One reason for optimism is the fact that the Droid is the first Android-based phone being sold exclusively by Verizon. Although Verizon has lagged behind Sprint and T-Mobile in releasing devices that run on Google's open source mobile platform, it is aiming to catch up quickly. Verizon and Google recently entered into an to jointly develop wireless devices based on the Android mobile platform. With more than , Verizon is the largest carrier so far to support Android-based devices.

The other big reason for optimism is the device's hardware: Like the before it, the Droid uses Texas Instruments' OMAP 3430 processor, which runs at 600MHz and integrates several different functions, such as graphics processing, onto one single chip. This will give Droid users the ability to run multiple applications at once and switch between them without having to close any of them.

The combination of strong hardware, Google's brand strength and Verizon's network could present the iPhone with a formidable foe over the next few months. In the rest of this article, we'll break down the differences between the Apple iPhone 3GS and the Motorola Droid, from their hardware to their operating systems to their carrier strengths.

As noted previously, the Droid runs on the TI OMAP 3430 processor, one of the top processors on the market. All indications are the Droid will exploit the processor's potential to the fullest, as Verizon is touting the device's ability to run simultaneous applications as one of its key features. In addition to its application-switching capabilities, the TI OMAP 3430 is also a very fast processor. The says that the processor has made the Droid "the fastest Android device we've ever used."