A Big Leap for Android and Motorola

Android, the heralded smartphone operating system Google (GOOG) unveiled 14 months ago, got off to a slow start because the early handsets were mediocre, and most carriers kept their distance. Now, two events may give Android a boost: a new version of the software and Verizon Wireless' launch of the Motorola (MOT) Droid, which runs on it.

The Droid, available on Nov. 6 for $199 after rebate with a two-year contract, is the first phone to use the much-improved Android 2.0. The phone itself is the best product in years to come from a newly reborn Moto. And the new software includes mail, contact, and calendar features that go way beyond those available in the earlier versions of Android. Instead of being forced to rely on Google's Gmail service, for example, you can now combine data from various mail accounts into unified displays. And there's built-in sync of e-mail, contacts, and calendar from corporate Exchange servers—though your company's technology police may not tolerate the fact data stored on the Droid cannot be encrypted.