Gadget reviewers even praised the telephone more than 10 years after its launch for its long battery life and clear reception. Other Android-powered smartphones existed before the Droid launched in 2009, but this was the primary one well-liked sufficient to push Android into the highlight. It cemented Google’s Android platform as the iPhone’s largest competitors. (And sowed a rift between Apple and Google, which had previously been close allies.) Verizon is said to have poured $100 million into marketing the gadget. It seemingly paid off—although neither companies disclosed sales figures, analysts estimated that between 700,000 and 800,000 Droids had been bought in roughly one month following its launch.
