The Eris will have the Android OS in common, and little else. The idea is to boost sales for smartphones, as fewer people can justify same day loans for something you really don't need these days. The Motorola Droid started an ad war with the iPhone, and now that the Droid, which has a mail in rebate to bring the price down to $199, will also release the Verizon Droid Eris, a less expansive version of the Droid for about half the price.