droidbionic
Latest
Droid Bionic ad has pretty much everything but a phone (video)
The new Droid Bionic ad sure has it all: a Portman-esque lady in an illuminated leather blouse, brandishing a giant sword against a Terminator-looking 'bot shooting lasers from his hands, all taking place in some crazy sky coliseum thing. As for the actual handset? Not so much on that front, save for a name at the end and a promised September release date -- oh, and the implied promise that the phone will literally slice the heads off of its Android brethren. Video after the break.
Engadget Mobile Podcast 100 - 08.21.2011
We're 100. 100! If you're like us, you totally can't believe it's been more than two years since we first started Mobile Podcasting but you totally can believe it at the same time because that's just how we roll: dedicated. To celebrate we've brought along Engadget Chinese editor Richard Lai and Noah Kravitz of TechnoBuffalo to weigh in on stuff like the Xiaomi phone and Symbian Belle leaking its way into the world. And...a couple of other things. We're old. It's a mobile party. You just got your pentaband invite to click on the play or download links below. Don't sleep on it: before you know it we'll be 200.Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad MolenGuests: Richard Lai, Noah KravitzProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Daestro - Light Powered (Ghostly International)00:02:45 - HP will 'discontinue operations for webOS devices', may spin off Personal Systems Group00:21:55 - Google acquiring Motorola Mobility00:42:45 - Motorola's new Droid HD makes cameo alongside Droid Bionic01:04:30 - BlackBerry Bold 9930 review01:05:43 - AT&T streamlining individual messaging plans August 21st, leaving unlimited as the sole survivor01:15:00 - Xiaomi Phone hands-on (updated with video)01:25:40 - Symbian Anna now available for download on Nokia N8, E7, C7 and C6-0101:26:30 - Symbian Belle download leaked to N8 community, quickly pulled from site (update: Anna available on NaviFirm)01:30:57 - CNET: RIM in talks to squeeze out BlackBerry music service01:32:50 - Motorola Photon 4G review01:36:53 - Samsung Hercules, HTC Ruby available from T-Mobile on October 26th?01:38:56 - Samsung Hercules gets its Telus on in leaked glamour shots01:39:38 - HTC Holiday prototype shows up on Craigslist, gives us reason to celebrate (update: AT&T-bound)01:45:55 - Why is LTE equipment being installed in an Apple Store?Hear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)Contact the podcastpodcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.Follow us on Twitter@tnkgrl @phonewisdom @engadgetmobile
Droid Bionic gets 4.3-inch display, yours for $299 on September 8?
The Droid Bionic may be the most hyped phone in the history of gadgetdom. The latest round of spy shots come from a Best Buy flyer, a tips and tricks manual and a pic purported to come from Verizon's Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) system -- all of which lead us to believe launch is right around the corner. Most of the info here is not terribly surprising (an 8 megapixel camera, 1GHz dual-core processor, etc...), but there is one detail that threw us for a loop -- the screen is only 4.3-inches. Rumor had it that the Bionic had been bumped to a 4.5-incher, and photos of it next to a Charge seemed to bear that out. Well, that was primarily an illusion created by the large bezel and a pair of very petite hands. This also means the Droid HD is packing a 4.3-inch screen, which may disappoint those hoping for a truly expansive 720p display. On the plus side, we can tell you the Bionic will support WebTop, wireless printing, and ZumoCast for streaming media from your home PC. And per Droid Life, it'll be priced at $299 when it goes on sale September 8th. Now, we just have to wait for Verizon and Motorola to make it all official. Head on past the break for two images, and check the source links for even more.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 8, 2011
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 8, 2011: A Toshiba TG01 running Windows Phone 7 was put on private sale. Sadly, the camera doesn't work and its resistive screen won't support multitouch, but otherwise seems to work fine. Offers are being accepted. [via MobileTechWorld] More leaked pictures of the LG Flip II surfaced, showing a couple more angles of the slider phone that has a secondary touch screen set right in between both sides of a split keyboard. Definitely not your average phone. [via LandofDroid] Tired of hearing about the Droid Bionic? Skip this blurb. Someone who said they were a tester of the Bionic claimed the new LTE device will, as hoped, have an improved battery life; in fact, the tester was able to get 15 hours of full use out it. [via AndroidCentral] Need your dumbphone fix? Verizon and LG announced the arrival of the LG Revere this week, a simple clamshell phone that, if you're not careful, could easily transport you back to 2005. It's packing a 1.3 megapixel camera and Bluetooth. That's about all there is to it. [via PRNewsWire] Google Movies, the video app that reached most Honeycomb devices over the summer, is now available for any Android device that