HTC DROID Eris gets unboxed

By on Nov 4, 2009 at 1:07 PM
Breaking November 4, 2009

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One of our connects just blessed us with a couple shots of the HTC DROID Eris and graciously unboxed the retail packaging. We could bore you with meaningless details about how the phone is thinner and lighter than the Sprint HTC Hero, feels much better in the hand, and is generally the best Android device besides the Motorola DROID our connect has used, but we’ll stop there. Enjoy the photos!

Thanks, Jon!

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  • supdog

    @anthony

    You are a stupid stupid… man. Verizon has horrible phones (until recently) and the only reason they are the largest mobile carrier is because of the quality of their network.

  • skabrew

    why does verizon feel the need to brand every frickn phone.

    Competing with the iphone means removing this BS.

    • AgBand

      With the exception of the iPhone aren’t all of AT&T’s phones branded? Not trying to be a smart-ass. Just thought this was actually the case. I know that all of TMO’s phones are branded. Not sure about Sprint.

    • Patty

      The logo stamped on the phone is what’s important to you?

      Not the actual hardware? The software? The apps? The OS? The carrier?

      You just look for that “annoying logo” stamp?

      • Andrew

        Not to be a dick, but “branding” includes more than just the exterior logos. Oftentimes, operators will spam the menus with their custom icons and disable features they fear will compete with their own services. Verizon is infamous for crippling their phones but, according to my knowledge, have done very little to tamper with the Eris’ top-notch hardware/software/OS.

  • Dave

    excited!!!! that is it!

  • Beau

    I got to play with a Droid Eris today…… its amazing……. thinner and lighter then the Hero but just as fluid

  • idroidberrydow

    I am using the HTC eris to type this message. Nice size phone and the touch screen works very good. The kirk stood that I was using earlier in the week was a lot faster for web browsing and the Android 2.0 has a lot of good features but the eris has the droid beat imo on size, weight and overall style. If this phone does get the 2.0 upgrade then it will be an easy toss up between the two. Style vs speed :)

    • cece

      I spoke to verizon today and they said that the ERIS will be getting the 2.0 android update in the future, when exactly not sure. So I will be getting the ERIS knowing that it will have the 2.0 software and who can be the open platform software to exchange apps. :)

      • swannick

        The Verizon rep I spoke to had a high level corporate position and stated that the Eris is not upgradable. The hardward cannot support the 2.0 platform. That’s why I’m waiting to purchase a HTC android.

      • http://crackberry.com Patrick Droid

        They probably only told you that to sell you the Motorola. Eris is upgradeable. All Androids are, it just takes a bit because HTC Sense UI. 2.0 is coming

      • Tome

        Actually I spoke to the Reps today at Verizon. HTC Eris is being upgraded to 2.0 at the end of the first quarter of 2010.

    • John

      Hi,
      Can you verify that you can surf the web and talking to somebody at the same time on Verizon networks? I wanna switch to Verizon but someone told me that I can’t do that with its networks.

      • http://www.twitter.com/supmahBRUDDah Brak

        Not using a data connection no (EV-DO).
        Thats the technological limitation of CDMA
        BUT, if you’ve got WiFi nearby, diff story i believe

      • Croannick

        I believe…I have before. I’m pretty sure I could do this on my Curve. Maybe I’m just crazy and delusional, but I’m pretty sure I did…

      • Ras

        Actually it’s a limitation of 2G EVDO. 3G allows for simultaneous voice and data. Did it all the time with Sprint, do it all the time now with Verizon.

  • idroidberrydow

    I guess kirk stood in HTC means droid. Still a pretty good keyboard.

  • Dwayne

    I thought that the Eris would be a better device than the Dtoid. It looks better and I like the Sense UI. you remarked about the typing experience. Is the keyboard in portrait mode specifically ahold experience. I type in landscape mode occasionally, but mostly in portrait mode. What do you think?

    @idroidberrydow,

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone) at: Naperville North America

    • Micmo

      I had a chance to type on the Eris over the past weekend. The typing on it was near perfect with iPhone like results. The phone had a very good word correction in the form of a bar of words above the actual keyboard. I found this better than the iPhones form that fixes the word for you only to one specific word. On the Eris it gave you a choice of ultiple words based on your letters and whatnot i thought it was very well put together. Would trade in my physical qwerty for that one.

  • http://bestbuy.com BBY856

    Thats obviously a Best Buy Mobile associate. Woot go Best Buy!!

  • tome

    HTC Desire?HTC DROID…. but i want to buy HTC Desire..do you have few information about the HTC Desire?how about the phone?
    http://www.verizon-cellphones.org/verizon’s-htc-desire-leaked-out-releasing-soon.html

    • Zaggs

      The Eris is the Desire.

      • http://www.twitter.com/supmahBRUDDah Brak

        im late im sure, but i had an “aha!” moment and was like:
        “Oh jugs! The Droid Eris is an anagram of the Desire… D-sirE” << what a boob!

