European Milestone gets OTA 2.1 update, Droid update MIA

Motorola Milestone owners, your moment is now. The Android 2.1 update you've been waiting for is now available en masse. Users outside of Hong Kong (which already got served) have received notice that an over-the-air update is available to unlock the nine home-screens, Google Earth, and other goodness that comes along with the latest flavor of Google's mobile OS. When can US-bound Verizon subscribers hope to get their point release of goodness? That, sadly, is still TBD, but we're guessing it'll be any day now.

[Thanks, Miao]

[Poochnuts Posted Mar 29th 2010 12:24PM]

@BobStewart

Are there any real hazards or issues after you root the Droid, aside from the warranty being voided. I know that when I put custom ROM's on my WinMobile phones, they never seemed to work as smoothly as I had prior to putting a custom ROM on. I mean I had newer features, but there was a downside.

Is there anything like that here with rooting on Android?

[BobStewart Posted Mar 29th 2010 12:33PM]

@Poochnuts

From what I have seen there has been no downside. The stock processor speed is only 550mhz I am running twice that with no loss in battery life or excess heat (I have it drop down to 250mhz when it is not in use to save on battery).

Since I have overclocked it, the phone is much more responsive. Not that it was particularly bad in the first place, its just that everything is now instantaneous with zero lag at all.

There are many forums that will gladly help you figure out the rooting and installing of the custom roms. I personally go to droidforums.net but sites like alldroid.org are great as well and will have almost identical information.

[Aedan762 Posted Mar 29th 2010 12:49PM]

@Poochnuts

I'm a HUGE fan of the Android developer community. Not a dev myself, but the work of these awesome people is what makes phones like the Droid some of the most amazing devices you can own.

Check out this link: http://alldroid.org/threads/16435-Complete-How-To-on-How-to-Mod-Your-Phone-(2.1-ROM-O-C-MM-Boot-Animation-etc)

[bravokiloromeo Posted Mar 29th 2010 1:46PM]

@BobStewart
How is that running for you? I was having major issues with it loading apps and running smoothly, so I'm sticking to 5.X until the 6.X is developed a bit more

[BobStewart Posted Mar 29th 2010 1:54PM]

@bravokiloromeo

I have not had any issues yet at all. But then again, I have only been running it for a little over a day now. btw, the android community is just amazing. I am so happy I bought this phone.

[JAG Posted Mar 29th 2010 11:50AM]

what about f****ing DROID, still waitin for VERIZON.

I think this has to be with GOOGLE. They have something in mind.

[Samurai1984 Posted Mar 29th 2010 12:00PM]

Well Verizon, like any other money making giant, wants to hold the update until after the Nexus One releases. Why? Because if you release an update to the Droids, sales for the Nexus one will ultimately join forces with the rest of Verizons dust collecting phones. In reality, Google and HTC does want to maximize sales so why dont you pay off the major carrier (Verizon) not to supply the masses with the big 2.1?...logical? most likely.

[johnsry Posted Mar 29th 2010 12:25PM]

@Samurai1984 That is perhaps the best explanation I heard as to why the DROID update hasn't happened. Wish they could have just said that instead of all the mystery as to when it would be updated and all the false starts. I think that is the most maddening part of this process is to hear one day that the update is coming and then told the next day that the rumors were not true. Perhaps there is just too much information, I just wish it was the correct information.

[wildthing Posted Mar 29th 2010 12:22PM]

Motorola Europe have just posted on their Facebook page that it is only France that got the release today and not the whole of Europe.

They say this:
"Hello everyone! We are delighted to say that the European roll-out of our 2.1 upgrade began today in France and will roll out across Germany, Italy and the UK between now and mid-April as testing and approvals are completed. Stay tuned for your own country's announcement and look forward to enhancements including live ...wallpapers, up to 9 home screens, added security for exchange server users and more!"

See here: http://www.facebook.com/motorolaeurope?v=feed&story_fbid=108937785794110&ref=nf

[ECH Posted Mar 29th 2010 1:16PM]

@wildthing
Europe better hope the people running Motorola Europe's facebook site are more competent than those running Motorola USA facebook.

[BabblingSage Posted Mar 29th 2010 1:12PM]

The OTA upate isn't available in the UK, I've just managed to connect to the server and there is no updates.

[RichS42 Posted Mar 29th 2010 4:32PM]

@BabblingSage

snap.

[Quan Posted Mar 29th 2010 4:51PM]

Engadget you tease me so! Here in Switzerland clicking update every 30 mins for the last few hours, no luck yet.

[B00st3r86 Posted Mar 29th 2010 5:33PM]

I can't seem to install an update. I downloaded the updater from the motorola website (since over the air aint working), but it says there's no update available. I'm from Holland and I got a Milestone running 2.0.1.

What am I doing wrong??

[chaunceyd Posted Mar 30th 2010 12:21AM]

I've figured it out... they are holding the release of 2.1 on Verizon/Droid because they want to sell more Nexus One handsets when it finally releases, tempt people to dump their Droids. Or I am just getting tired of waiting, and starting to come up with ridiculous conspiracies.

[Heliosphan Posted Mar 30th 2010 6:00AM]

Tried updating on my non-network locked UK Milestone. No such update is available. And that is when its even able to connect to the Motorola servers, once in a blue moon.
Are you sure that download link is legit Engadget? And how would I even go about applying it? Its an SBF file and none of the motorola updater PC software even has an option to load an image file!