droid razr hd
Latest
Refresh Roundup: week of October 29th, 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 October 22nd, 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 lists phones that won't get Jelly Bean, offers $100 credit to buy a phone that will
Back in September, Motorola Mobility announced that some of its handsets from 2011 and later wouldn't be making the jump to Jelly Bean. In an effort to smooth things over with exiled customers, the company pledged that it would offer a $100 rebate to those who trade up to a select Motorola smartphone. Today, the Google-owned Android maker has released a list detailing which phones qualify for this promotion. If you're among the many who purchased a Droid 3, Droid X2 and Photon 4G, it looks like an official update to Android 4.1 is out of the question. It should be noted that this offer doesn't affect your wireless contract's terms and conditions (read: ETF may still apply). However, if you're just aching to pick up a Motorola phone that released in 2012, then why not score a $100 credit for your troubles? Move past the break to see which other devices made didn't make the cut.
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's new Droid range: Meet the Family
Has all of this talk about the RAZR M, RAZR HD and RAZR Maxx HD made you unreasonably excited? Well get in line, because so are we -- which is why we've just broken down the specifications of each handset for you to compare and contrast the key features. Head on past the break to find out what you'll expect to find when you open the box (which doesn't include Jelly Bean, which isn't coming until later in the year).
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%
Droid RAZR M and HD dev editions bring unlockable bootloaders to the Android party
Motorola just released three new consumer phones today, but the company didn't want to leave developers out in the cold, so it also quietly rolled out a pair of developer handsets. A mere $550 gets you on the list right now for a RAZR M Developer Edition set to be shipped next week direct from Moto, and you can sign up for updates on the availability of a forthcoming RAZR HD dev-friendly handset, too. Each phone will bring an unlockable bootloader and the promise of immediate software gratification, though Motorola hasn't set an availability date or price for the HD version just yet. You can get on the list for either device at the source links below.
Motorola Droid RAZR HD hands-on: a 720p Android ICS update with 2,500mAh battery life
The curtains have finally been pulled back on Motorola's Droid RAZR HD, revealing little in the way of surprise. Abysmal attempts at secrecy aside, the Verizon-bound handset pushes the line forward with an incrementally larger 4.7-inch screen, 720p display, dual-core 1.5GHz S4 CPU and, most importantly, a 2,500mAh battery to temper LTE's juice-sapping ways. So does this less-than-wafer-thin device live up to its predecessor's legacy? Follow along after the break as we deliver our first impressions.%Gallery-164426%
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.
Motorola Droid RAZR HD unveiled: 4.7-inch 720p display, ICS, dual-core S4 for Verizon (video)
It's been a day of big smartphone reveals, but Motorola's not one to let the glory shine too long upon rivals. At its press event today in New York City, the Google-owned manufacturer gave the public its first official look at the Droid RAZR HD. Unless you've been living off the grid, it's hard to find much about this announcement fresh and / or exciting, as specs, photos, tutorials, FCC docs and even sample pics have been leaking since the start of April. Surprise already blown, the handset falls in line with previous reports, running a lightly-skinned version of Android 4.0.4 (upgradeable to Jelly Bean) and bearing a 4.7-inch 720p display, dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 8-megapixel rear camera, NFC, as well as a massive 2,500mAh battery. So, what's changed in this RAZR refresh? Well, the phone's back may still be Kevlar-coated (in this case, it's pretty much fully wrapped), but a few cosmetic differences have been made to the Droid RAZR HD's body. For starters, its front face almost spans from edge to edge, with just a little bit of bezel surrounding that display. Dimensions-wise, it's 131.9mm tall, 67.9 mm wide and still pretty thin at 8.4mm. It's definitely a coup for design-focused consumers that prefer to have their devices appear as a sea of seamless black glass. While it'll be hanging out on Verizon's 4G network, we're still waiting on pricing -- but we're promised that it will arrive "before the holidays." Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Motorola Droid RAZR HD guides slip out to the web, pop the hype balloon (video)
Not that we were on pins and needles wondering what Motorola's September 5th event would contain, but what vestige of mystery was left may just have been sapped away. A quartet of Motorola tutorial videos newly uncovered by YouTube user revowii walk users through the unannounced XT926, better known in unofficial circles as the Droid RAZR HD. It's all about the looks in this leak: other than the conspicuous link to Verizon, what's mostly validated here is the expected use of a customized Android 4.0 with on-screen navigation keys, much like the Atrix HD in AT&T's corner of the universe. Earlier murmurings have the Droid RAZR HD carrying the same Snapdragon S4, 720p screen and LTE as well, which could leave the CDMA voice network, NFC and possibly increased storage as the only real differences. We'll know the full truth in about two weeks' time, but those who don't mind a peek into the possible future can hop past the story break to indulge in some video time traveling.
Motorola teases mystery LTE phone, announces Friday reveal (update: no new device)
Taking to its Facebook page, Motorola has rewarded its loyal Likers with a tease: an LTE phone will be revealed on Friday, and the company will offer up a new clue about it every day leading up to the announcement. Our guess? We'd say we're ripe for a Droid RAZR HD debut on Verizon right about now. Regardless, it seems that Moto's pretty eager for this mysterious device -- we just hope it's worth the anticipation. Update: It turns out that Motorola is not actually revealing a new device on Friday. Rather, it appears the company's simply playing a game of "guess the smartphone" (the phone is already available in the US, apparently) and the answer will be unveiled on Friday.
Motorola Droid RAZR HD makes another cameo, shows its global creds
Welcome to yet another episode in the Droid RAZR HD's ongoing leak to market. The global variant of Motorola's flagship handset -- which is expected to supersede the Atrix HD and inevitably land on Verizon real-soon-now -- just made an appearance on xda-developers. What's new? It appears this phone is being tested on Vodafone and supposedly features an eight-megapixel camera (down from the rumored 13 MP). As a refresher, the Droid RAZR HD is slated to run Ice Cream Sandwich on a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and boast a 720p HD display (likely 4.5-inches across). There's still no official word from Motorola, but we'll keep you posted as we find out more. In the meantime, take a look at the gallery below.%Gallery-161608%
Motorola Droid RAZR HD raises hopes during its brief encounter with the FCC?
What do we know about Motorola's Droid RAZR HD? It's likely to arrive clad in a Kevlar body, run Ice Cream Sandwich and be quick off the blocks. Now we can possibly start looking forward to a release date for such a teasing device since it's been passed fit for human consumption by the boys at the FCC. The test documents revealed it's got CDMA and GSM radios, will slurp down Verizon's LTE and pack an NFC chip -- but alas, no hint of whether we should be waiting for a version with a bigger battery.
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 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?
Motorola engineer leaks Droid RAZR HD, could lose his desk
If you spent your weekend scanning Picasa for photos shot on a Motorola Droid RAZR HD smartphone, then ordinarily you'd have wasted your time. No phone by that name officially exists, and the PenTile Super AMOLED displays on both the standard Droid RAZR and the RAZR Maxx are distinctly not high definition. Surprising then, that when Blog of Mobile searched Picasa they discovered an album shot by a Motorola engineer supposedly using a RAZR HD. The photos have since been removed, leaving only the blurry desk image shown above, which is also attributed to a RAZR HD even if we can't be certain who shot it. Fortunately, the EXIF data was grabbed before the wipe, and if you glance past the break you'll see that it mentions a possible 'Vanquish' codename for the phone as a well as ICS build 4.0.3. There, just when you needed yet another reason to love EXIF.
