DROID branded Headset Awaits Your Orders

Whether or not you like the robotic sounding DROID noise, it’s well known. Verizon has done an AMAZING job with the DROID branding. I have heard plenty of people I wouldn’t consider to be phone-savvy mention that they wanted a DROID phone, but then the phone they mention doesn’t have the actual branding, just the Android OS.

It’s no surprise to me that Verizon would want to expand this onto accessories as well. The pic on the right, courtesy of our pals over at Engadget, is the “new” headset shown off in its retail packaging with its tag line “A headset so smart, it texts hands-free.”

MotoSpeak vs Voice Actions

This is the part of the device I have a problem with. Since Android 2.2 we have a little thing on our phones called Voice Actions. For those of you that don’t know what that is, they are trigger words you can say while doing a voice search to perform certain actions. These actions could be composing an email, getting directions, and TEXTING SOMEONE.

While I realize that you’d have to long-press on the search key on your phone vs. the button on the headset, it’s not really a selling point (at least to a fanboy like me). The case also says it comes with a “Special Edition Droid Case & Voice Prompts.” I get the case thing, but I hope by Voice Prompts it doesn’t mean that robotic DROID sound in your ear!

But Motorola has instead come up with their own app called MotoSpeak.  Supposedly it makes it easier to sync the headset with your Android device (instead of Bluetooth pairing).  Early reports were not kind of MotoSpeak’s readiness to debut, and reviews on the Android Market are decidedly mixed.

Is this a CommandOne in a New Box?

No price or release date have been given, but as soon as they show up, you know we’ll keep you informed.  However, the Motorola CommandOne Bluetooth Headset was launched at CTIA last fall, and it appears to be the same device.  The CommandOne retails for $99, wonder if the DROID branding will raise the price some more.

Verizon doesn’t have this device on their website yet, but the DROID Roadster Portable Bluetooth Speaker is there, also featuring MotoSpeak.

With additional reporting by Maddi Hausmann Sojourner