What's Left? How far can the Droid be Taken?

[Psychokitty]

Developers have done some fantastic stuff to this phone, both in the apps dept. and in ROMs. What's left to do? What is uncharted territory, or what has not fully been exploited hardware wise? The camera? The USB port?
What is left that could continue to "wow" rooted users in new ROMs? What will developers try before they decide there's no more to develop for the Droid?

 

[Deleted User]

faster roms with more and more features. just look at froyo, made the phone a lot faster. I personally would love to see a palm pre like task switcher or something similar. I would also like to see more interaction in the pull down notifications. I think the possibilities are quite endless, its not like the phone is perfect... far from it.

 

[Apeman]

Video output, FM radio, and a Stargate dialing device
Honestly, I think that a lot of us here (especially me, I barley use 60 minutes a month on my phone... I have no friends) forget that besides all the functions of this GeniusPhone, it is a phone. Being able to run different Linux distros, overclock to over 9000ghz, and wifi tethering is cool for a good majority of people, but what makes a killer app killer is it takes a normal everyday average task, and simplifies it for the masses. While us geeks love doing all these root things, and I think phones should be open in the first place, the killer apps are the basic fun ones.
For ROMs, I think they just need to get faster and sleeker.....Bugless Beast 0.5! And because of the Droid's openness, I have a good feeling that in a little over a years time, Android 4.0 will be waiting for us

 

[Dog1]

Stargate dialing device

I would so in for the DHD app..I would love to get the hell off this rock.

 

[Apeman]

I would so in for the DHD app..I would love to get the hell off this rock.

Yea.... I have been trying to make a custom phone dialer with a DHD but with little success... but I am working on a port of SGCSim to Android, but I am having a hard time of getting Jason Cox to let me.

 

[Chuck1906]

Would be nice to be able to zoom the lens in the video camera mode like you can when taking still pictures.

 

[The_Chief]

Well the Voice Actions feature just re-invented the phone for me. The Droid is completely wicked cool all over again (not that it's ever been uncool)

I think that's why I love this phone... it keeps re-inventing itself! I would love to see a Gingerbread Bugless Beast ported to the Droid (OC'd to 1GHz) and I have no doubt I'll still be around to load it. I give Pete 6-7 months.

Like my LG Dare before it, the Droid just keeps on truckin'. Nothing on the horizon even tempts me to get rid of it.

 

[G.Armour]

I don't think that this Droid has that much left in it. I think pretty soon all the devs are gonna move on to bigger and better devices, as will we with upgrades and such.

 

[The_Chief]

I think pretty soon all the devs are gonna move on to bigger and better devices...

True, IF the devs can break through the encryption that the new phones are sporting!

At least they're raking in some donation money by developing for the Droid, but if they can't get past e-fuse, what incentive do they have to go that route? Maximizing the Droid 1 will be (a) the path of least resistance and (b) be somewhat profitable... however humbly.

Maybe I'm overly optimistic (I DID patiently wait for the v07 upgrade that the Dare never got ) but maybe I'm right. Who knows? This train may still have some steam left in her after all...

 

[Apeman]

I don't think that this Droid has that much left in it. I think pretty soon all the devs are gonna move on to bigger and better devices, as will we with upgrades and such.

I can tell you as being part of the development community, the Droid will not be left out in the cold any time soon. I think the Droid has a good development life of 12-18 months.

 

[gnath9]

the Moto Q seires is still alive and kicken so I feel good about the Droid having a long life ahead still

 

[adostrom]

Access to external storage on the USB port? (Power on a Y cable???) I have a Thecus N1050 external USB 2.5" hard drive that has it's own battery pack or can accept +5v or USB power. With a 500GB hard drive I could just load it up with video and music... I'd even think about mounting one semi-permanently in the car.

 

[rag133]

FM TUNER! Don't think it is possible, but that sure would be nice. No clue why it does not have one though, my wife's much cheaper phone has one.

 

[VIO]

Truck balls.

QED

 

[sorceror]

Access to external storage on the USB port? (Power on a Y cable???)

Since it's possible to hook up a USB keyboard to the Droid, external storage is just a matter of drivers. And maybe a powered hub. Easy enough for a custom ROM...

 

[shadowdude777]

Since it's possible to hook up a USB keyboard to the Droid, external storage is just a matter of drivers. And maybe a powered hub. Easy enough for a custom ROM...

Yeah, but we've known about that hack for months and months. We have yet to see it be used for anything. Someone savvy needs to start writing drivers for this because the possibilities are truly endless; it really makes the Droid into a computer running Linux.

 

[adostrom]

yeah, but we've known about that hack for months and months. We have yet to see it be used for anything. Someone savvy needs to start writing drivers for this because the possibilities are truly endless; it really makes the droid into a computer running linux.

Yes! That's exactly how I describe my Droid to friends -- a really portable computer I get use for phone calls once in a while.

 

[billd]

I've been told that the BT/Wifi chip can also do ANT+. It would be nice if they'd do some ANT+ device drivers so that running/cycling etc. apps could pick up heart rate monitors, wheel and power sensors.

 

[Thornfullessrose]

Remember Apeman, it's not phone... it's a Robot. lol