Verizon in a last-minute update today moved up the launch of the Motorola Droid for just one of its stores. Its flagship store on 34th Street in New York City will open at 12AM tonight for two hours to sell the Droid, the HTC Droid Eris, and accessories like the Droid's horizontal dock. This and other stores in the city will still open early afterwards, with most ready between 7AM and 8AM.

The gesture appears an attempt to trump AT&T's own 7AM iPhone openings this summer and underscores the importance of the Droid to Verizon, which sees the Android phone as its key device for the year. On top of early retail openings, the Droid has been accompanied by an anti-iPhone ad campaign and will be followed by Times Square billboards.