Verizon Wireless is ramping up for Friday’s launch of the Motorola Droid, and the device has created substantial buzz, thanks to generally positive reviews and the carrier’s big-budget marketing campaign. But some users — including Om — say the handset has been overhyped and is no threat to the iPhone. The Droid does have a few noticeable shortcomings, including:

• Accessing the Droid’s built-in support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync will cost users an additional $15 a month. While the charge isn’t new — Verizon has long charged BlackBerry users a tacked-on fee, and AT&T and T-Mobile USA have similar plans — it could hinder the gadget’s uptake among business users.

• Like other Android gadgets, the Droid’s app storage is limited to a meager 256MB. Yes, it comes with a 16GB SD card that can be replaced with a 32GB card, but there’s likely to be some backlash from consumers who’ve never used removable memory before.

• The Droid’s browser is inferior to the iPhone 3.1 Safari browser, according to MobileCrunch, with slower page loads and slightly less compliance to