Droid vs. iPhone: It's Really About the Carrier

The clock is ticking to the release of the Droid, and its smaller brother the Droid Eris, this Friday from Verizon. The media is filled with rhetoric drawing comparisons between the Droid and the iPhone. Those stories miss the point that the real battle isn't between the Droid and the iPhone, but between Verizon and AT&T.

The media is filled almost entirely with hyperbole comparing the Droid to the iPhone and discussing whether or not the Droid can knock the iPhone off of its mythically high pedestal. There are head-to-head comparisons, opinions claiming the Droid is superior, and articles pointing out that the iPhone killer is an elusive concept because iPhone users are devoted and won't be defecting en masse to adopt the Droid.

From preliminary reviews it seems that the Droid is a relatively impressive device. On paper, it compares favorably against the vaunted iPhone. In a head-to-head battle with all else being equal, perhaps the battle would be a close one. But, all else isn't equal. One device is offered by Verizon and the other device is offered by AT&T.

The main event in this heavyweight fight is the battle between the wireless service providers, not the devices. Verizon doesn't need the Droid to beat the iPhone per se. It only needs the Droid to be an attention-getting device that provides features users want on a network users prefer.

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