Posted by Smartphone Review on March 7, 2010
HTC DROID Eris Android Phone Verizon Wireless
Combining performance and functionality in one sleek package, the ultra-slim HTC DROID ERIS brings the power of the Android platform and the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network together. Powered by the open-source Android operating system, it offers an intuitive interface with an easily customizable home screen and the ability to personalize it with a wide selection of free and paid downloadable apps via the Android Market. It also includes HTC Sense, a user interface overlay from HTC that makes it easy for you to create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to your needs.
The 3G-enabled HTC DROID ERIS runs on the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network and is powered by the customizable Android platform, with 1000s of apps available to on the Android Market. |
Customizable apps. |
The 3.2-inch touchscreen interface features zoom capability and a virtual QWERTY keyboard, and it’s paired with a trackball for easy navigation. In addition to 3G connectivity, the HTC DROID ERIS offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. It also offers integrated GPS for navigation using Google Maps and other location services, as well as a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing.
With integrated Google technology, the HTC DROID ERIS brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by Voice, YouTube and Picasa. The DROID ERIS also provides easy access to both personal and corporate email, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Other features include a 5-megapixel auto focus camera with video capture capabilities, memory expansion via microSD memory cards (an 8 GB card is included with the device), threaded text and picture messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, Visual Voicemail capabilities, 3.5mm headset jack, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
The HTC DROID ERIS comes pre-loaded with a variety of Google and Verizon Wireless mobile services, including:
- Google Maps: Get turn-by-turn directions and instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business. And Google Maps Street View enables you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go.
- Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
- YouTube: One-touch recording and playback from home screen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
- Google Talk: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
- Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
- Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
- Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
- Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.
Key Features
- Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV–DO, Rev A network
- Powered by the Android 1.5 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
- HTC Scene overlay: Create and switch between Scenes that reflect different moments in your life, helping you design your perfect weekend, travel or pure play phone.
- 3.2-inch touchscreen with virtual QWERTY keyboard (320 x 480 HVGA resolution; 262K color depth)
- 5-megapixel camera with auto–focus and video capture
- Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
- Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
- Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 16 GB (8 GB card included).
- Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads. Includes compatibility with MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, and WMA formats and the capability to create and manage playlists on the phone.
- Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone; supports Flash Lite 3.7.1.
- Standard voice mail and compatibility with Verizon Visual Voice Mail (subscription required), which enables you to delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), create up to 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text or even voice mail.
- Text, Picture and Video messaging with threaded messaging feature
- Organizer tools including calendar, tasks, alarm, notes, stopwatch
- Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
- Integrated Google, Exchange and Facebook contacts
- Speakerphone
- 3.5mm headset jack
- TTY compatible
- Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T3
- Memory: ROM: 512 MB; RAM: 256 MB
Vital Statistics
The HTC DROID ERIS weighs 4.23 ounces and measures 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.51 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours (214 minutes) of talk time, and up to 373 hours (15.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV–DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
What’s in the Box
HTC DROID ERIS handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, 8 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars I love my phone
After a few weeks of using the Droid Eris, I can only gush about what a great experience using this phone is. The form factor is, in my opinion, much prettier than it’s big brother Droid, and the HTC’s Sense UI is a cinch to get the hang of (and beautiful as well). The apps for Android are many and useful. I opted to buy the Seidio Innocell 1750 mAh Battery for HTC Droid Eris after using the standard Eris battery and coming to the conclusion many others have, the stock battery sucks. But, with the price of this phone being so low, paying $49.99 for a new battery (and another $23 for the Seidio Innocase II Surface Case for HTC Droid Eris (Blue), AWESOME case), I am in LOVE. I was thinking of switching to AT&T for the iPhone, but I am so happy with my Eris and what it’s capable of that I haven’t looked back.
4 Stars Splendid phone for the price
This is one great little phone for the money. I just bought it a couple days ago for 80 bucks (after rebate). So far so good.
This has been my first exposure to Andriod, and so far I love it. Especially with HTC’s sense UI…Phew! Transitions are mostly smooth, and I don’t find the phone to lag unless I’m transitioning from heavier-weight apps (for instance, from a game to the home screen will sometimes lag a second or two).
Pros:
*Android
*Touch-Screen
*Android Market. Seriously, this has almost ruined my productivity and efficiency. A lot of time can be spent just browsing and downloading very cool apps. This is a wonderfully fun pass-time.
Cons:
*No update for Android 2 (yet!…I’ve seen pages on the web saying that HTC is going to release one soon, though)
*No physical keyboard. This isn’t a big deal for me, but at least give it some thought as a virtual keyboard isn’t for everybody
*Battery life. This one I’m not used to. Coming off of a full charge, my phone will not last me more than one day. Compared to other phones (albeit, they weren’t full featured phones), this performance is pretty poor. Within approx. one hour, the charge will drop from 100% to 80%, and then, after that, discharge more slowly ~10% per hour. All in all, I would estimate that I get around ~8-9 hrs total battery life out of a full charge. This is what brings it down to a four-star. If the battery lasted longer, I would give this phone five stars, hands down.
Bottom line:
If this phone was lost or stolen, I would definitely want another one. This is such an upgrade from my previous phone experience, though, that I may not be entirely objective. But for anybody just wanting a fun phone, BUY THIS one! You can’t get much better for the price.
4 Stars Very Good Phone, almost…Great
The Good:
-8 GB SD Card
-Screen Resolution
-Customizable screens
-Numerous(useful, useless, and pointless) free apps
-Lightweight
-Music Player
-Touchscreen keyboard has a minimal learning curve, very easy to use
-Vertical or horizontal screen
Could be better:
-Camera, don’t let the 5.0 megapixel fool you, it takes decent pictures but not as good as the Moto Droid or Samsung Omnia which are similar phones with 5 MP cameras
The Bad:
-Because it cannot be said enough, the battery. Absolutely awful.
-Flash Player or lack thereof, difficult time with YouTube videos and the YouTube app(which is pre-installed) doesn’t play vids at all and I have seen MULTIPLE complaints on YouTube’s help forum about this same issue with no resolution
Overall:
I am happy with the phone, there are a few nuisances that perhaps the 2.1 upgrade will fix when it becomes available. For the price, you can’t beat it.
3 Stars half-baked
This phone has a lot of promise. The Android operating system gives you tight integration with Google Voice (which can automatically make your international calls for you for pennies per minute) and Google Mail. Using “Mytracks” with the GPS is fun and useful. And, well, it’s cool having internet in your pocket. But:
- every time I booted the phone, Google Voice would crash.
