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If you like Blackberry’s physical form factor and Android’s app marketplace, and you want to spend less than $200, Motorola’s Droid Pro was tailor-made for you. Verizon’s online preorders for the feature-packed smartphone start tomorrow, Nov. 9th; it will ship and be available in stores Nov 18th.

Physically, the Droid Pro has a 3.1″ touchscreen along with a full QWERTY-keyboard, a 5MP still and video camera, 4 GB of memory (2GB internal), Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and a 1 GHz processor. On the software side, it’s running Android 2.2 (Froyo), Adobe Flash Player 10.1, with QuickOffice’s productivity and both Google’s or Exchange’s push email, calendar and contact support built-in.

Verizon and Motorola also tout the device’s security features (VPN integration, remote wipe, and complex password support, with Device and SD card encryption in early 2011) and global-readiness for road warriors, offering voice and data in over 200 countries.

The Droid Pro costs $279.99 up front with a two-year service agreement, with a $100 Verizon debit card following later in the mail. Net, it’s $20 less than iPhone 4, all the new Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Samsung Galaxy and even Motorola’s own Droid X (which still ships with Android 2.1).

But the Droid Pro’s $180 is quite a bit more than all of Verizon’s Blackberries, which range between free and $150 out-of-pocket with the same two-year contract and data plan terms. A few users might like what they see and being willing to pay a little more than the Blackberry or a little less than those other smartphones.

DROID PRO By Motorola Now Available [Verizon]
DROID Does Business [Verizon]

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Late yesterday, Verizon and Motorola announced a new Android smartphone with a front-facing QWERTY keyboard, sleek black business-casual look and a 3.1″ multitouch multimedia screen. The Droid Pro is expected to attract a big chunk of Verizon’s existing Android and Blackberry high-end and business users when released in the coming weeks.

My first, beloved smartphone was a first-generation Blackberry Bold; for me, Motorola’s Droid Pro is clearly the handsomest Android phone I have ever seen. (Yes, I like it more than the R2-D2 Droid.) The major differences between the new Droid Pro and my old Blackberry Bold are Android apps and a touchscreen. As long as the Droid Pro’s keyboard is a champ like the Bold’s, the touchscreen isn’t too teeny and its yet-unannounced pricing isn’t too obscene, we can say that it’s improved in every way.

The Droid Pro’s specs are also impressive: Android 2.2., a 1GHz processor with 2GB of storage, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and support for both Exchange and Google email and calendar programs. It can act as a 3G mobile hotspot (although Verizon has disabled that functionality for current Droid users) or stream media from a server over a Wi-Fi network using the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard. Its 5MP camera can shoot still images and video, so you might even have something on your phone worth streaming back.

When the Droid Pro’s finally released, upgraders should make sure they don’t throw their old phones away: Verizon Wireless today announced a new trade-in/recycling program that will appraise your old phone, refurbish or recycle it and offer you a Verizon Gift Card. Even non-Verizon phones can be traded in, so network-switchers can take advantage of it too.

Price and release date for the Droid Pro have yet to be announced; when released, it will be available through Verizon Wireless’s online and retail outlets. You can fully expect that Verizon’s people will be happy to sell you one.

Image from Motorola.

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Motorola has a tangled history with hardcore Droid X fans as the company in the past has tried to crack down on attempts on to tweak the device. In its latest move, Motorola has sent cease-and-desist letters to websites that hosted a leaked version of the Android 2.2 Froyo update for the pohone.

The leaked files contain Motorola copyrighted software, says the letter sent to the My Droid World, which was one of the sites that hosted the update files. My Droid World says it has now removed the software from its servers.

Motorola introduced the Droid X as a large touchscreen Android phone with a focus on high-definition video and Flash compatibility. On July 15, the Droid X debuted exclusively on Verizon Wireless but it launched with Android 2.1 operating system instead of Android 2.2 Froyo. Motorola planned to offer over-the-air firmware updates to bring Froyo to the Droid X but some users tried to get a step ahead.

The Droid X has been mired in controversy since its launch. Motorola used a bootloader and chip combination that made it difficult for hackers to mod the phone and install custom versions of Android. The bootloader is the software component that loads the operating system in a gadget. Despite that, Android developers have been able to root the device.

