Compare: Motorola's Droid 3 vs. Droid 2 and Droid 2 Global

By JR Raphael (@jr_raphael)

Got Droid? Verizon's latest Android phone, the Motorola Droid 3, is here -- and this red-eyed beauty is ready to take the original Droid family to speedy new heights.

Oh yes: The Droid 3 is definitely a significant upgrade from its Droid 2 and Droid 2 Global brethren. Check out the chart at right for a detailed side-by-side comparison, and read on for some more specifics.

In short, the phone is bigger, faster, and better than the previous generation. The Droid 3 boasts a new dual-core processor along with twice the internal storage of its predecessors. It has a souped-up 4-inch screen with 960-by-540 pixel resolution. The D3 rocks an 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture as well as a 0.3MP front-facing cam for your video-chatting pleasure. Put simply, this thing packs some serious power.

It also has a seriously cool keyboard: The Droid 3's slide-out QWERTY has been redesigned to take up more room, with a new fifth row for dedicated number keys. It's a big step up from the Droid 2 phones and a night and day difference from the original Droid device.

For all its assets and improvements, though, the Droid 3 isn't without its drawbacks. The phone's RAM, unfortunately, remains the same as it was in the Droid 2 series -- 512MB, relatively low by today's high-end smartphone standards -- and the device offers no 4G support. Also, while the Droid 3 does ship with Android 2.3.4 (aka Gingerbread), it's married to some new Motorola-made customizations that'll make many an original Droid owner cringe.

All considered, then, how's the Droid 3 measure up? Join me for an in-depth look at the good, the bad, and the bottom line in my full Droid 3 review:

Hands on: Motorola's Droid 3 is almost an awesome phone

Article copyright 2011 JR Raphael. All rights reserved.