- the HTC input program, that lets you type text into the phone, would crash in the middle of emails and not let my type until I rebooted.
- many of my conversations were badly muffled. I googled this and followed instructions on switching to “EVRC-B” form “EVRC” (these are algorithms used to encode voices). The quality improved, but people have reported not being able to make calls from some parts of the country after making this switch. Without it, the quality was patchy for me (Boston area). I didn’t want to have to play with internal network settings to get the phone to work.
- The phone dropped calls, giving a “Signal Faded” message. I checked with Verizon, and this wasn’t recorded by the network as a dropped call - therefore it was the phone. I never had this problem with my cheap flip phone.
- I couldn’t play Youtube videos through the Youtube player.
- the phone was laggy. This means you’re typing and letters aren’t appearing, then appear all at once. Or it means that you’re looking through your call history to make a call, press on a number, and call the wrong number because it took 5 seconds to update the list display.
- with moderate usage the battery lasts about 6 hours. This is usually fine if you’re between office, home and car chargers, but sometimes it’s not enough. I was always turning parts of the phone off to save battery life.
- video quality is poor, particularly the sound, compared to an iPhone (which admittedly is more expensive).
In short, you get what you pay for. This phone is really cheap - but the savings are small compared to the cost of a 2-year plan, and I’d recommend getting the best phone you can to take advantage of the investment that plan represents.
5 Stars Only problem is the battery life . .
and that can be solved by either using a free aplication killer app, getting a better battery (they have a high performance battery on sale at Amazon, and my personal favorite getting a docking port that charges the battery in the phone plus a spare. And you can of course just not dowload a hundred applicatins that looked really cool, but you’re never going to use after you played with them for a while.
And you can’t beat the price!
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on February 23, 2010
HTC DROID Eris Android Phone Verizon Wireless
Combining performance and functionality in one sleek package, the ultra-slim HTC DROID ERIS brings the power of the Android platform and the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network together. Powered by the open-source Android operating system, it offers an intuitive interface with an easily customizable home screen and the ability to personalize it with a wide selection of free and paid downloadable apps via the Android Market. It also includes HTC Sense, a user interface overlay from HTC that makes it easy for you to create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to your needs.
|
The 3G-enabled HTC DROID ERIS runs on the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network and is powered by the customizable Android platform, with 1000s of apps available to on the Android Market. |
|
Customizable apps. |
The 3.2-inch touchscreen interface features zoom capability and a virtual QWERTY keyboard, and it’s paired with a trackball for easy navigation. In addition to 3G connectivity, the HTC DROID ERIS offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. It also offers integrated GPS for navigation using Google Maps and other location services, as well as a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing.
With integrated Google technology, the HTC DROID ERIS brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by Voice, YouTube and Picasa. The DROID ERIS also provides easy access to both personal and corporate email, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Other features include a 5-megapixel auto focus camera with video capture capabilities, memory expansion via microSD memory cards (an 8 GB card is included with the device), threaded text and picture messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, Visual Voicemail capabilities, 3.5mm headset jack, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
The HTC DROID ERIS comes pre-loaded with a variety of Google and Verizon Wireless mobile services, including:
- Google Maps: Get turn-by-turn directions and instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business. And Google Maps Street View enables you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go.
- Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
- YouTube: One-touch recording and playback from home screen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
- Google Talk: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
- Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
- Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
- Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
- Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.
Key Features
- Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV–DO, Rev A network
- Powered by the Android 1.5 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
- HTC Scene overlay: Create and switch between Scenes that reflect different moments in your life, helping you design your perfect weekend, travel or pure play phone.
- 3.2-inch touchscreen with virtual QWERTY keyboard (320 x 480 HVGA resolution; 262K color depth)
- 5-megapixel camera with auto–focus and video capture
- Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
- Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
- Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 16 GB (8 GB card included).
- Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads. Includes compatibility with MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, and WMA formats and the capability to create and manage playlists on the phone.
- Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone; supports Flash Lite 3.7.1.
- Standard voice mail and compatibility with Verizon Visual Voice Mail (subscription required), which enables you to delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), create up to 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text or even voice mail.
- Text, Picture and Video messaging with threaded messaging feature
- Organizer tools including calendar, tasks, alarm, notes, stopwatch
- Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
- Integrated Google, Exchange and Facebook contacts
- Speakerphone
- 3.5mm headset jack
- TTY compatible
- Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T3
- Memory: ROM: 512 MB; RAM: 256 MB
Vital Statistics
The HTC DROID ERIS weighs 4.23 ounces and measures 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.51 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours (214 minutes) of talk time, and up to 373 hours (15.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV–DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
What’s in the Box
HTC DROID ERIS handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, 8 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Verizon needs to step up to the plate on this one….
I’ve had this phone for about three months. It was fine until about 3 weeks ago when the touch screen becomes unresponsive at random moments. Sometimes it freezes several times a day and oddly it can go for a several days without incident. I may be on a call or trying to make a call. Yesterday it became unresponsive when the phone was ringing so I couldn’t answer the call. the techs at Verizon aren’t helpful; they are giving out useless advice that doesn’t solve the problem such as using a task killer or doing a hard reset. This is a widespread problem with this model of phone and is being discussed in online forums. don’t buy this phone, wait until either HTC or Verizon does the right thing and solves the defect in these devices.
4 Stars Very Good Phone, almost…Great
The Good:
-8 GB SD Card
-Screen Resolution
-Customizable screens
-Numerous(useful, useless, and pointless) free apps
-Lightweight
-Music Player
-Touchscreen keyboard has a minimal learning curve, very easy to use
-Vertical or horizontal screen
Could be better:
-Camera, don’t let the 5.0 megapixel fool you, it takes decent pictures but not as good as the Moto Droid or Samsung Omnia which are similar phones with 5 MP cameras
The Bad:
-Because it cannot be said enough, the battery. Absolutely awful.
-Flash Player or lack thereof, difficult time with YouTube videos and the YouTube app(which is pre-installed) doesn’t play vids at all and I have seen MULTIPLE complaints on YouTube’s help forum about this same issue with no resolution
Overall:
I am happy with the phone, there are a few nuisances that perhaps the 2.1 upgrade will fix when it becomes available. For the price, you can’t beat it.
