Verizon announced a new DROID RAZR that is available on January 26th. I have often commented that I wished manufacturers would stop with the thin obsession, and focus on battery life, and they finally listened to me. OK, so probably not to me, but still, I like this change.

The RAZR MAXX is only 8.99 mm thick vs. its thin cousin the RAZR at 7.1mm. But for that modest 1.89 mm you go from a 1780 mAh battery to a 3300 mAh battery. They claim you will get more than 21 hours straight on a single charge, and this is a 4G LTE phone. See more specs after the jump.

The Specs:

• 8.99 mm thick (I assume this is at its thinnest like the RAZR)
• 3300 mAh battery rated for 21 hours straight on a single charge
• Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor
• 4G LTE (Mobile Hotspot capable)
• 2.3.5 Gingerbread, upgradable to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 8-megapixel rear-facing camera
• 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology for crisp and clear videos
• Front-facing HD camera for video chat
• 32 GB memory – 16 GB on-board memory and 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)

This is a very interesting update, and highlights what I really like about the Android eco-system, the ability to choose from an array of options that best meets your needs. If you are willing to sacrifice a little thickness (and I assume weight) you can get a 4G capable phone that can consistently last the entire day.

You can check out the entire press release on Verizon’s site.

Filed in categories: Android related, News

Tagged: 4g, Motorola, razr, verizon

Droid RAZR MAXX Announced originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 26, 2012 at 9:00 am.

Motorola announced a new device today named the MOTOACTV. This is an Android-Based device that looks very similar to the iPod Nano, but includes GPS, heartrate capabilities and the ability to sync to your Android phone. The heart-rate sensor is built into the available headsets. The wired SF500, and the wireless SF700.

The features include:

• Tracks pace, distance, calories burned, and map of route covered
• Wireless syncing of workout data to MOTOACTV.com
• 8GB or 16GB of storage
• 1.6” full-color touch-screen display that is sweat-proof, rain-resistant and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass that auto-adjusts for indoor or outdoor lighting
• Can sync with the latest Android-powered smartphone to receive incoming calls and texts
• FM radio
• Up to five hours of battery life for outdoor workouts, 10 hours indoors, and nearly two weeks on standby
• Supports both Bluetooth® 4.0 and ANT+ wireless connectivity for your existing fitness sensors and your future ones
• Size: 46mm x 46mm x 9.6 mm
• Weight: 35 g

Price for the 8GB is $249, the 16GB $299. The headset/heart-rate monitors are $99 for the wired, and $149 for the wireless.

Complete press release after the jump.

Motorola Mobility Unveils MOTOACTV™ — The Ultimate Fusion of Music and Fitness

Oct. 18, 2011

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Oct. 18, 2011 – Scorch more calories, shatter personal records and train even harder with MOTOACTV^™, the new fitness device from Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI). MOTOACTV is a lightweight, wearable fitness performance tracker and smart music player in one. Sync MOTOACTV with your PC, so you can check out the music you perform to best or track your workouts over extended time periods, set goals and even create workout competitions with your friends via the MOTOACTV Web Portal. And MOTOACTV features a touch-screen display so you can instantly launch a new workout or find that one song you’ve been dying to hear.

“We brought the features you love in your smartphone to the fitness world with a groundbreaking addition, MOTOACTV,” said Sanjay Jha, chairman and chief executive officer, Motorola Mobility. “Workout smarter without using multiple devices or even wires, with the first multi-activity music and fitness tracking device with the brains to push you beyond your limits.”

Stay on Top of Your Stats
We get it. You’re obsessed with your pace, number of calories burned, miles covered, personal records and fitness facts. MOTOACTV uses Motorola AccuSense™ technology and GPS to ensure measurement accuracy of your performance. Your time, distance, speed, heart rate1 and calories burned are all measured, so you can reach your fitness or weight loss goals faster than ever.

Then, upload your workout to MOTOACTV.com to analyze the performance data tracked by the device and review useful, easy-to-understand charts, tools and programs that help you see your strengths and empower you to overcome challenges. You can also get workout tips and training plans from fitness experts at MOTOACTV.com and on your Android™-powered smartphone with our free mobile app available via Android Market™ and pre-installed on DROID RAZR™ by Motorola.

Run. Ride. Jam.
Heart pumping, thighs burning and five laps to go. You need a serious soundtrack to get you through. MOTOACTV can rock up to 4,000 of your favorite songs while tracking your every move, from the Rockies to the gym. Ultra-portable, you choose the way you want to wear MOTOACTV: strap it on your wrist or arm, clip it to your shirt or mount it on your bike during an outdoor ride².

