Droid vs. Eris

[teleburst]

Did a search and didn't find a lot of direct comparisons here. The comparisons on the web are mostly from inception date of both phones, which makes them a bit out of date with 2.1 and everything.

Basically, I've been living with the Eris for a couple of weeks (I have OTA 2.1). This means that I have a couple of weeks to exchange it for the Droid. I like the Eris, especially the shape (which I LOVE). I'm not big on the MOTO form. I like SenseUI pretty well. Not big on battery life. I don't care about the physical keyboard and I've heard that the VK on the MOTO sucks, but I'll probably just download Swype like I did with the Eris. I also like the fact that I'm got the Eris free PLUS a $50 rebate through Let's Talk.

I like the idea of the 16 meg card coming with the Droid. I like the idea of the larger screen (this was the last thing that I checked off my list when considering the Eris - it was the sticking point). Plus, Let's Talk is now offering the "Professional Bundle" for the same price as the phone by itself ($19.95).

I'd love to get some perspective from the forum (I might actually ask this question in the MOTO Droid forum as well so I can get a rounded impression.

I guess the big thing is how much I'll miss SenseUI, how much I should appreciate the possibility of 2.2 (not much of a tinkerer - barely understand the root concept), whether the potential speed diff. is enough to be a deciding factor, etc.

It's not so much buyer's remorse as it is, getting extra stuff like a dock and a car bracket that autodetects the Droid on top of some of the things that attracted me to the Droid lurking around in my lizard brain. Wish I could afford the Incredible, but sadly, I can't - I *can* afford to lose the rebate and pay $20 for the MOTO though).

I'd appreciate any insight, even fanboy/girl stuff <g>.

Thanks!

PS, if I missed a lot of discussion on this, I apologize. I did actually search and only found limited info.

 

[doogald]

I did not buy the Droid for these reasons: I hated the keyboard, and knew I would never use it. In my testing, I was not as accurate with the soft keyboard as I was with the Eris. I did not like the industrial design of the Droid, and did not want to carry all that extra weight for the keyboard that I knew I would never use.

All of that said, otherwise I liked the Droid. If it were me making this decision today, I would probably choose the Incredible first, the Droid second, and the Eris third. I just think it more likely that Motorola and Verizon would support the Droid going forward than I think we will see for the Eris going forward.

I still think I made the right choice for me five months ago, but today my choice would be different.

 

[Praetorian]

I was planning on buying the moto droid but after trying out some of my co-workers phones I decided to go with the Eris because its much lighter and the UI seems much cleaner and easier to navigate. I'm willing to give up the physical keyboard for a phone with a smaller profile.

 

[nomarsgirl]

I had wanted the Moto Droid, but my husband bought me the Eris for Christmas. After using it for a few days, i completely fell in love with it. Had no need for a physical keyboard -- I know I wouldn't use it anyway. I travel a lot, so I do like to have a smaller, lighter device. Every ounce seems to matter when you have to carry stuff everywhere. (And it's great that I have GPS on my phone and can leave my Garmin at home). I really like the Sense UI. The Droid may be faster, but I really have had no complaints with the Eris.

 

[teleburst]

Yeah, I suspect that I'll have no use for the physical keyboard, especially considering how poorly it's reported to be designed.

I see that there's now an app called Home ++ that adds additional home screens, so that's an objection that I had with the MOTO (I didn't mention that originally). Not sure if Home ++ will add something similar, but another thing I like about SenseUI is the windowshade thingy. I would definitely miss that. It's cool.

Not sure if the weight will bother me that much, but I would sure miss the sleek and way cool feel of the Eris case. I've always been a candy bar sort of user. My first phone was an Audiovox 5600. Then I went to the ATT 8125 then to the tilt. It was like carrying around a brick, plus, Mobile 6 was a pain-in-the-butt to use...

thanks for the comments so far...keep 'em coming...

 

[majorpay]

If you're big into the gaming (specifically emulators [i.e. NES, SNES] or anything you need a d-pad for), you'll want a droid for the controller (on screen buttons, etc, suck butt). If not, then the Eris is sleek, elegant, has a nice interface (sense), does all the same stuff, and fits in your pocket.

I've messed with everything I can on this phone (including emulators), just for the sake of doing it, and overall it's solid on pretty much everything except for gaming.

I guess the answer is: it depends...

 

[xx_bishop_xx]

I went into Verizon last fall with the intent to purchase the Moto Droid without ever actually interacting with it. Once I had gotten there and I had a clear concept of the physical characteristics of that phone, I immediately turned to the Eris. While the Moto is a great phone, for what I use a smart phone for on a regular basis (Internet/Email/Text/Calls) it was just too bulky/clunky. The performance/capcacity difference didn't seem that monumental to me. I have friends that still have or are getting the Moto, and each time I see one, it reaffirms my decision. Good luck with whatever choice you make.

 

[teleburst]

If you're big into the gaming (specifically emulators [i.e. NES, SNES] or anything you need a d-pad for), you'll want a droid for the controller (on screen buttons, etc, suck butt). If not, then the Eris is sleek, elegant, has a nice interface (sense), does all the same stuff, and fits in your pocket.

I've messed with everything I can on this phone (including emulators), just for the sake of doing it, and overall it's solid on pretty much everything except for gaming.

I guess the answer is: it depends...

Yeah, not really a gamer.

You're right about the Eris - it's sleek and sensual. Thing is, this might actually work against it. It tends to rattle around in the inside breast pocket of my work jacket (I'm a waiter who wears a lab coat sort of jacket). Sometimes I'm afraid that it will fall out when I bend down to pick something up. I don't think that the MOTO is that much bigger, but it might feel more secure, even if it might feel like a boat anchor compared to the Eris <chuckle>.

 

[majorpay]

Yeah, not really a gamer.

You're right about the Eris - it's sleek and sensual. Thing is, this might actually work against it. It tends to rattle around in the inside breast pocket of my work jacket (I'm a waiter who wears a lab coat sort of jacket). Sometimes I'm afraid that it will fall out when I bend down to pick something up. I don't think that the MOTO is that much bigger, but it might feel more secure, even if it might feel like a boat anchor compared to the Eris <chuckle>.

I have those lighter pockets in most of my jeans. It seems to fit nicely in there, but you may be wearing slacks. If that's the case, you might get away with throwing it in your front pocket. The Eris has a solid construction, so I wouldn't be too afraid of dropping it, but if it's for your front pocket, do you think the MOTO will fit snug enough to not drop out when bending over?

Overall, it'll all be based on personal preference and which one feels right for you.

 

[teleburst]

I went into Verizon last fall with the intent to purchase the Moto Droid without ever actually interacting with it. Once I had gotten there and I had a clear concept of the physical characteristics of that phone, I immediately turned to the Eris. While the Moto is a great phone, for what I use a smart phone for on a regular basis (Internet/Email/Text/Calls) it was just too bulky/clunky. The performance/capcacity difference didn't seem that monumental to me. I have friends that still have or are getting the Moto, and each time I see one, it reaffirms my decision. Good luck with whatever choice you make.

Thanks!

I'm not a texter at all (don't even have a text plan) so that won't bother me so much. I will use it mostly for Internet/Calls/Music. I really won't even use the Nav features very much, so the auto bracket is just a nice option to have if I ever need it. One plus to the MOTO is the ability to use Google Earth, something that doesn't seem forthcoming with the Eris due to hardware issues.

 

[teleburst]

I have those lighter pockets in most of my jeans. It seems to fit nicely in there, but you may be wearing slacks. If that's the case, you might get away with throwing it in your front pocket. The Eris has a solid construction, so I wouldn't be too afraid of dropping it, but if it's for your front pocket, do you think the MOTO will fit snug enough to not drop out when bending over?

Overall, it'll all be based on personal preference and which one feels right for you.

It probably won't be snug, but it might not rattle around quite as much. Sometimes I *do* carry it in my pants pocket at work and I certainly carry it in my pants. At work I tend to bump into things (we're a busy restaurant) so I don't like carrying it in my pants if I can help it. I liked the Audiovox 5600 because it fit perfectly in one of those lighter pockets. I haven't really bothered doing that with the Eris though. since I haven't bothered with it so far, it might not be that big of a plus for me. Of course, i probably just didn't think of it <g>

 

[mcapozzi]

If you don't mind the relative slow performance of the Eris vs the Droid. Then I would stick with the Eris. I want a pocket powerhouse, and with my Droid OC'd and customized, it is a beast. I use it for 3D games and emulators (NES, SNES), so I need the GPU and the extra horsepower. Plus I've had both the HTC Hero (Sprint's Eris) and the Droid, I know I type much faster on the hardware keyboard.