3 Stars half-baked
This phone has a lot of promise. The Android operating system gives you tight integration with Google Voice (which can automatically make your international calls for you for pennies per minute) and Google Mail. Using “Mytracks” with the GPS is fun and useful. And, well, it’s cool having internet in your pocket. But:
- every time I booted the phone, Google Voice would crash.
- the HTC input program, that lets you type text into the phone, would crash in the middle of emails and not let my type until I rebooted.
- many of my conversations were badly muffled. I googled this and followed instructions on switching to “EVRC-B” form “EVRC” (these are algorithms used to encode voices). The quality improved, but people have reported not being able to make calls from some parts of the country after making this switch. Without it, the quality was patchy for me (Boston area). I didn’t want to have to play with internal network settings to get the phone to work.
- The phone dropped calls, giving a “Signal Faded” message. I checked with Verizon, and this wasn’t recorded by the network as a dropped call - therefore it was the phone. I never had this problem with my cheap flip phone.
- I couldn’t play Youtube videos through the Youtube player.
- the phone was laggy. This means you’re typing and letters aren’t appearing, then appear all at once. Or it means that you’re looking through your call history to make a call, press on a number, and call the wrong number because it took 5 seconds to update the list display.
- with moderate usage the battery lasts about 6 hours. This is usually fine if you’re between office, home and car chargers, but sometimes it’s not enough. I was always turning parts of the phone off to save battery life.
- video quality is poor, particularly the sound, compared to an iPhone (which admittedly is more expensive).
In short, you get what you pay for. This phone is really cheap - but the savings are small compared to the cost of a 2-year plan, and I’d recommend getting the best phone you can to take advantage of the investment that plan represents.
5 Stars It makes phone calls too!
This is a terrific tiny Internet-connected computer that also happens to make phone calls.
Since it’s a smartphone, you must pay $30/mo for data, in addition to your voice plan, but I find it well worth it to have a voice-activated Internet device in my pocket. You press the Search button on the phone, speak your Google search words into the phone, and voila!
The free apps are really what make the device so great. My favorite is CNET Scan & Shop. Point the phone’s camera at a bar code, and it almost instantly brings up a list of online and local vendors of the product, with prices. Another favorite is My Tracks. I go hiking in the desert, and my progress is tracked on a Google Earth type map, making it easy to find my way back to the RV.
There are thousands of other free apps, plus some that cost a dollar or a few dollars.
The display is bright and crisp, it’s easy to use as a telephone, and it is small enough to be comfortable in any pocket.
4 Stars Splendid phone for the price
This is one great little phone for the money. I just bought it a couple days ago for 80 bucks (after rebate). So far so good.
This has been my first exposure to Andriod, and so far I love it. Especially with HTC’s sense UI…Phew! Transitions are mostly smooth, and I don’t find the phone to lag unless I’m transitioning from heavier-weight apps (for instance, from a game to the home screen will sometimes lag a second or two).
Pros:
*Android
*Touch-Screen
*Android Market. Seriously, this has almost ruined my productivity and efficiency. A lot of time can be spent just browsing and downloading very cool apps. This is a wonderfully fun pass-time.
Cons:
*No update for Android 2 (yet!…I’ve seen pages on the web saying that HTC is going to release one soon, though)
*No physical keyboard. This isn’t a big deal for me, but at least give it some thought as a virtual keyboard isn’t for everybody
*Battery life. This one I’m not used to. Coming off of a full charge, my phone will not last me more than one day. Compared to other phones (albeit, they weren’t full featured phones), this performance is pretty poor. Within approx. one hour, the charge will drop from 100% to 80%, and then, after that, discharge more slowly ~10% per hour. All in all, I would estimate that I get around ~8-9 hrs total battery life out of a full charge. This is what brings it down to a four-star. If the battery lasted longer, I would give this phone five stars, hands down.
Bottom line:
If this phone was lost or stolen, I would definitely want another one. This is such an upgrade from my previous phone experience, though, that I may not be entirely objective. But for anybody just wanting a fun phone, BUY THIS one! You can’t get much better for the price.
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on February 13, 2010
HTC DROID Eris Android Phone Verizon Wireless
Combining performance and functionality in one sleek package, the ultra-slim HTC DROID ERIS brings the power of the Android platform and the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network together. Powered by the open-source Android operating system, it offers an intuitive interface with an easily customizable home screen and the ability to personalize it with a wide selection of free and paid downloadable apps via the Android Market. It also includes HTC Sense, a user interface overlay from HTC that makes it easy for you to create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to your needs.
|
The 3G-enabled HTC DROID ERIS runs on the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network and is powered by the customizable Android platform, with 1000s of apps available to on the Android Market. |
|
Customizable apps. |
The 3.2-inch touchscreen interface features zoom capability and a virtual QWERTY keyboard, and it’s paired with a trackball for easy navigation. In addition to 3G connectivity, the HTC DROID ERIS offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. It also offers integrated GPS for navigation using Google Maps and other location services, as well as a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing.
With integrated Google technology, the HTC DROID ERIS brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by Voice, YouTube and Picasa. The DROID ERIS also provides easy access to both personal and corporate email, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Other features include a 5-megapixel auto focus camera with video capture capabilities, memory expansion via microSD memory cards (an 8 GB card is included with the device), threaded text and picture messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, Visual Voicemail capabilities, 3.5mm headset jack, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
The HTC DROID ERIS comes pre-loaded with a variety of Google and Verizon Wireless mobile services, including:
- Google Maps: Get turn-by-turn directions and instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business. And Google Maps Street View enables you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go.
- Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
- YouTube: One-touch recording and playback from home screen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
- Google Talk: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
- Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
- Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
- Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
- Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.
Key Features
- Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV–DO, Rev A network
- Powered by the Android 1.5 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
- HTC Scene overlay: Create and switch between Scenes that reflect different moments in your life, helping you design your perfect weekend, travel or pure play phone.
- 3.2-inch touchscreen with virtual QWERTY keyboard (320 x 480 HVGA resolution; 262K color depth)
- 5-megapixel camera with auto–focus and video capture
- Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
- Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
- Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 16 GB (8 GB card included).
- Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads. Includes compatibility with MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, and WMA formats and the capability to create and manage playlists on the phone.
- Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone; supports Flash Lite 3.7.1.
- Standard voice mail and compatibility with Verizon Visual Voice Mail (subscription required), which enables you to delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), create up to 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text or even voice mail.
