The Motorola Droid 3 has become an iconic symbol of the Android platform. When the first iteration launched, the market was in an entirely different place. The iPhone was not on Verizon, Android was still a budding OS and Blackberry was still a relevant choice for a consumer based device.
The exterior of the phone should look familiar; Motorola has done little to update its exterior and for this type of phone that is probably a wise move. The Droid 3 continues on with its heritage by embracing the first generation of the device.
Specs:
The device ships with the following specs: Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 4-inch qHD screen (480x854), 1 GHz dual-core OMAP 4430 processor, 512 MB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, 8 MP back-facing camera with LED flash, 1.3 MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording, HDMI out, QWERTY keyboard, and finally a 1540 mAh battery. Overall, the specs are not bad but they are not innovative or surprising; it looks like Motorola took the safe road with its spec list. This phone is also a global device, meaning that it comes with a SIM card for international use. This phone does not have 4G.
Display:
The Droid 3 has a qHD display running at 480x854. The LCD neither excites nor does it disappoint. Like many other LCDs it has trouble in direct sunlight, but outside of this condition, it is adequate for a smartphone. Sure, there are better displays on the market, but at the same time, the Droid 3 does not disappoint either. Off angel viewing is acceptable and should not present any issues for the end user.
Keyboard:
A staple of the OG Droid line is the keyboard. The brand has never been shy to show off its full sliding keyboard and this phone is no different. This phone does have a slightly modified keyboard compared to the previous version of the phone as there is a new dedicated row just for numbering.
Unlike the Droid 2, the Droid 3 keyboard is much more pleasant to use. The soft but clicky feel to the keys makes them much easier on the fingertips. In fact, it is one of the better Android keyboards out there in this form factor. It still has a way to go to compete with a Blackberry keyboard, but compared to the Droid 2, this is a big improvement. The keys are also backlit, a nice little touch when using the phone in low light areas.
Camera:
The camera on this device is an 8MP shooter. While on the surface this looks delectable, using the camera is a burden. A big sticking point with any cell phone camera is how long it takes from wanting to take a picture to actually taking a picture.
Unfortunately for this device, the camera software tends to crash or is very slow to focus. This can sometimes be fixed by toggling apps (when the camera application freezes) but occasionally you have to restart the phone. Once you are able to use the camera and overcome the slow focusing, the pictures are mediocre. We are long past the megapixel game and it's now up to better glass and sensors to take higher quality images.
Video recording scores lower than average marks for its slow focusing ability. When recording a moving object, moving from a pivot point while tracing a moving object forces the camera to refocus (which is common) but the amount of time it takes for the Droid 3 results in a video that is of average quality at best.
Audio:
An important part of any phone is its actual ability to make a call. When testing the Droid 3 there were no issues hearing on our end or the receiving end. Call quality was acceptable for this type of device and the speakerphone was loud enough and practically without distortion at max volume.
Performance and UI:
The Droid 3 comes with a more than capable CPU. The processor has the ability to churn out animations and playback video without any issue. The only exception is due to the fact that Motorola added additional transitions to the phone. After awhile they become annoying and overly used in addition to reducing performance. Fortunately there is the ability to turn them off; it is recommended that you do this as each transition adds 1-3 seconds to a nominal task.
Overall, with the transitions turned off, the phone has almost no performance issues. Swiping between screens and opening applications was almost always a trouble free experience. The UI feels fluid and natural and the performance is what you would expect for a device of this class.
Battery:
The Droid 3 comes with a 1540mAh battery that is user replaceable. Using the phone heavily resulted in 8.5 hours of usage; without question, you could easily get an entire work day of use out of this device. Like any other modern smartphone, expect to charge the phone each night.
Conclusion:
The Droid 3 is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, if you want a keyboard on an Android device, this is a solid choice. On the other hand, if you are looking for the best overall experience, there are other Android devices in Verizon’s lineup that will fit your needs and that have 4G too. The Droid 3 is not a bad choice of a device and it will generally appease the end user. Once Motorola finds a fix for the wonky camera, it will be that much better. At the same time, a lack of 4G leaves room to be desired.
3/5
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