For now, intrepid Droid X users have no choice but to wait for the official Froyo update to the Droid X, which is scheduled for early September.

Photo: Droid X (Stefan Armijo/Wired.com)

[via PCmag.com ]

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Hardcore Android fans have been leery of the Motorola Droid X because of the chip and bootloader combination in the device that could potentially brick it if custom versions of the Android operating system are loaded on it.

But now, they are a step closer to doing just that. The Droid X forum has posted step-by-step directions for rooting the Droid X–the Android equivalent of jailbreaking a device to get complete control. Rooting the device also lets users get rid of bloatware on their phones and tweak some of the features that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a Verizon wireless contract) hit retail shelves on July 15. The phone has a 4.3-inch screen and a 1 GHz processor. It launched with Android 2.1 operating system. It is expected to get an upgrade to Android 2.2 Froyo in the summer.

But last week, Android geeks found that Motorola has made it difficult for hackers to mod the Droid X by using a bootloader and chip combination that could potentially brick the phone if it is broken. The Droid X’ processor includes a feature called “eFuse” that’s intended to make it easier to tweak the chip’s power and memory after it is shipped.

However, eFuse only allows the device to start up when Motorola’s software is installed, squashing hackers hopes that they can quickly get custom ROMs on the device.

Rooting the Droid X is the first step towards being able to port a custom ROM on the phone. So far, based on the feedback in the forums, the Droid X root seems to work well. It will be interesting to see how soon the Android community can break the eFuse lock and port a custom ROM on the Droid X.

Photo: Droid X (Stefan Armijo/Wired.com)

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Motorola Droid X is hit among consumers, having sold out at most Verizon stores, but for some the phone’s display has been an issue.

Some Motorola’s Droid X phone users are experiencing flickering of their display, horizontal and vertical bands in it, and at times a blackout of the entire screen.

But those problems may be fixed soon, says Verizon.

Verizon has issued a statement to say only “a very small number” of users are facing the issue. And help for them is on the way.

“Motorola has resolved the issue and is continuing to ship the phones. Any consumer who experiences a flickering or banding display should contact a Motorola customer support center or Verizon Wireless,” a Verizon Wireless spokesperson told Engadget.

Motorola announced the Droid X on June 23 and the phone hit retail shelves on July 15. The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year Verizon contract) has a 4.3-inch screen and a 1 GHz processor. The phone launched with Android 2.1 operating system, but is expected to get an upgrade to Android 2.2 Froyo in the summer.

Droid X’ debut though has left more than just users with display problems unhappy. Last week, Android geeks found that Motorola has made difficult for hackers to mod the Droid X by using a bootloader and chip combination that could potentially brick the phone if it is broken. Motorola has said that the chip combination will boot the phone only when software is installed, squishing hackers’ hopes that they can quickly get custom-ROMs on the device.

Meanwhile, check out this video of a Droid X user whose phone screen started flickering after the device was woken up from its sleep mode.

Photo: Stefan Armijo/Wired.com

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Many Android fans are lining up to get Motorola’s latest phone, the Droid X, which hit retail shelves Thursday morning. But the phone has raised the hackles of some Android geeks.

Motorola has reportedly made it difficult for hackers to mod the Droid X by using a bootloader and chip combination that could potentially brick the phone if it is broken. The bootloader is the software component that loads the operating system in a gadget.

Some Android hackers say Motorola’s move has made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to load custom versions of Android on the Droid X.

“Motorola wants to keep people from modding their devices,” says Ryan Mills, an Android modder and blogger. “I don’t know if they are just afraid for security purposes, or they just want to stay proprietary.”

However, not everyone agrees that the Droid X will be un-hackable — and it’s impossible to confirm at this point, because almost no one has yet attempted the mod.

Motorola did not respond to a request for comment, while Verizon declined to comment.

The questions around the ability to hack the Droid X have stirred up a debate about how much a handset maker can control Android, which otherwise touts itself as an open source operating system. Android’s ability to be hacked and modded is one of the major draws of the OS.

Handset makers and wireless carriers decide which operating system can run on a phone and customers usually have no choice in the matter. In case of Android, hackers have created their own versions of the read-only memory, or ROM, on their cellphones, which holds the firmware. These custom ROMs can be loaded on an Android device to unlock features in a process known as “flashing.” That means devices that run the custom ROMs can boast features that the handset manufacturer or carrier may not have otherwise included. DIYers have gone so far as to buy phones running Windows Mobile OS and replace it with Android.

