Motorola Won’t Update Its Devices To Android 4.0 If It’s Too Much Of A Hassle And Won’t Improve The Device

by Roy Alugbue on May 20th 2012, 9:31am
tagged Android 4.0, Droid 3, DROID X2, Motorola Mobility, updates

We mentioned recently that Motorola updated its timeline for when some of its premium devices would get ICS— even though you know, it was first found in December 2011. If you own a smartphone or tablet such as the DROID RAZR/RAZR MAXX, Atrix 4G or XYBOARD series of tablets, then you have a lot to look forward to– starting next month. On the other hand, devices like the DROID 3 and DROID X2 were left out of the exclusive Android 4.0 club, despite being released within the past 12-15 months as well. Motorola certainly ruffled more than a few feathers as many owners of those devices were furious. MOTO took some time and elaborated on why devices such as those won’t be getting the coveted update:

“You may be wondering why all devices aren’t being upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Here’s the deal. We work very closely with Google and cell phone carriers for every software update. And, obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device.

Happy upgrading”!

To sum everything up: if it’s too much of a hassle going into the R&D as well as the cost of updating a device, MOTO won’t even bother trying to update– especially if it knows ICS won’t improve the device. Definitely a bummer I know folks, especially as the DROID 3 and DROID X2 had a poorly timed release, but is more than capable of handling the update. While you all won’t be tasting MOTO-infused ICS, all is not lost for those owners. There’s always the act of rooting and flashing a custom ROM which can definitely suffice and even prolong the life of your smartphone. Here’s hoping MOTO doesn’t leave a sour taste in the mouth for owners of devices not receiving the update.

source: Inside Motorola Blog

Hefty update approved for Droid 3, no Ice Cream Sandwich in sight

by Chris Stewart on May 5th 2012, 7:22am
tagged changelog, Droid 3, motorola, Software Update, Verizon

Rumours this morning were that Motorola is working on a soak test for a Droid 3 software update. It looks like the team have been working fast as Verizon has just posted the official changelog online. Firmware version 5.7.905 is on the horizon and you might just want to make sure you have plenty of battery charge and a wifi connection for this one as it’s a whopping 224MB in size. One might hope that such a sizeable update might bring some Ice Cream Sandwich goodness but no such luck I’m afraid. The update is primarily bug fixes, security patches, stability improvements as well as tweaks to some apps, call quality and camera performance. You can see the full details in the image above.

Keep your eyes peeled for the OTA arriving and get hitting that ‘check now’ button. Be sure to let us know how the update works out for you in the comments below.

source : Verizon

Verizon Offering Smartphones For $10 And Another For Free In March Sale

by Roy Alugbue on Mar 8th 2012, 8:04am
tagged deals, droid, Droid 3, Droid Charge, HTC, HTC Rhyme, Incredible 2, motorola, sales, Samsung

Have an old OG DROID or first generation phone and looking for any excuse to upgrade to a new phone? Verizon is giving you the most compelling reason yet to come on down to Big Red Country. They have having a major sale in which the Motorola DROID X2 and DROID 3, Sammy DROID Charge and the HTC Incredible 2 smartphones can be found for a measley $10 each on contract from now until Monday, March 12th. Oh and Verizon is also offering the HTC Rhyme in its own St. Patty’s Day sale where the phone will be available for gratis on contract.

Naturally, this could be Verizon just pushing these “old” devices into the sunset. Regardless– this is a great deal and I’m sure plenty of folks will jump on the chance to some solid phones for those crazy prices.

source: VZ1 and VZ2

Droid 3 Soak Test E-Mails Being Sent Out

by Josh O'Donnell on Mar 8th 2012, 12:00am
tagged Droid 3, motorola, soak test, update, Verizon

Motorola is planning a soak test for a future update for its Droid 3 devices on Verizon’s network, as an e-mail sent out to Motorola Feedback Network (MFN) members explains. For those that aren’t sure what a soak test is, it’s simply a form of software testing that ensures that, in normal use (or as close a simulation of) as well as under heavy load, the software remains stable and functional. Unfortunately it won’t be Ice Cream Sandwich, since that’s been dropped from Verizon’s list of phones receiving the Android 4.0 update. Members of the MFN received the following e-mail:

Thanks for joining the Motorola Feedback Network. We are inviting owners of the Motorola Droid 3 on Verizon to participate in an early preview of a new software release, and provide feedback. If you are not currently using a Droid 3, please excuse and ignore this email.

Click this link to take a short enrollment survey if you wish to take part. Note that you must be a member in good standing of the Motorola Owners’ Forums to be included. The registration window is can close without notice so please respond as quickly as possible.

Thanks — please understand that start times are always fluid. We ask for your patience if you register but don’t hear from us right away.

Thanks Justin for sending this in!

GSM Version Of Motorola DROID 3 Gets FCC Approval, Possibly Headed To AT&T

by Roy Alugbue on Mar 6th 2012, 7:28pm
tagged AT&T, Droid 3, fcc, slider phone

Is AT&T set to get a popular slider phone for its wireless waves? It sure appears to be the case as a “Motorola Mobility XT682″ has just received filing approval from the FCC. In case you’re unfamiliar, the “XT682″ is the codename for none other than the DROID 3 smartphone. Moreover, the device has gotten approval to run on GSM 850/1900 and WCDMA II/V bands which are you guessed it— AT&T-specific bands out here in the States. Keep in mind we’ve seen no previous hints from both AT&T and MOTO indicating an AT&T version of the popular slider phone was on the horizon, so the phone is possibly not for AT&T’s network. Still— the fact the device has gotten FCC approval makes it a good bet that the GSM version of the phone will likely be on its way out here. The only question is when.

source: Wireless Goodness

Motorola DROID 3 Springs Two Leaks

by Ed Caggiani on Feb 15th 2012, 2:18am
tagged Droid 3, leak, maintenance release, motorola, Verizon

The Motorola DROID 3 is getting updated! Relax, it’s not Ice Cream Sandwich. Two Motorola-signed builds for the soon-to-be defunct slider were recently leaked on XDA. These leaks are flashable on a fully stock phone, which will remain rootable after the update. These are beta builds found on a Motorola QA server, and seem close to final and very stable, but there’s no guarantee these will become the official versions to get pushed to customers.

So what exactly do these updates contain? They seem to be maintenance releases that include camera updates, increased speed in MotoBlur, better battery life, a new baseband, and updated icons for select apps. There may be more, but without an official changelog, it’s hard to say.

» Read the rest

Verizon Slashing Prices On DROID 3 and 16GB DROID RAZR

by Stacy Bruce on Jan 23rd 2012, 2:19pm
tagged deal, Droid 3, Droid Razr, Verizon

With the newest Verizon handsets arriving just arround the corner, Big Red is slashing prices on some of their current high-tier phones as we speak. Right now you can get the microSD card-less DROID RAZR in all three colors (white, black, purple) for only $199. These devices are the same as the 32GB version of the phone, except you provide your own memory card. Not a bad deal at all.

If it’s a keyboard that you’re after then you may want to check out the DROID 3. Last week its price was reduced to $99 on contract but now you can get it for a mere $49. This deal will only last until February 6th so if you can live without 4G you may want to jump on it.

For all you early adopters out there, these price cuts should bring a little smile to your face as this could only mean that we will see the new DROID 4 and RAZR MAXX real soon.

[via Verizon]

Verizon Announces That Both the LG Spectrum and Droid 4 Have Global Roaming Capabilities

by Jack Holt on Jan 12th 2012, 11:12am
tagged 4G LTE, CDMA, Droid 3, droid 4, Droid Incredible 2, GSM, LG Spectrum, Phonescoop, verizon wireless

If you are looking for a 4GLTE device on Verizon that has global capabilities you were very much out of luck. Today that all changes as Verizon told Phonescoop that both the DROID 4 and LG Spectrum are global roaming capable. They will run on Verizon’s 4G LTE network in the US and will be able to use global GSM networks when abroad. Other 4G LTE phones were not capable of global roaming due to “network issues.” As Brenda Raney, a Verizon spokeswoman told Phonescoop:

“The LTE phones work globally in over 40 countries that currently use CDMA technology…. For the new LTE phones to provide global roaming voice and data in non-CDMA countries, we are working on a few network enhancements so we can provide customers with the best voice and data roaming experience. We anticipate this capability to be available this year, likely the first half of the year.”

While it was leaked that the LG Spectrum might be the first 4G LTE phone with these capabilities nothing was announced for either that or the DROID 4. So with that, you will no longer have to be stuck with a 3G phone like the DROID 3 or DROID Incredible 2 if you are wanting global capabilities.

[via Phonescoop]

Verizon May Say Good-bye To Droid 3, MiFi Hotspots And More This Month

by Justin Routhier on Jan 3rd 2012, 4:23am
tagged Blackberry Curve 3G, Droid 3, droid 4, LG Revolution, motorola, Palm Pre 2, Samsung LTE Jetpack, Verizon, ZTE Fivespot

An anonymous tipster has stirred up rumors that Verizon will be pulling the plug on the Motorola Droid 3 after stores receive what will be their final shipments later this month. Despite carrying the namesake of Verizon’s once flagship phone and being widely considered as the go-to device for keyboard lovers, this latest incarnation, launched last summer, failed to impress consumers and lacked the sizeable upgrades that we all expected. Sad as it may be, this news may add gravity to the recent leaks that suggest the Droid 4 will help fill those empty gaps on Verizon’s shelves by February.

Also up on the chopping block: the LG Revolution, BlackBerry Curve 3G, Palm Pre 2 and their entire Mi-Fi line up including the Novatel LTE Jetpack (no more shipments after January) as well as the Samsung LTE Jetpack and ZTE Fivespot (final shipments already completed).

[via theverge]

Droid 4 Rears Its Pretty Head In Multiple Verizon Databases, Launch Coming Soon?

by Axl Logan on Nov 7th 2011, 2:59pm
tagged December, Droid 3, droid 4, Droid Razr, launch, motorola, Verizon

Well, just when you Droid 3 owners got your device all tucked in and settled for the night, we’ve got more news of the Droid 4′s release. It’s possible the release is coming soon as it’s popping up on a couple of different Verizon internal databases. The Razr like device with a physical qwerty could be Vz’s big December kickoff which would be just in time for the holidays. It seems to be Verizon’s MO, when the device shows up in these particular databases, to be released within a month or two and since Verizon’s calendar for December seems wide open, it’s likely it could be launched then. For now, we’ll just continue to speculate however, stay tuned as we keep an eye out for this one. If you’ve been salivating over a Droid Razr but are not sure you can part with your precious physical qwerty, then this one’s for you friend.

[via Droid Life]

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