Is Verizon Lying About The DROID?

by Chris on August 2, 2010 · 12 comments

by Chris on August 2, 2010 · 12 comments

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This week the first DROID also known as DROID does, is getting updated to Android 2.2. But it seems that Verizon is leaving out two of the popular features, tethering and mobile hotspot. Now normally a carrier leaves out a feature and we don’t really say much. We complain then move on. However when Verizon gives us their reason for why these features are missing we have to take a deeper look. I have a feeling that some of us feel like we are being lied too.

An article on engadget.com has Verizon stated that the reason why this feature is missing is that the original DROID does not have the hardware to support it. Now I know that Rod rooted his DROID a long time ago and these missing features were some of his favorite.We know for a fact that the mobile hotspot does work and works well. I am positive that they are lying about this because they want to push the new phones coming out. This is a shame but also surprising. You would think by now that Verizon would know that we would catch them in this lie.

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Tagged as: Droid, Verizon

  • Stang68

    Your reasoning is terrible. Why would Verizon want to keep out a feature that nets them an extra $20 a month per user? To sell new hardware? We all know Verizon wants the subscription payments, not the hardware sales. Maybe it isn’t possible with the Droid hardware to accomplish the Verizon-type of tethering, the kind whee they can monitor your usage and connect it to your bill, etc.

    • http://www.simplemobilereview.com Chris

      Now are you sure you want to use the term terrible? That is just hurtful. Don’t you think that Verizon would rather people by the newest phone rather than an old one? I am sure they started clearing out their stock of DROIDS as soon as the Incredible was announced. What better incentive to get a newer phone than a feature you can’t get on an old one? But let’s go with your reason. They can’t add the lock down to the phone that they can with newer ones. Then isn’t it better to just say it isn’t supported than to say that it “can’t do it” when we clearly know that it can? They have already discounted the DROID by 50 dollars so it wont be long until they are done with it.

      • Stang68

        Well, couldn’t you say calling Verizon a bunch of liars is “hurtful”? You also have no way of knowing if the Droid can do it the “Verizon way”. Sure, it works when we root the phone, but Verizon wants to be able to restrict and gauge. Maybe the Droid just doesn’t have the ability to allow those permissions to Verizon because it was never an option when it was designed.

        • http://www.simplemobilereview.com Chris

          To be honest I am sure that Verizon could control it if they wanted too. I was just using your scenario to ask the more important question. How can you say the hardware can not support being a WiFi HotSpot when that is not true. Even if the limitation is a control issue it still is untrue to say that the hardware can’t support it.

    • Josh

      Eh, there’s absolutely no reason, whatsoever, that have limited these features based on ‘hardware limitations’. The hardware runs them all just fine, and additional logging would be a server-side thing, not a client side thing.

      We can only speculate as to why, but the ‘hardware limitations’ thing is a complete untruth. But it probably sounded good to their PR/marketing people!

  • Stang68

    Deleted my post, eh?

    • http://www.simplemobilereview.com Chris

      We don’t delete comments unless they are silly. You are new to the site so you were being moderated.

      • Stang68

        My bad :P

        • http://www.simplemobilereview.com Chris

          No sweat welcome to the site

  • http://www.simplemobilereview.com Rod

    I used the Droid rooted with WiFi tether and it worked great. The technology and hardware used in the Original Droid my not meet the Verizon Standard. More important they may not want the support requirements for hardware they never planned this feature for. I think from a marketing stance the answer reads well, “Lacks the hardware”. In reality the answer is likely different but the end result is the same.

    I like my dedicated broadband device vs tethering. Tethering is great but as a second option.

  • http://simplemobilereview.com Brent

    Yeah, I have loaded the same actual program that is used on the Droid X on a rooted Droid, and sure enough, Verizon immediately pops on and wants me to register. So, “Lacks the Hardware” is a complete fabrication for the fact that they don’t want to offer it for the Droid. If I had to guess, it really comes down to the fact that the Moto Droid is a fully open architecture, allowing the loading of alternate ROM’s that will totally bypass Verizon. The Droid X (and soon the Droid 2) will not have that option. So what they are saying is that the Droid ‘lacks the hardware’ (eFuse) to protect Verizon’s desire to double-charge us for our data. You do know that when you sign up for either Hotspot or Tethering, you only get 2 GB and that still counts towards your 5 GB Unlimited cap, right?

  • Dave

    The important distinction between WiFi hotspot mode and WiFi tethering for root users is that root tethering sets the network up as an Ad-Hoc wifi network. It is not compatible with all WiFi devices as some do not support connecting to Ad-Hoc networks and will only connect to a true wifi access point.

    Wireless hotspot causes the phone to run as a wifi access point (router actually, since it does basic routing to support multiple devices) which is compatible with a wider array of devices. For this reason, it is actually a preferred mode. I believe the reason the Droid 1′s hardware doesn’t support hotspot mode is due to its using an older wifi module which only supports setting up an Ad-Hoc network. Not all wifi modules have the capability of running in “AP” (or Access Point) mode.