In case of the Droid X, the phone’s processor includes a feature invented by IBM called eFuse. eFuse, which is baked into the chips, gives manufacturers the ability to make changes to information on a chip that would otherwise be ‘hard coded.’ It also helps manage power and memory in the device.

p3Droid, a commenter on the MyDroidWorld forum speculates that the eFuse technology looks for information from the bootloader associated with the device. If it doesn’t get that, the eFuse trips the boot up process, leading to a potential bricking of the phone.

“The bootloader in the Droid X is signed with the recovery and the kernel for the device,” explains Steven Bird, who has created custom ROMs for other devices. ” If those don’t correspond it won’t work. It’s not any sort of self-destruct in there.”

The Droid X is not the only Motorola phone to have this technology, he says. Bird says that many of Motorola’s phones including the Droid, Droid X and Milestone all have chips that integrate the eFuse technology.

“HTC has a similar technology with the Incredible that made it very difficult to write custom ROMs for it,” says Bird. “It just means it takes longer to mod the device.”

But at this point, almost all of this talk around the Droid X is “conjecture,” says Steve Klondik, aka ‘Cyanogen,’ an Android hacker who runs the highly popular Cyanogen Mod community.

“From what I have gathered, no one has really tested anything to see if it is true,” he says. “One person who has tried to modify the bootloader says the system broke but we know nothing about how the mod was done and if it was done right.”

Klondik says the first step will be to root–the Android equivalent of jailbreaking–the device. From there, building custom ROMs for the Droid X may be difficult but it can be done, he says.

But it may not be enough to soothe modders like Mills. Mills and a few other Android developers are questioning if Motorola should be part of Android’s Open Handset Alliance if it doesn’t really want its phones to be toyed with.

Photo: Stefan Armijo/Wired.com

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Motorola’s Droid X is not out in retail stores yet but one phone enthusiast had taken a screwdriver to the device already.

Max Lee tore down the Droid X to expose its innards and show what’s inside the smartphone. It took Lee about 10 hours to figure out how to take the back cover off but he says it was well-worth the effort.

“You can easily disassemble and assemble the Droid X once you figure it out,” he says. “This should be good for consumers to replace parts if they happen to drop the phone.”

And you can see in the video, overall it’s a pretty easy process for those who may be inclined to do it. Just one tip from Lee: “It’s good to grow your fingernails before you do this. Makes it easy to take the things out.”

It’s also fascinating to watch the camera module pop off and all the components come apart like they are just pieces in an elaborate electronic jigsaw puzzle.

The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year Verizon contract) will be available starting July 15 on Verizon Wireless network. The phone has a 1 GHz processor, a 4.3-inch touchscreen and a 8-megapixel camera.

Lee says once he took the phone apart, he found the bottom of the Droid X “has a lot of room to play.”

“Motorola could have made the phone a bit shorter but there would be something sticking out,” he says. “They probably did that for the overall design of the phone.”

Check out Lee’s teardown of the Droid X through step-by-step photos on his blog.

Photo: Droidx.net

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The new Motorola Droid X phone, with its slim profile and striking display, doesn’t set a new standard in industrial design. But what it lacks in style, it makes up for with features, including an emphasis on high-definition video recording and playback.

The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year Verizon contract) will run Googles latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and will include Adobe Flash Player 10.1, following an update “late summer.”

There’s one key difference between the Droid X and the original Droid: The Droid X doesn’t have a physical keyboard. Instead its 4.3-inch display makes it one of the biggest touchscreens available among smartphones today.

The Droid X’s screen is gorgeous and incredibly responsive to touch. The display has a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels compared to 800 x 480 pixels on the HTC Evo. Placed side-by-side, the Evo’s display seemed brighter and more vivid.

But the Droid X’s touchscreen is a treat. It’s extremely responsive without crossing over into the annoyingly sensitive territory.

Unlike the Evo, which has its four Android buttons (Home, Menu, Back and Search) sleekly integrated into the frame, the Droid X has four physical buttons at the bottom of the phone and it is jarring. The matte black finish of the phone gives it a dull appearance compared to the glossy shine of the Evo.

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