- Text, Picture and Video messaging with threaded messaging feature
- Organizer tools including calendar, tasks, alarm, notes, stopwatch
- Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
- Integrated Google, Exchange and Facebook contacts
- Speakerphone
- 3.5mm headset jack
- TTY compatible
- Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T3
- Memory: ROM: 512 MB; RAM: 256 MB
Vital Statistics
The HTC DROID ERIS weighs 4.23 ounces and measures 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.51 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours (214 minutes) of talk time, and up to 373 hours (15.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV–DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
What’s in the Box
HTC DROID ERIS handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, 8 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Verizon needs to step up to the plate on this one….
I’ve had this phone for about three months. It was fine until about 3 weeks ago when the touch screen becomes unresponsive at random moments. Sometimes it freezes several times a day and oddly it can go for a several days without incident. I may be on a call or trying to make a call. Yesterday it became unresponsive when the phone was ringing so I couldn’t answer the call. the techs at Verizon aren’t helpful; they are giving out useless advice that doesn’t solve the problem such as using a task killer or doing a hard reset. This is a widespread problem with this model of phone and is being discussed in online forums. don’t buy this phone, wait until either HTC or Verizon does the right thing and solves the defect in these devices.
5 Stars It makes phone calls too!
This is a terrific tiny Internet-connected computer that also happens to make phone calls.
Since it’s a smartphone, you must pay $30/mo for data, in addition to your voice plan, but I find it well worth it to have a voice-activated Internet device in my pocket. You press the Search button on the phone, speak your Google search words into the phone, and voila!
The free apps are really what make the device so great. My favorite is CNET Scan & Shop. Point the phone’s camera at a bar code, and it almost instantly brings up a list of online and local vendors of the product, with prices. Another favorite is My Tracks. I go hiking in the desert, and my progress is tracked on a Google Earth type map, making it easy to find my way back to the RV.
There are thousands of other free apps, plus some that cost a dollar or a few dollars.
The display is bright and crisp, it’s easy to use as a telephone, and it is small enough to be comfortable in any pocket.
4 Stars Great entry level smartphone.
I’m not going to address the specs and technical issues, since others before me have done a thorough job of that. Besides, all that is quite beyond me.
Coming off an LGEnV2, this was my first venture into the world of smart phones. Last year, my husband got an iPhone, and I have been suffering under severe iPhone envy ever since. I vowed I would get one as soon as my Verizon contract expired.
However….after watching him reset his phone all the time (after it froze repeatedly), after repeatedly having calls go to voicemail (his phone randomly sends calls there, very frustrating), and after having calls dropped repeatedly, I was having second thoughts. The capper came after I was waiting on a call from him to pick him up from the airport. He couldn’t get service, when he’s never had trouble getting service there before–its totally random if you will have service or not.
Anyway, that was it for me. I’ve been with Verizon a long time. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but have very, very few dropped calls, and service has been great even in remote areas. I was sticking with what I knew.
After a bit of research, I knew the Droid was for me. I’m a casual user–email, browsing, some fun apps and games, pictures, and calls–that’s pretty much what I want out of a phone.
The Droid Eris looked cosmetically better to me than the Moto Droid. I didn’t like the heaviness of the MD, or the slide out keyboard. My major concern was my lack of brains to use the Eris. There really is no user manual, and I’m not a wing-it sort of gal. (later I found one online).
I needn’t have worried. It was very intuitive to use. There are (I think) 7 different screens that you can use to customize. I set up one for work, that contains things I would commonly need there. One for social apps, like FB and a couple of BB’s I go to. One for frequently contacted people, set up so that I can find and message these few people instantly. One for games. One for the settings, such as toggling WiFi, Google voice, GPS on/off, Airplane mode. One contains all my bookmarked web pages. and so forth. You can set up your screens exactly the way you want, so that the screens you use most are immediately available. Infinite variety of ways to organize, depending on your needs.
The camera/camcorder works well. You can upload to a variety of places. Quality seems decent enough. Easy to use, although to take the picture you have to press on the trackball pretty hard, and it can make you move the camera while doing so.
Reception has been great so far. Good call clarity. No dropped calls yet.
Voice search and voice dialing works very well.
——–
Complaints?
1. Battery life could be better, but I understand that constantly playing with the phone will do that! I’m sure as I grow more familiar with it, it will be better.
2. No turn by turn navigation, which almost was a deal breaker for me. I had Verizon Navigator, and I used it all the time. I understand they are coming up with an update that will include turn by turn nav for the Eris, so I was willing to overlook this. In the meantime, I will use Google Maps for directions, and probably just get lost a lot.
——–
Its a good phone for a casual user who has little experience with smart phones, technical abilities, and who is simply an average person. Must like Verizon.
3 Stars Great features with bad battery
Bought this phone recently.
Two issues..
1. Battery life is very bad. even w/o using internet.
2. Screen gets frozen. This is an existing bug…go to Verizon website and search in blogs for frozen screen. Replaced my phone recently because of this. New phone freezes as well but not usual as the old one.
Apps are great.
2 Stars Failed to convert me to a touchscreen phone.
Great value for the price. Minimalist asthetic (though questionable trackball), beautiful GUI, but really nothing new worth writing about. It’s another touchscreen phone and unfortunately, the worst part about the phone is the poor touchscreen. I have been using an Ipod-touch to browse wi-fi for the past two years and haven’t had problems. On the ERIS no matter how i set it up (whether it’s horizontal screen, or with typing tutorial..) i am always making typos. The ERIS touchscreen is just too inaccurate. I thought I would be ok with a touchscreen and now realize i made a big mistake. I returned the ERIS (with a restocking fee) and switched back to a blackberry; purely, for the blackberry’s intuitive, utilitarian interface.
The droid software is also rather slow, or rather, the eris is too underpowered to run the software. There is often a lag between when you press a button (call for example) and when a function executes long enough to make you wonder whether you pressed it in the first place and causing you to touch the screen again and accidentally execute another command. Not for the inpatient, especially those with big clumsy fingers.
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on February 8, 2010
HTC Droid Eris Phone Verizon Wireless
Combining performance and functionality in one sleek package, the ultra-slim HTC DROID ERIS brings the power of the Android platform and the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network together. Powered by the open-source Android operating system, it offers an intuitive interface with an easily customizable home screen and the ability to personalize it with a wide selection of free and paid downloadable apps via the Android Market. It also includes HTC Sense, a user interface overlay from HTC that makes it easy for you to create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to your needs.
|
The 3G-enabled HTC DROID ERIS runs on the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network and is powered by the customizable Android platform, with 1000s of apps available to on the Android Market. |
|
Customizable apps. |
The 3.2-inch touchscreen interface features zoom capability and a virtual QWERTY keyboard, and it’s paired with a trackball for easy navigation. In addition to 3G connectivity, the HTC DROID ERIS offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. It also offers integrated GPS for navigation using Google Maps and other location services, as well as a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing.
