A short time ago Verizon threw its hat in the ring for contender in the smart phone heavyweight competition. This Android powered mobile phone has been awaited by Verizon customers and Android followers, as it promises the greatest combination of technology and features available for Android (and arguably all) smart phones.

The launch of Motorola Droid X kicked off with a feel good partnership promise between Google and Verizon. The promise for Flash support was emphasized by the attendance of Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe Systems. He may not be as media friendly as Steve Jobs, but his presence demonstrates the seriousness the three companies are showing to deliver on the promise that Droid X will be the first wireless phone to deliver on native Adobe Flash support.

Unfortunately, the corporate types felt compelled to tell us things we already know. Mobility is more than a phone, it’s the sum of software, network, hardware, how the platform’s maturity parallels the desktop platforms changes over the years, blah blah blah. Why do so many launch events include talking down to their audience? It’s not like anyone from the general public is there. Anyone who takes the time to show up is already deeply interested in the category and is aware of the shifting nature of mobile communications.

On to the good stuff. They get into feature details that promise a lot of entertainment for Droid X owners. Not surprisingly there will be Verizon’s V CAST video support. But they also announced partnerships to deliver content from NFL Mobile, Skype, Blockbuster video rentals on the go, as well as a backup assistant to protect your data (presumably for when you throw the phone to the ground in rage if your NFL team loses to its rivals).

On the specs front, the display size is 4.3″ diagonally. This is a monster size phone, but the extra screen real estate will come in handy. It seems a little defensive by taking a shot at higher resolution displays such as the iPhone, claiming that when asked consumers would choose a larger screen. But the audience gives a laugh at the “quantity vs quality” jab.

The CPU is a 1 GHz OMAP chip, it sports 8GB of RAM memory, and 16GB of storage. It includes an expansion card to add up to 32GB for a total of 40GB of storage. It has a multi-touch keyboard using Swype.

It is able to serve as a Internet hotspot, so that you can use your phone’s Internet connection to connect your laptop to surf or check email. You can link up to 5 devices, although I can not imagine the speed would be acceptable with that many devices sharing the phone’s internet connection.

For voice communications, it includes 3 microphones. Why three? One is for telephone calls, one for video calls, and one is used for background noise cancellation. It includes Bluetooth voice dialing.

For corporate users, this comes with support for Gmail enterprise and MS Exchange. As expected, it provides push email, remote management/data wipe, and other IT department pleasers.

Adobe Flash 10.1 we are told has been completely rewritten to support the Droid platform better.

Speaking of flash, the 8mb digital camera includes a flash for taking photos. It can also record 720p HD video. It comes with an HDMI out to connect your mobile phone to your TV to share photos and videos.

There are also Motorola Droid X accessories that’ll enhance the consumers experience. Motorola has announced an OEM desktop cradle that’ll sit comfortably on your desk. They will also release Motorola Droid X cases that is specifically made for the Droid.

The data plans announced is $29.99 for unlimited download, and also you can add WiFi tethering for $20 including 2GB of data. I am not sure why you need an extra 2GB of data if the $29.99 plan is “unlimited” but I am sure this will become clear soon. Perhaps the 2GB limit with 5 cents per MB overage limit is for tethering only, and any data used on the phone is unlimited.

The Motorolla Droid X will be offered July 15th, at $199 after rebate. They are saying that this device will be US only, though there may be comparable devices manufactured for other parts of the world.

Will this be an iPhone killer? Time will tell, but it is certainly a challenger for the smart phone space. It is unlikely to have the same flocking effect that iPhone had for AT&T, where people left service providers they liked for AT&T just to get the iPhone. But for Verizon customers that have iPhone envy, this is a very good reason to stay with Verizon. To discuss or chat about the Droid visit the Motorola Droid X forum.