Motorola Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich schedule updated
Motorola Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich schedule updated, ,
Chris Parsons
Motorola device owners have been pretty vocal about their want for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on their devices. Motorola in response to that, has kept an ICS rollout schedule updated and recently they made some changes to it that will either excite you or upset you, depending on which device you own.
Droid RAZR, Droid RAZR MAXX and XOOM 3G/4G owners have the most to be excited about as ICS updates for those devices should be rolling out at just about any moment right now. Atrix, Atrix 2, Droid Bionic, Droid 4 and XYBOARD owners will be waiting until the next quarter for their updates.
Own a Droid 3 or Droid X2 though? Looks as though you better start looking towards some ICS compatible ROM's as those devicse will be stuck on Android 2.3 Gingerbread for the remainder of their lifecycle, minus some bug fix and maintenance releases.
Source: Motorola, Android Central Forums
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Verizon getting a blue Motorola Droid RAZR on May 18?
Verizon getting a blue Motorola Droid RAZR on May 18?, ,
Phil Nickinson
We've seen the Motorola Droid RAZR in white, black and purple. Now it looks like Verizon's got a blue version joining the ranks as well. According to the inventory screens we've received, it's slated for release on May 18. It's the same as Droid RAZR we first reviewed back in November — and that means it's also running Gingerbread, we're told. And we also can't help but notice that this shade of blue isn't unlike what Nokia has on the Lumia 900. Coincidence?
No word on pricing yet (or if there's a blue MAXX version on the way), and remember that none of this is official until Verizon says it is. So stay tuned.
Thanks, anon!
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Motorola Droid 3 getting a sizable update, but not to ICS
Motorola Droid 3 getting a sizable update, but not to ICS, ,
Jerry Hildenbrand
The Motorola Droid 3 has a large system update queued and ready to roll out, but it's just another version of Gingerbread. The 5.7.905.XT862 update checks in about 230 MB, and is chock full of fixes, patches, and enhancements — all very welcome for most any user. With "only" 512 MB of RAM, we didn't really expect the Droid 3 to ever officially run Ice Cream Sandwich, but there's always that glimmer of hope when we see the system update prompt. What did get fixed and updated? I'm glad you asked.
- A Google Security Patch has been added to improve the security level.
- Fixed issue where the device may power ON without user interaction.
- Avoid device interruption when accessing an application prior to the storage being fully mounted on the device.
- Improvements in device stability help avoid device power cycles.
- When connected to a Bluetooth® headset or HDMI cable, the device will no longer lock up and power cycle.
- Improvements to the camera’s auto focus will reduce the shutter response time and enhance the quality of captured imagery.
- Device is enabled with the Wireless Alerting System.
- Use a wired headset without the interruption of a high pitched tone.
- Plus code dialing has been enhanced, improving the experience while traveling.
- Playback media can be heard while using a Bluetooth headset.
- Place a call to the appropriate recipient using the contact widget.
- When moving applications to the SD card, shortcuts to these Apps will remain.
- After updating the contact database from the Messaging App, the Messaging UI will display the latest contact information.
- Successfully post and play videos on Facebook.
- Purchased ringtones are now able to be downloaded, saved and used where appropriate.
- Contact pictures display properly in Google Voice.
- VZ Navigator 3D City is now preloaded.
- Resolved excessive data usages and continuous downloading for VZ Navigator® 3D City downloads.
For more information about the update process, hit the Verizon support link below. For the more experienced Android users, just start hammering on the update button.
Source: Verizon support
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Motorola Cliq 2 gets updated to Gingerbread
Motorola Cliq 2 gets updated to Gingerbread, ,
Jerry Hildenbrand
The Motorola Cliq 2 is finally getting it's Gingerbread update. I'll spare you from the witty and/or snide remarks abut Gingerbread being 18 months old. It's not an OTA update, and you'll need a computer running Microsoft Windows to update your Cliq 2. I'll spare you from the witty and/or snide remarks about that, too. In their place, I offer this list of updates and enhancements.
