Android Mobiles

(Updated) The Motorola support website has posted information about the Motorola Droid update to Android 2.1, including details on exactly what you’ll get when it hits your handset. The down and dirty? You won’t get live wall papers or the cool app tray animations, but pretty much everything else is on the way.

Do the lack of live wallpapers leave you disappointed? Anything you’re REALLY looking forward to having? Personally I think the voice to virtual keyboard is crucial, but here are all the features on the way with the 2.1 update:

• Voice recognition for Virtual keyboard
• 3D Gallery
• Pinch-to-Zoom
• News and Weather App and Widget
• Google Maps Updates
• Enhanced Music Application
• Google Goggles App
• Other Enhancements

Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

PS: Where are our 5 screens?!?!?! I hope that is included in “other enhancements”

Update: This page has been removed, but we’ve posted screenshots here.

Earlier today we told you the Motorola Droid’s update to Android 2.1 was coming very soon and now, thanks to an Official update on Motorola’s Facebook page, we know that very soon = this week!

Have your Droid’s charged and at your fingertips so when that “Do you want to update” question pops up, you’re ready to happily press Yes and get the Droid goodness  you’ve been waiting for.

Engadget is having their 2009 Engadget Awards and Android is making a case in many categories. Unfortunately, for bothh Gadget of The Year and Smartphone Of The Year the Motorola Droid is 2nd to the iPhone 3GS – BLEH! Time to rally the troops!

Head on over to Engadget 2009 Awards and VOTE FOR THE DROID wherever you see it present. Show your Android love and lets see if we can move the needle at all. Interesting sidenote: the Droid is DOMINATING for GPS Device of the year – pretty awesome considering its a phone!

I don’t usually make these types of posts but hey – Jason mailed me and requested we pool together the Android love and I couldn’t resist the idea. Thanks Jason!

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I, just like any other Droid owner out there, have been envying Android 2.1 since the release of the Nexus One. Well, we’ve got news for you – Engadget reports that the 2.1 update is making its way through Verizon’s testing department! Here’s what the update is reported to include:

Current build is 2.1 Version 1.

Google Goggles pre-installed.

Multitouch enabled browser.

Home screen of 2.0.1 with no rotating 3D grid menu, maintains drawer tab.

No live wallpapers. NoOoOoOoOoo!

The news and weather widgets introduced on the Nexus One are included.

Although the release date of the update is unknown, hopefully the testing is a sign that it will be available, or leaked, soon! Check up soon as we will keep you updated as we get more info on the update. Any features that are lacking in the rumored update that you would of liked to see? I know they are just aesthetic but I would of loved the live wallpapers.

[via Engadget]

I was happy to see Megan Fox in a tub during the Motorola SuperBowl advertisement – trust me I was. But overall I was disappointed in the ad and I’ll tell you why after you watch:

Overall the ad was good. Hot celebrity. Funny approach/integration. But why would Motorola show a BRAND NEW PHONE and not even mention the name? Why would MOTOBLUR be the “product” they are trying to sell/push? If you ask me… it’s just confusing to consumers, not to mention it isn’t magnetic.

If I were directing this ad campaign I would have had Megan Fox mention the phone she was holding was the Motorola Devour instead of saying “He” and at the end I would have showcased all of the phones with MotoBlur. Just have each fly by for 1 second and use 5 seconds… still with the “Motorola.com” at the bottom, with the phone and phone names flying across the screen.

I don’t know – I just feel like Motorola spent a few million dollars and didn’t sell anything. I get the idea of “branding” and I know they’re big on MotoBlur but I feel like they could have better showcased their portfolio and explained that ALL these phones had MOTOBLUR.

What did you think about the Ad?

Oh yeah… PhoneArena is reporting the phone will launch on February 25th for “indirect channels” and in all sales channels no later than March 15th. That’s just an anonymous tip but since Verizon and Motorola have already made it official, right around the corner is a good timeframe guess.

PS: I like how PhoneArena said “too bad it doesn’t come bundled with Megan Fox.” We were all thinking the same darn thing.

One thing you may have missed about the Motorola Devour is that the specs list Flash Lite support. The Motorola Droid doesn’t even have Flash support! If you’ll remember, back in November when we did our Motorola Droid Media/Web Review, we told you that while the Droid didn’t currently have flash, it would be coming in early 2010.

Well it’s early 2010 and perhaps the Motorola Devour will usher in the age of Android flash support by default. I’ll be jealous if the Motorola Devour has Flash for an extended period of time while the rest of us wait, but it appears that Adobe already has flash working on the Droid and Nexus and its only a matter of time.

But yeah, potential Devour owners weighing the device against the Palm Pre, Pixi, iPhone, Blackberries or other devices… Flash support is another round that goes to the Android-based Devour!

Verizon Wireless continues to follow up with customers via E-Mail to ensure Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris owners are getting their all out of the device. They have already sent several E-Mails with application recommendations and they’ve just sent their latest – Droid Does Sports.

BASKING RIDGE, NJ —Game-winning plays don’t just happen on the field. With applications available in the Android Market™, every fan gets the chance to be a star. Verizon Wireless customers with DROID by Motorola can choose from a variety of sports-themed apps featured in the Verizon Channel in the Android Market to get them in the game for events happening this month.

This week, customers can check out:

• NFL Super Bowl Showdown Theme – With the Big Game this weekend, customers can get ready for the showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. Get in the spirit for $3.99 with the only Android theme officially licensed by the National Football League.
• Vancouver 2010™ – Official Mobile Game – Customers can embrace the spirit of the Vancouver Olympics with this thrilling game packed with five electrifying sport events, including snowboard cross. Customers can play solo or against friends for $5.99.
• SportyPal – SportyPal is intuitively designed to help customers improve their performance in running, cycling, blading, walking, skiing and other workouts. This free app activates when users begin their exercise and with two clicks will start to log and map position, movement, distance, tempo and calories burned. When finished, performance information will be stored on the mobile device with the option to review or compare it with other exercises or to check workout achievements.
• Twidroid for Twitter – Customers going to the Big Game can download this app to keep their followers up to date on all of the action. It’s available for free and supports all Twitter features, including tweeting, video posting and photo posting.

Three questions for Phandroid readers:

1. What are your favorite sports apps?
2. What apps will you be using tomorrow during the SuperBowl?
3. New Orleans Saints or Indianapolis Colts

Just in case you haven’t noticed the market update for the newest edition of Google Maps, go check it out now! The newest version, 3.4.0, brings full multi touch pinch to zoom to the Motorola Droid. As a Droid owner myself, I am happy to see more multi touch applications and hopefully we will see more apps using multi touch technology. Any other Droid owners getting excited for what’s to come?

Features:

• Starred items synchronized with maps.google.com
• Search suggestions from you maps.google.com search history.
• Multi-touch-Android 1.6 does not support the multi touch addition

Verizon looks poised to go on an Android tear – they’ve already got the Droid and Droid Eris with the Devour on the way, and a little birdie is claiming that 2 LG Android Phones will launch on Big Red before April!

Take this as rumor of supreme form (salt!), but it wouldn’t be the most surprising move ever made. Apparently one of the phones will be a touchscreen similar to the Droid Eris while the other will sport an LG enV form factor. Can I tell you that would make me outrageously excited if Verizon brought the LG enV touch with Android attached.

(Note the picture above is NOT an Android Phone – it is the existing LG enV Touch currently available on Verizon Wireless. Pictured here for reference purposes)

It is just as likely the “enV” comparison only means it will have a full QWERTY keyboard and we’re getting way ahead of ourselves anyways… this is all just rumorization at this point in time. Do with it what you will!