With integrated Google technology, the HTC DROID ERIS brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by Voice, YouTube and Picasa. The DROID ERIS also provides easy access to both personal and corporate email, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Other features include a 5-megapixel auto focus camera with video capture capabilities, memory expansion via microSD memory cards (an 8 GB card is included with the device), threaded text and picture messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, Visual Voicemail capabilities, 3.5mm headset jack, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
The HTC DROID ERIS comes pre-loaded with a variety of Google and Verizon Wireless mobile services, including:
- Google Maps: Get turn-by-turn directions and instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business. And Google Maps Street View enables you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go.
- Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
- YouTube: One-touch recording and playback from home screen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
- Google Talk: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
- Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
- Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
- Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
- Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.
Key Features
- Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV–DO, Rev A network
- Powered by the Android 1.5 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
- HTC Scene overlay: Create and switch between Scenes that reflect different moments in your life, helping you design your perfect weekend, travel or pure play phone.
- 3.2-inch touchscreen with virtual QWERTY keyboard (320 x 480 HVGA resolution; 262K color depth)
- 5-megapixel camera with auto–focus and video capture
- Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
- Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
- Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 16 GB (8 GB card included).
- Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads. Includes compatibility with MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, and WMA formats and the capability to create and manage playlists on the phone.
- Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone; supports Flash Lite 3.7.1.
- Standard voice mail and compatibility with Verizon Visual Voice Mail (subscription required), which enables you to delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), create up to 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text or even voice mail.
- Text, Picture and Video messaging with threaded messaging feature
- Organizer tools including calendar, tasks, alarm, notes, stopwatch
- Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
- Integrated Google, Exchange and Facebook contacts
- Speakerphone
- 3.5mm headset jack
- TTY compatible
- Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T3
- Memory: ROM: 512 MB; RAM: 256 MB
Vital Statistics
The HTC DROID ERIS weighs 4.23 ounces and measures 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.51 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours (214 minutes) of talk time, and up to 373 hours (15.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV–DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
What’s in the Box
HTC DROID ERIS handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, 8 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars It makes phone calls too!
This is a terrific tiny Internet-connected computer that also happens to make phone calls.
Since it’s a smartphone, you must pay $30/mo for data, in addition to your voice plan, but I find it well worth it to have a voice-activated Internet device in my pocket. You press the Search button on the phone, speak your Google search words into the phone, and voila!
The free apps are really what make the device so great. My favorite is CNET Scan & Shop. Point the phone’s camera at a bar code, and it almost instantly brings up a list of online and local vendors of the product, with prices. Another favorite is My Tracks. I go hiking in the desert, and my progress is tracked on a Google Earth type map, making it easy to find my way back to the RV.
There are thousands of other free apps, plus some that cost a dollar or a few dollars.
The display is bright and crisp, it’s easy to use as a telephone, and it is small enough to be comfortable in any pocket.
3 Stars Great features with bad battery
Bought this phone recently.
Two issues..
1. Battery life is very bad. even w/o using internet.
2. Screen gets frozen. This is an existing bug…go to Verizon website and search in blogs for frozen screen. Replaced my phone recently because of this. New phone freezes as well but not usual as the old one.
Apps are great.
4 Stars Great entry level smartphone.
I’m not going to address the specs and technical issues, since others before me have done a thorough job of that. Besides, all that is quite beyond me.
Coming off an LGEnV2, this was my first venture into the world of smart phones. Last year, my husband got an iPhone, and I have been suffering under severe iPhone envy ever since. I vowed I would get one as soon as my Verizon contract expired.
However….after watching him reset his phone all the time (after it froze repeatedly), after repeatedly having calls go to voicemail (his phone randomly sends calls there, very frustrating), and after having calls dropped repeatedly, I was having second thoughts. The capper came after I was waiting on a call from him to pick him up from the airport. He couldn’t get service, when he’s never had trouble getting service there before–its totally random if you will have service or not.
Anyway, that was it for me. I’ve been with Verizon a long time. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but have very, very few dropped calls, and service has been great even in remote areas. I was sticking with what I knew.
After a bit of research, I knew the Droid was for me. I’m a casual user–email, browsing, some fun apps and games, pictures, and calls–that’s pretty much what I want out of a phone.
The Droid Eris looked cosmetically better to me than the Moto Droid. I didn’t like the heaviness of the MD, or the slide out keyboard. My major concern was my lack of brains to use the Eris. There really is no user manual, and I’m not a wing-it sort of gal. (later I found one online).
I needn’t have worried. It was very intuitive to use. There are (I think) 7 different screens that you can use to customize. I set up one for work, that contains things I would commonly need there. One for social apps, like FB and a couple of BB’s I go to. One for frequently contacted people, set up so that I can find and message these few people instantly. One for games. One for the settings, such as toggling WiFi, Google voice, GPS on/off, Airplane mode. One contains all my bookmarked web pages. and so forth. You can set up your screens exactly the way you want, so that the screens you use most are immediately available. Infinite variety of ways to organize, depending on your needs.
The camera/camcorder works well. You can upload to a variety of places. Quality seems decent enough. Easy to use, although to take the picture you have to press on the trackball pretty hard, and it can make you move the camera while doing so.
Reception has been great so far. Good call clarity. No dropped calls yet.
Voice search and voice dialing works very well.
——–
Complaints?
1. Battery life could be better, but I understand that constantly playing with the phone will do that! I’m sure as I grow more familiar with it, it will be better.
2. No turn by turn navigation, which almost was a deal breaker for me. I had Verizon Navigator, and I used it all the time. I understand they are coming up with an update that will include turn by turn nav for the Eris, so I was willing to overlook this. In the meantime, I will use Google Maps for directions, and probably just get lost a lot.
——–
Its a good phone for a casual user who has little experience with smart phones, technical abilities, and who is simply an average person. Must like Verizon.
4 Stars I’ve been waiting for a phone like this!
Well, As this is my first smart-phone, I was unsure how quickly i would get the hang of it, but after a few minutes in the store. i was sold.