- Improved Cursor Control
- Improved Word Selection and Copy
- Number and Symbol Shortcuts
- Sleep Mode
- Dock Icon Functionality
- App Groups
- Rich Location App
- App and Power Management Details
- Download Manager App
- New User Interface Icons
- Tasks App Enhancements
- Browser Search Engine
- Emergent Groups and Smart Contacts
- Updated Calendar Options
- Device Control Capabilities Through 3LM
- UI performance Improvements
- Battery Fixes
- Wi-Fi Calling Implemented fixes to improve reliability.
- Wi-Fi Hotspot Signal Improved
That's a big, long list. You can find the full details, as well as update instructions in the links below. Now go get some Gingerbread if you're still using your Cliq 2!
Source: Motorola, Update support
Thanks everyone who sent this in!
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Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Motorola DROID Fighter – Omega Superphone Smackdown
With HTC having already launched their new flagship Android smartphone, the HTC One X, the Android rumor mills’ attention seems to be currently focusing on the upcoming flagships from the two other main Android smartphone manufacturers: Samsung and Motorola. While during the previous weeks we have extensively covered the rumors and leaks regarding the Samsung Galaxy S3, Motorola’s upcoming smartphone, rumored to be branded as ‘the DROID Fighter’, is somewhat of a recent addition to the pre-launch interest list of Android fans worldwide.
Please note that while none of the rumored Samsung Galaxy S3 specs are set in stone, the image we currently have on the S3 was painted by a hefty number of reports and supposed leaks. Contrastingly, there are few reports on the DROID Fighter, although that did not stop some enthusiasts from spreading rumors left and right. We have no way of telling if the rumored specs for both the Galaxy S3 and the DROID Fighter will come true, but if they are to be believed, it looks like the Motorola DROID Fighter will be the toughest competitor to the next hardware iteration in the Samsung’s immensely popular Galaxy S series.
Note: Before you guys rush to the comment section and start blaming me for comparing two smartphones that aren’t even official yet, please note that this article only aims to compare the rumored specs, and should not serve as a buying guide. This is for all of you other there that are waiting for the next best thing.
Round 1: Display
As indicated by a leaked image of the DROID Fighter (catch it above: the DROID Fighter is in the left while the DROID RAZR is on the right), it is believed that the upcoming Motorola flagship will feature a 4.6 inch display. As there is no sight of any capacitive buttons, it’s likely that a small portion (0.3 inches) of the display real estate will be used up by the standard Android 4.0 ICS on-screen buttons.
What’s interesting is that Motorola have decided to make the entire device 0.3 inches bigger than the DROID RAZR, although the real screen size will remain the same in most situations (I said most situations because the on-screen buttons roll down in some situations), deciding to place a big Verizon logo where the capacitive buttons used to rest. There is no reason why Motorola won’t decide to go with a SAMOLED display in the DROID Fighter (as they’ve also done so – with success – with the DROID RAZR). A bump in the resolution is also expected, so a 720p resolution is what most specialists bet their money on.
One of the earliest leaks of the DROID Fighter, which at the time was known as the DROID HD
In the blue corner, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is expected to arrive with a new generation of Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays, one capable of providing a better pixel density (as mentioned by the Digitimes report here). Overall, we should be expecting a 4.6 SAMOLED HD Plus display at a native 1280 by 720 pixel resolution.
As the displays are likely to be both manufactured by Samsung, have the same rumored size and the same rumored resolution, there isn’t much in this. If rumors turn out to be true, don’t expect any major differences between these displays.
Winner: Draw
Round 2: CPU, GPU & RAM
As many of you probably already know, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is rumored to feature the Samsung-built Exynos 4412 SoC, translating into a quad-core ARM Cortex A9-based CPU running at 1.5-1.8 GHz and an ARM Mali-T604 GPU.
In the red corner, given Motorola’s previous SoC choices, it won’t be a surprise if Motorola decides to place a Texas Instruments OMAP4470 SoC inside the DROID Fighter. While the OMAP4470 won’t feature a quad-core CPU, the 1.8 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9-based processor should be fast enough for most Android users. On the upside, the OMAP4470 SoC features a PowerVR SGX544 GPU (built by Imagination Technologies), so it should balance its performance in the graphics sector compared to other SoCs. Another viable alternative for Motorola (given the recently signed Motorola – Intel agreement) is the Medfield CPU, although I wouldn’t bet on it showing up inside the DROID Fighter.
Both the Galaxy S3 as well as the DROID Fighter are rumored to feature 2GB of RAM, double the amount inside today’s top-end smartphones. While Android 4.0 ICS has demonstrated great operation on devices with as low as 768MB of RAM, anything but 2GB would be a serious shame for either device.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S3 (quad-core baby!)
Round 3: Battery
Techsnobs
Rumors claim that the Motorola Droid Fighter (at least one version of it) will feature the same 3300mAh battery as the DROID RAZR MAXX. In this context, lasting an entire day on a single charge should not be a problem for the DROID Fighter, while not the same can be said about the Samsung Galaxy S3, which is expected to arrive with a standard <2000 mAh battery. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for other manufacturers to step up, take Motorola’s example and include bigger batteries in their smartphones. What’s the use of having a smartphone powerhouse in your pocket if the battery is drained after just a mere 12 – or worse yet – 8 hours? The least we can hope is that the S3 battery will be replaceable, meaning you can stick another battery in when the first one is dead. But that’s only a compromise solution, as I’m sure you’ll agree.
Winner: Motorola DROID Fighter
Conclusion
So there you have it – the current rumored specs for these upcoming flagship devices from Samsung and Motorola make for a very interesting superphone battle. Ultimately, the S3 will surely sell more units due to huge inertia of the Galaxy S series, but the smart decision should be made based upon the design and build quality of the two smartphones.
Motorola have excelled in the design of the last few smartphones, and fans won’t settle for anything less with the Droid Fighter. In addition, given the amazing build quality of the previous Motorola DROIDs, we expect the Droid Fighter to be built like a tank. Don’t expect a big cannon on top, but a splashproof case built out of Kevlar will surely match our expectations.
So what’s it going to be? Endurance or raw speed? Droid Fighter or Galaxy S3? Let us know below!
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
NEXT: Motorola Droid Fighter spotted, 4.6-inch HD display goodness
What’s the Next Best Android Superphone? What Phone Can Dethrone the Samsung Galaxy S II or the Motorola DROID Bionic? 
Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Nexus Prime) VS HTC Rezound (Vigor): Omega Superphone Standoff
This article, Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Motorola DROID Fighter – Omega Superphone Smackdown , was originally published at androidtime.com – Your Android News Source.
Motorola Droid Razr Maxx to arrive fashionably late to UK, priced at £430
European folks who want to get their hands on the Droid Razr Maxx can now pre-order the phone from UK online store Clove for a tax-including price of £430, or roughly $ 680. Never mind that four months have have passed since the phone was first launched; that 3300mAh battery deserves your full attention.
Pre-ordering the Droid Razr Maxx now will ensure that you’ll be one of the first to walk away with the phone when it ships in mid-May. To sweeten the deal, the online retailer will also throw in a free MOTOROKR EQ3 Wired Compact Folding Speaker, that’s worth £20.
With such a huge battery, you can squeeze 17.6 hours talk time and up to 380 standby hours out of the Droid Razr Maxx, or roughly 16 hours of video playback. Not bad at all for a device that’s only 8.99mm thick. The internals are nothing to scoff at either; with its 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch super AMOLED Advanced qHD display, 1GB RAM, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, and Kevlar rear cover, the Razr Maxx holds its own against any mobile device out there. While the US version of the Droid Razr Maxx on Verizon comes with 4G radio, the European version only supports 3G.
It’s worth mentioning that the Droid Razr Maxx will only ship with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. A recent leak from Best Buy’s internal document system has indicated that the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the phone would come on April 4. Since that date passed without no track of ICS in sight, owners of the phone had no choice but to breathe a collective sigh of despair and cross their fingers once more.
No related posts.
This article, Motorola Droid Razr Maxx to arrive fashionably late to UK, priced at £430 , was originally published at androidtime.com – Your Android News Source.
An interview with Google CEO Larry Page on Facebook, Motorola, Steve Jobs and more
Larry Page, one of the two legendary co-founders of Google, was named the company’s Chief Executive Officer in April last year. During his first year of tenure at the top of the Mountain View-based giant , he has overseen, among others, the roll out of Google Plus and the takeover of Motorola Mobility. Here are some key points from a recent Bloomberg Businessweek interview with Larry Page.