has Froyo or better. The app gives you access to plenty of movie rentals and even gives you a spot to store your own personal collection. [via AndroidCentral] Samsung is rumored to be following the lead of Nokia and changing the naming scheme of its phones. Essentially, its Galaxy lineup would be grouped into four separate categories, each defined by its own letter: R would be top-of-the-line, W for high-tier, M for midrange, and Y for entry-level. A similar naming system would be set up for Sammy's Bada devices. Check the via for the full breakdown. [via UnwiredView] The HTC Bliss -- aka "the girl phone," as many seem to be calling it these days -- may be coming to Verizon as an exclusive before heading to Europe. It will come in three different color choices, has an 800MHz CPU with Adreno 205 GPU, and should be preloaded with Android 2.3.4 and HTC Sense 3.5. (thx Eugen) [via HTCInside(translated)] The Motorola Fire, Europe's version of the Droid Pro, is now up for presale in the UK. Online retailer Clove reports that the Fire, in addition to the specs we've already heard about, has a user interface named "Switch." We're curious to see if this is the official name of Blur's replacement. [via Phandroid] We've seen the HTC Merge hit US Cellular, but now it's available for Cellular South customers as well. It's all yours for $100 and a two-year commitment. [via AndroidCentral]
Droid Bionic spotted in the wild, again, blurrycam still in full effect
We're getting tired of all this teasing without any payoff, but when it comes Motorola's forthcoming dual-core Droid, we can't help ourselves. Just days ago we saw the Bionic's guts when it passed through the FCC, and now we've got fresh pics of the phone in the wild. This most recent sneak peek comes courtesy of Howard Forums user ceb unit, who posted a couple photos of the device after a Moto rep let a friend get handsy with the newest Droid. It's good to see civilians get their paws on one, but enough already, we want shots of this thing in the hands of some happy customers! [Thanks, Tu Tran]
Droid Bionic loses FCC confidentiality, gets updated with pics and user manual
When it rains, it pours, and the latest in the torrential downpour of Droid Bionic news comes straight from the FCC itself: we've got a manual. The user's guide starts by confirming the usual suspects: a 1GHz dual-core processor, 4G LTE, a 4.3" screen and a rear-facing camera capable of capturing 1080p video. The good stuff comes in on page thirteen: the Motorola XT375 supports LTE, CDMA, GSM, and UTMS, a world phone with support for over 200 countries, but unlike its WiMax cousin, the Photon, UMTS support is limited to 2100MHz only. The familial similarities are still there, however, as it seems that the Bionic uses the same connector layout (micro-USB / micro-HDMI) as the Photon, but shifted further down the edge of the phone. This means, unlike the Atrix, the Photon and Bionic just might be able to share WebTop docks and accessories. Need more than just bread and butter? An inductive charging back tagged along on the handset's federal funday, and while there's no indication that it ships with its own charging mat, we'd hazard a guess that it's compatible with existing VZW inductive chargers. Want a closer look? Check out the gallery below for the teardown of your dreams. %Gallery-130126%
Droid Bionic teaser page goes live at Verizon Wireless, really just wants your email
Been waiting long enough for the Droid Bionic? Same here, as you can imagine. Although we're looking to September 8th as the official launch date of the LTE-equipped wunderphone, Verizon's teaser page just went live, reminding us of the phone's impending arrival. Will we find 1GB of RAM and a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 under the hood, or did the company figure out how play nicely with the Tegra 2? Verizon's happy to take your email address and let you know the juicy details in due time, although we're certainly hoping to beat Big Red to the punch. [Thanks, Dan]
Droid Bionic gets friendly with its future roomate for Mr. Blurrycam
We know, we know -- you're ready to be done with the Droid Bionic. After all, we've been lusting after this monstrosity guy for nearly eight months now, so is all of this building up to be a major disappointment? We're just as eager to find out as the next person, but here are some new images of the real deal to (hopefully) tie you over a bit longer. We've seen shots of the Motorola XT875 up close and personal before, but this is the first time it's been spotted snuggled up next to another phone. Hanging out next to the Samsung Droid Charge, the Bionic's slightly larger appearance lends credence to reports that it has a 4.5-inch display. A few other cosmetic features that stick out -- quite literally, we might add -- are the tapered back that bulges halfway up the phone to accommodate the camera, and the beveled edge around the perimeter. As already expected, the microUSB / HDMI port on the bottom right side for Webtop access can easily be discerned. Will this be enough to whet your whistle for another few weeks? If not, we hear there's another Verizon device inbound that you might be interested in.