I went in with a list of desires & tasks i wanted in a phone & spoke to a rep. It became apparent to him that I was headed directly for the Eris. With removable Micro SD card, the ability to record video for as long as the memory would allow, the ability to play my music, the ability to sync with my gmail as well as a convenient size & shape to hold amongst other things.
The time to adjust to the touchscreen was only about a day or two thanks to settings which allow you to both practice & let’s it calibrate to your touch. Auto-correction for text can be enabled is you are a sloppy texter such as myself!
Almost everything about this phone can be customized to make it perfect for you & with a little bit of help from some Eris forums, I learned many tips on how to help the battery life which seems to be the only downside (which is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5).
Looking forward to the OTA upgrade soon for Android 2.0 or 2.1 soon so that more of the Market Apps are available to me.
2 Stars Failed to convert me to a touchscreen phone.
Great value for the price. Minimalist asthetic (though questionable trackball), beautiful GUI, but really nothing new worth writing about. It’s another touchscreen phone and unfortunately, the worst part about the phone is the poor touchscreen. I have been using an Ipod-touch to browse wi-fi for the past two years and haven’t had problems. On the ERIS no matter how i set it up (whether it’s horizontal screen, or with typing tutorial..) i am always making typos. The ERIS touchscreen is just too inaccurate. I thought I would be ok with a touchscreen and now realize i made a big mistake. I returned the ERIS (with a restocking fee) and switched back to a blackberry; purely, for the blackberry’s intuitive, utilitarian interface.
The droid software is also rather slow, or rather, the eris is too underpowered to run the software. There is often a lag between when you press a button (call for example) and when a function executes long enough to make you wonder whether you pressed it in the first place and causing you to touch the screen again and accidentally execute another command. Not for the inpatient, especially those with big clumsy fingers.
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on February 2, 2010
HTC Droid Eris Phone Verizon Wireless
Combining performance and functionality in one sleek package, the ultra-slim HTC DROID ERIS brings the power of the Android platform and the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network together. Powered by the open-source Android operating system, it offers an intuitive interface with an easily customizable home screen and the ability to personalize it with a wide selection of free and paid downloadable apps via the Android Market. It also includes HTC Sense, a user interface overlay from HTC that makes it easy for you to create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to your needs.
|
The 3G-enabled HTC DROID ERIS runs on the fast, reliable Verizon Wireless network and is powered by the customizable Android platform, with 1000s of apps available to on the Android Market. |
|
Customizable apps. |
The 3.2-inch touchscreen interface features zoom capability and a virtual QWERTY keyboard, and it’s paired with a trackball for easy navigation. In addition to 3G connectivity, the HTC DROID ERIS offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. It also offers integrated GPS for navigation using Google Maps and other location services, as well as a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing.
With integrated Google technology, the HTC DROID ERIS brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by Voice, YouTube and Picasa. The DROID ERIS also provides easy access to both personal and corporate email, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Other features include a 5-megapixel auto focus camera with video capture capabilities, memory expansion via microSD memory cards (an 8 GB card is included with the device), threaded text and picture messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, Visual Voicemail capabilities, 3.5mm headset jack, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
The HTC DROID ERIS comes pre-loaded with a variety of Google and Verizon Wireless mobile services, including:
- Google Maps: Get turn-by-turn directions and instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business. And Google Maps Street View enables you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go.
- Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
- YouTube: One-touch recording and playback from home screen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
- Google Talk: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
- Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
- Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
- Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
- Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.
Key Features
- Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV–DO, Rev A network
- Powered by the Android 1.5 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
- HTC Scene overlay: Create and switch between Scenes that reflect different moments in your life, helping you design your perfect weekend, travel or pure play phone.
- 3.2-inch touchscreen with virtual QWERTY keyboard (320 x 480 HVGA resolution; 262K color depth)
- 5-megapixel camera with auto–focus and video capture
- Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
- Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
- Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 16 GB (8 GB card included).
- Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads. Includes compatibility with MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, and WMA formats and the capability to create and manage playlists on the phone.
- Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone; supports Flash Lite 3.7.1.
- Standard voice mail and compatibility with Verizon Visual Voice Mail (subscription required), which enables you to delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), create up to 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text or even voice mail.
- Text, Picture and Video messaging with threaded messaging feature
- Organizer tools including calendar, tasks, alarm, notes, stopwatch
- Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
- Integrated Google, Exchange and Facebook contacts
- Speakerphone
- 3.5mm headset jack
- TTY compatible
- Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T3
- Memory: ROM: 512 MB; RAM: 256 MB
Vital Statistics
The HTC DROID ERIS weighs 4.23 ounces and measures 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.51 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours (214 minutes) of talk time, and up to 373 hours (15.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as EV–DO, Rev A 3G frequencies.
What’s in the Box
HTC DROID ERIS handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, 8 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great entry level smartphone.
I’m not going to address the specs and technical issues, since others before me have done a thorough job of that. Besides, all that is quite beyond me.
Coming off an LGEnV2, this was my first venture into the world of smart phones. Last year, my husband got an iPhone, and I have been suffering under severe iPhone envy ever since. I vowed I would get one as soon as my Verizon contract expired.
However….after watching him reset his phone all the time (after it froze repeatedly), after repeatedly having calls go to voicemail (his phone randomly sends calls there, very frustrating), and after having calls dropped repeatedly, I was having second thoughts. The capper came after I was waiting on a call from him to pick him up from the airport. He couldn’t get service, when he’s never had trouble getting service there before–its totally random if you will have service or not.
Anyway, that was it for me. I’ve been with Verizon a long time. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but have very, very few dropped calls, and service has been great even in remote areas. I was sticking with what I knew.
After a bit of research, I knew the Droid was for me. I’m a casual user–email, browsing, some fun apps and games, pictures, and calls–that’s pretty much what I want out of a phone.
The Droid Eris looked cosmetically better to me than the Moto Droid. I didn’t like the heaviness of the MD, or the slide out keyboard. My major concern was my lack of brains to use the Eris. There really is no user manual, and I’m not a wing-it sort of gal. (later I found one online).
I needn’t have worried. It was very intuitive to use. There are (I think) 7 different screens that you can use to customize. I set up one for work, that contains things I would commonly need there. One for social apps, like FB and a couple of BB’s I go to. One for frequently contacted people, set up so that I can find and message these few people instantly. One for games. One for the settings, such as toggling WiFi, Google voice, GPS on/off, Airplane mode. One contains all my bookmarked web pages. and so forth. You can set up your screens exactly the way you want, so that the screens you use most are immediately available. Infinite variety of ways to organize, depending on your needs.