On Taking Chances with New Products
Page said that, over the years, Google has placed some big bets on things like Android, Chrome, or YouTube. While history shows that these are now some of the high points of Google, it could’ve easily gone the other way. Nevertheless, the company keeps pushing to bring new products to the market, such as Google Plus. As a long-term bet, the growth of Google’s own social network has exceeded Larry’s expectations and he is convinced that Google Plus will continue to grow faster than other similar services.
On Competing with Facebook
Larry lamented the fact that other companies are moving toward a “well-guarded state” and don’t reciprocate enough. According to him, Facebook is allowed to import many Gmail addresses, but it has yet to export any addresses. “One day you can import all of your Gmail contacts into Facebook and the next day try to export those out and they would not let you do that,” he said.
On Google’s Core Business
Tackling the question if he still sees Google as a search company, Larry explained that, basically, the soul of the company remains the same. At the end of the day, the company wants to improve people’s lives by making it easy for people to get information.
On Acquiring Motorola and Future Plans
When pressed about what plans Google has for Motorola, Larry sidestepped the question and said that Google is excited about the opportunity. Many believe that the Motorola’s huge patents trove was one of the reasons why Google decided to buy Motorola, but Page maintained that Google has enough patents of its own and has been “successful without suing other people over intellectual property.”
The cuts went even deeper when he said that, “companies usually get into that (patent infringement lawsuit) when they’re toward the end of their life cycle or they don’t have confidence in their abilities to compete naturally.”
On Android tablets
While he believes that Android tablets already offer users a great experience, things can only improve in the future. However, Larry refused to comment on the rumors about Google coming out with its own tablet and selling them directly online. He did mention that he currently uses a Samsung tablet – after owning a Motorola Xoom before.
On Steve Jobs and his fury for Android
Although the late Steve Jobs made his disdain over Android platform pretty clear on numerous occasions, Larry thinks that they were more of a show, one that will serve Apple’s interest. “For a lot of companies, it’s useful for them to feel like they have an obvious competitor and to rally around that,” he explained. He said that he maintained a good relationship with the late pioneer, and Jobs even invited him for a discussion when Larry became Google CEO.
No related posts.
This article, An interview with Google CEO Larry Page on Facebook, Motorola, Steve Jobs and more , was originally published at androidtime.com – Your Android News Source.
Where are the quad core toting, 3300mAh beefy battery beholdin’ Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX contenders?
Who among you first took the plunge with the original Motorola DROID? I bet quite a few of you. It was mine, too. I loved that device. It could take a good solid weekend beating, with drops, smacks, and come back with a big smile. Fast forward to today, and we have Motorola continuing its tradition of building tanks, fitting ever more inside, all while keeping their iconic war-like-ready aesthetics.
Seriously, I wil say again – where are the DROID RAZR MAXX contenders? Smartphone fanatics are currently whipping one another up into a frenzy with quad core this and HD 720p display that, and it’s all going nowhere, folks. Why, you may ask? Read on dear friend.
Why is it going nowhere? Simply because manufacturers don’t seem to be getting the message about battery life. Don’t get me wrong — I love advancement. I get 2000+ emails a day as I comb the vast sea of freshly created information, scouring the ‘net like a scavenger, looking for the latest, most incredible innovations in the rapidly changing landscape that is the mobile space. Ever quietly, ever increasingly though, I find myself disturbed that not one single manufacturer has tuned into the fact that we love getting the most out of our devices, all day long. We all love unending battery life, to carry us throughout our days, like a trusted sidekick.
But it’s not all bad. I will say the exact same thing I said last year at this critical juncture in space and time, “we are on the verge of an absolute revolution in mobile computing.” The thing is though, is that we are always going to be going through a revolution in mobile computing. Bringing it back to batteries for a second, it’s important to note that the technology they are based on is improving at a paltry rate of 5-6% per year. Ugh. With our processors doubling in speed and performance every year or so, and with this trend increasing, something is going to have to give.
