BASKING RIDGE, and BELLEVUE, USA - After launching the world's first Android 2.0-based handset, the Motorola Droid, Verizon Wireless has launched another Android device, this time from HTC - the Droid Eris - and hence confirming the widespread rumour that Droid is a series and not a single device from Verizon Wireless.

In comparison to the Motorola Droid, the Droid Eris lacks the physical QWERTY keyboard and is considerably slimmer and smaller than the Motorola device. The specifications of the Droid Eris suggest that it is Verizon's version of the popular HTC Hero, the first Google Android device to feature the HTC Sense UI.

The HTC Sense UI is highly customizable interface from the benches of HTC, that has as many as seven homescreens allowing users to transform the device from a "work" phone to a "play" phone with a simple flick of a finger. The Sense UI is considered to be one of the most user-friendly interfaces beating even the mighty iPhone in certain aspects.

The hardware specifications of the device include a 3.2" capacitive touchscreen and trackball interface, a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, microSD memory card support, USB connectivity, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a 3.5mm jack, A-GPS and digital compass, and software goodies from the Android platform, such as Google Maps, GMail, and a full HTML web browser.

To cash in on the upcoming holiday season, Verizon Wireless has priced the Droid Eris at a tempting price of US$99.99 after a US$100 mail-in rebate for a two-year contract line. The device can either be bought online or from one of the Verizon Wireless Communications stores in the US.

With Verizon Wireless betting heavily on the Android platform and with the recent aggressive advertising campaign of "There is a map for that", the carrier has now turned to its more extensive 3G coverage and device support for taking on the iPhone popularity from the rival US carrier AT&T. With rumors suggesting the end of exclusivity of iPhone to AT&T, the response from the latter and from other carriers remains to be seen in the upcoming months.