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Sep

[Complete Guide] Root, Custom Recovery, Backup, And De-Bloat Your DROID BIONIC

Posted by David Ruddock in Bionic, Tips & Tutorials

WARNING: We are not responsible for any destruction of data, phones, or small animals resulting from your use of these instructions. Utilize them at your own risk. If you brick your BIONIC, head to this link.

OK, DROID BIONIC owners - I think it's finally safe-ish (well, as safe as it can be for the moment) to start tinkering with your phone a little. There's enough information out there now to reliably root, backup, and de-bloat your phone - with the ability to unbrick if you screw something up. So, let's get this party started. Also, these instructions are for Windows only.

Sep

Motorola Droid Bionic Can Now Be Restored To Stock In Case Of A Brick

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Bionic, Development, Motorola, News

Did you recently do something horrible to your Droid Bionic? Tired of staring at that red Motorola logo? This freshly released recovery file will have your bionic running like new in no time.

Interestingly, Motorola has changed the recovery file format from the tried and true SBF file to the XML based FXZ file. There's isn't a huge difference between the new and old file format, but according to Brief Mobile's head honcho, Kenneth Pennington, FXZ is "more transparent and customizable." So there's that.

For the end user the process is the same as it's always been. The gist is:

install the Moto drivers
connect your Bionic to the PC
open RSD Lite
load the recovery file
flash.

Sep

[Deal Alert] Motorola Droid Bionic $175 From Wirefly For Both New Contracts And Upgrades - Today Only

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Bionic, Deals

We may have already featured the Bionic for $180 from Amazon Wireless, but that deal only applies to new contracts, so existing VZW customers are left paying nearly full price. It's always hard to get a price break while using an upgrade, as the best deals are generally reserved for customers looking to switch carriers.

However, Wirefly has a deal going right now where anyone can grab this LTE beast, for $175 (normally $250) by using coupon code BIONIC75, regardless of whether you're a new or existing customer. Of course, if you are an existing customer, you have to be eligible for upgrade, meaning you've completely fulfilled your existing agreement.

Sep

DROID BIONIC Review: This Is The Phone That The DROID X2 Should Have Been

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, Bionic, Motorola, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Verizon Wireless

The DROID BIONIC has probably been the single most anticipated Android smartphone in the US. Since its unveiling at CES, subsequent total re-design, and sort-of-delayed release, it has been a long and winding road for Motorola's newest flagship handset. Verizon's massive marketing arm hasn't failed to promote this thing, either - walk into any Verizon store and you'll see employees garbed in BIONIC t-shirts, armed with BIONIC accessory display boxes and a tailor-made marketing spiel, ready to meet you with more LTE and dual-core madness than you can shake a stick at.

So, it's safe to say, this phone has spent extensive time in the hype machine.

Sep

And The Winner Of The Droid Bionic In The Giant Special Edition Giveaway #7 Is...

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Bionic, Contests / Giveaways

Last Updated: September 21st, 2011

With over 3800 entries from Facebook, Google+, and Twitter (in order of popularity), it's now time to conclude the 7th "special edition" giveaway and announce the winner of the brand new Droid Bionic, the lapdock, the HD docking station, and the Webtop adapter.

Before I move on to the winner, selected at random, I'd like to thank Android Stack Exchange for providing the prizes and an excellent platform for asking and getting quick answers to all your Android questions.

And now - the winner!

Unfortunately, since there is only 1 grand prize and over 3800 entries, the chance of winning one is...

Sep

Video: DROID BIONIC First Impressions

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, Bionic, Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless, Videos

I've had the BIONIC just about 24 hours now, and that's enough time to draw a few, basic conclusions about the phone. It's not sufficient for a full review, obviously, but if you're itching to know more about how using the BIONIC is from an Android addict's perspective, you might want to check out my first impressions video.

Basically, I discuss the phone's hand feel, display, performance, and a few other less noteworthy items. It's a bit more than you'll get from walking into a Verizon store and playing with a display model for 5 minutes, but it's a lot less than what you'll see in our full (and extensive) review, which should be coming some time in the next few days.

Sep

Droid Bionic Accessory Roundup: Extra Stuff To Help You Rule All Machines With Style

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Bionic, News

They say that a smartphone is only as good as its accessories, and if that's the case, then the Bionic must be among the best. (Okay, they don't really say that, but everyone loves extra stuff for their phone.)

We've taken a look at what Moto has to offer in way of extras for its new flagship, and decided to put together a list for those who may be new to Motorola devices, or perhaps Android in general.

HD Docking Station

We found out earlier today that this little baby would cost a cool $99, but it was unclear exactly what you get for your money.

Sep

[Giant Giveaway #7: Special Edition] No, You Aren't Dreaming - Win A DROID BIONIC From Android Police And Stack Exchange

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, Bionic, Contests / Giveaways, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: September 13th, 2011

Yep, you read that right - we're giving away a DROID BIONIC, and it's not even out yet (well, it will be in less than 24 hours), courtesy of the awesome folks over at Stack Exchange. Why? Because we want to help supercharge Stack's amazing Android Q&A site, Android Stack Exchange.

Android Stack Exchange, a child of the StackOverflow family of sites, is sort of like a dedicated Android Q&A Reddit + Wiki + FAQ for answering all your questions about everything Android. It really is pretty amazing, and unlike Stack Overflow, it's not aimed at developers - on the contrary, it's for users like me and you.

Sep

Verizon Wireless Officially Announces The Motorola Droid Bionic, Available On September 8th For $299

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Bionic, News, Verizon Wireless

We can't say that we didn't see this coming, but VZW finally announced the Droid Bionic this morning. As expected, the newest 4G LTE Droid will be available on September 8th for $299. All of the hardware rumors have now been confirmed, as well:

4.3-inch qHD display
1GHz dual-core processor
1GB RAM
8MP rear shooter, front facing camera
16GB built-in storage, 16GB SD card
MotoPrint app to print via Wi-Fi-enabled printers
HDMI Out (mirror mode)
Webtop
Android 2.3.4

There are also a few accessories set to be available with the launch of the device, including the Lapdock for $299, the HD Docking Station for $99, and the Webtop Adapter for $29.

Sep

Motorola Droid Bionic Already Rooted, A Week Before Release

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Bionic, News

Last week, a new vulnerability was discovered in the Droid 3 that finally allowed developers to achieve root access. Upon further investigation, it was concluded that this specific problem wasn't exclusive to the D3, but could most likely be exploited on all Moto phones running Gingerbread. Once this was verified, the next progression in thought that came to mind was 'what about the Droid Bionic?' As found out by MyDroidWorld, the Bionic is indeed susceptible to this particular exploit, so early adopters concerned with gaining root can stand in line on September 8th with confidence.