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Sep

[Review] Motorola Photon 4G: A Worthy Device, Despite A Few Compromises

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Motorola, Photon 4G, Reviews, Sprint

A few months ago, I reviewed the Droid X2 and came away unimpressed. Performance was mediocre despite the powerful dual core Tegra 2 CPU, and more importantly, the PenTile display used by Motorola was a step up on paper and a huge step back in practice. Fast forward a few months and I've landed a Motorola Photon 4G (slightly behind schedule thanks to a few logistics issues, but better late than never!) I'm happy to report that despite seeming like it's almost the same device inside, it's quite a different beast this time around.

At A Glance

The specs:

Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) + NinjaBlur UI
1 GHz Tegra 2 (dual core) CPU
1 GB DDR2 RAM (twice the 512MB of RAM in the Droid X2)
4.3" qHD (960 x 540) PenTile display
World Phone - CDMA and GSM bands
4G (WiMax) support
8MP camera with dual LED flash, 720p video capture
VGA front-facing camera
16GB memory + microSD slot (empty out of the box)
HDMI Mirroring
Kickstand
802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi

The Good:

Smooth and responsive performance all around, including in the browser.

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

Motorola Photon 4G Receiving A Small OTA Update With Improvements To Wi-Fi

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Motorola, News, Photon 4G, Sprint

Sprint's Motorola Photon 4G, one of our favorite devices on this network, is receiving a small over-the-air update that will bring it up to version 4.5.1A-1_SUN-154_6/45.2.7.MB855.Sprint.en.US. The only publicized fixes are related to Wi-Fi, with users over at Android Forums reporting improved performance.

As always, wait for the update to pop up or force the check by going to Settings > About phone > System updates.

Source: Sprint, Motorola

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

Editorial: Was Google's Purchase Of Motorola More About Damage Control Than Patent Woes?

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Editorials, Motorola

If you head over to FOSSPatents this morning, you'll find a rather lengthy article about Google's acquisition of Motorola that ends with the following conclusion:

Google bought MMI to prevent the worst for Google's strategy, not to make things better for everyone else.

In a way, the $12.5 billion price represents protection money. But not in the way most people seem to think.

FOSSPatents

This statement is obviously contrary to the heaps of coverage the Motorola-Google deal received from major news outlets, blogs, and Android enthusiasts. Us included. This deal was to protect Android from the evils of Apple and Microsoft, with patents.

Sep

Motorola Droid R2-D2 Gingerbread Update Rolling Out Now

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Droid 2, News

Well, what do you know? Looks like Moto hasn't forgotten about the R2-D2 variant of the Droid 2 after all. We've seen the Gingerbread update come and go for the Droid 2 and Droid 2 Global, and now it's time for our little robot themed friend to join the party.

The update brings all of the same features and enhancements of the original Droid 2, and should be hitting devices starting today.

New Download Manager
App and Power Management Details
Multi-touch key-chording
Improved word selection copy functionality
New UI and color scheme
New dock icons
App groups
Improved security
Improved battery life while using Wi-Fi
Fixed issue that caused frequent data connection drops
Mobile Hotspot status is displayed accurately
Improved email application
Correct contact name is displayed when receiving SMS messages
Emoticons are displayed in messages
Forward SMS message conversations accurately
Notification LED will flash when new message is received
Access My Verizon without any force close errors
Compass calibration within Google Maps syncs accurately with your location
Geo-tagging features available for camera applications
Clock widget updates time correctly
Callback numbers now populate in Dialer app
GPS apps and programs no longer cause unnecessary device resets
Google Books is now preloaded
V CAST Apps is now preloaded
V CAST Media Manager is now preloaded
Blockbuster® movie rentals license remains active after download
Keypad backlight turns on in darker settings
Improvements in screen display no longer causes display screen to turn black
Fixed issue that caused factory resets when the device’s mobile number is changed
Fixed issue that caused device reset and a black display screen after over the air upgrades.

Sep

[Tip] The DROID Bionic Has FM Radio - Tune In Using The DROID 3 Radio APK

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Bionic, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: September 14th, 2011

If you're one of a handful of people who have been wondering whether or not the new Droid Bionic has FM Radio capabilities, the folks at Android Central forums have confirmed that it does, and that the radio APK from the Droid 3 will let you listen whenever you want. It definitely works on our review unit:

The only thing required for the APK to work is a set of headphone plugged into the phone to act as an antenna. The app does have the option to play via the rear speaker however, so you aren't constrained to a set of ear buds (technically, you just need a wire with a 3.5mm plug).

Sep

Motorola Photon 4G Is Coming To US Cellular Under The Name 'Electrify' For $199 Later This Month

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Photon 4G, US Cellular

US Cellular just sent out a presser for the upcoming Motorola Electrify, which is basically a rebranded Photon 4G minus WiMax. There's little doubt that this will be US Cellular's flagship device, as it's far-and-above their current highest-spec'd device:

4.3-inch qHD display
1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
1GB RAM
16GB internal storage
8MP rear camera, VGA front camera
Webtop capable
Kickstand
Android 2.3

The Electrify will be available sometime later this month for $199 with a two-year agreement.

Congratulations, US Cellular customers, you just scored a pretty amazing piece of kit.

MOTOROLA ELECTRIFY COMING SOON TO U.S. CELLULAR

Android Smartphone Combines Unparalleled Power and Versatility

CHICAGO (September 12, 2011) – U.S.

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!