Droid (Sholes) - 4/17 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Feb

Leaked Doc Suggests Two New Devices Coming To Verizon: The DROID Fighter And LG Cayman

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Leaks, LG, News, Rumors, Verizon Wireless

The folks over at Droid-life have unearthed an internal Verizon document pointing to some device workshops for two as-of-yet unknown devices. The LG Cayman (like the islands, but way smaller), and the DROID Fighter. No word yet on which manufacturer is producing the latter.

We're not sure whether the "device workshops" are public or employee training. We also don't know if they take place before or after the release of the devices. The document suggests that several other workshops have occurred this year, most of them after their respective devices release dates. Then again, for unreleased devices, we can't be sure.

Feb

Paper Camera Updated To Version 2.0, Adds Video Capability, Android Beam Support

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, Droid 3, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II, News

Paper Camera, one of the most successful camera apps on the Android Market, got an update to version 2.0 today. You may remember our preview of version 2.0 earlier this month, 2.0 being the update which promised to add video capability to the already awesome app. Well, JFDP Labs LTD has made good on that promise, and thrown in a few other tweaks as well.

At the moment, only the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy SII, Galaxy Note, Droid 3, and Transformer Prime have official video support, but JFDP advises that other devices "might have some degree of support."

Besides added video capabilities, Paper Camera has also received support for Android Beam, allowing users to transfer images seamlessly between devices powered by Ice Cream Sandwich.

Feb

LTE-Enabled Motorola Droid 4 Goes Live On The Verizon Network For $200 With Contract, $550 Without

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Droid 4, Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless

The latest RAZR-looking, 5-row-keyboard-sliding, LTE-packing Droid incarnation - the Motorola Droid 4 - went live today on VZW.com and at Verizon Wireless stores nationwide. The Droid 4 is the first LTE-enabled device in the family which makes it much more appealing to those of you who have been shying away from Moto's iconic line due to data speed constraints.

The Droid 4's full specs include:

1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP4430 processor
1GB of RAM
Android 2.3.5 (Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgradable in the future)
4-inch qHD "scratch-and-scrape resistant" display with Gorilla glass
16GB internal memory, up to 32 GB microSD card supported
Full 5-row LED edge-lit laser-cut QWERTY keyboard
8MP rear shooter with 1080p HD video capture
1.3MP 720p HD front-facing camera
802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
4G-LTE
179g (6.31oz)
2.8 (w) x 5.0 (h) x 0.5 (d) inches
CDMA 800, 1900 EVDO REV A/LTE B13 700
1785 mAh battery
Talk time - 12.5 hours, standby time - 8.5 days

Compared to the Droid 3, this device is faster and better all around - it has a faster processor, supports faster data speeds over LTE, and doubles up on the RAM (1GB vs 512MB).

Feb

Wirefly Gets Touchy-Feely With The Droid 4 In A 13-Minute Video Overview

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Droid 4, Motorola, News, Videos

We can't wait for the Droid 4. In the world of smartphones, the QWERTY sliders are a rare and exotic breed these days. Catching a glimpse of a machine with powerful specs and a keyboard-shaped secret gets our mouths watering. So a thirteen minute video will naturally trigger some flood warnings. Wirefly goes hands-on with the Droid 4 in the first video ~~review~~ overview of the latest in the Droid series.

Here's a rundown of Wirefly lays out in the video:

4" 540x960 LCD display
5-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard
1.2Ghz dual-core processor
1GB RAM
LTE
8GB internal storage (expandable with microSD card)
8MP rear camera w/ 1080p HD video recording
1.3MP front camera
1785mAh battery
Android 2.3.5
Micro HDMI port
Ships with Android 2.3.5

The phone also gets put through some benchmark tests.

Jan

[Updated] Motorola Announces "Developer Edition" RAZR With Unlockable Bootloader Headed To Europe And Another Unlockable Device For The U.S. Soon

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Development, Motorola, News, RAZR / RAZR MAXX

Motorola announced today through its official community blog that a RAZR "Developer Edition" (evidently based on the original Droid RAZR, not its newer MAXX counterpart) is in the works. The dev-friendly device will carry an unlockable bootloader and is poised to hit European markets relatively soon, with a (yet unspecified) unlockable device bound for the U.S. "in the coming months." Oddly enough, the blog post was pulled (perhaps it was published prematurely; Update: it's live once again), but luckily the text of the post has been retained:

New Motorola RAZR™ Developer Edition will feature unlocked bootloader in Europe

We have some news for the community of people interested in unlockable/relockable bootloaders.

Jan

[Update: $199 ($100 Off) On Amazon] Deal Alert: Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX Just $230 ($70 Off) With Contract At Wirefly

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Deals, RAZR / RAZR MAXX, Verizon Wireless

As promised, the ultra-impressive DROID RAZR MAXX went on sale today, but for a premium price of $300 with a new two-year contract at Verizon. Not so, says Wirefly, who is charging just $230 for the thin-yet-juiced phone.

What's so special about the MAXX? It's nearly the same as the DROID RAZR, but with one major difference: it's nearly 2mm thicker (for a total thickness of a still-svelte 9mm) to accommodate a whopping 3,300 mAh battery (versus 1,780 in the non-MAXX version).

Definitely sounds like a winner, especially for power users and road warriors. Hit up the source link below to see the product page yourself or to order the phone.

Jan

[Update: Release Date] CES 2012: Verizon Wireless And Motorola Announce The Beefier Droid RAZR MAXX And The Original Droid RAZR In Purple

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Motorola, News, RAZR / RAZR MAXX, Verizon Wireless

Droid RAZR MAXX

Verizon Wireless and Motorola just took the wraps off the new Droid RAZR - the Droid RAZR MAXX, a familiar name we saw leaked a few weeks ago. The RAZR MAXX contains the following changes compared to the original:

A beefier battery with an unknown at the moment capacity. What we do know is that it allows for more than 21 hours of talk time on a single charge. Update: It's 3,300 mAh.
The MAXX is 8.99mm thin compared to the original RAZR's 7.1mm.
The press release specifies 32GB total storage, but it's not obvious whether that means 32GB on-board or 16+16, like on the original RAZR.

Jan

[CES 2012] Video Hands-On With The Motorola DROID 4

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, Droid 4, Motorola, News, Videos

Late yesterday, we got a chance to spend some time with the Motorola DROID 4 over at the Verizon booth here at CES, and we have to say - It sure seems like Motorola has done it again. The DROID 4 will likely once again set the bar for QWERTY slider phones, and thanks to the addition of 4G LTE and a snappy TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor (the same one found in the DROID RAZR), it's also going to be the fastest DROID yet.

Of course, the biggest feature on any DROID is the keyboard, and you can rest assured, the DROID 4's does not disappoint.

Jan

[The First Annual Android Police Andy Awards] And The Winner Of The Award For Best Non-Nexus Android Phone Of 2011 Is..

Posted by David Ruddock in Android Police Andy Awards: 2011, Galaxy S II, Samsung

You made your nominations, and you voted. Now we have a winner. The Andy for Best Non-Nexus Android Phone of 2011 goes to...

Best Non-Nexus Android Phone Of 2011: Readers' Choice

The Samsung Galaxy S II.

This really comes as no surprise. The Samsung Galaxy S II is still one of the most powerful handsets on the market, and with an Ice Cream Sandwich update inbound sometime in the coming year, it's only going to get better. The jaw-dropping SAMOLED Plus display and wickedly fast Exynos dual-core processor made quite an impression when we reviewed the Sprint-ified version, the Epic 4G Touch.

Dec

Motorola Droid Bionic And Atrix 2 Fastboot Files Leak – Come Back From Soft Brick In A Snap

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Atrix 2, Bionic, Development, News

Hot on the heels of the Droid Razr's leaked fastboot files, two more Motorola devices can now be restored to stock configuration in case of emergency.

Motorola's Atrix 2 and Droid Bionic have both had their fastboot files leaked in recent days, providing a bit of insurance for daring users and developers alike. The Atrix 2's files are available here, while the Droid Bionic's fastboot set can be found here.

For those not in the loop, fastboot allows users to flash unsigned partition images via USB (including recovery images), meaning it is possible to bring a device back from a soft brick.