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IRL: Motorola's Droid RAZR M and the SignEasy digital signature app
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. You can ask Dana which phone she uses, but don't act all surprised when you find out it's a $99 mid-ranger. You can also ask Darren what he thinks of SignEasy's digital signature app, but he might talk your ear off. Straight ahead: lots of talking, and one long defense of a phone with a mediocre camera and tiny little battery.
Refresh Roundup: week of July 8th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Verizon launches Droid RAZR HD and RAZR M in blue, sort of
Motorola is no stranger to launching phones in bolder hues, and it's not letting up just because Google is at the helm. Case in point: Verizon has started carrying blue versions of the Droid RAZR M and Droid RAZR HD at the same prices (free and $100) as their subdued black and white counterparts. Our known affinity for the color is a bit tempered here, however. Like the pink Droid RAZR M that surfaced a few months back, the color only goes around the edges -- both RAZRs are otherwise as black as can be. Still, that little splash of blue may be enough to stand out in a frequently drab world.
Verizon offers VMware Horizon Mobile virtual workspace to Android users
We'd heard talk long, long ago of Verizon hooking up with VMware for a virtual workspace on its smartphones, and we can at last say that it's more than just chatter. Starting today, Verizon's business customers can buy VMware's Horizon Mobile for their Android devices. The solution gives corporate phones a common desktop with encrypted apps, data and policies that can't be touched from the device's regular environment. While this puts the Verizon-VMware partnership in competition with the likes of BlackBerry Secure Work Space and Samsung Knox, it won't be a perfect match for those services: the two companies are asking $125 per person for Horizon Mobile, and the initial device support is oddly limited to the LG Intuition and Motorola Droid RAZR M (neither is pictured here). Nonetheless, the deal might be a good fit for companies that would rather tie their phones to a single carrier than any one hardware manufacturer.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 6th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought hints of changes to the Droid RAZR lineup, a peek at Sense with Android 4.2 and the arrival of the Lumia 520 to Canada. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of May 6th, 2013.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 15th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Droid RAZR M 'blue steel edition' now available at Best Buy
What's black and white and pink all over? Well, not too long ago, the answer to that was the Droid RAZR M. As of today, however, Motorola's nearly bezel-less Jelly Bean handset will also be pretty in platinum. Available as a special edition for Best Buy, the Verizon-locked device has been given a steely makeover, but that's not to say the M's been scrubbed of all its flair. Turn the phone on its side and you'll note its hardware keys now pop with a blue hue. Apart from the cosmetic overhaul, not much else on the 4.3-inch device has changed. So, if you're still game for a solid Android mid-ranger, you can snag this freshly embellished phone for $50 on a two-year contract at the source below.
Pink Droid RAZR M, red Lumia 822 hit Verizon stores in time for Valentine's Day
Nothing says "I love you" like a red Lumia 822. Except, perhaps, a pink Droid RAZR M. We may have expected the crimson Nokia handset to make its debut in November, but V-Day seems to be an even more appropriate mark. Beginning tomorrow, you'll be able to pick up a red Nokia Lumia 822 at Verizon retail stores and on the carrier's website -- presumably at the same $50 two-year contract price. Similarly, a pink Motorola Droid RAZR M variant will be available through the same venues on Thursday -- it's currently listed at $100, with an obligatory two-year contract. So, go ahead and cancel those dinner reservations now, and grab your date a smartphone and a 24-month marriage with Verizon, instead.
Jelly Bean update starts rolling out to Verizon's Droid RAZR M
We know not all Motorola handsets will be lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Mountain View's Jelly Bean OS, but the Droid RAZR M, on the other hand, is now being prepped to get a taste of Android 4.1. According to Verizon, the 4.3-inch, Kevlar-sporting device can now be added to the growing list of devices running Jelly Bean, with the carrier noting that the fresh update will officially start rolling out to customers today "in phases." Meanwhile, Big Red also says an option to download the upgrade manually is coming, though that alternative won't be available until later next week. Regardless, proud RAZR M owners can expect a slew of under-the-hood improvements, new features such as Google Now and compatibility with ISIS Mobile Wallet (where the NFC-based payment system's live, of course). Are you seeing the Jelly Bean goods on your Droid now? Do let us know in the comments below.
US Cellular intros Motorola Electrify M, gets a slice of the Droid RAZR M on November 8th for $100
Americans who were eying Motorola's Droid RAZR M and just weren't keen on Verizon's typically overt branding now have at least one alternative. US Cellular is giving the big-screened, small-sized smartphone a slight respin as the Electrify M, with a subtler (if less Kevlar-laden) design wrapping around the same 4.3-inch screen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and LTE that we've come to know. The carrier applies a light touch to the Android 4.0 build as well. Those who want to take advantage of US Cellular's giant LTE expansion this month won't have to wait long between the widened coverage and a new device to use with it: the Electrify M goes on sale online as of November 8th, and retail a day later, at the same $100 post-discount price as its Verizon counterpart.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: fall 2012 edition
Shopping for a smartphone can be an exciting and arduous experience. Along with the promise of something new and fantastic, it brings the fear of commitment, and even worse, the prospect of saddling yourself to a lousy device for two years. Fortunately for you, Engadget spends tons of time playing with the latest gear and we're constantly on the lookout for what's coming next. If you're wanting to take the pain out of shopping for a smartphone, you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: your one-stop resource to finding the best and most exciting handsets on the market today. Before you dive in, however, we've introduced a few changes to the buyer's guide, so take a minute to prepare yourself for what's in store. First and foremost, you'll now find alternate selections to supplement our top picks. This should already be familiar to many of you, which is the same format we use for our seasonal gift guides. The next one is a biggie: we've dropped the QWERTY selection. By and large, manufacturers and carriers alike have shifted their focus away from keyboard-equipped smartphones, and you'll rarely find more than one option on any given carrier. That said, if you still insist on the tactile experience, you'll always find everything you need to know in our reviews. Finally, whenever possible, you'll now find prices from Amazon Wireless, which allows us to provide you with more compelling budget selections and highlight the substantial savings that you can score by circumventing the carriers. It's not like they need your charity, anyway. If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
Refresh Roundup: week of October 8th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Motorola phases out Webtop, points to a Lapdock-shy world
When Motorola launched its Webtop concept alongside the original Atrix 4G, it had grand visions of replacing our PCs with a smartphone, a Lapdock and some optimism for a mobile-focused future. Most of us don't appear to have shared that rose-tinted view, as Motorola has confirmed that devices from the Photon Q 4G LTE and Droid RAZR M onward don't carry Webtop and won't get it in the future. The firm is blunt in explaining the cut and says that "adoption has not been strong enough" -- we just weren't buying those desktop- and laptop-oriented docks in the large numbers Motorola would need to devote further attention. As CNET explains, the move isn't surprising in light of Google's cost cutting as well as an initial $500 Lapdock price that likely chilled any momentum, even after prices dropped to as little as $200 in the Atrix 2 era. We'd also point to a market that still favors budget laptops and tablets: when $400 will get you an entirely separate Transformer Pad TF300, albeit without a keyboard, it's hard to justify buying what amounts to an empty shell. At least we'll still have our PadFone to keep us company while you read the full statement below. Motorola's Webtop app helps users extend their smartphone experience to larger screens. While consumers around the world have adopted Webtop and the concept spurred a lot of innovation in the industry, the adoption has not been strong enough to justify continued resources being allocated to developing Webtop on future devices. We have also seen development of the Android operating system focus on the inclusion of more desktoplike features. Beginning with Photon Q and Droid Razr M/Droid Razr HD/Droid Razr Maxx HD, we will no longer be including Webtop on our products moving forward.
Motorola RAZR i review: how does the Droid RAZR M fare with a 2GHz Intel processor inside?
More Info Motorola and Intel hold hands for multi-year, multi-device partnership Motorola announces Intel-powered RAZR i, launches in Europe next month Motorola's RAZR i: benchmarking Intel's first 2GHz Medfield smartphone If you're getting a serious dose of déjà vu, we're right there with you. The RAZR i is a version of Motorola's Droid RAZR M that's headed to Europe and South America with a few differences. For the most part, though, it's cut from the same Kevlar cloth: you get a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen with qHD (960 x 540) resolution, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2,000mAh battery and 5GB of built-in storage -- with a microSD slot for expansion. So what's different? On the outside, the RAZR i gets a physical, two-stage camera button. It's a welcome addition, but Intel reckons that its 2GHz processor is what you should be concerned with. It's the highest-clocked Medfield processor we've seen yet -- and perhaps more importantly, it's been placed in a core phone-maker's device. We've already come a long way from the Orange-branded San Diego. So how does this compare to the Qualcomm-powered (and LTE-capable) RAZR M? Will this Intel iteration charm us the same way? Join us after the break to find out.%Gallery-166372%
Motorola Droid RAZR M torn down to its bare Kevlar essentials (video)
Fall must be the season for surprisingly fixable thin smartphones. Repair part supplier DirectFix has posted a currently rare, video-based teardown of the Motorola Droid RAZR M that shows just how well Verizon's mid-range smartphone copes with surgery. In practice, it fares quite well: those unafraid of voiding their warranty can disassemble the Droid RAZR M from top to Kevlar bottom, replacing parts like the battery, cameras and flash with a minimal risk of damage. Not all is sunshine and roses, however. The display assembly is a single piece, which could be as costly to fix as it is easy to replace. We won't mind if it ever means dodging a full-price replacement in the event our RAZR meets the sidewalk.
Motorola's rebate site goes live: $100 credit if you need to upgrade to get Jelly Bean
During Motorola's keynote on Wednesday, the company announced a nice little bonus for loyal fans -- should your 2011-or-later handset not receive a Jelly Bean update, you'll get $100 if you upgrade to one of its new models. Well, a website for the deal has gone live and the initial Ts&Cs don't make it sound like an immediate discount, but that the Benjamin will instead be reimbursed as a gift card, carrier credit or a cash equivalent of Motorola's choice. We're still in the dark about which specific phones will be denied a taste of Android 4.1, although the list is expected "very soon." In the meantime, you can sign up at the source link below to receive details of how to update, or how to claim the rebate once the fate of your old handset has been decided.
Motorola Droid RAZR family portrait
We have three new smartphones from Motorola here -- the Droid RAZR HD, the Droid RAZR Maxx HD and the Droid RAZR M -- and we wouldn't be very good hosts if we didn't properly introduce them. So, here they are. Meet the RAZRs. %Gallery-164448%
Motorola Droid RAZR M hands-on (video)
Motorola just took the wraps of the Droid RAZR M and, we've gotta say, the slender handset is quite the looker. The 8mm-thick body is plastic and Kevlar, just like its titular predecessor, but it adds some nice visual flourishes of its own, including rivets around the rim of the device. Despite its diminutive size, it has a nice heft in the hand, though we wouldn't say it's built like a tank. Overall, the device is frighteningly similar to the Droid RAZR, right down to the lock / power key with its concentric circle pattern. Also carried over from the OG Droid RAZR is the 4.3-inch screen. That means we are looking at a qHD Super AMOLED Advanced display, rather than some fancy HD panel and still saddled with a PenTile pixel layout. It also, as we harped on in the live blog, means that Android 4.0.4 has been slathered in Motorola's own skin. Though, we'll give credit to the new Google subsidiary for scaling back on the glitz and glam and letting Ice Cream Sandwich shine through a bit. %Gallery-164433%
Motorola launching first devices with Chrome for Android pre-installed
While company executives on both side of the divide have spoken of "firewalls" between Google and Motorola, there's clearly some perks to being a wholly owned subsidiary. The handset maker has announced that it'll be the first to ship smartphones with Mountain View's Chrome for Android pre-installed. We're expecting to see it front and center on the Droid RAZR M next week and the RAZR HD and RAZR Maxx HD later this year.
Exclusive: Motorola Droid RAZR M 4G LTE gets hands-on treatment (video)
There's no stopping the torrential downpour of information coming out about the Motorola Droid RAZR M 4G LTE (codenamed Scorpion Mini), but we finally have some real pictures showing off the device that, this time last week, was nothing more than a mere rumor. Our source had the opportunity to play with the RAZR M for a solid amount of time, and told us that the Snapdragon S4 processor is "fantastic" and the lithium polymer battery resulted in a full day of heavy usage. We've got a few more images of the unannounced device below (it appears the top back panel experienced a run-in with a hard surface before the images were taken), and we also have a video showing off the boot-up process and settings menu after the break. %Gallery-163887% [Thanks, Anonymous!]
