What is this Motorola Android phone?
The folks at Gizmodo Brazil got their mitts on this device, and it looks like a Backflip without the crazy keyboard. The front is described as “more garish” than the Backflip. It’s running MotoBlur.
Because it has MotoBlur, it’s running Android 1.5. There’s no way to tell if this will get a wide release in European and the U.S. market.
Source: Androinica
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Motorola Droid really does; becomes fastest selling Android device
Motorola Droid suggest VZW’s $100 million integrated marketing campaign paid off. Flurry said 250,000 Droids were sold in week one, compared to 1.6 million iPhone 3G S last June and 60,000 HTC MyTouch 3Gs on T-Mobile in August.
There are clearly extenuating factors in the phones’ launches. Important to note is that Apple launched in eight countries, while Motorola only had one. Apple also has more than 25 million second-generation iPhones already on the market with six million of those users expected to upgrade to the 3G S. With these facts in mind, Flurry said Motorola and Verizon did exceedingly well for themselves in week one. The Droid was the fastest selling Android device to date, beating the MyTouch 3 by a factor of more than four. There are plans to expand the device to more global markets as well, with Motorola forecasting one million units sold before the year’s end.
Flurry estimates sales by the number of new handsets detected within its system, adjusted for the level of Flurry application penetration by handset.
[Source: Telephony Online]
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Motorola Droid Free Tethering
Ever since the birth of the Android platform, developers have been working on a process called “rooting,” which gains administrative rights to a device. That allows developers (and users) to have complete control and to utilize all the features found in the Android platform. Now independent developers bundle features such as tethering, overclocking and multitouch into custom OS builds that are available free for download. Firmware mods makes it easy for a regular Android user to have it all.
What exactly does that mean for Droid customers, or owners of any Android phone for that matter? You’ll be able to install modified firmware onto your smartphone and gain access to everything Android is capable of — without paying extra fees on top of your cellphone bill — so long as the hardware can technically support it. For example, you won’t have to pay $30 for Verizon’s official tethering plan so long as you install a free mod that includes the feature.
Earlier Android phones — the T-Mobile G1 and MyTouch 3G — have already been hacked to support Google Maps Navigation, which is supposed to be a Droid-exclusive feature. Thanks to the folks at the XDA Developer forums, all that G1 or MyTouch owners have to do is reinstall an updated version of Google Maps and change configuration settings.
Some manufacturers and carriers are already embracing the direction of open customization with all the available and upcoming Android devices that are hitting the market. For example, T-Mobile’s official development forum allows developers and consumers to discuss step-by-step directions on rooting an Android device. T-Mobile customers who have gone this route enjoy the perks of data tethering, for example, without an additional cost.
You can assume that Verizon, a company which just doubled its early termination fee, won’t look as kindly on the idea of customers rooting their devices and tethering for free.
Of course, changing the way a device operates from a manufacturer’s specifications always comes with a risk, and an Android phone is no exception. There are warnings about “bricking” your phone, which renders a device unbootable, and this commonly happens after installing a custom build of Android. Although it is considered a rare occurrence, a quick Google search brings up many results of Android users asking for help or wondering if their phone is, in fact, bricked.
And don’t think a carrier or manufacturer will offer any assistance with issues caused after modding their device, a clear violation of most Terms of Use. When someone discovers a way to root the Droid, Verizon doesn’t have to take the T-Mobile route of turning a blind eye to these changes. It could retaliate by terminating contracts and voiding warranties.
Read the full story at Wired.
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