Verizon Wireless year-end roadmap leaks, Android and LTE spotted on the horizon?
Nope. There's no mention of a Nexus Prime in this glimpse of VZW future, but don't let that stop you from drooling over the purported goods. The leaked shot over on IGN lays out a back-to-school road filled with Android phones a plenty, and one lone RIM entry. September 8th is gearing up to be a busy Thursday for Big Red, with launches slated for the Droid Bionic, Motorola Xoom 4G, BlackBerry Curve 9370 (the LTE cousin of 'Apollo'?) and Samsung Stratosphere -- the operator's rumored Galaxy S II variant. The end of the month gets a 2.3 combo of Gingerbread phones as the Samsung Illusion (codenamed Viper), and HTC Bliss touch down on the 29th. Refreshes for a couple of the carrier's early LTE phones debut in October, when the Thunderbolt gets pushed aside by the virile HTC Vigor and LG gets a redo with the Revolution 2. Samsung's Galaxy Tab P8 (most likely the Galaxy Tab 8.9) gets an unconfirmed November mention, while BlackBerry's PlayBook languishes in a release date grey zone. Ready for that end-of-year upgrade? From the looks of things, there'll be no dearth of options.
Motorola Droid Bionic specs revealed: TI OMAP 4430 dual-core CPU, Android 2.3.4 on board (update: wrong model number)
Can't wait to get those mitts on a Droid Bionic, but still wondering what lies beneath? Seems as though the Motorola mobile of mystery can't hold its secrets forever, since the specs of the Bionic are now up for perusal on Motorola's developer site. Here's the skinny: it's got a TI OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core CPU bundled with 1GB RAM (twice the amount in the Droid 3), a 4.3-inch qHD display with 960 x 540 resolution, HDMI 1.4, 8 megapixel rear camera accompanied by a VGA front-facing shooter and 1080p HD video capture, webtop capabilities, and the obvious LTE radio. Unfortunately, the specs confirm the Bionic's lack of GSM / EDGE -- essentially turning it into a fancy PMP when traveling abroad -- and doesn't bother mentioning battery size (or life, for that matter), the most confounding question still lingering aside from the release date. C'mon, Motorola, can we at least get a hint? Update: A keen-eyed tipster alerted us to one minor snafu in the above image: it shows the Motorola XT865 -- the original Droid Bionic unveiled at CES 2011 last January -- instead of the XT875, which belongs to the new and redesigned model. We can't be sure if this is an typo on the site or if it really is the old version. Either way, we'll keep a close eye on the story and update if we hear anything else.