  • UncleMatt

    2.0 or it’s a non-starter. And I’m going to wait a bit to see just how bad Verizon screws the pooch on the Android launch in general. I’m hopefully optimistic, but let’s be real… Verizon has never been one to actually allow it’s customers to use a phone’s built-in features without charging them extra. I KNOW there’s a “screw-you” lurking somewhere… I’m just waiting.

    But *this* would be the one for me :-) Switching from an iPhone.

    • rusty

      @UncleMatt.

      not a screw you, but please get up to date on what big red is doing. Your post would be perfectly fine a year ago, but not today. Educate yourself.

    • QuickWeevil

      I agree with Rusty. The point of the Droid is that Verizon is giving Google free reign with all its features. They’ve already said that Google’s Navigation is free and you don’t need to use VZ Navigator which will save you $9.99 a month. I think you’re just being unnecessarily cynical.

      • Diablo

        The tethering will be $15/mo when they enable it next year. There is the lurking “screw you”. Also +$15/mo for exchange support to actually work. I would say that’s another “screw you” if you were counting on that. Of course, if you’re using that, then the company is probably paying for your phone anyway, or at least subsidizing, but still, it seems pretty lame, how much traffic can exchange email really be?

      • elgee02

        Charging for tethering is NOT a “screw you” and the $15 charge for exchange server access has been proven to be FALSE.

      • Thad

        actually…they do charge for exchange server access…i have the eris

      • jd

        I’m paying $20/mo for unlimited data (including Exchange synch) on T-Mobile with a WinMo phone. I’d like to switch to Verizon and am looking at the HTC Droid Eris and the Motorola Droid. But it is $30/mo for data and $15/mo on top of that if you are looking for Exchange support (so yes, Exchange is $15/mo). Unreal… $45 just to get my email.

      • Tome

        You using Exchange Server to get work email? Phew, makes me happy I can’t access work emails outside work for HIPAA laws.

        Sometimes work should stay at work, yes?

      • Croannick

        Charging for tethering isn’t really a “verizon screw you” kind of move. Don’t all companies do that? Also the Droid has no VZNav, music, or anything like that. I think I saw that the only verizon software was the visual voice mail. I read an article somewhere that google specifically MADE them keep the verizon “BRANDBRANDLOL” off of it or no deal. And they accepted.

  • idroidberrydow

    You can have 3 different keyboards in portrait mode. The only thing I would change about the eris is to have the full functions of the menu in landscape mode. I would defiantly recommend this device over the droid for someone the wants a small keyboardless compact phone.

  • thebo

    Yeah don’t kill the messenger (boy genius). He’s just reporting the news. What’s wrong with that? He showed much love to Hero. Where’s the bias?

  • http://macspotlight.blogspot.com @iphonegs

    it’s droid season… even the hardcore blackberry fans are going droid…. http://macspotlight.blogspot.com/2009/11/hanging-up-bb-sneakers-blackberry-tour.html

  • Pimpin1825

    Would it kill Verizon to include all accessories for their high end smartphones?? I mean I haven’t seen not one phone come boxed with at least a pair of earphones except for the blackberrys.. I mean just once??

    What do you think :)

    • Arien

      If I got this phone I would be using my Ipod ear buds. Love those things.

    • Croannick

      I wouldn’t want earbuds. Included buds are always terrible. I’d rather they save the space and money. Now a little holster…like the tour…would be nice.

    • Kristina

      I really agree with you I think its the blackberry and a few*slim to none few* other brands that come with earphones…i think they need to give evrything in the HTC box…I agree with you

    • http://crackberry.com Patrick Droid

      Bose Earbuds for me

  • Steve

    These phone look good. Cant wait to check them out. Have a BB Curve with VZW and tired of it. BB as the most outdated OS and their attempt to gloss it up with 5.0 is not working anymore!

    • Chad

      Lets not talk about the new update for the storm. I can’t update my status on FB with out locking up the phone. I have to pull the batery ap to 5 times a day…

  • http://droidsmartphone.com Bob

    I recall the teathering being a issue with the Razor and the fee never happened. I hope it doesnt happen with droid.

  • Chicago Kid

    Proud new Droid Eris owner. Used my company’s early upgrade option and ditched my Tour. REALLY a great phone. I have iPhone as well. Not quite killing the iPhone but REALLY a great device.

  • Michael

    The battery life blows. Can’t go an entire day without it dying.

    • Tom

      I agree!! The battery life really really sucks! I’m a salesman…started at 7am this morning…phone was dead by 12:30pm. Not good!!! I will probably have to return the phone because of the battery life.

      • maybeaneweriscustomer

        Don’t forget that they WANT you to buy their interchangeable batteries…

      • Tome

        Don’t forget if you’re constantly downloading and surfing the web, youtube, or any other data that drains your battery. So if you don’t need to use the phone, don’t. Also look on the Android Market to find Apps that close processes on your phone. That helps conserve battery. And if you’re still unhappy with the battery life, don’t get a data phone… :)

    • Todd

      You know the battery life is fine you have to down load the android task killer!!!!! If you dont know how to use it then I would be glad to tell you how! It will never last as long as a basic phone!!!!

  • http://www.sustainableenergyfinancing.com Jesse James

    I am glad to see some info on the batter life of the Eris. That is a critical component for me so I will likely pass.

  • http://ww.gobuyall.com hicellphone

    HTC is great,droid os system for HTC is victory.

  • JMORALES

    AS OF NOV 5 THE 2.O SOFTWARE UPGRADE IS AVAILABLE

  • bbveteran

    Well clearly this price versus service is pretty clear, obviously verizon is more pricey because of its nationwide roaming and over total quality of service, I have us cellular and I must say the pricing is cheaper but the phones suck and the quality is moderate, where as with verizon the phones are fabulous and the service is by far the best of course like the above said it would be senseless for verizon to have “perfect” coverage, because then yes everyone would be on verizon which they should be anyways as they are without a doubt the best out there, I plan on making my switch to one of the droid phones soon after considering the tour at us cellular is really just a slightly better curve,and the os is so limited and outdated its pathetic, and windows mobile always seems to obtain as many errors as possible or drag ass eventually, IMO droid is for the win and deffinately the best turnout for smartphones

  • Big daddy

    all eris ohones will be updated on Dec 12-13th when you power them up any verizon dealer can walk you throug the download

  • becky

    I just got my HTC ERIS Droid this week and I LOVE IT!
    Very easy to use, small size, keyboard easy in portrait or landscape mode.

  • peetee

    Eris is Verizon’s other Droid phone. It really is a remodeled Hero, running Android 1.5 and HTC’s vaunted Sense candy coating—documented CSI style here—a $200 phone stuffed inside a thinner $100 body.
    .Latest updates: http://is.gd/98cmq

  • mhiker

    That is not always true. I live in the Kansas City Metro where Sprint is based out of. I cannot make calls from my house and lose calls constantly in their home area…Its VZW for me starting Friday.

  • merrill77

    I sure wish this were true. I live in a “mobile hole”. With Sprint I get NO signal at my house. Really – none. So my Sprint experience lasted exactly one day. I’ve also used Alltel, AT&T and Verizon. In my area, Verizon has the best coverage, hands down.

  • Zaggs

    Sprint works like crap in my area. Also you can get Verizon for the same price as Sprint. Oh and I can officially tether with my blackberry, hows that working out on Sprint?

  • TheKing

    You know not everyone stays in their area all the time some of us have the luxury of traveling or hopping on the bike for the weekend and when we do we want coverage the entire time that’s why we pay for verizon

  • elgee02

    Sprint 3G sucks balls in northern Arizona. VZW 3G is blanketed everywhere I go up here. If I am a smartphone user, that is a VERY BIG DEAL. Sprint = fail up here.

  • Zaggs

    Yeah because when I travel I definitely dont need reliable phone service. I sure as heck wouldn’t want to check a map or download directions when I travel to a new town so I surely wouldn’t want to not worry about 3G coverage. Who would ever think to want fast service in case you wanted to check a menu of a restaurant or quickly get the operating hours of an attraction. Idiot.

  • Brad

    No, Verizon does not always best its competition in all areas. That would be impossible to do. In fact, it would be bad, because then everybody would use Verizon, and the competition would go out of business, creating a monopoly. No, different networks are right for different people.

    That said, I would like to point out that Verizon’s network is not as overrated as you might think. The CDMA technology they use generally works much better in rural areas than GSM. I live in a city. Not a huge one, but big enough to be in 3G territory for all the big 4, I think (not 100% sure about T-Mobile, but most likely is). However, it’s just a hop and a skip to get out of town, and when I drive a couple hours out to my parents’ farm, the whole picture changes. Sprint and T-Mobile are spotty, and AT&T shows zero service (not even roaming) on their coverage map for a pretty large area around their farm. And they live just a mile off a pretty major state highway, so it’s not like it’s in the middle of nowhere. Verizon is the only one of the big 4 that seems to work flawlessly out there.

    The bottom line is, Verizon works for me. It may not work for you, and that’s fine. That’s why there are choices. Some people’s choice is determined by coverage. Others, by price. Still others, a combination of factors. Though I’m not entirely happy with the price, the coverage is more important to me right now, so Verizon it is.

  • neo

    Well, he speaks the truth, albeit in a dickish way. Sprint does charge a good deal less for service and while VZW has better coverage in rural areas, Sprint roams for free on VZW towers so you wouldn’t know it unless your phone was somehow set to not roam. I’ve used Sprint for maybe 7 or 8 years and for all but the first couple I’ve had no issues. When I drive out of the city I’m fine and when I get into the mountains of western PA my phone alternates between Sprint and Verizon towers. I never pay a dime more and I still don’t lose my connection so it’s win-win for me.

  • fireball

    Wow really that’s why my brother-in-laws Sprint phone becomes a paper weight while i still have 3 bars on VZW? Seriously Sprint sucks in my area so “paying less” would just be stupid.

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