Verizon has its second member in its new Android family, the Droid Eris by HTC.  I consider the Eris to be the little brother of the Droid, and both are being released tomorrow!!!  Before I get to the juicy details, I need to leak the exciting price of $99 after a $100 rebate and 2 year agreement with Verizon.  That is the lowest price you will find for an Android smartphone.  The phone is basically the Verizon version of the HTC Hero that is available from AT&T and Sprint.  One drawback I see is that the Eris will run Android 1.5, and the Droid runs 2.0.  So, I’m wondering if there will be a way to update the 1.5 to 2.0 in the near future.  No one will want a phone with an outdated OS.  As for the other features:

- 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen and trackball interface
- 5.0 megapixel auto focus camera
- Expandable memory with pre-installed 8 GB microSD™ card (up to 16 GB supported)
- Supports USB mass storage
- Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi and 3.5 mm headset connectivity
- Integrated GPS and a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing
- Smart dialer for simplified dialing by name, number or initials
- Full HTML browser with Flash Lite capabilities
- Seamless compatibility with Google™ services like Google Maps™, Gmail™, Google Search™ and more

Definitely a nice compliment of features, so if you are looking for a great smartphone but at a low price, I would put this at the top of your list.

Here is the full Press Release:

Bring an Android Device home for the holidays with
DROID ERIS by HTC, exclusively from Verizon Wireless
 
DROID ERIS by HTC Debuts with Verizon Wireless with HTC Sense Experience and an Ultra-Attractive $99.99 Price
 
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and BELLEVUE, Wash. – Beginning Nov. 6, DROID ERIS™ by HTC will invade Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the United States, bringing the power of the Android™ platform and the Verizon Wireless network together.   DROID ERIS by HTC combines the popular Android platform with HTC Sense™, a user experience from HTC that makes it easy for customers to stay close to one another and create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to their needs.
        DROID ERIS by HTC offers customers the opportunity to customize a seven-panel wide home screen with a wide variety of widgets designed to bring the most important information to the surface.  DROID ERIS by HTC also includes the innovative “Scenes” feature, which allows customers to create multiple home screens, each with different widgets and shortcuts, to transform  DROID ERIS by HTC from a “work” phone to a “play” phone with just a touch of a finger. 
        DROID ERIS by HTC also organizes interactions by person, which makes it possible to access text messages, e-mails, phone calls and even Flickr streams and Facebook updates from a single contact card.
        The unique HTC Sense experience found on DROID ERIS by HTC is supported by an array of the latest mobile features, including:
3.2 inch capacitive touch screen and trackball interface
5.0 megapixel auto focus camera
Expandable memory with pre-installed 8 GB microSD™ card (up to 16 GB supported)
Supports USB mass storage
Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi and 3.5 mm headset connectivity
Integrated GPS and a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing
Smart dialer for simplified dialing by name, number or initials
Full HTML browser with Flash Lite capabilities
Seamless compatibility with Google™ services like Google Maps™, Gmail™, Google Search™ and more
 
        DROID ERIS by HTC will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com on Friday, Nov. 6, for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an e-mail feature or e-mail plan. Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
        For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

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