All of the Android smartphone talk heading into this week has centered on the plan for Verizon Wireless, Google and Motorola to unveil the Motorola Droid X at an event in New York City June 23.
Less discussed is that the Droid 2 could also make an appearance Wednesday with the Droid X, which is currently advertised with scant detail on Verizon’s Website.
Android and Me got its hands on the purported Droid 2, the follow up to last fall’s popular Android 2.0-based Motorola Droid smartphone.
Droid 2 resembles the original Droid to most outward appearances, from size to shape and weight, but the blog said the top bezel is now silver and covers up the entire bottom half.
Motorola also eliminated the directional pad and widened and raised the keys for the QWERTY keyboard, which was a challenge to use for anyone who began using QWERTY keyboards on a RIM BlackBerry.
Clearly, the Droid 2 boasts some differences on the inside.
Chief among these is a 1 GHz processor, which has raised the bar in rendering Web browsing speedy for Android smartphones after appearing in the Nexus One, HTC Droid Incredible and HTC Evo 4G. The original Droid uses a 550 MHz chip.
Android and Me said Droid 2 runs Android 2.1 for now, but it’s likely to get the upgrade to Android 2.2 when Froyo becomes more widely available. Remember that the Droid got its bump to Android 2.1 in March, albeit after many delays.
The blog also said the Droid 2 almost doubled the frames per second of the first Droid, and bests it in other areas.
The bigger question may be when Motorola and Verizon plan to sell the Droid 2. Android and Me said the Droid X and Droid 2 are essentially the same phone on the inside, including the same processor, same OS and new Motoblur technology.
The Droid X, which sports an 8-megapixel camera and HDMI output with 720p video, is reportedly launching July 19.
Will Motorola and Verizon launch both phones this summer to contend with Apple’s iPhone 4? That would be a risky proposition given the software similarities between the Droid X and Droid 2.
Adding to the Droid rank and file, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha said a Droid with a 2 GHz processor is on tap for the holiday season.