MEGATech Biz: Why the Droid Bionic Will Smash the iPhone Dylan Duarte September 9, 2011 After almost a year long wait, the Droid Bionic was finally released to Verizon Wireless customers this month. And while we’re still waiting to hear how the general public likes the phone, the specifications are readily available, and boy are they fantastic. Motorola’s newest phone is a beast. And with Apple releasing a new iPhone soon, people are already starting to compare the two, even though the details on the new iPhone are yet to be confirmed. Based on what we do know, and the speculated specifications, here’s why the Droid Bionic is superior to the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S, or whatever the heck Apple is teasing us with. Flash Right out the gate, we know that the new iPhone – or any new iPhone, for that matter – will not support Flash. Steve Jobs, the former-CEO of Apple, said so himself, citing issues with battery life, touch controls, and Flash being a proprietary platform. Android OS, on the other hand, fully supports Flash. Flash enhances the web experience in many ways, so Android users get an enriched experience, while iPhone users are left in the virtual dust. [Editor’s note: Adobe just announced today that they’ll be doing server-side stuff so that the iPhone can support Flash; just not in the way you’re used to it working on smartphones.] HDMI HDMI, which stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, is essential for getting the best possible picture. The Droid Bionic ships with HDMI support, so those with the appropriate cable can plug right into an HD monitor or television and display what’s currently on their phone. Consider the fact that you can stream Netflix movies on the Droid Bionic and you quickly see the applications. The iPhone 4 does not feature HDMI support and the iPhone 5 is just as likely to leave it out. It should be noted that there are HDMI adapters you can purchase for the iPhone, but that’s nowhere near as convenient as built-in functionality. Open Source Android OS is an open source system, which is advantageous for a number of reasons. It allows anybody to tweak and redistribute Android code without paying any fees, which encourages user innovation and can lead to some truly wonderful stuff. Why stifle people’s creativity? The downside here is that weaknesses can be found and possibly exploited, but there’s a silver lining, as all these deviants probing for weaknesses act as free QA testing for Google. Expandable Storage This isn’t so much a benefit of the Droid Bionic as it is a flaw of the iPhone. Plenty of the phones offer expandable storage via a memory card slot, but the iPhone – while offering substantial internal storage capabilities – has never offered a memory card slot. Memory cards today are cheaper than ever, making it practical to carry around multiple cards loaded with various content. And it’s not all about storage space, either. Memory card compatibility makes it easy to backup your data. Not having card support probably won’t be a problem for you if your iPhone contains massive internal storage, but if you picked up an 8GB model, you’re going to feel the squeeze sooner or later. WebTop Motorola’s WebTop application is nothing short of genius. By plugging into a dock accessory, you can turn your smartphone into something between a laptop and, well, a smartphone. There are multiple docks you can purchase, all with different prices and functionality, but they all serve the same purpose. The WebTop application allows you to launch the full browser version of Firefox 4.0, with which you surf the web like normal, complete with multiple tabs. 4G LTE The Motorola Droid Bionic is the first dual core smartphone to feature 4G LTE technology. While there have been rumors of the iPhone 5 getting a 4G chip, it doesn’t seem likely, as the components needed for a 4G LTE-capable phone are expensive, which is why the HTC Thunderbolt launched at a higher price. And seeing as how Apple is shifting its base from Japan to Taiwan to save money, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for them to spring for a 4G chip. Display Now we’re getting into the real hardware. This is also a very debatable feature (with no right answer, mind you), as there are people who prefer compact phones and people who prefer large screens. As long as the phone fits comfortably into my pocket, I’m all about large screens. The Droid Bionic will feature a 4.3 inch display, which is almost an entire inch bigger than the screen on the iPhone 4 and bigger than the rumored display for the new iPhone, which will be no bigger than 4 inches, if that. Granted, due to Apple’s commitment to retina display, the iPhone picture is clearer and sharper, but that could become a problem as they enlarge their screen. As far as size goes, the Droid Bionic wins. Speed As I mentioned above, the Droid Bionic will feature a dual core processor, clocking in at 1 GHz. While impressive, that isn’t the only factor that determines speed. When announced earlier this year, the Droid Bionic was said to have 512 MB of RAM, but has since been doubled to 1GB of DDR2 RAM. The phone also features 2 GB ROM support. And with the addition of the aforementioned 4G LTE, the Droid Bionic should be lighting fast in a variety of manners. And while the new iPhone will also sport a dual core processor, it’s unlikely to come with as much RAM, much less a bigger amount. I understand that Apple fans will be Apple fans and Droid fans will be Droid fans. And I think that the iPhone is an impressive piece of technology. I also think that whatever Apple comes out with next, be it the iPhone 5 or the iPhone 4S or maybe they’ll just skip one model entirely and release the iPhone 5S – it won’t matter. The Droid Bionic is the new King and I will worship at his feet. Share This With The World!
