GADGET REVIEWS Just another GADGET NEWS

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]

jQuery(‘#inf_widget’).load(‘http://www.wired.com/ajax/widgets/related/content/blogPost/gadgetlab_53898′);

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

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 ]

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

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)

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

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

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

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

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

Eight months after Motorola debuted its first Droid phone, the company has refreshed the device to include a bigger screen, a focus on high-definition video and Flash compatibility.

Motorola’s new Droid X phone is the successor to its original Droid smartphone introduced last October. The $200 Droid X (after a $100 rebate and with a two-year contract) will run Google’s latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and will include Adobe Flash Player 10.1. DROID X customers will the 2.2 and Flash updates wirelessly over-the-air in the latter half of the summer.

“It is pretty spectacular,” John Stratton, chief marketing officer of Verizon told attendees at the device’s launch. “When you have a screen and form factor like this — very thin and lightweight — it screams video.”

The new Droid X will have a 4.3-inch touchscreen (854 x 480 pixels resolution) — about the same size as the HTC EVO 4G and much bigger physically than the 3.5-inch display on the iPhone 4, which is 960 x 640 pixels.

The phone includes a Texas Instruments OMAP processor with 1-GHz processing ability, 512 MB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory that’s expandable to 40 GB using a storage card.

It also has a 8-megapixel camera, a step up from the 5-megapixel one in the earlier version. The camera can capture 720p video content and offers HD playback via HDMI. What’s missing is the dual camera that’s now a part of the iPhone and HTC Evo.

The Droid X announcement comes a day before the public debut of the iPhone 4, although Apple’s phone is already in the hands of some lucky customers as well as a few carefully chosen reviewers.

The Droid X will be the star in Motorola’s portfolio. So far Motorola has launched a number of Android phones, including the Cliq on T-Mobile, Backflip on AT&T and Devour on Verizon. But its first Droid phone remains a best-seller. Meanwhile, Apple is charging ahead with its latest iPhone, which is gathering generally positive reviews(though AT&T’s network has been criticized). Many Apple users have already started receiving their pre-ordered iPhone 4.

Droid X is Motorola’s 11th Android smartphone. The phone will start shipping July 15 and will be available exclusively on Verizon’s network.

See below for a larger image.

Top photo: Droid X
Stefan Armijo/Wired.com

Photo: Verizon

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews