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Another Android Week for T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon
dailywireless.org —
... and Verizon’s Droid (on November 6th). Motorola’s Cliq and Droid and Samsung’s Moment have a slider keyboards. The Samsung Behold II on T-Mobile uses a touch screen. ...
Motorola Milestone is GSM Droid
Crave: The gadget blog —
... On Monday Motorola announced the first GSM Google Android 2.0 handset. Dubbed the Milestone, it's quite similar to Verizon's Motorola Droid save for a few changes. ...
'Stealth' Droid commercial looks amazing
Crave: The gadget blog —
... a copy of Verizon and Google's newest commercial for the Droid. The commercial's called Stealth, and it's rather amazing, even though it doesn't tell us much about the Motorola handset that's set to drop Friday.
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Review roundup: Motorola Droid, Verizon's first Android handset
AppleInsider —
... the coverage maps shown are deceiving for viewers. Reviewers like the Droid, saying it's a good handset and likely the best smartphone Verizon has to offer. Whether it's better than the iPhone, though, seems to come down to a matter of taste. The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg : The New York Times' David Pogue : The Associated Press' Rachel Metz : PC World's Robert S. Anthony : Other reviews are available from Gizmodo , Engadget , CNet , and MobileCrunch . And for a rebuttal of the Droid "iDon't" commercials, read the ...
Verizon Droid Meta-Review: “A Killer Phone”
Mashable! —
... CNet: “Some minor design issues and multimedia quibbles aside, the Motorola Droid is the most powerful and fastest Google Android device to date. It fully embraces the openness of the Android platform and offers Verizon customers a smartphone that certainly rivals the other touch-screen devices on the market.” ...
A Crush for U.S. Cellular
Crave: The gadget blog —
A Crush for U.S. Cellular by Kent German Font size Print E-mail Share Post a comment [image] Motorola Crush (Credit: Motorola) It's far from the Droid , but Motorola added a new touch-screen phone to U.S. Cellular's lineup on Thursday. The Crush runs Moto's standard OS on a 2.8-inch display. Features include messaging, a music player, a 3.5mm headset jack, a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot. The Crush $89.95 with a two-year service agreement (regular price $249.95), but a $50 mail-in rebate will knock the price down to an affordable $39.95 [image] Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not ...
The Droid and hands-free voice dialing
Crave: The gadget blog —
Shortly after we posted our Motorola Droid review we received quite a few e-mails from CNET readers who were concerned about the phone's inability to support hands-free voice commands and dialing. Indeed, the readers were correct and Motorola's support forums continue to buzz with user complaints regarding the issue. As part of our original Droid review we did not test whether the handset supported hands-free voice dialing. We apologize for that, but we've now updated the review to reflect our findings. Below is the passage from the review. Unfortunately, the Droid does not support Bluetooth voice dialing or commands. In order to use the Voice Dialer feature, you first must ...
Google Maps Navigation arrives for Android 1.6
Crave: The gadget blog —
One of the highlights of Android 2.0 has been the Google Maps Navigation app, which delivers voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation on your phone for free. Up until now, only Motorola Droid owners could take advantage of this sweet perk but times they are a-changing. On Monday, Google announced that its navigation app is now available for devices, running Android 1.6 and higher, including the T-Mobile G1 and T-Mobile MyTouch 3G . While still in beta, the app provides voice-guided directions between two points, traffic information, and business searches. This release also includes a new Layers feature that lets you overlay more information on the map, such as ...
Differentiation leads to fragmented, confused Android
Crave: The gadget blog —
One year after the introduction of the T-Mobile G1 , three of the top-four carriers in the United States are offering Google Android handsets. And with each model bringing something new and unique to the market, everything is rosy, right? Not so fast. While differentiation is one of the key benefits behind Android, it's leading to fragmentation. Thus, one of the biggest benefits is becoming a drawback. At the time of this writing, there are three versions of Android on the market. On Verizon Wireless, the recently released Motorola Droid has Android 2.0 , while the carrier's HTC Droid Eris is running Android 1.5 under the Sense UI. The phones were ...
