Verizon phasing out original Droid, Devour
updated 08:30 am EDT, Fri July 16, 2010
Most famous Android phone leaving Verizon
A leak from with Verizon's system on Friday has confirmed that the carrier is phasing out the original Motorola Droid. Both it and the budget Devour are marked as end-of-life and will get few if any more shipments while Verizon sells out the remaining stock. No estimate is given as to when the phones would sell out, but neither phone shows in Verizon's leaked summer catalog.
The departure spotted by Droid Forum comes less than a year after the Droid went on sale last November but also after a successful sales run for what's considered one of the most important Android phones ever. Despite having to compete with the HTC Droid Incredible, it was still selling well late into its life and is credited with both increasing Android's market share and spurring app development. It remains one of the most popular US phones in online use.
A phaseout is also realistic early on as it follows just after the launch of the Droid X and with the expected August launch of the Droid 2, either of which would negate the need for the old phone.
Other phones known to be making an exit are the original BlackBerry Tour in the wake of the Bold 9650, the Nokia Twist, and a slew of Samsung feature phones and smartphones that include the Intensity, Knack, Saga and Smooth.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2007
there in lies the problem
I used a Motorola phone for many years before getting an iPhone 3G. It worked well most of its life. Fine.
But today, if you use a phone and like it... when it finally dies, well, you are never going to see that phone again. Most phones seem to have a 6 month life..... max. After that you are learning how a new phone works and what its features are. Over. Over. Over again.
And while I have nothing wrong with change and improvement (I have gone thru 3 full OS changes on the phone) I think that the other cell phone companies are stuck with a very outdated business model. PERIOD.
Just a thought,
en