Techrepublic
That being said, significant improvements are being made in areas of battery technology, and breakthroughs are happening the world over. In both research & development (R&D) departments of billion dollar tech giants, and the labs of the best universities in the world alike, the race is on to find the next major breakthrough. The ideal is to make a battery that is so good that it will ensure that we never have to think about batteries ever again. Oh what sweet joy it would be to never have to gaze up at the ominously depleting icon in the top right of our screen, or to have to look down at our laptop and figure out how much time we have left — that is the ultimate goal. And you can bet your donuts we will get there. The question is who, and when, and how.
So, if Motorola was able to get an absolutely gargantuan 3300 mAh battery into a very decently spec’ed device, and still retain a sub 9mm thin profile, why can’t other manufacturers? Good question, sir. It’s a question I have been asking myself for a while. I would be all in with Motorola, but so far they haven’t stepped up to the plate to deliver a truly next-gen quad core device with a 720p display yet, so i’m feeling the techno-lust come on mighty strong. But make no mistake – they are working on something delicious in the form of the Motorola DROID Fighter. Quad core toting, 3300mAh beefy battery beholdin’, I know not. But they are working on something for sure.
Oh the shame
According to the nerds over at Strategy Analytics, approximately 67 million LTE handsets will reach souls soon to be tortured this year — a tenfold increase over 2011 — and that’s just the beginning. They are predicting that 254 million LTE devices will be sold in 2016. Sounds good right? Sounds like we are in for a world of hurt. We all know what LTE, quad core, and anorexic batteries are going to party like together. It’s not going to be a party I want to clean up after. Don’t say we didn’t say so.
So I say to you lovely, gracious tech giants, heed my plea. Please allow your devices to hit the drive thru a few times and pack on a few extra mAh’s. Don’t worry, we will love them more. For after all, beauty is on the inside, right? You darn right bet it is.
Anyway, it’s all good right? Which manufacturer should step up to the plate? Which one will? What are your thoughts on battery life? Are you satisfied with yours? Let me know, because I gave up all my friends to be here, and I need some attention.
Disclaimer: no batteries were harmed in the creation of this article
Droid Razr Maxx vs. Galaxy Nexus – Battery or Ice Cream Sandwich? 
Motorola and Verizon announce the Droid Razr Maxx and Droid Razr in Purple
This article, Where are the quad core toting, 3300mAh beefy battery beholdin’ Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX contenders? , was originally published at androidtime.com – Your Android News Source.
Motorola brings a huge update to the MotoACTV and releasing an application for handsets
If you own a Motorola MotoACTV and have been wishing that you could pair it to your phone to receive notifications and more, your time has come. Motorola is releasing a large update for the MotoACTV in addition to releasing an application for devices running 2.1 and above. The update and application are due to hit at some point today, and will bring tons of features including
- Plan workouts on your phone, launch them from your MOTOACTV and see your workout data back on your phone
- Track progress of your personal fitness goals on your phone
- Use your Android smartphone to set up Wi-Fi networks for your MOTOACTV
And you still get the same great Bluetooth® enabled functionality between your MOTOACTV and Android smartphone such as:
- Receive notifications of incoming calls and answer calls
- Redial calls from the MOTOACTV notifications list
- Receive text messages
- Receive reminders about events from your Android smartphone calendar
- Sync fitness data from your MOTOACTV to MOTOACTV.com
Be sure to check out the update, and hit the break for download links for the MotoACTV application.
Source: Motorola; Thanks, Chris!
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Android Central – Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers
Motorola Mobility launches Motorola MOTOKEY SOCIAL in Chile
Motorola Mobility is continuing their Global device rollouts with the Motorola MOTOKEY SOCIAL now making its way to Chile.
We are committed to launching competitively priced cellular telephones with the features demanded by consumers who still do not have a smartphone, but need access to e-mail, create Wi-Fi hotspots to give internet access and social networks,” said Fernando Sanchez, general manager for Mobile Devices, Motorola Mobility Chile.
Motorola MOTOKEY SOCIAL comes with a 3-megapixel camera and support for a microSD card of up to 32 GB, high-speed USB 2.0 file transfer and support for multiple audio and image formats. The device also comes equipped with Bluetooth and stereo radio, as well as a 3.5 mm earphone jack for high quality audio.
Source: Motorola
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Android Central – Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers
