HTC Droid ERIS Verizon

All articles on this site are by Harry Skevington unless otherwise noted with another byline

HTC Droid Eris for Verizon
A fun one!
slideweberisfrontback Android phones are showing up all over the place these days. The Droid Eris by HTC is a pretty good example. Teaming up with Verizon makes for a good match. There are many things to think about before you take the Android jump. Since these phones are not inexpensive I suggest you do careful comparisons of specs and service costs as well as the costs with and without a two year plan with any company. It is also good to talk with friends to see if they feel the service provider’s signal is strong and clear before committing to anything. There are often penalties for canceling your agreement that can break the bank.

Verizon seems to be running some great sales recently so deals may be available. With all of that said I must tell you I am having more fun with Android Phones than I have had when testing phones for some time. I am also lucky enough to be testing the HTC Droid Incredible with Verizon Wireless Services. These two phones give me happy feelings. I will attempt to write a separate article for each so as to give them their just due. Comparing the Android phones now being released is a must if you are going to get the latest and greatest. Wait a week or month and see what is coming down the road.

The ERIS is a sturdy phone that measures 4.45" (H) x 2.19" (W) x 0.51" (D) and weighs in at 4.23 ounces. It fit easily in my hand and my pocket. The 3.2” Touch Screen is bright and easy to read. The ERIS can be locked by pressing the power button. Unlocking requires a press of the power button and a flick of a finger on the touch keyboard. The included 5 MP camera/video unit is better than many previous cell phone products. I have included some photos here and others can be found on FLICKR. There is no camera Flash.

webslideerispix

These phones also require some study to get them up and running to service your needs. If you have been using a Smartphone for a while you know what you need and how to setup/activate the many capabilities. If you have been using a cell phone for basic phone services you will need to spend some time to familiarize yourself with the many options provided. That is not to say you will be overwhelmed. It means you will need to check the Apps provided in the phone and, if they meet your needs, set them up. If on the other hand you need something more you will need to touch the Market Icon on the main screen and see if you can find an App that will do the task in a manner that will give you the flexibility you require. “Market” also gives you access to games as well as many Verizon fun apps or functions like VCast Tones or VCast music. Keep in mind that some of these Apps will cost money to buy and may use minutes on your plan. When I last looked at pricing Verizon was running a great deal on the ERIS. Full Retail price is $469.99. With a 2 year contract and a $100.00 online discount the Droid ERIS costs only $49.99. You will require a data feature of $29.99 or higher or a data plan. Plans vary so check the Verizon website.

To get an idea of setup and apps CLICK HERE

If you have been watching the cell phone industry you will already understand that we are coming to a point of convergence with a product that will do more than text, email, and keep your business details. With the HTC Droid Eris and the HTC Droid Incredible you now have 5 or 8 MP cameras with decent video as well as a pretty good Music player. I did test the Eris as an audio book player. It did a good job with the EXCEPTION of saving bookmark points when I exited the book between listening times. The included 8GB SD card is an added plus. I found the battery usage time of 214 minutes to be somewhat low while the standby time: of up to 373 hours more than adequate. Since I always charge any phone I am using overnight It was mot a problem.

In the box
Phone
8GB SD Card
Standard Battery (1300mAh)
A/C Charger
USB Cable
Quick Start Guide
Safety Brochure, and Warranty Card

There are many more capabilities than I can cover here but I will list a few.
WiFi, Bluetooth, Virtual QWERTY KEYBOARD, Speech Recognition, Visual Voice Mail capable, Google Maps with Latitude, Google Talk, Gmail, YouTube™, Google Calendar, Google Search, 1000s of apps and 100s of widgets available on Android Market, access to YouTube™, Twitter and Facebook®,

I have yet to find an Android phone I did not like. The HTC DROID ERIS is no exception. I am sorry to say I was unable to find the DROID ERIS on the Verizon website when I checked today. Looking further I found some discussions that lead me to believe the ERIS may have been removed from sale by Verizon. I hope that is not true. If it is you might want to check out my HTC DROID INCREDIBLE article by CLICKING HERE. The INCREDIBLE TRULY IS INCREDIBLE.

For more information on this and other Verzion products CLICK HERE


	Harry Skevington has been involved with electronics since 1981. He has taught, written for, and provided support to, computer users since 1985. Information that will help consumers with buying decisions is more important than ever due to the current convergence of computers and other consumer products . Harry attends CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas on assignment as a working press writer each year to find and write about emerging technology that seems to fit the needs of his readers. Contact Harry

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