Motorola building image from Flickr.

Controversial commercials that take shots at the iPhone have caused the release of Verizon and Motorola’s Droid phones to be a much-anticipated event. Today, the companies have finally released pictures, prices and the official retail date for Droid phones.

Word on the street is that the Droid will cost $199 with a two-year Verizon contract and a mail-in rebate. The first installment in the Droid phones line will be available to purchase on Nov. 6. Did I say first? Yep, reports are circulating that the Verizon, Motorola team plans to release up to three Droid phones by the end of the year.

Suspense and more suspense

So what are fans of Droid phones – and more importantly people who plan to give Droid phones as gifts — to do? Putting off holiday shopping is generally a bad idea, but you certainly don’t want to end up paying off a credit card charge for the wrong Droid phone.

The Christian Science Monitor appears to have some inside info about Droid phones. Check out some of the rumors about Droid phones technology that have been making their way around the Internet. There’s no information about when the other Droid phones will be released, so I guess  procrastinators have an advantage in this case.

Verizon Droid review

A few lucky tech testers have gotten their hands on the Verizon droid and reviewed it. One reviewer from China (see http://english.dgshi.cn/content/200910/294430.html) says the Droid is “blindingly fast,” and the the slide-out keyboard is very comfortable to type on. It’ll take time to find out how durable the keyboard is, but the Droid appears sturdy thanks to its metallic body.

The Droid comes with stand that acts as a desk cradle, charger and  multimedia station. The reviewer says “The movies, games and pictures all were crystal clear and really sharp.”

Marketing mayhem

The makers of Droid phones were audacious enough to directly target the iPhone with their advertising campaign. “Everything iDon’t, Droid does” the commercials say, after listing several items such as “iDon’t run simultaneous apps.”

This bold marketing strategy that highlights several enticing features of the Droid has really caught people’s attention. Watch the full commercial at DroidDoes.com.

Google power

Yet another indicator that Verizon and Motorola are about to hit paydirt with the Droid phones is that the venture has Google power behind it. The Droid phones are powered by Google Android 2.0 operating system.

With Motorola on the outside, Google on the inside and Verizon — who boasts the largest coverage area in the U.S. — making the connections, I think we’re about to see the rich get richer. What do you think; are Droid phones going to drastically change the smartphone market?

Another contender is about to enter the war of the smartphones. Image from Wikimedia.

Though the commercials for the Verizon Motorola Droid were stark and simple — just black text on a white background — they have created a lot of hype. Since the Droid commercials started airing, everyone has been waiting to find out the Droid release date, and now it has been discovered.

Several sources say the Verizon Motorola Droid release will be Oct. 30. The big question looming over Verizon’s head is whether holiday sales of the Droid will beat out the iPhone. After spending so much money on development and advertising, Verizon and Motorola might need a loan until payday, when Droid actually starts selling and turning a profit.

Droid directly challenges iPhone

The reason Droid commercials have made such a splash is because of their controversial nature. Verizon chose to use an advertising strategy not commonly seen, which is to directly challenge another product. It does seem that lately — unless it’s a cola controversy — Apple always seems to be involved in these direct comparison advertisements.

After all, Apple has been using the Mac versus PC commercials for quite sometime. In answer, Microsoft began running “I’m a PC” commercials, in which people favor PCs to Macs. Once again, Apple is getting a taste of its own medicine, as Droid is being advertised under the slogan “Everything iDon’t, Droid does.” These advertisements are drawing a lot of attention because Apple customers generally are staunchly loyal. Furthermore, in the case of Verizon’s attack on iPhone, Verizon started it.

Poised for big release

While it’s true that Apple customers tend to be almost snobbishly loyal, there are also consumers who are vehemently opposed to Apple products for one reason or another. Those types will likely pounce on the Droid release date, relieved to finally have an option that, by all accounts, appears to be superior to the iPhone.

Of course, it will all come down to a matter of preferece, so it is tough to say whether the Verizon Motorola Droid will actually surpass the iPhone in popularity and profits. But with advertising creating a buzz and people eagerly awaiting the Droid release date, I’d say the Droid is off to a good start. Check out a photo of the Droid.