Motorola Droid X: The Best of the Droids

The follow-up to Motorola's wildly popular Droid on Verizon, the Droid X ($200 with a two-year service contract from Verizon; available July 15) is one of the hottest phones to debut this summer. Its specs outshine those on the other Droid phones available on the network, but it falters a bit when it comes to performance. Nonetheless, the Droid X is one of the top phones to debut this summer, on a par with both the HTC EVO 4G and the iPhone 4.

Like the original Droid, the Droid X has a black, soft rubberized back. Unlike the original, however, the X doesn't feel thick and clunky when held. This is due in part to the fact that the X does not have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. But the X looks and feels much more refined than the original Droid. Its corners are more rounded and its rubberized edges make using it much more comfortable. Another welcome improvement: The X has physical hardware buttons (the familiar Menu, Home, Back, and Search buttons) as opposed to the original Droid's touch-sensitive buttons. The X's buttons are small and unobtrusive, too, and they light up brightly when activated. Overall, the Droid X looks much more elegant and modern than its predecessor.

The X also feels noticeably slimmer than the HTC EVO 4G, which also has a 4.3-inch display (The Droid X is 0.4 inch thick, while the EVO is 0.5 inch thick). Nevertheless, I prefer the EVO's rounded back. The Droid X has a flat back with a bump where the camera and flash are located. Though this bump isn't especially annoying, it is noticeable. The Droid X weighs in at 5.47 ounces--a bit less than the 6-ounce original Droid.