Prizefight: Samsung Behold II vs. HTC Droid Eris
Crave: The gadget blog —
With four Android phones in its stable, T-Mobile remains the Google Android leader. Its latest model is the Samsung Behold II , which offers a brilliant display and one of the best media players we've seen on an Android phone so far. But just a week earlier, and the same day it introduced its Motorola Droid , Verizon Wireless unveiled the . Also a touch-screen phone without a physical keyboard, the Droid Eris offers all the features you'd expect from an Android phone, while adding full multitouch and deeper levels of customization with the HTC Sense interface. The two devices are similar, but they're distinct in their own way. So how will they fare in ...
On Call: All about the Droid
Crave: The gadget blog —
On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world. It's been a long time since I've devoted an On Call to reader questions, but e-mails about the Motorola Droid have poured in following the device's debut last month. Some have offered nothing but effusive praise for the handset while others have raised concerns. I've included a sampling of e-mails from the latter camp below. And be sure to catch my follow-up to a previous Android post at the end of the question and answer session. Q: I think you described switching to Google Android quite well. I like the Droid, but I'm ...
Android 2.0.1 for Droid users coming soon
Crave: The gadget blog —
Verizon just informed us that Google released an SDK for Android 2.0.1 Thursday, which means those who have a Motorola Droid can expect a free over-the-air upgrade to their phone in the "coming weeks." Some updates include an improvement to the camera's auto-focus and the phone's voice reception. There's still no news on the exact dates the new firmware will be rolled out, but we look forward to it all the same.
HTC Droid Eris to get Android update in 2010
Crave: The gadget blog —
While Motorola Droid owners are prepping to get Android 2.0.1 delivered to their smartphone in the coming weeks, HTC Droid Eris users might be wondering, "Hey, what about us?" Well, the good news is that there is an update coming. The bad news is you're going to have to wait a bit longer. Verizon said Friday that it plans to release an OS update for the Droid Eris, which currently runs on Android OS 1.5, in the first quarter of 2010. The carrier did not specify which version of Android it would release for the smartphone, but did say that customers will get support for Google Maps Navigation. On a somewhat related note, Verizon is running a buy-one, ...
Verizon pushes out update for Droid Eris
Crave: The gadget blog —
Verizon announced on Thursday that it has begun pushing out a software update to HTC Droid Eris users. Like the upgrade for the Motorola Droid , the over-the-air update (specifically, ROM version 1.16.605.1/Radio version 2.32.40.11.09) will be delivered to small group of customers first and then slowly rolled out to everyone within a week. Users will receive a notification on their smartphone alerting them when the update is ready for download. Highlights of the update include: You can view a full list of feature enhancement and bug fixes here (PDF) and for step-by-step instructions on downloading the update, please check Verizon's support ...
Sprint HTC Hero & Samsung Moment to get Android 2.0 in 2010
Crave: The gadget blog —
While Verizon customers have been feeling the Android love lately with updates for both the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris , Sprint users have been left to wonder when they might see an update for their Android devices. Well, we sort of have an answer now. The carrier announced via Twitter on Friday that it will offer an Android 2.0 update for both the HTC Hero and the Samsung Moment , which is great news. Unfortunately, the update won't come till the first half of 2010 (no specific date was given), but hopefully it'll be on the earlier side of the new year like the Droid Eris so you won't have to wait too long.
CES: Cliq and Droid to get Android 2.1
Crave: The gadget blog —
LAS VEGAS--In addition to its new Backflip Android phone, Motorola also announced updates to its other Android handsets at a CES press conference Wednesday night. The Cliq is the biggest winner. Currently running on Android 1.5, the Motoblur-equipped device will jump past Android 1.6 to 2.0. Though Moto CEO Sanjay Jha didn't say when the update would take place, it's a welcome change to what we consider to be one of the better Google Android devices around. Over at Verizon Wireless, the Droid will get Flash 10.1 for the Web browser and a maintenance update that will incorporate customer feedback on improving the device. Jha didn't elaborate on specifics or ...
CES: Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
Crave: The gadget blog —
Sony Ericsson announced its first Android phone, the Xperia X10, in London two months ago, but I had to wait for CES to get my first look at the device on this side of the Atlantic. As you'd expect the Sony Ericsson stand at the massive Sony Electronics booth was crowded with attended to get a look at the handset. And there's no wonder as the X10 is a sight to behold. Its slim profile and clean lines hit high on the beauty scale and I enjoyed how sturdy and comfortable in felt in my hand. Front and center is a brilliant display that measures four inches; that's bigger than the display on the Moto Droid ...
CES: On Call: Android's biggest flaw
Crave: The gadget blog —
In just a few months the Google Android operating system has come a long way. We've seen a steady flow of new handsets and new updates, the Android Market has grown, and the OS took center stage at CES 2010 . Since last September, I've welcomed these developments. I like Android and the ideas of openness and customer choice that it represents. So, as the OS matures and enriches the cell phone world, I'm hardly going to object. I will continue to point out flaws in individual Android handsets--that's what I'm paid to do and it does not mean that I'm an iPhone fanboy--but I'll also give credit where it's due. Just take, for example, the Nexus One . In the week ...
The 411: Sorry, no Chocolate for you
Crave: The gadget blog —
Welcome to the 411, my Q column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com ...
Verizon fills Android gap with entry level Devour
Crave: The gadget blog —
Though we always want to be amazed with new phone releases , occasionally a cell phone manufacturer will unveil a device that feels lackluster. At first glance, the new Motorola Devour appears to be that type of phone, but upon closer inspection it promises to hold its own in Verizon Wireless's lineup. Rather than releasing a successor to the popular Droid , the Devour aims lower as an entry level device. There are a few things about the Devour that distinguish it from other Google Android handsets. Though it's Verizon's third device with the OS, it's the carrier's first handset to feature MotoBlur , which currently is available on T-Mobile's Moto ...
Motorola: Android 2.1 coming to Droid this week
Crave: The gadget blog —
Just last week, the Motorola Droid got partial multitouch support with Google Maps 3.4, but that was little consolation for Droid customers who still had to look on in jealously as Nexus One users got to enjoy multitouch in the browser and photo gallery as well as Google Goggles support. Well, retract your claws Droid owners because it now looks you're getting the whole shebang too. On Monday, Motorola announced on its Facebook page that the Android 2.1 update will start to roll out this week. According to Engadget Mobile , the update won't bring live wallpaper or the grid app icon, but the Droid will get the new weather and news widget featured on the ...
Sorry Android, she's just not that into you
Crave: The gadget blog —
When it comes to smartphones, men love them some Android but women, well, they're finding love elsewhere. That's what a new study by AdMob would have you believe, anyway. For its January Mobile Metrics report (PDF), AdMob conducted an opt-in survey of consumers using iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, and Palm WebOS devices to find out how they interact with applications and in doing so, also found an interesting gender gap when it comes to the Android platform. As you can see from the chart below, the split between men and women wasn't that great when it came to the iPhone, iPod Touch, and WebOS. However, when it came to Android, 73 percent of users where male, while only 27 percent ...
Cell phone pioneer Cooper an Android man
Crave: The gadget blog —
Martin Cooper knows a thing or two about cell phones, having placed what is believed to have been the first public call from a portable cell phone and all. And while he's owned an iPhone before, he revealed in a recent interview on C-SPAN that his current handset of choice runs Android. Guess which. If you said Droid , well done! Apparently--like most of us, in so many situations--he's opted for the popular choice instead of arguably the best one . Or maybe he just likes the physical keyboard. The entire interview is below and worth watching, but know that the relevant conversation comes a little after half an hour: I always have the latest cell phone, and I ...
