Motorola Droid Gets a Price Cut

Verizon has dropped the price of the original Motorola Droid by $50. This is probably intended to help clear out inventory of this Android OS based smartphone with a sliding keyboard before the release of the Droid 2.

The Droid debuted near the end of last year at $200, and has remained at that price until now.

Numerous unconfirmed reports indicate that the Motorola Droid 2 is going to be released this Thursday, Aug. 12. As its name suggests, this will be an updated version of the original, with a faster processor and improved keyboard.

The Droid can be ordered now from Verizon's website for $150.

An Overview of the Motorola Droid
The Motorola Droid was once this company's flagship model, though bigger and better smartphones have come along in recent months. 

This device sports a 3.7-inch, WVGA capacitive Touchscreen and a landscape-oriented QWERTY keyboard. Nevertheless, it still has a slim design.

It runs Android OS 2.1, but an upgrade to version 2.2 is being rolled out now.

This smartphone it has a suite of applications that can wirelessly synchronize with Google's services, including Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, and Maps, as well as Microsoft Exchange. An extensive catalog of third-party apps is also available.

The Droid comes with a 16 GB memory card, GPS receiver, and a 5 MPx camera.

Verizon Wireless is the exclusive U.S. provider of the Motorola Droid.

Droid vs. Droid 2
The upcoming Droid 2 will have much in common with its predecessor, and its design is changing only slightly. The sliding keyboard is being rearranged, though -- the D-pad is being replaced with a set of directional keys, giving room to make all the keys larger.

The 1 GHz processor on the Droid 2 should be noticeably faster than the 550 MHz chip on its predecessor. 

The original Droid comes with a 16 GB microSD memory card, while its successor will reportedly have 8 GB of internal storage and an 8 GB memory card.

The Droid 2 is launching with Android OS 2.2 pre-installed, and an unconfirmed report indicates that it will sell for $200.