The camera/camcorder works well. You can upload to a variety of places. Quality seems decent enough. Easy to use, although to take the picture you have to press on the trackball pretty hard, and it can make you move the camera while doing so.
Reception has been great so far. Good call clarity. No dropped calls yet.
Voice search and voice dialing works very well.
——–
Complaints?
1. Battery life could be better, but I understand that constantly playing with the phone will do that! I’m sure as I grow more familiar with it, it will be better.
2. No turn by turn navigation, which almost was a deal breaker for me. I had Verizon Navigator, and I used it all the time. I understand they are coming up with an update that will include turn by turn nav for the Eris, so I was willing to overlook this. In the meantime, I will use Google Maps for directions, and probably just get lost a lot.
——–
Its a good phone for a casual user who has little experience with smart phones, technical abilities, and who is simply an average person. Must like Verizon.
4 Stars great phone
I have owned this phone for 3 weeks and mostly love it. The applications are too many to mention and pretty easy to download and use. I am not going to cover the same ground as the other reviews except for a couple issues.
Battery life is short - so keep a charger around. Shutting off bluetooth, broadband and wifi greatly helps extend the battery life, if you are in a situation where that may become necessary. I bought a car charger and they are pretty reasonably priced.
Also, I live in an area where there is no nearby tower, so call quality can be choppy (or dropped) inside a structure; although the phone shows 1 bar and the 3G indicator is lit. After doing a great deal of reading on android forums and websites, the issue has been nearly remedied by shutting off the afore mentioned applications before answering or dialing. I had opted to change to the Motorolla Droid to fix the call quality issue, but I understand that the call signal is worse on that phone (unlike previous Motorolla phones).
I did discussed this problem with Verizon and their answer is to sell me a $240 signal booster for my house. No thanks! There is no problem with data transfer or web browsing, only call quality. But call quality IS important, after all, it is still a phone.
4 Stars I’ve been waiting for a phone like this!
Well, As this is my first smart-phone, I was unsure how quickly i would get the hang of it, but after a few minutes in the store. i was sold.
I went in with a list of desires & tasks i wanted in a phone & spoke to a rep. It became apparent to him that I was headed directly for the Eris. With removable Micro SD card, the ability to record video for as long as the memory would allow, the ability to play my music, the ability to sync with my gmail as well as a convenient size & shape to hold amongst other things.
The time to adjust to the touchscreen was only about a day or two thanks to settings which allow you to both practice & let’s it calibrate to your touch. Auto-correction for text can be enabled is you are a sloppy texter such as myself!
Almost everything about this phone can be customized to make it perfect for you & with a little bit of help from some Eris forums, I learned many tips on how to help the battery life which seems to be the only downside (which is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5).
Looking forward to the OTA upgrade soon for Android 2.0 or 2.1 soon so that more of the Market Apps are available to me.
4 Stars Quite Satisfied!
This is my first touchscreen smart phone, and I must say, it is fantastic. I use the product mostly as an organizer (calendar, tasks, notes), email (Yahoo, Exchange), Facebook, Web browsing, Google Maps, Wi-Fi, text, and lest we forget, as a phone! 
The Droid ERIS accomplishes all of these quite well.
This is also my first phone with a virtual keyboard. It takes some getting used to. I do not have the issues others have with wide fingers, but I sometimes inadvertently touch the screen causing errors. But I think that is mostly due to my inexperience.
I wanna talk battery. As you have read, I use the phone quite extensively. I can go 1 to 1.5 days of use without charging before the phone will shut off due to a fully discharged battery. I have tested this several times, as batteries tend to work better with several full discharge/charge cycles (per the manual). I do not think it is an inconvenience to charge your phone every night before you hit the bed. I think [...] got it right: the battery is good.
The only bad thing so far is the lack of documentation. Get ready to google, because I had to find several tips and tricks online.
In conclusion, I think this is a great phone. It handles nicely, navigation is great, and the battery is good. At [...], for a phone regularly priced at over [...], it is a steal. (and Verizon will be upgrading this phone to Android 2.0 or 2.1 in Q1, so if you get it now, you still get the upgrade, which I confirmed with customer service)
4 Stars Sprint’s leftovers are still tasty, but kind of stale
The HTC Droid Eris is a slight redo of the HTC Hero that originally appeared on Sprint. This is all around one of the best phones currently available. But, it’s aging rapidly and anyone looking to sign a two-year agreement to pick one of these up should really consider other options.
AESTHETICS:
- The size of the phone is fantastic. It’s fits nicely in the hand, and is thin enough for easy pocketing. Having to take off a lot of back plates for cell phones in my line of work, I really enjoy being able to easily pop off the back plate at the top with my thumbnail.
- The design is fairly nondescript, you wouldn’t have any idea from looking at the phone with it’s screen off in standby mode that this wonderful world awaits underneath.
- The volume buttons are located at an awkward point for the fingers to naturally reach and have a loose, cheap feel to them. The physical buttons are nice, responding quickly to your commands. The trackball (trackballs in general) is fairly useless. They get dirty, they’re slower than optical, and on a phone like this they are difficult to replace. Just as mice went from rolling balls to optical, so should go all cellphones. Which is happening rapidly. Ask anyone who has owned a Blackberry Curve 8330 about having to get the trackball replaced and often. RIM has wisely since started to use optical trackpads for their devices. Finally, the trackball takes up space that could have been devoted to more of the touchscreen. The fact that the Nexus One even includes one is baffling. I’m a fan of physical keys, so it’s not a bias there. There are four touch sensitive buttons surrounding the screen which are often frustrating.
- The charging/data port is HTC proprietary mini-USB, which will gladly accept regular mini-USB charging and data cables so don’t get confused by the funky shape. It’s just HTC being the kooky Taiwanese geniuses they are. Still, a micro-USB port would have been preferable.
- The touchscreen is your typical capacitive glass piece that’s common on most phones today. Due to the aging processor in the phone or the glass, I’m not sure, but it will sometimes require you stomping your thumb onto the screen to get the response you want. I still have a hard time typing on a virtual QWERTY keyboard, even with Better Keyboard installed. An inch here and an inch there should improve things, the Nexus One is a good start and the HTC Bravo should be a great ending (basically an HTC HD2 with Android). Still, nothing will ever replace a physical QWERTY keyboard. Should a great candybar Android smartphone with a physical keyboard come out, I will be all over that. I’ve seen leaked images of an HTC Salsa, which is exactly this, and I will gladly use it instead of the Eris. Hard to play SNesnoid without physical keys, and I don’t really want to lug a phone, camera, and Gameboy everywhere I go.
