Requiem for a DROID

When I told Zach Epstein, our fearless Editor-in-Chief*, that I was going to buy a Motorola DROID, his response was quite direct: “You need help.”

Maybe I do. Why on earth would a mobile fanatic like me buy a handset that has been on the market for seven months now? Why would I commit to a two-year contract with a $350 early termination fee for the ancient (by today’s rapidly evolving standards) handset when a new iPhone is coming and the HTC EVO 4G is just around the corner? Why?!

I’m bored. That’s why.

I already have an iPhone 3GS and it’s great. It has a great interface, it takes good pictures — I snap pics everywhere I go; I’m one of those guys — and it has tons of great apps. It syncs all my info beautifully with MobileMe. It does everything I want and need.

But like other technophiles and mobile fanatics, I grew bored with it. A friend of mine said, “You’re bored because you expect your iPhone to be a companion, to keep you amused. It’s a tool, not your friend.”

Perhaps my friend (the human one) is right, but I also became bored because of my job.

Over the past few years, I’ve been writing about mobile technology and cell phones. In that time, I’ve tested and reviewed hundreds of smartphones, dumb phones and every other wireless device in between. My passion for these gadgets has waned and it suddenly became boring, repetitive work.

Call quality is decent, but not great. Battery life got us through a whole day. GPS was accurate and voice turn-by-turn navigation was loud and clear. Sleek. Snappy. Vivid. Responsive.

Over the years I’ve collected a portfolio of phrases and words that have been dumped into a grab bag for product reviews. It’s like working in an auto shop; regardless of what car or motorcycle comes through, I have the same storage container of tools and testing methods.

Check idle speeds. Test fuel injection or carburetor. Check belt timing. Impact socket wrenches. Feeler gauges. Torque wrenches.

It’s like this with any passion that turns into a job. The passion often loses its charm when it becomes work. So when I get new devices like the DROID Incredible or EVO 4G into my hands for review and friends ask me what I think, I say, “Meh.”

Nothing excites me anymore.

Front facing camera? Whoop-dee-doo. 960 x 640 resolution screen? Great. 1GHz processor? Good for you. 6Mbps download speeds? I so need that when I’m checking Twitter. Five gazillion apps in the app store? I’ll take one of each, please.

Like any job that burns you out, sometimes the best reprieve is a little vacation. The DROID is my vacation.

To cure my pathetic gadget boredom, I wanted a new device but didn’t feel compelled to get the latest and greatest. I wanted to distance myself from devices I’d end up reviewing and dissecting. I had an overwhelming urge to step into the past rather than reluctantly drag my feet forward as I’d been doing for years.

Before I committed to it, however, I thought about it for days. Will I feel a little envy when I see new devices being announced and released? Of course, but that happens every other month, it seems. I’ll get over it. Are there features and apps on upcoming devices that I’ll wish I had? Sure, but that’s the nature of the game.

Do I really want to do this?

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