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Verizon's Droid has landedNov 07, 2009 (The Bradenton Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- There's the iPhone, the Blackberry, the HTC Touch, the myTouch 3G and, as of Friday, the Droid. Verizon Wireless stores in Manatee and Sarasota counties, and statewide, opened at 7 a.m. to start sales of the latest smart phone on the market: the Motorola Droid. Local Verizon officials reported seeing strong sales and interest Friday for the phone that runs Android 2.0, the most updated version of Google's phone operating system. "The interest has been very strong right from when we opened the doors," said Tim Mills, data sales manager for Verizon Wireless at 4215 S. Tamiami Trail. Verizon officials would not disclose sales for the $199.99 Motorola Droid, but the latest 3G phone is expected to be one of the iPhone's biggest competitors. The Droid's features include Web browsing, video recording and playback, a five-megapixel camera, an MP3 player and applications similar to the iPhone. The phone itself has a 3.5-inch touch screen, a slide-out keyboard and sleek but sturdy frame. "It does it all," said Chuck Hamby, a Verizon spokesman for the Tampa Bay region. "While we can't disclose sales, we are very, very happy with sales so far." The recession seems to have little hold on smart phone sales as of late. IDC, a market researcher for high-tech media, reported mobile phone companies shipped 43.3 million phones in the third quarter, up 4.2 percent from the third quarter in 2008 and a 3.2 percent increase from the second quarter. "Demand for converged mobile devices has remained strong all year," said Ramon Llamas, a senior research analyst at IDC. "These devices provide more utility and entertainment than traditional mobile phones." Mills said consumers at the Sarasota Verizon store seemed unfazed by the economy and the phone's price tag. "Even in tough economic times, people are placing high value on communication," Mills said. "You see social applications like Facebook and Twitter skyrocket. That's the first thing people do when they get home and, with a device like the Droid, they can do that all day long." To see more of The Bradenton Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bradenton.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |