latest
It looks like another one of HTC's handsets (besides the Thunderbolt) has gotten a Sense-ified Ice Cream Sandwich ROM of its own – today, XDA user nitsuj17 posted a ROM for the Droid Incredible 2 (aka vivow) allegedly based on another leaked RUU from HTC. Readers may remember the Incredible 2 as being among devices officially slated by HTC to receive Ice Cream Sandwich "by the end of August," so this leak's timing isn't too hard to figure out.
In a continued effort to unlock bootloaders everywhere using their online tool, HTC has added several exciting entries to the "supported devices" list. Perhaps the most notable of the new entries are the Droid Incredible 2 and HTC Thunderbolt. Officially, HTC's online unlock tool is compatible with all devices launched after September 2011, but the new additions reflect an effort to add compatibility for older devices.
[Updated: Here Are The Winners!] Mega-Holiday Giveaway #4: Win A Motorola ATRIX 2, A Samsung Stratosphere, Or A DROID Incredible 2
Mega-Holiday Giveaway #4
You thought we'd stop the prize train because it's Sunday? Well, here at Android Police, we give away awesome stuff seven days a week during the holidays, so we've got a bag of goodies for you today, courtesy of RadioShack.
A little more than two weeks ago a revolutionary (pun intended) new unlock and root solution was released by AlphaRev and Unrevoked that provided S-Off and NAND write access to a number of HTC devices. That tool received an update today that adds a number of previously unsupported device to the mix:
While the official Gingerbread OTA for the Incredible 2 started rolling out a couple of days ago, there are some users running a previously leaked version of 2.3 that are left out in the cold with no way of updating - until now, that is. Thanks to an anonymous tipster calling himself Pig Benis, we've gotten a hold of the official RUU from Verizon with the build number 2.18.605.4 (the same as the OTA) for your flashing pleasure.
If you're the proud owner of a Droid Incredible 2, then you may want to grab it and check for updates, as the official Gingerbread update started rolling out for some users late last night. Aside from bringing Android 2.3 to the device, the update brings numerous bug fixes and enhancements:
The geniuses behind the AlphaRevX unlocker, which a few weeks ago made rooting, recovery, and custom ROMs possible on the Droid Incredible S, Desire (CDMA and GSM), Wildfire, and Aria just released an updated beta v2, with support for Droid Incredible 2 (aka vivow, the Verizon CDMA version) and Desire S (aka saga).
Well look at what we found. It seems the Dinc2's Gingerbread update is on the way, and should be arriving soon - very soon. This update differs from previous leaks (though it is still Android 2.3.3), here's Verizon's breakdown of the new features:
Yesterday, a signed Gingerbread RUU was leaked for the HTC Incredible 2 by MobileUnderground member Football. xgunther and I over at the AndIRC Incredible 2 chat repacked it and made it root-friendly.
Is the HTC DROID Incredible 2 a groundbreaking phone? Hardly. With the Incredible 2, HTC has simply taken an already great handset and refreshed the hardware. The result is a phone that's evolutionary rather than revolutionary - but as it turns out, that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it's actually quite a good thing - the DInc2 is a great device, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend it to friends or family.
Since the day it was released, the DROID Incredible 2 has been hard to get ahold of, especially if you prefer to do all of your business with Amazon Wireless. Well, I'm happy to tell you that it has dropped its "backordered" status, is in stock, and available at a pretty incredible price (no pun intended). You can grab this second-gen monster for the low price of $100 with a new two-year agreement, which is 50% off the price that you will pay at Verizon. If that wasn't enough, you'll also get free activation if you order it within the next three days. Already a Verizon customer? You can save a little dough, too - it's available for $150 with an agreement renewal.
I awoke this morning to the UPS delivery guy dropping off a package at my house; lo and behold, it was a DROID Incredible 2 (Dinc2) review unit. As an EVO owner, I'm fairly familiar with what has fast become HTC's modus operandi - high quality, good price, and higher-end specs. With that in mind, I was looking forward to my time with the Dinc2, and tore into the box immediately (I didn't even put a shirt on first... sorry, UPS guy).
There's little that we didn't already know about HTC's upcoming DROID Incredible 2, but if there was any lingering doubt on your mind, you'll be happy to hear that Droid Life has acquired the official spec sheet for the device:
We first showed you HTC's 3.0 version of Sense UI earlier this week, and the next logical question from a lot of people was "when am I getting this?" Well, one man went straight to HTC via Twitter with that same question in mind and the response he got back was not exactly what anyone had hoped to hear: never.
Last we heard, Samsung's DROID Charge was scheduled to be released on April 7th - yesterday. Well needless to say, that date has come and gone without so much as a mention of Samsung's LTE handset; however, thanks to Sears, we now have a new timeline: April 14.
Like all good things Verizon, the HTC Incredible 2 didn't remain hidden from the public's eye for long; following the release of a leaked RUU and a Big Red roadmap confirming the device's impending launch, PocketNow got its paws on the following triad of press shots:
Were the four phones (and the one amazing tablet) Verizon announced at CES not enough for you? Then you'll be happy to hear that Droid Life has unearthed two more devices headed Verizon's way: the Motorola Droid X2 and the HTC Incredible 2.