VentureBeat

We’ve been hearing about the Droid for weeks, getting screen shots and teasers, reviews and comparisons. Finally, it’s come out to play! While many have spent countless hours fantasizing about the joys and uses of such a phone (or maybe that was just me), time for mental window shopping is officially over and now it’s time to buy.

(For anyone who’s had their head buried in the sand for the last month, the Droid is the latest smartphone running on Google’s Android platform and is expected to be a big challenger to Apple’s iPhone.)

But what’s this? Verizon has launched two different Droids? With so much hype going to the Motorola Droid, it’s almost easy to overlook the second Droid phone, HTC’s Droid Eris, which also launched this week. It’s like a younger sibling standing in the shadow, but with the price tag of only $99.99 (after $100 mail-in rebate), it’s bound to catch the attention of many price-conscious buyers. Using Android 1.5, the Droid Eris might not have the same oomph as its older sibling (Motorola operates on Android 2.0). However, it’s still packed with many solid Android features.

Like many phone buying Americans, my budget is tighter than the average consumer’s pants after Thanksgiving dinner. With two Droids to choose from, I had a bit of a mental tug-of-war as to which one to buy. Picking out the calling plan was easy, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that no matter which Droid I chose, it was going to save me money. Like other smartphones, both Droids require the purchase of a data plan (about $29) on top of the regular calling plan. But unlike other Verizon phones where customers might choose to go with a more expensive premium plan for unlimited use of such features as VCAST and VZ Navigator, both Droid phones make the purchase of a premium plan unnecessary. Motorola’s Droid comes preinstalled with Google Maps Navigation, and both the Motorola and the HTC come with a marketplace where you can find a variety of apps for music and videos — many of which are free. This means you can go with a cheaper Verizon calling plan and still get all the bells and whistles, instead of having to go with higher costing premium plans.

After picking out the calling plan, I was left to decide which Droid I was going to make mine. Since the launch caught me on a week that I was feeling particularly frugal, I opted for the smaller price tag of the HTC Droid Eris. As the first day meet and greet with my new phone went on, I could feel buyers remorse creeping up on me, and I seriously questioned if I should have spent the extra $100 and purchaed the Motorola Droid instead.

I curse Verizon for launching the two Droids at the same time, because my brain will not stop with the constant comparison. Put them under the same spotlight and it’s easy to see which one shines. I decided I’d have to pretend that the Eris’ sexy sibling didn’t exist if I was going to give the Eris a fair shake.

HTC headlines the Eris’ customizable features and touts it as the “perfect weekend, travel or pure play phone.” Since I was taking a weekend roadtrip, I decided to put my phone to the test. What I found is that Eris does offer a lot of customizable fun. For example, the seven screens that you can easily scroll through are easily modified to your liking. I was able to organize my social networks, favorite people, and favorite apps all in groupings on different screens.

Listening to and organizing music on Eris is also easy. I browsed music through the Amazon mp3 app and since I already had an Amazon account, purchasing was just a one step process. Once on your phone you can take a song and crop it however you like and make it your main (or specific contact) ringtone.

Another thing I might mention, for those who like to mix business with pleasure, Eris comes preinstalled with Quickoffice, a PDF viewer, the ability to sync with POP3 email accounts, and it will let you keep current with corporate mail and such with Microsoft Exchange Active Sync.

Despite the Droid Eris’ many playful features and business tools, there are a few minor idiosyncrasies that might have me returning my purchase and shelling out the extra money for the sexy sibling (who I’m supposed to be ignoring right now).

The first obvious frustration for me is the lack of a physical keyboard. My previous phone, the LG enV Touch, spoiled me with its keyboard, making texting something I could almost do with my eyes closed. The Droid Eris offers a touch screen with a virtual keyboard. Though I’ve never been accused of having pudgy fingers, the sensitive and cramped keys make me feel like my fingers have been retaining water.

It could also be said that dialing on the Eris is a little too easy. Just ask my boyfriend who received four accidental phone calls in a row while he was in a meeting! Since it only requires one touch to set a phone call into motion, a steady hand and small fingers would be needed to select and dial the correct person on the first try.

Another disappointment is the lack of Google Maps Navigation, which only runs on Android 2.0. True, I was able to find a cheap GPS app for my Droid Eris, but it is primitive in comparison to Google’s app. In order to install an app almost comparable to Google’s, I would have been required to spend between $30 and $85, and doing that would have rendered my original frugality pointless.

In the end, because of the simultaneous launch date, it is impossible not to compare the two phones. During the purchase process of my phone the salesperson indicated that the Eris would be upgradeable to 2.0, but he couldn’t say when. If this proves to be the case, then perhaps at some future date the upgrade might close the gap of difference between the phones. Until then, those who expect the Eris to be a Mini-me of the Motorola Droid are going to be disappointed. However, those who keep in mind that these phones are brothers from another mother or sisters from a different mister, will understand that they’ve inherited different traits.

I am still undecided about whether I should try to upgrade to a Motoroa Droid or keep my Eris and bank the money saved. I’m sure I’ll enjoy my Eris should I keep it…. but I can’t help but feel I’m missing out on the full Droid experience.

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