Motorola Droid and Cliq Available at Big Discounts for New Subscribers

Wireless carriers regularly offer special deals to new customers, hoping that discounts on phones will lure in additional subscribers. For example, both of Motorola's most recent Android OS-based smartphones are available at well below their regular prices to those who are willing to switch carriers.

The Motorola Droid is this company's flagship model, and sports a large, high-resolution capacitive touchscreen with haptic feedback and a landscape-oriented QWERTY keyboard.

This device normally sells for $200 with a two-year contract. but new Verizon customers can get it for just $110 from Amazon.com.

The Motorola Cliq is a smaller model that's generally less expensive than the Droid, as its regular price is $150 with a two-year contract.

The difference in price between these two smartphones is less noticeable to new customers, though, as Best Buy has the Cliq for $100 with two-year contract.

Droid vs. Cliq
These two models have much in common, but many differences, too.

They both run Google's mobile operating system, the Android OS. This comes with a suite of applications that wirelessly synchronize with Google's services, including Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, and Maps, as well as Microsoft Exchange.

The Motorola Droid runs version 2.0 of this OS, while the Cliq is on version 1.6. In addition, the Cliq uses MotoBlur, software that gives easy access to consumer and business e-mail accounts, as well as social-networking services like Facebook and Twitter.

Both of these smartphones are sliders, with landscape-oriented QWERTY keyboards. The Droid, however, has a 3.7-inch, WVGA touchscreen, while the Cliq has a 3.1-inch, HVGA touchscreen.

Each has a GPS receiver, and a 5 MPx camera. In addition, the Droid comes with a 16 GB memory card.

They support their carrier's respective 3G networks, and also have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Verizon Wireless is the exclusive U.S. provider of the Motorola Droid, while the Cliq is available only from T-Mobile USA.

Source: Amazon, Best Buy