frankly I think the Droid is a visual mess. sure it he a certain macho quality to it compared to the iPhone but it always looks half baked. the back side is awful. it just looks like it has been slapped together. it does follow a certain american utilitarian design aesthetic though. classic American designs are not minimal but functional. I am thinking of pay phones mail boxes subway trains Amtrak etc. they are tough and well made but aren't highly polished and sleek like say Italian design or minimal like Swiss german style.
the chin is a kludge because they couldn't find a better way to incorpoate the antennae. apple changed to plastic case for the same reason.
having said all that though the tough metal body of the Droid inspires confidence and the chin provides an important ergonomic safe haven away from touch sensitive buttons.
I always thought it would be great to have a bezel free phone design with 100% screen and no border but after using a touch screen I realise this really wouldn't be practical
in summary I don't love the chin or the design in general but it works
i like it..i know that is a safe place to grab the droid from my pocket...no touchscreen or controls on it...