But as far as basic smartphone capability, the Eris won't let you down. Don't worry about the lack of SD card storage, an 8 or 16GB card is pretty cheap. The Droid is NOT a light phone, and although it isn't much bigger than a Eris, the weight difference would mean a lot if I were keeping my phone in my front shirt pocket.

-Mike

 

[Shnuddy]

I see that there's now an app called Home ++ that adds additional home screens, so that's an objection that I had with the MOTO (I didn't mention that originally). Not sure if Home ++ will add something similar, but another thing I like about SenseUI is the windowshade thingy. I would definitely miss that. It's cool.

There is a home replacement call Launcher Pro Beta that is similar in many ways to Sense. It has your choice of up to 7 screens. See the thread here: http://androidforums.com/htc-droid-eris/80294-launcherpro-beta.html

Have you thought about the Incredible? It sounds like the best of both worlds.

 

[teleburst]

There is a home replacement call Launcher Pro Beta that is similar in many ways to Sense. It has your choice of up to 7 screens. See the thread here: http://androidforums.com/htc-droid-eris/80294-launcherpro-beta.html

Have you thought about the Incredible? It sounds like the best of both worlds.

Yeah, I thought about it for about 2 seconds. Then blowing the dust out of my wallet made that thought go away fast.

It's getting harder. I went to the Verizon store and handled a Droid (albeit with the Otterbox). It was like comparing my '99 Miata to the new body style (which I hate). The new Miatas are bulky and not-sleek, but they have more horsepower. Not something that would overcome the styling for me since the older body style is about perfect for the horsepower (it's nimble as hell). In a cellphone? Not as bad of a problem but still not optimal.

The Droid is definitely too big for my front jacket pocket, but it disappears in the inside pocket. It *is* heavy though. Not nearly as heavy as the Tilt that I've been dragging around though.

The body makes me feel like I should be sitting in a rocking chair on the porch with a whittling knife whistling the theme to Andy Griffith. The Eris feels like an extension of my hand and is comfortable in a pants pocket. and it's more inobtrusive in public.

I like the idea that I can save apps to the SD card with the Droid. I fill up cards fast. My current 8 gig card (that I brought over from my Tilt) has about7.6 gigs worth of music and photos. I'd like to be able to put apps on the card like I did with the Tilt.

Damn, this plus minus list is going to get pretty complex after all is said and done. But I want to make sure that I can live with the phone for a year. By then, I can probably get the Incredible (or the Droid v2 for that matter) pretty cheap. This is one of the first times that I've been fairly ahead of the tech curve instead of a year and a half behind it <g>. In fact, since 2.1 just came out, almost feels like I'm right on top of the curve, and I got paid to do it (the $50 rebate). Wouldn't bother me to pay $20 for a phone that's going to be replaced in only 6 months.

 

[Shnuddy]

I love my Eris. Yeah, it has a few issues, but hey, I came from a Touch Pro...by comparison it is lightening fast, lightweight and sleek. I'm totally happy that I chose the Eris. Of course, my husband has the Moto droid and is perfectly happy with it. So, I guess I'm no help

 

[senfoo]

i'm also contemplating making a move to the droid. 1. for the ability to root (eris is 2.1v3 - no root available as of yet), 2. a little more hp than the eris. the incredible is not an option for me cause it just feels very cheap. to wait for a possible leak v3 root or not, that is the question... lol

 

[Jeep297]

Neither, get the Incredible instead or wait for the Moto Shadow.

 

[teleburst]

Neither, get the Incredible instead or wait for the Moto Shadow.

Sorry, as I said, it's a no-go on the Incredible. And if I want to wait for the MOTO Shadow, I won't have all that much longer to wait since I'll be "stuck" with either the DROID or the Eris for a year anyway.

 

[teleburst]

After playing with LauncherPro on my Eris, I'm almost convinced to switch the Eris out for the DROID. I said "almost" because I just can't get over how bulky and ugly the DROID is. It sits in my hand like a lump of lead, while the Eris is like holding a sweet lob wedge.

Also, I'll have to be without a phone for a week, but I live with that, I suppose.

The question now will be - "Can I pull the trigger"? Can I lug this boat anchor around with me for at least a year?

 

[aznguyen316]

I thought the Moto Droid and Incredible are the same price? Unless you're not on a 2yr signing? Cuz I just resigned another 2 years and Incredible and Droid were same price, but I opted to go Eris b/c I'm broke. haha

 

[teleburst]

I thought the Moto Droid and Incredible are the same price? Unless you're not on a 2yr signing? Cuz I just resigned another 2 years and Incredible and Droid were same price, but I opted to go Eris b/c I'm broke. haha

I just switched from ATT to Verizon and did it through my favorite vendor, Let's Talk. They were going to actually pay *me* $50 for the Eris and if I switch, I'll have to pay $19.95 for the Droid, the home dock and the car mount. I think that it was their special on the "Professional bundle" that got me thinking about the switch. It used to be $69.95 - until the end of the month, it's the same price as a new contract DROID, $19.95.

I guess I should have made that clear when talking about the Incredible being too expensive for me, but I thought that the prices i was quoting would have made that clear.

the Eris is absolutely great, so you'll be happy. This isn't so much thinking about switching because of anything I've disliked about the Eris; on the contrary, the Eris itself is making the decision very hard because it's so much "nicer" of a phone from a design and form aspect. Plus, the people here seem to be a nice lot. I haven't checked the DROID forum, and they're probably pretty nice there as well. I don't know if there's an equivalent to Caddyman there. This guy rocks! Have to say, however, that I'm partial to Miatas <g>.

PS, I highly endorse Let's Talk. This is my third phone through them.

 

[Familyguy1]

If you're big into the gaming (specifically emulators [i.e. NES, SNES] or anything you need a d-pad for), you'll want a droid for the controller (on screen buttons, etc, suck butt). If not, then the Eris is sleek, elegant, has a nice interface (sense), does all the same stuff, and fits in your pocket.

I've messed with everything I can on this phone (including emulators), just for the sake of doing it, and overall it's solid on pretty much everything except for gaming.

I guess the answer is: it depends...

I got SNes and Gameboid emulators with the eris, love em. I dont mind it to much

 

[majorpay]

I got SNes and Gameboid emulators with the eris, love em. I dont mind it to much

I had tried them with the Eris on 1.5, and it was completely useless because the multi-touch wasn't working. On 2.1 lv1 I tried it again and the controls were shoddy, and multi-touch still wasn't usable really (which I assumed was the phone rather than the application). I just gave up on it... Have you come up with something different, or has it been fixed? When you say SNES, are you talking about SNESOID?

 

[srmccoy]

I made this exact same decision when I purchased my Eris.

Basically, I had to weigh out the pro's and con's of each. The Droid has a better screen, and faster hardware (though quickly becoming dated). The keyboard is terrible (my mother owns a Droid), and the lack of Sense is a real issue for me. Plain Android isn't bad, but I do enjoy the extra polish with Sense.

The Eris was/is cheaper, has decent smartphone hardware (unless you want to game a lot and run super intensive apps), and the form factor is fantastic. It feels good in the hand, fits well in my pockets (unlike the Droid), and does what I need it too.

 

[teleburst]

I made this exact same decision when I purchased my Eris.

Basically, I had to weigh out the pro's and con's of each. The Droid has a better screen, and faster hardware (though quickly becoming dated). The keyboard is terrible (my mother owns a Droid), and the lack of Sense is a real issue for me. Plain Android isn't bad, but I do enjoy the extra polish with Sense.

The Eris was/is cheaper, has decent smartphone hardware (unless you want to game a lot and run super intensive apps), and the form factor is fantastic. It feels good in the hand, fits well in my pockets (unlike the Droid), and does what I need it too.

I know what you mean about Sense, but I've found that LauncherPro works just fine. I still haven't done the Beautiful Widgets yet but I look forward to adding something similar to that pretty cool HTC weather skin. Having lived with LP for a day, so far, it pretty much cancels out the Sense advantage.

But...

I think the "Professional Bundle" special for the DROID might end on the 31st (the rep said that they can never guarantee anything other than the listed price for whatever day the transaction occurs). I called Let's Talk and they say that I can't lock in that price even if I pay for it on the spot. They have to get my phone back and then create an exchange ticket at that time. Whatever price it is on that day is the price that I'll be charged. So I'm going to wait to see if they roll this special into the new month. I still have about 15 days to exchange for the Droid. If I don't get the bracket and the dock, that might possibly sway my decision (I told you that I like my Eris!)