Your playlist is more than just workout songs: they’re songs that push you to perform at your best. The smart music player learns what tracks motivate you most by measuring your performance against your music and then uses those songs to create your personal high-performance playlist.

On those days when your automatically generated high-performance playlist isn’t doing the trick, you can switch to FM radio for even more song variety. And if the music is really moving you, go that extra mile – MOTOACTV tracks your outdoor training via GPS.

Keep Connected, Keep Your Pace

Real athletes don’t wear earbuds, they rock sports headphones. Introducing innovative sports headphones with built-in heart rate monitors, durable design and crystal-clear audio, the Motorola SF700 wireless and Motorola SF500 wired headphones deliver exceptional sound quality and real-time audible readouts of your heart rate allowing you to track your performance without the uncomfortable squeeze of a chest strap.

MOTOACTV also gives you the option to stay connected to your Android™-powered smartphone, so you can answer calls, receive texts and rock out via your headphones without breaking a stride.

In addition to working with MOTOACTV, the Bluetooth® wireless Motorola SF700 and wired Motorola SF500 sports headphones are compatible with mobile phones, music players and tablets from Motorola and other leading manufacturers.

MOTOACTV will rock your fitness goals with the following features:

• Ongoing tracking of fitness performance stats, including pace, distance, calories burned, and map of route covered, with automatic wireless syncing of workout data to MOTOACTV.com
• 8GB or 16GB of storage for endless playlists
• Sports a 1.6” full-color touch-screen display that is sweat-proof, rain-resistant and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass that auto-adjusts for indoor or outdoor lighting
• Option to sync with the latest Android-powered smartphone to receive incoming calls and texts
• FM radio capabilities for more song variety
• Up to five hours of battery life for outdoor workouts, 10 hours indoors, and nearly two weeks on standby
• Supports both Bluetooth® 4.0 and ANT+ wireless connectivity for your existing fitness sensors and your future ones
• Size: 46mm x 46mm x 9.6 mm
• Weight: 35 g

Pricing and Availability

Beginning today, consumers can pre-order MOTOACTV at www.motorola.com, Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com®, REI.com and SportsAuthority.com. Starting on November 6, 2011, MOTOACTV will be available for sale at Best Buy®, Eastern Mountain Sports, REI, The Sports Authority and online at Amazon.com, with other retailers following shortly.

The exclusive launch carrier will be Verizon Wireless with availability in November.

The MSRP for MOTOACTV 8G is $249 and $299 for 16G. Motorola SF700 and Motorola SF500 sports headphones are sold separately and will be $149 and $99 MSRP respectively.

MOTOACTV will also be available in Latin America and Europe starting in Q1 2012. For more information about MOTOACTV, please visit MOTOACTV press kit.

About Motorola Mobility

Filed in categories: Android related, Fitness, Sports

Tagged: Fitness, heart rate monitor, Motorola, Running

Motorola Mobility Announces MOTOACTV originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

Julie got the first look at the Xoom, and did a couple of excellent posts on it including a First Looks and the full review. If you are wanting the complete run down on the tablet I highly recommend these posts. And, as always on The Gadgeteer, the comments are full of great additions as well.

Julie may have received it first, but I got to spend a long time with mine, so I wanted to share my observations. Also, she did such an excellent job with the nuts and bolts, I will focus on more general observations.

The Xoom is certainly not the first tablet. There have been a few based on the Android OS that even predate the iPad, but it was the first that ran Honeycomb. This is designed from the ground up to be a tablet OS. If you are used to Android, it’s not a big change, but there are some adjustments.

There are no buttons on the front. The power button is on the back, and a rocker volume button is on the side. I like buttons, but I was all right with it after a while. You do have a toolbar visible at the bottom of every screen:

The first icon takes you back, the second icon takes you to the home screen and the third displays the recent applications. If the current page of the application has a menu, a grid icon can be touched to display the menu. On the right side you have icons for any notifications. On this screen the first is the debugging notice (I use that to grab screens), the second tells me Words With Friends is ready for my next move, then you have the current time, signal strength and battery level.

If you tap the settings, you can see more information:

Tapping the settings icon (sliders underneath the time) gives you access to common settings.

So two taps takes you to a screen to control Airplane Mode, access Wireless settings, turn on/off auto-rotate, set brightness, turn off notifications and finally get to all the Settings.

The ability to  turn off notifications is a great feature. Especially if you are using it as a reader. Late at night, my wife can deal with the glow of light, but is not a fan of the occasional alert tones.

Room to Breathe

Apps designed to take advantage of the new real estate on the display really shine. Of course Gmail embraces it:

I really like the layout in landscape. I have my inbox on the left, and the contents of the e-mail on the right.

