Verizon Motorola Sholes not running MOTOBLUR?
By Nilay Patel 
posted Oct 6th 2009 4:51PM
posted Oct 6th 2009 4:51PM
We'd been hearing rumors that the Motorola Sholes on Verizon wouldn't be running MOTOBLUR because it's to be a "Google Experience" device, and while that seemed silly at first, it certainly looks like the device Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam was waving around this morning was running stock Android. How can we tell? For starters, Blur has a different 3G icon in the menu bar, and different icons for several apps -- Calendar leaps out to us here. What's more, that certainly appears to be the default Android search box lurking back there, something that's not part of the Blur homescreen. That's definitely odd, considering how big a bet Motorola seemed to be placing on Blur as its handset differentiator -- and doubly odd since the HTC Hero Eric Schmidt was holding at the same photo op was running Sense on top of Android. We'll have to see how this one shakes out when the Sholes is actually launched, but for now we'd say those rumors are looking awfully true.
[Image credit: Associated Press, under license; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
[Image credit: Associated Press, under license; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
I think i prefer it to be blur-less.
I sort of wish that it would run MOTOBLUR, but I can see VZW targeting this at the pro market, and leaving off the social networking aspect, which makes me sad. Not that it will happen, but it would be nice to have blur as an option. Regardless, I am buying one on launch day.
I think it is goign to run a customized version ov VerizoBURP.
I Agree. "Google Experience", it makes lot of sense. I wouldn't want teenblur to this kind of device.
Different markets, Cliq for teens, Sholes for more mature people.
I think there should be a option so it could run both.
the difference being that VerizoBURP comes with only a Black and Red theme
Yeah. Not everyone has twitter and facebook. I prefer blur-less as well.
I'm proud to say I don't have twitter, facebook, and myspace.
Everyone doesn't need to know all the aspects of my life.
Because that is all those networks are for, letting people know you're eating a sandwhich, right?
IT'S NOT!?!?!!?!??!?
It's not bright red. No sign of the "can you hear me now" douche bag. Be thankful!
Aww shucks, now I can't check my Facebook/Myspace/Twitter/Xanga/Livejournal/AdultFriendFinder messages from the homescreen.
zzzzz who cares. I'm with Sean.
@paulll @matty @kjb434
just because you losers have no social life, it doesn't mean everyone else is on the same boat. some people ( like over 200,000,000 worldwide) use there cellphones to stay social and/or network with others on a daily basis. android handsets with blur or sense UI makes the experience easier and far better. if you mama boys had ever owned an android phone then you would be able to see the potential. but since you don't, just stay locked up in your mothers basement eating twinkies and sweating to the oldies.
Old news. The Sholes in a Google Experience device.
... and, supposedly, it's going to be the first Eclair device.
As long as its hackable/root you can run what you like.
Might take a while, but yea. Personally I like the HTC mods better.
Exactly!
That´s the beauty of this OS.
It's funny that everyone continues to assume that Verizon is going to allow Motorola to ship this phone with less protections than the G1. Look, the only way the G1 got hacked was that it allowed downgrades, and that the very first revision had a massive security hole.
Both of those problems are guaranteed to be patched and non-issues now. If Verizon doesn't want us having custom Roms, we likely won't have them. There is also the chip-security that is a feature of the OMAP3 variety (used in the Sholes) that would be an additional significant hinderance.
@Nobody: While you're right about the security hole bit, that was just the easiest way. The MT3G got cracked open pretty quickly too, despite the lack of that bug. Basically: Where there's a will, there's a way.
Regardless, don't plan on all phone being hackable just because they run Android, that won't necessarily be the case. Look at the Xbox 360. The hardware is ultra-secure. There have only been very recently, and even then quite limited, successes at getting homebrew or custom firmware. And that's 3 years after it's original release.
@Nobody: The XBox 360 isn't running an open-source OS, so your comparison doesn't really stand. The devices on Verizon will be hacked/rooted almost immediately, mark my words.
Damn it T-Mobile! We need an android phone this nice. Screw the Cliq! That samsung one better be damn good.
yes! something similar in looks and specs but htc so it will have sense UI please.
or just make an hd2 with android and a keyboard but under 15mm thick please.
Agreed! im upgrading my phone if Eclair wont support my G1
Noooooooooo!, wait wut?
That is a drool-worthy picture!
Knowing Verizon, they probably forced Moto to remove the Blur and install some crappy VZW versions of software that will only sync with VZW servers and lock your data up so that you can't transfer it to another provider. Note to Carriers, we don't need crappy VZW/Sprint TV or other crap that you charge $10 a month for.
You're an idiot. It's a smartphone, they only lock down dumbphones and featurephones.
My guess? VZW Killed BLUR. They don't want anything cool running on their devices.
BLUR sucks. I'd rather have stock Android than all of the crap that BLUR comes with.
Maybe Lowell McAdam just isn't into that sort of thing and disabled it?
@ ningz Haven't you heard bro? Verizon announced this mourning that it is releasing this phone as is. = NON GIMPED
I would prefer blur-less, I've been using DxTop with my G1 and I probably would not be able to use it with blur.
look at that big display!
It has nothing to do with Verizon, some people need to get over that.
This is a Google Experience phone, which means the UI is controlled by Google. No UI changes.
Am I the only one who thinks that the so-called HTC Hero that Schmidt is holding is actually a Tattoo?
Not surprised that the Hero is running Sense. It wasn't locked down by Google for toher carriers/nations so why over here? I dont think it's necessarily considered a Google Experience phone like the Sholes/Tao/Droid. I think it's "With Google" or some other ambiguous crap right?
@Xymox
Your not the only one. I did a size comparsion with my blackberry ( you know held my blackberry in my hand the same way Schmidt was ) And it seem to small to be the hero ( size of the screen )
MotoBlur is exclusive to T-Mobile through the end of this year. At least according to the tmobile moderator on the tmobile support forums for the Cliq.
Wait, but Motoblur has software Send and End buttons (the green and red ones), while stock Android has them as hardware buttons. There's no hard Send/End keys on the Sholes, so isn't that a sign of Motoblur?
No, that's just a sign that they are just gonna have virtual send and end keys. That has nothing to do w/ motoblur.
thats a valid thought but possibly soft send/end keys will be a new feature in android 2.0 (eclair). which sholes is to be the first phone with it.
@Xymox,
Now that you mention it, it does look like the Tattoo
Who care's what they run on the screen. All these "new" verizon phone's are still using 2 year old tech inside. Verizon needs to get on the ball and get Leo!!
this has an 800 by 480 resolution screen and a 600 mhz proccesor. not exactly old hardware
It is when you have snap dragon in waiting. I was mainly talking about the htc android phone too. Sorry for confusion
I want this phone.
Maybe this a beta sholes?
Anybody know if Verizon will enable Wifi on this phone and the VZ version of the Hero? It is about time they did...
Blur 1.0 works with Android 1.6. Sholes will be Android 2.0. No time to integrate Blur. The next Moto Android device after this will have Blur 1.x + Android 2.0.
Do the Uggs run Sense, or Google Experience UI? I heard the new ones are sportin cortex kangaroo skin!
Good, it's horrible when laptop manufacturers butcher Windows with their rubbish, I'm not talking spyware/adware here, but the things they put on to make it better.
Look telco's and hardware guys, your just no good at writing software.
Keep it stock.
maybe it's me, but it does look pretty thin for a slider phone
Verizon castrating manufacturer's features off their phones? This is news, how?