Are all Droids the same?

[ssummer]

While browsing the Android Market last night and reading inconsistent reviews about a lot of apps having/not having issues with the Moto Droid, this leads me to ask: are all Droids built the same? Software issues aside (OS ver, app conflicts, etc.) there is still the possibility that not each of the million+ Droids out there are running identical hardware.

In the PC realm it is very common for hardware manufacturers to make stealth modifications/fixes/upgrades/downgrades to a piece of hardware without ever announcing it. I am sure it happens in the mobile space too. I am willing to bet the Droids rolling off the line now are not the same Droids that hit in November.

 

[hookbill]

While browsing the Android Market last night and reading inconsistent reviews about a lot of apps having/not having issues with the Moto Droid, this leads me to ask: are all Droids built the same? Software issues aside (OS ver, app conflicts, etc.) there is still the possibility that not each of the million+ Droids out there are running identical hardware.

In the PC realm it is very common for hardware manufacturers to make stealth modifications/fixes/upgrades/downgrades to a piece of hardware without ever announcing it. I am sure it happens in the mobile space too. I am willing to bet the Droids rolling off the line now are not the same Droids that hit in November.

Some Android phones still can't run an OS past 1.5. There was a huge issue with getting 2.1 over to the MotoDroid, and 2.1 is not the same as on the N1. Moto Droid also is the only one with a physical keyboard. So no, all Android phones are definitely not the same.

 

[ssummer]

I was actually only talking about the Motorola Droid aka "Droid". Obviously not all Android phones are the same.

 

[jsh1120]

I was actually only talking about the Motorola Droid aka "Droid". Obviously not all Android phones are the same.

There are several threads discussing differences in the physical keyboard, but from what I recall, it appears that if such differences exist they aren't the result of changing specs but come about from different suppliers in batches produced at the same time.

You're right about PC's, of course, and I'd be surprised if there haven't been some internal changes you never hear about. In a previous life I worked for a niche computer manufacturer and we had an entire division devoted to "value engineering." (Translation: Substitute cheaper parts in existing models.)

Likewise, of course, manufacturers discover true failure rates only after a particular device is on the market and changes sometimes occur based on examination of returned units.

Unless one has inside information, however, the average consumer will never hear about either of these situations.

 

[takeshi]

While browsing the Android Market last night and reading inconsistent reviews about a lot of apps having/not having issues with the Moto Droid, this leads me to ask: are all Droids built the same? Software issues aside (OS ver, app conflicts, etc.) there is still the possibility that not each of the million+ Droids out there are running identical hardware.

Certainly possible but I wouldn't blow off the possibility of software issues as well to account for the differences in reviews you're seeing.