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Motorola Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx get updated to Android 4.1
Today is the day for Jelly Bean updates on older carrier-branded devices, apparently. In this round, it's the Verizon-branded Motorola Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx that have the honor of being bestowed with Google Now, expanded notifications and the rest of everything Android 4.1 has to offer. The rollout will take place in phases, so don't be terribly concerned if you don't see the update showing up on your device right away. We haven't had the chance to play with it yet, but soak tests seemed to indicate that much of the Droid-related bloatware has been removed in favor of several stock Google apps; if you get the update, let us know in the comments if this is the case.
Refresh Roundup: week of December 24th, 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!
Droid RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD review
When Motorola resurrected the RAZR brand last year we didn't realize that we were looking at the new face of the company. At the time, Google had yet to officially take over the handset manufacturer, it had a deep stable of less-than-impressive devices and, while it was a moderate success, the Droid RAZR didn't exactly turn the market on its head. Still, in retrospect, it only makes sense that the RAZR would once again become the standard bearer for Moto. Even if we weren't blown away by last year's model, it was a big step in the right direction for the company, a device that featured a great mix of premium styling and performance. The new RAZR HD and MAXX HD take that basic formula and attempt to address our concerns about the display and battery life, the latter of which was already handled in dramatic fashion by the RAZR MAXX. So, how do the latest caps-happy, vowel-averse handsets from Motorola stack up against last year's incarnations and the current crop of competitors? Keep on reading after the break to find out.
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%
Refresh Roundup: week of July 9th, 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!
Fujifilm sues Motorola over broad camera and phone patents, claims RAZRs and Xyboards are at fault
Motorola won't have had much of a break following the dismissal of a key Apple lawsuit, after all. In a low-profile move, Fujifilm has sued Motorola for allegedly violating four particularly broad patents on camera and phone technologies -- we're talking basics such as transmitting data outside of a cellular network. The camera designer has supposedly been pushing for a licensing deal since April of last year without much success, and it's asserting that "at least" a wide swath of Motorola devices released both before and after that time are the key offenders, including the RAZR MAXX and Xyboard lines. The complaint is scarcely into the docket and makes it difficult to gauge just what kind of chance Fujifilm has to win in court; we just know that Motorola's (and now Google's) patent lawsuit headache is developing into more of a migraine.
Refresh Roundup: week of June 25th, 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!
Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx Android 4.0 update incoming: roll-out starts June 22 (update: confirmed)
Looking likely to sneak through in time for Motorola's Q2 deadline, Verizon has published support documents covering an Ice Cream Sandwich update for both the Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR Maxx. This preamble is typically followed by an update just days later and features the same build number that leaked out earlier this week. The refresh adds a four-way lockscreen shortcut, refreshed notifications, global roaming, a smart actions app update and plenty more Android 4.0 holo design riffs. Hit up the source for the documents and a handful of video tours. Update: VZW just confirmed the start of the roll-out on its news page. [Thanks Anonymous]
Refresh Roundup: week of June 11th, 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!
Refresh Roundup: week of June 4th, 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!
Droid RAZR HD lands on the bench, shows off Snapdragon S4 in continued striptease
Sometimes it can feel like you're being sold a book one page at a time. The latest in the Droid RAZR HD's story comes via some benchmarks. A NenaMark2 report clearly shows what claims to be the Verizon phone with a Qualcomm Adreno 225 GPU. Not the most exciting plot twist, but this does, by association, reveal that it's a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 running the show, as rumors have been suggesting. The resolution (1196 x 720) and Android version (4.0.4) also got an outing, with an overall score on the test of 59.1. Ready for the next chapter? We guess we'll just have to wait.
Motorola Droid RAZR HD's backside possibly leaked: we hope you like Kevlar
We may have seen it from the front, but Motorola's rumored upcoming Droid RAZR HD now looks to have had its back subjected to the whims of Mr. Blurrycam. The overriding theme? Kevlar. Lots of Kevlar. So much so that it runs right up to the edge, making even the original Droid RAZR seem a tad restrained. A side profile shot hints that it might not be as waif-thin as that first model, which Droid Life takes as a sign (however indefinite) that Motorola could reuse the 3,300mAh mega-battery from the Droid RAZR MAXX. Sadly, the snoop providing the photos hasn't solidified rumors of a Snapdragon S4 processor, a 720p display or a 13-megapixel camera, although they're components that are increasingly par for the course in mid-2012 and later. Unverified murmurs have Verizon only shipping the Droid RAZR HD in the summer; that will give us plenty of time to figure out whether or not it can stop a bullet.
Motorola shows off Ice Cream Sandwich on a Droid RAZR, sprinkles in Webtop 3.0
Although Motorola outed its Android Ice Cream Sandwich rollout plans back in February, we've only seen leaked glimpses of what its skinned version the OS would be like for its handsets. That's changed recently thanks to Motorola's Japanese website, where a new ICS landing page features nine demo videos showcasing the software on a Droid RAZR. Among the clips, which highlight features from updated icons to a revamped lockscreen, there's also a detailed look at the LapDock-friendly Webtop 3.0 UI. Sadly however, there isn't any new word on the rollout schedule past the update Moto detailed on the 18th. You can treat yourself to some of the eye candy by clicking past the break, and you'll find all the vids by hitting the source link below -- but do keep in mind that most of clips aren't voiced in English.
Motorola shows three all-touch Android 4.0 phones in China, we see a possible Verizon model
It turns out that Motorola didn't want to wait until the Google deal closed -- or, for that matter, an American launch -- to undertake a significant revamp of its phone line. A quiet Chinese event last week is now known to have brought us three RAZR-derived, all-touch phones for the three carriers in the Asian country: the XT885 for China Unicom (pictured at left), XT889 for China Telecom (center) and MT887 for China Mobile (right). Other than the network types and pretty bits, you're mostly looking at the same device, where the highlight is an official dip into Android 4.0 waters that drops the physical navigation in favor of more Nexusish on-screen keys. Don't expect a revolution in performance over last fall's roster given that they still have 1.2GHz dual-core processors, eight-megapixel rear cameras and 4.3-inch, 540 x 960 displays. The trio arrives in China on June 2nd; Motorola is likely more worried about popping champagne than giving out US launch details right now, but earlier leaks give us a strong hunch that the MT887 could hit Verizon as the uncannily similar (if still very unofficial) Droid Fighter before too long.
Refresh Roundup: week of May 14th, 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!
Blue Droid RAZR heading to Verizon on May 17th, Ice Cream Sandwich nowhere to be found
Blue your favorite color? Have a thing for 7.1mm thin slabs? Then today's your lucky day. Verizon just announced an azure flavor of its exquisite Droid RAZR is set to hit its physical and virtual shelves next week -- though, it could show up at brick and mortar shops a wee bit earlier than that. Aside from the most recent paint job, this Droid RAZR isn't changing much, meaning you'll still get that admirable 4.3-inch, qHD display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and Android 2.3 onboard (worry not, ICS should be coming soon). For now, gather up your cash and pay your nearest Big Red store a visit -- who knows, you might just get lucky.
Verizon ICS update schedule leaks: Rezound, RAZR and Xoom being tested now
While there are already vague Android update plans for Verizon-connected Samsung devices, a leaked screen from somewhere within the Big Red bunker has offered up some more details. It looks like the Rezound, Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx are closest to the upgrade finish-line with testing likely to finish by May 7th for the HTC model and May 17th for the Motorola duo. According to Droid Life, Verizon's Motorola Xoom (you know, the Android tablet) is getting its update direct from Google, but it hasn't been deigned worthy of a concrete release date. A handful of software updates are also pegged for the likes of the Bionic, Thunderbolt, Revolution, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Xperia Play, but they look likely to be more incremental than outright OS upgrades. For those interested in some new firmware numbers, we've included those update details after the break.
Motorola Droid Maxx hitting the UK in mid-May, available for pre-order now
We were aware of Motorola's plan to send the husky member of the RAZR lineup on an overseas quest next month, but aside from telling us it was heading to Europe, we hadn't heard any specifics -- at least until now. Earlier today, Moto announced the RAZR Maxx will bring its long-lasting powers to the UK, with expected availability around mid-May and pre-orders commencing today. Currently, this 4.3-inch, Gingerbread handset is up for grabs from Clove and Expansys for £430.80 and £429.99, respectively, while Amazon is also planning to offer the device. If that kind of cash isn't an objection, you can hit up either of the source links below to snag one for yourself.
Motorola RAZR HD running ICS spotted in the wild, 720p display in tow
Last week, a Motorola engineer's Picasa album all but confirmed the existence of the Motorola Droid RAZR HD. And while we can't say his job has a future, it looks like this handset does. The latest leak includes some newly discovered blurry cam photos from China showing Motorola model MT887 running ICS. This matches the EXIF data posted by that errant engineer, which listed the RAZR HD's build as 4.0.3. According to the latest images, the RAZR HD sports a 4.3-inch display -- with an upgraded resolution of 720p -- though the other specs appear to match the current batch of RAZRs. As Android Community points out, that relatively bulky body could mean there's a 3,300mAH battery inside. That's all well and good -- unless Motorola also has a Droid HD RAZR Maxx set to launch a month after this guy. Then again, who would be so cruel as to pit your hopes for a higher-res RAZR against your dreams of an even longer-lasting smartphone?
