Motorola’s (MOT) Android phones are taking on Research In Motion’s BlackBerry big time, according to reports out of last week’s CTIA trade conference in San Francisco.
Andrew Berg reports in Wireless Week that Motorola’s new Droid Pro for Verizon Wireless (VZ) is looking good against RIM’s (RIMM) BlackBerry, “the reigning king of the enterprise.”
“While Motorola’s Droid, Droid II and Droid X are probably proficient on the business side of things, no other Android phone has targeted RIM with such precision,” he wrote.
The Droid Pro has a similar form factor to BlackBerry’s with a large touch screen and keypad, but with an Android edge for apps.
Berg said of the Droid Pro: “Will it make a dent in RIM’s sales? It’s probably too early to say. To be sure, it’s worth the effort Motorola put into attracting a portion of BlackBerry users with a similar look and feel, while slipping the Android platform underneath as a buzz-worthy alternative to RIM’s offerings.”
He said the lines between consumer and business phones are starting to blur, with Droid Pro and Samsung’s (005930.KS) Galaxy line.
Ginny Mies of PCWorld said in WashPo that Droid Pro “regrettably… isn’t exactly eye-catching. The Pro is incredibly lightweight, but it also feels plasticky and not all that durable.”
Still, she said, “Droid Pro is likely to convert a lot of business users who were skeptical about Android as an enterprise platform.”
Suzanne Choney in MSNBC.com said of the Droid Pro:
“The most BlackBerry-like of Droids, the Pro looks a little like a cross between the BlackBerry Torch and the Palm Pixi. But the Torch can retract its keyboard. The Droid Pro can’t hide its keys,” she wrote. “For execs on the go, the Droid Pro can do global roaming: Verizon’s network in the U.S., and on the more commonly found GSM network while abroad.”
Verizon said the phone will be available in coming weeks, but no price was announced.
Choney said the Android phones are “fast becoming the most popular mobile OS, giving both Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry a run for their money. Speaking of money, the latest Android lineup is surprisingly affordable, in many cases.”
She also reviews a bunch of other phones from Moto, Samsung, HTC (2498.TW) available for AT&T (T), Sprint (S), T-Mobile and Verizon.
