Yoskowitz says Devour is “Touted as a younger brother to the DROID, the new phone will have the MOTOBLUR interface and run Android 1.6, at least at launch.”

 

And no, it won’t be called the “Droid Devour,” or something like that, Frommer reports: “Verizon (News - Alert) tells us it’s still ‘fine tuning’ its long-term strategy for the Droid line, and because this phone includes the Motoblur interface, Verizon thought it was best to have a different, non-Droid name.”

 

Maybe. Or maybe it’s snob appeal. Frommer notes that “it seems that Verizon is going to keep ‘Droid’ for high-end Android devices, versus the Devour, which seems to be aimed at a more mainstream, mid-level audience.”

 

As PCWorld reports, “Motoblur changes the very look and feel of the phone, adding live streams of information onto the home screen through a series of custom widgets. Social network status updates, e-mail, and other messaging tools are all integrated into the desktop with a unique graphical look not seen in the standard Android OS.”

 

The Devour comes loaded with applications such as Gmail, Google (News - Alert) Talk, YouTube, Google Search and Google Maps with Google Maps Navigation, Frommer said, adding that with the Happenings Widget, “Motoblur automatically pushes status updates, wall posts and photo updates from social networking sites to the Happenings Widget on the home screen. Customers can flick through the latest updates and fire back responses using the slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.”

 

“On the security front, contacts, log-in information, home screen customizations, e-mail and social networking messages are backed up via the Motoblur portal,” said industry observer Chloe Albanesius. “GPS lets users locate a lost phone or remotely wipe it.”

 

Users will need to subscribe to a Nationwide Talk or Nationwide Talk & Text plan and a Data Package for smartphones.