Is the “iPhone killer” finally here? Some think so. The Droid, to date the most compelling challenger to Apple’s iPhone, will launch in the US next week in time for the holiday shopping season.

The Droid, made by Motorola, powered by Google’s Android operating system and running on Verizon’s 3G network, brings together a formidable alliance that could present the most direct challenge yet to Apple in the smartphone market, which it has taken by storm in the past two years.