CALLING:
- Because it is a phone after all! I find the call quality to be about average. Callers are clear but sometimes not loud enough or distant sounding. On my end, they can’t tell if I’m using bluetooth, speaker phone or just the handset itself. I’ve read that the Nexus One improves call quality considerably with dual microphones that help to cut down on background noise.
- The only way on the front part of the phone to get the screen back on during a call (if you’re dialing numbers that you have to enter in more numbers at the prompts, then listen up) is using the end call button. As you can imagine it’s lead to a few prematurely ended calls in error. There’s a perfectly workable call button to the left that would have worked. Just bad design here, no debate.
- Google Voice, while a wonderful idea, is bound to confuse you. This falls more under the function of the phones, but should be mentioned here. It uses VoIP and the voice quality takes a hit again. You basically have your call forwarded to another number, which is your Google Voice phone number (*72yourGoogleVoicenumber) that then relays the call to your destination. If you have to stop using Google Voice, like if you have voicemails on your Verizon voicemail server, you must disable Google Voice to reach those again (*73). It doesn’t lose the voicemails left through your Google Voice number, so don’t worry. It has an awesome feature of transcribing your voicemails left on your Google Voice voicemail and sending it to your phone, inside of a ready-to-play voice message. If you use Google Voice for your messages too, your recipients will get the messages from unknown numbers and likewise for you when they reply. As much as I want to just give myself over completely to Google Voice, like everything Google does these days, it’s fairly fragmented and lacks completion. More on Google’s fragmentation and completion problems later.
CAMERA:
- It gives the trackball something to do. It’s a satisfactory, 5MP cameraphone. Look, cellphone manufacturers can continue to tout the megapixel size of their cameras all they want. What good is a 2560 x 1712 pixel image, for reference your HDTV is 1920×1080 pixels, if the quality of the camera itself is mediocre? Technically if you add in more pixels to an image it should become sharper and more detailed, but like all other cameras on cellphones the Droid Eris often gives you a soupy, blurry image. It’s nice to have when you forget your stand alone camera, but it’s no replacement, so don’t throw out the Powershot yet.
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE:
Droid Eris runs Android 1.5 (Cupcake) though it’s heavily rumored every other day on BGR or engadget that the 2.x update is coming any day now.
- Frankly Eris, probably should rather not. It just barely handles what you throw at it now. Advanced Task Killer Free, Advanced Task Manager, and SysTray Monitor help out greatly, but it’s not enough. The biggest issue I have with this phone is how laggy and slow it can be. The latter program runs in your notification panel at all times and allows monitoring of Battery %, Int. Memory (device available memory), SD card (memory card available memory), and Free Ram. I’m an absolute hawk about monitoring any system I’m running (and this are mini-computers) and this little guy is pushed to his limits.It becomes obnoxious when you’re typing and the phone hiccups trying to keep up, only to have you wildly miskey what you’re writing. I can’t say for sure if it’s an unoptimized Android or an underpowered Eris causing the problem for sure, but it’s there.
- The Eris has 528Mhz Qualcomm CPU and 256MB of RAM. It’s an aging, outdated processor. You are paying for old technology here. By comparision, the Nexus One (and reportedly the Bravo) have a 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU (hence the HTC Dragon rumors) and 512 MB of RAM. So HTC has nearly effectively doubled the CPU speed as well as the amount of RAM available on the Nexus One. Which is essentially a Droid Eris anyway, but with a larger, more beautiful display.
- It’s a shame that Android developers still haven’t taken a page from RIM yet on adding a function to close out of programs completely when you’re finished. Instead the latest Android release of 2.1 focuses on 3D icons and sparkly lights that run in the background, and run down your battery life…
- Speaking of which, you will have very little of it. Bring your charger, bring another battery with you if you got it. For all of what the phone does it’s only understandable it would require so much juice. Battery life will be the biggest bottleneck facing cellphones going forward.
- All of what the phone does is just about everything. Droid phones get compared to the iPhone alot, and it’s importance to know the difference before making your decision. Out of the box, Apple components are smooth and polished. You don’t have to know how they run, they just do. The OS on an iPhone is beautiful, polished, uniformed and user friendly. Out of the box, Droid phones are rough around the edges. You have to piece together different applications, customize different home screens, set up various menus and so on to get it to the point of functionality you would have with an iPhone. Several versions of Android really make this process even more frustrating, and Google has the habit of completing projects most of the way then moving on to something else. It can be incredibly frustrating. They started Android with the idea of taking what makes the iPhone great (beautiful interface, lots of apps and functionality) and trying to spread it to as many phones as possible. They’re not there yet, know this when making your decision. The iPhone itself is like Volkswagen Jetta. Completely polished, unique, solidly put together. Apple truly put the “art” into smartphone. Like a Jetta, it can be frustrating when anything should need to be replaced/repaired and has an obnoxious cult of fans. Android phones are more do-it-yourself projects, but once you get everything assembled the functionality and options begin to rival the iPhone. The iPhone is just the watch that works, but Android is putting the pieces of the watch together to make it work.
All in all I give the phone credit for what it intends to do, It’s a screen-width-size-increase, processor upgrade, software update away from nearly perfecting what it hopes to achieve. Which is really important to keep in mind when comparing, or reviewing cellphones. Naturally the (HTC made) Nexus One or the oft rumored HTC Bravo will come closer to perfecting the concept behind the Droid Eris more completely. If you’re on the fence about Android, also worth considering is the Palm Pre Plus that just came out. Palm beefed up its specs so it runs fast and smooth, you can have literally dozens of apps running simultaneously. It has a great form factor, decent physical QWERTY, beautiful screen, and breathtaking webOS software that is far more impressive than the Android interface. Just don’t go into looking for apps, because there are few and far between. Yet, says Palm. If you are absolutely sold on the concept behind the Eris and Droid phones in particular and you must have one, then here’s a way to go. Snag a used Droid Eris from someone reputable for around $300-400, go month to month on your contract until the Nexus One comes out in Spring. If you don’t want to wait, the HTC Droid Eris still warrants a lot of love.
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