THE DROID LAUNCHES... BUT NO ONE CARES?!

Verizon, Motorola, and Google teamed up to make a phone they hoped would be an "iPhone killer", yet Verizon stores seem no more packed than the day before the Droid was offered to the public.

Again, reviews of the Droid have been glowing in regard to the hardware included in the phone, but have been critical about the device's performance and look. Maybe this is why Verizon's second Droid commercial STILL REFUSED TO SHOW THE ACTUAL PHONE?! Here it is for those who missed it:

Wow! Jets! Pods! Explosions! People staring at SOMETHING! It's enough to blow your mind! Here's a clue guys: If the phone is really that amazing, just show us the friggin' thing.

Steve Jobs walked out on a stage nearly three years ago (January 9, 2007 to be exact) and created a media frenzy by SHOWING THE iPHONE TO PEOPLE! He didn't walk out with a box and say, "Ohhh boy! Just wait 'til you get a look at what I have in here! You won't believe it!" Six months later, after giving the iPhone to select media members, iPhone customers lined up in droves to buy the product. The news media showed endless lines of customers waiting for their turn to purchase the device, and it's an occurence that's happened with each new model of the iPhone.

So what company doesn't want so much interest that it creates a mass of people waiting to buy their product? Well, if you believe it, it's Verizon.

[Verizon Spokesman David] Samberg said that a lack of a long line or shortage of devices is actually a good thing. And he urged people to not prejudge the phone's success on that alone.

"Long lines forming outside are flashy," he said. "But it's not really the goal. What we really want to see is this: a steady stream of people coming today and for the next few weeks buying new phones."

This "flashy" analogy would be a great spin... IF it had anything to do with reality. It also seems to be implying that the iPhone's early excitement didn't translate to long-term success, which is silly to say the least. Here's how the iPhone has performed (quarter by quarter) since it's launch in July 2007:
Over that time, while other smartphones have lost market share, Apple has seen their's rise exponentially. For example, in the 2nd quarter of 2008, Apple had just 2.8% of the smartphone business. One year later, they had 13.3% as the 3GS model's sales continue to improve as as we get further from it's July launch. And all of this for a device who's major knock was it's high price - and now the Droid will cost you the exact same amount of money.

Without giving consumers a chance to own an "iPhone-like" device for less money, it would seem that Verizon would have a tough time getting interest for a device with no track record, no iTunes, less apps, and less beauty. And no amount of fancy commercials will make up for that.