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Remember when Motorola promised that its 2013 phone lineup would be getting over-the-air updates to Android 5.0, almost a year and a half ago? Pepperidge Farm DROID Ultra, DROID Maxx, and DROID Mini owners remember: they've been waiting that long to get their much-needed upgrade, watching with envy while the Verizon-specific phones were passed over and Moto's more general X and G lines got their updates. Not that any of those neglected customers are particularly surprised at this point, but Motorola has finally recanted on its promise: there will be no Lollipop for the Ultra, Maxx, or Mini.
Howdy there, owners of the 2013 Motorola DROID phones. Are you patiently waiting for your Android 5.0 update? Good. That means you've already had plenty of practice, and you'll need it, because you'll be waiting at least a little longer. You may see an over-the-air update coming in sometime in the next few days, but it isn't for a new version of Android. We just thought we'd let you know so you don't get your hopes up... and then immediately crushed.
Last summer's trifecta of DROIDs are all getting hit by the same over-the-air update right about now. Verizon has announced a bump up to software version 23.1.12 that's going out to the DROID Maxx, Mini, and Ultra. The OTA prepares the devices to deliver better call quality through what the carrier has coined Advanced Calling 1.0.
Motorola hasn't forgotten about those devices that aren't part of the "Moto" family. The Droid Maxx, Droid Ultra, and Droid Mini on Verizon are getting the Android 4.4.4 update starting today. Even the Moto X hasn't been given the go ahead yet.
If you've bought a DROID phone from Verizon and Motorola at some point in the last two generations, you've got an update coming soon. The carrier posted update materials for all 2012 and 2013 Motorola DROIDs: RAZR M, RAZR HD, RAZR MAXX HD, Mini, Ultra, and Maxx. The older phones are getting upgraded to Android 4.4.2, while the newer DROIDs just get a stability update.
The Touchless Control feature on the Moto X and Verizon's 2013 DROIDs (Ultra, Maxx, and Mini) is already one of the coolest Android manufacturer add-ons around. Today it gets just a little cooler: the Touchless Control app was updated to add a "What's up" command. This voice command will make your phone read out the unread notifications in your status bar. This should be great for hands-free updates while driving. Or bathing.
Motorola has been taking advantage of the Play Store to distribute updates to a number of stock apps including the camera, Assist, and Touchless Control. Now the newest addition to the Play Store has popped up, and it's the stock Gallery app with a new coat of paint. The old one looked just like the stock Android/Nexus app, but now it has a light KitKat vibe.
Motorola first released the Droid Zap app back in August, and while it consisted largely of blacks and reds, it still provided a relatively integrated experience. But already, things were changing, and they haven't slowed since - Android apps these days are filled with image-heavy cards and convenient sidebars. Now the latest version of Droid Zap has both of these elements.
After being the first carrier to deliver KitKat on the Moto X, Verizon is now following up with OTA updates for its own line of exclusive Motorola devices. Starting today, DROID MAXX, Mini, and Ultra owners will start to see the latest version of Android arrive on their devices. According to a tweet sent out just now, this update will be going out in waves.
Maybe the black slabs of glass and Kevlar that are Verizon's 2013 DROID lineup aren't doing it for you. If that's the case (and you haven't already bought a customized Moto X), you can now pick up either the svelte DROID Ultra or the pint-sized DROID Mini in shades of white. The capacious DROID Maxx, surprisingly, is still only offered in black.
They've done it with the camera. They've done it with Touchless Control and Migrate. They've even done it with the FM Radio from the brand new Moto G. Now Motorola is moving even more of its proprietary phone apps into Google Play Land, presumably to allow for more frequent and reliable updates. Today Motorola Assist and Motorola Connect, both exclusive to the Moto X and Verizon's new Motorola DROID phones, are available on the Play Store.
Some Moto X owners weren't particularly happy to learn that a recent OTA with improvements to the camera also had the undesirable consequence of breaking root acquired through PwnMyMoto. Fortunately, the creator of PwnMyMoto, Justin Case, is back with an updated root method that works on the latest Moto X update and should be compatible with all recent Motorola firmwares.
There's a lot to like about Motorola's Verizon-specific DROID line. They don't have the most groundbreaking specs, but they're covered in Kevlar and they feature Motorola's excellent radios and battery life. If you're looking to get your Active Notifications on for not much cash. Amazon has some massive discounts on the three new models. New Verizon customers can pick up the long-lived DROID MAXX for .99, and svelte DROID Ultra or the compact DROID Mini for just a penny.
So you've lost your Motorola phone - whether it's the Moto X or the latest DROID handset - and you need to find it in a hurry. You could fire up the Android Device Manager on a computer and get a precise, GPS-pinpointed picture of where your phone is on a map, but if you already know the phone is still at home, this is overkill. Instead, you could now just shout Ok, Google Now, find my phone! and your device will activate an alarm to help you out.
Motorola hasn't been shy with the apps as of late. They've published a handful of new ones in the last few weeks, most of which are exclusive to the multi-carrier Moto X and the new family of DROIDs for Verizon. The Skip app went live just a few hours ago, but the latest is possibly the phones' most visible feature, Touchless Control. It lets the new Motos react to voice while the phone screen is off with the command "OK Google Now."
Remember the "Zap" feature that Motorola and Verizon hyped up during their latest press conference? You could be forgiven if you don't - the local sharing app is a solution looking for a problem, and it's only for the new DROID phones. Like the previous Moto-exclusive apps, Droid Zap has popped into the Play Store long before the launch of the DROID Ultra, DROID MAXX, or DROID Mini.
You can't have them in your grubby little paws just yet, but as soon as the new Motorola DROID phones from Verizon are ready to ship, you can get them at a big discount from Wirefly. If you pre-order one of the devices now, you can save $50-100.
Just as expected, Verizon revealed its new family of DROIDs today, courtesy of Motorola. The smallest is (naturally) the DROID MINI, entry-level counterpart to the big daddy Ultra and MAXX, and ostensible sequel to the excellent DROID RAZR M. The phone uses the same Kevlar-wrapped style as the larger phones, with the naturally updated hardware that you'd expect. It launches on August 20th for $99 on-contract, and pre-orders will be live today.
We have less than half a day left before the big Verizon triple-threat reveal of the new 2013 DROID family in New York City and San Francisco. The DROID Mini, DROID Ultra, and DROID MAXX should be worthy follow-ups to last year's DROID RAZR M, DROID RAZR HD, and DROID RAZR MAXX HD. In this post, I'm not going to talk about processor specs, RAM, or internal storage. Instead, I wanted to provide reliable information about these phones' batteries, along with the confirmations of wireless charging support built right into them. As a bonus, NFC and Wi-Fi details are also presented.
It's time for Verizon to roll out its next wave of exclusive devices, as the company has just sent out invitations to its upcoming press event. Verizon will hold the shindig in New York City on July 23rd, where we expect the carrier to announce the latest generation of its DROID handsets. Likely candidates include the DROID Ultra, the DROID MAXX (an Ultra with a bigger battery), and the DROID Mini (convenient travel sized). These devices were recently leaked by Evleaks and are expected to replace the DROID RAZR HD, DROID RAZR Maxx HD, and the DROID RAZR M, which were introduced at a similar event last year in - you guessed it - New York City.