Motorola Mobility reports $56 million net loss in Q2, $3.3 billion in revenue, Bionic debut in September
Back in the last quarter of 2010, Motorola Mobility predicted a rocky road for future business, and its Q2 earnings seem to be right on track. The company reported total net revenues of $3.3 billion in the second quarter, up 28 percent year-over-year, but saw a net loss of $56 million, compared to earnings of $80 million in the second quarter of 2010. Mobile Devices saw an operating loss of $85 million, compared to the previous year's earnings of $87 million. Moto's not all doom and gloom however, as it predicts profitability in mobile devices by Q4. In terms of sales, the company reportedly shipped 11 million mobile devices, including 4.4 million smartphones and 440,000 Xoom tablets. Here's hoping Motorola's powers of prediction remain strong.Full PR after the break. We'd heard that the Droid Bionic was "coming soon," but up until today, we still didn't have a firm date for the LTE Android phone. Well, the cat is sort of out of the bag, as Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha has just announced that the long-awaited handset will hit stores in September. When in September is still anyone's guess, but we'll keep you posted as we learn more.
Droid Bionic's secrecy betrayed on Amazon, by simple dock listings
We had our hands on a raw version of the Droid Bionic way back at CES, but two listings on Amazon for desktop and car docking stations, uncovered by Android Central forum posters, may give the clearest look at the phone so far. As you can see in the shot above of the desktop dock Motorola's slab appears to have a chrome ring running around the outside, while the dock itself has a 3.5mm audio out, HDMI output and USB ports. There's no price or release date listed for either accessory but if you've been lusting over the beast and its rumored specs we're figuring some quiet time with these shots is just what the doctor ordered -- check after the break for a shot of the car dock and the back of the desktop docking station.
Motorola Droid 3 review
The third installment of a trilogy is typically the most satisfying. The Empire Falls, Frodo destroys the ring, Cinderella goes back in time. (Okay, that's a stretch.) Our protagonist in this tale is the Droid 3, which bears an uncanny resemblance to its dad and granddad-- but Motorola's added a few new components and made some minor design tweaks in attempt to improve the overall experience. Are these adjustments enough to save the series? The original Droid launched with much fanfare, a device that steered Motorola back onto the path of success from its post-RAZR Hades. It had a refreshing gold-laden design that oozed elegance, top-of-the-line specs for its time, and was the pioneer that helped usher Google's mobile OS into a new era. Each new iteration has received less attention than the one before, however, and the Droid 3 experienced such a quiet launch that we blinked and almost missed it. No matter, though -- as long as the phone can speak for itself, it doesn't need the confetti to accompany it. But is the third time another charm for the Droid? Or will it be buried by other heavyweights like the Droid Bionic or Samsung Galaxy S II Function? Join us after the break to find out. %Gallery-128661%
Droid 3 on sale now at Verizon Wireless
Big news for Big Red-eyed fans -- the Droid 3's finally made its dual-core, qHD, global 3G surfin' ways official at the carrier's retail outlets. You can pick this QWERTY slider up now for $199 on a two-year contract, or just go whole-hog and pay $459 with no strings attached. It's not the operator's top of the line offering, nor is it the increasingly mythical Bionic, but it should satisfy your Android needs. Click the source to order the latest in the Droid's lineage.
Redesigned Droid Bionic wants to fight you, shows up in leaked Best Buy ad
Motorola has sure been taking its sweet time with the Droid Bionic. But hey -- better late than busted, right? We got some hands-on time with the LTE handset way back in January, only to get word in April that the device was going back into hiding while the company made "several enhancements." Rumors about said improvements have popped up in the meantime, and the device has made an appearance on the FCC, but Motorola hasn't done all that much talking about the upcoming smartphone. Looks like the handset may finally be getting its day in the sun -- a newly-leaked Best Buy ad offers up some familiar specs and tough-talking advertising copy, as well as the enticing and vaguely threatening promise that the Bionic is "coming soon." It's worth noting that a Droid Bionic accessory page has been live at Best Buy since February, but sadly, not even this ad gets us closer to a cemented release date.
Droid Bionic seemingly clears the FCC, may finally be headed for (US) glory
Is this the Droid Bionic, eager to make its US debut at long last? After a false start, it's looking more and more like Motorola's next superphone could be inching ever closer to that elusive "summer release," with a new FCC filing showcasing a cellular communications device with EVDO, LTE, 700MHz radios, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and an inductive charging battery cover. 'Course, a few things are still under wraps until August 7th, so it's fairly impossible to tell with any level of certainty what handset we're peering at. The clues most certainly add up, however, and if you were thinking of holding out just a wee bit longer, maybe the outline above is just what you needed to find patience (and all her friends).
Moto mysteries abound: Droid HD posts to Flickr, new blurry cam pics
Gadget news, like dating and crate digging, is all about the thrill of the hunt. Sure, big press events where you get to manhandle the objects of your desire are fun, but give us Mr. Blurry Cam and some EXIF data any day. With that in mind, we present to you an out of focus pic of what looks like that tweaked Bionic and a reference to the Droid HD on Flickr, coming straight out of the Motorola campus in Libertyville, Illinois (since removed). Now, the two things are not necessarily related, but it's possible that the dual-core LTE handset is getting a new name to match its updated internals and redesigned exterior (though, if it's different inside, outside, and has a new name, is it really the Droid Bionic any more?). We do know that, what began life as the Targa, can capture 1080p video, which matches up nicely with the HD moniker. It's also possible that the pic taker is an as yet unseen device and our (moto)blurry friend above is simply a Bionic destined for another carrier. Either way, we're hooked -- at least until the PR hits our inbox, then it's back in the Mystery Machine.
New and improved Droid Bionic getting a 4.5-inch display and docking connection?
Since Motorola delayed the launch of the LTE-equipped Droid Bionic to carry out "several enhancements," we've debated if this might entail swapping out Tegra 2 in favor of a PowerVR GPU. But now leaked photos are starting to surface, and it would seem that Motorola went and redesigned the body, too. These pics reveal a phone what might be a 4.5-inch qHD display running Gingerbread -- not the 4.3-incher with Froyo that was originally slated to ship this spring. Even more intriguing, the revamped handset sports an Atrix-like docking connection, suggesting that new and improved user experience will include the option of a so-called lapdock. And, as an added flourish, Motorola smoothed out the rubberized back cover, nixing the pattern it had at CES. No further word on a launch date, but for now you can get your fill of spy shots at the source link.
Droid Bionic benchmark reports PowerVR GPU, new SOC inside?
A very strange thing popped up on mobile graphic benchmarking site NenaMark the other day -- an entry for the Droid Bionic. Now, it would be very easy to fake this test, and you'd be right to be skeptical given the incomplete score and the fact that it's reporting PowerVR's SGX 540 GPU, instead of the Tegra 2 we saw at CES. But, let's not be too hasty -- we heard back in April that NVIDIA's mobile chip wasn't playing nice with Verizon's LTE. Perhaps when Motorola said it was delaying the Bionic to incorporate "several enhancements" it really meant "rebuilding the phone with a more LTE friendly CPU." Both Samsung and Texas Instruments use the SGX 540, and Moto has previously turned to TI's OMAP for the Droid, Droid 2, and Droid X. Then again, a single, suspiciously low benchmark score isn't the most convincing basis for a rumor.
Motorola Xoom LTE update delayed until summer, same time as Bionic launch
Motorola's just finished giving the news and the numbers on its quarterly financial report, and there was one bit of badness that we just had to share: the Xoom LTE upgrade has been delayed. We won't be seeing it until summer according to Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha, which is also when we'll be seeing the Bionic, a delay that we were already sulking about. Jha was a little vague about what the "issue" was that is causing the delay, only that whatever quality concern there is applies to both devices, and it could simply be that the company is waiting for its LTE rollout to get a little further along. Net result: one less G for Xoom owners until the summer, and no Bionic at all until then. Bummer. In terms of the numbers: Motorola says that it shipped over 250,000 Xooms in the first quarter of the year, and managed net revenues of $3 billion. That's up 22 percent from this time last year, which brought losses down to $.27 per share -- much nicer than the $.72 in Q1 2010. Mobile device revenues were up 30 percent and 9.1 million total mobile devices were sold, of those almost half (4.1 million) were smartphones.