One of the first applications designed for tablets was the CNN app. Once again, a nice use of the layout:

Battery Life

I thought the battery life was good. I mean, after all, I need to sleep sometime. Even while playing some intensive games (like AirAttack HD) I was at 2-1/3 days before wanting to recharge:

Reading actually took the most out of my battery, since the screen was on the whole time. This was one of the worse results:

One disappointing thing about the Xoom is you cannot charge via USB. This is a big deal for me, I have far too many adapters to track as it is. However, I think this is the current state of tablets. I assume the batteries are too big to efficiently charge via USB. I just wish it was an option for when you find yourself without the adapter.

The Home Pages

If you are used to iOS, you may be confused by the home screens in Android. With Honeycomb, when you download an application from the market it does add it to a page for you (unlike previous Android releases). But the icons you see on pages are just shortcuts, not the apps. Managing this is very easy, and I am still a widget fan:

Form Factor

You know what I want? A tiny tablet that will fit in my change pocket and expand to give me a 17″ display. Yeah, we are not there yet. To me this is always about tradeoffs. I love my Sony Reader that conveniently fits into my coat and jacket pocket. The Xoom won’t. But the screen real estate is great. I still would like to try a smaller tablet on for size. I am just not convinced I want one this big. It is also heavy. However, it has a great display and a sturdy feel. I am a big fan of the rubberized finish, and have become accustomed to the size. I’ve now borrowed and read most of the first three books of the the Songs of Ice and Fire series on the Xoom. So I guess that speaks to the form factor issue. However, since returning it I have returned to my PRS-700 Sony Reader, and have been enjoying its weight, size and portability. I am still a fan of e-ink for reading, but the display on the Xoom was very acceptable for reading.

Half-Baked?

One of the complaints about the Xoom is that it was rushed to market, and is half-baked. It does appear rushed, but I think it is more like 7/8ths baked. Yeah, I kind of made that up. But still, it would be nice if it shipped with 4G and the SD card enabled, however the fact that it can be upgraded to 4G and the SD Card slot will be activated with an update makes it less of a big deal for me. It did not ship with Flash capability, but that is already fixed. And 4G and SD card capability will never be coming to the iPad or iPad2.

Bottom Line

Is it worth it? Will I buy one? The answer to both is maybe. I like it more than I expected to. It is a great tool for surfing the web, working on e-mail, using twitter and reading. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Yes. The issue to me is the cost. If you can justify the purchase I think it is a great choice in the tablet space. If I had the money, and had to choose one now, I would be getting this. Am I saying it is better than the iPad? No. I haven’t used an iPad for any length of time, and trying to label one “best” is pointless to me. It’s just a better device for me than the iPad.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Motorola, Tablet

Living with the Motorola Xoom originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 24, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

The Motorola Droid has been a very popular Android based smartphone for Verizon. It’s been out for close to a year, so of course it’s time for an update. The Droid 2 takes all the goodness that was packed into the original version, but kicks it up a notch to make it a worthy choice if you’re looking to upgrade or buy a new high end Android phone with a QWERTY keyboard from Verizon. Let’s take a look.

Note: I have not used the original Droid, so I won’t be doing any comparisons as far as speed, battery life, display, etc.

Hardware specs

Processor: TI OMAP 1GHz processor with Dedicated GPU
OS: Android 2.2 (Froyo) OS with Motorola Application Platform
Memory: 8GB Internal memory for emails, texts, and apps, 8GB pre–installed microSDcard for music, videos, and pictures (expandable to 32GB)
Display: 3.7″ Touch Screen 480×854 WVGA Display — supports up to 16M colors
Wireless: BLUETOOTH v2.1+ EDR, Wifi 802.11b/g
Camera: 5.0MP with dual LED flash
Battery: 1400 mAH Li–Ion
Dimensions: Dimensions: 4.58″ (H) x 2.38″ (W) x 0.54″ (D)
Weight: 5.96 ounces

Even though the shape and size of the Droid 2 has not changed all that much from the original Droid, this new model looks more modern and cool. I think it’s all due to the grey chrome top and curved edges. Original Droid owners will notice that the soft buttons below the display have changed positions.  The search button is the only button that has stayed in the same place.

The back half the case is a deep Blue with a soft rubberized coating.  For those of you that are afraid of color, don’t worry. In most light, the Blue looks like a deep Grey – at least to my eyes. You’ll also notice a classy looking silver speaker grill below the battery door. I was a bit worried about the location of the speaker, but even when held with my hand wrapped around the back, it doesn’t seem to be an issue unless I used a death grip.

The left side of the phone has a micro USB connector. Next to it is an LED that glows white while charging and turns off when the battery is full. It’s little touches like this one, that I really like.

On the right side you will find the volume button and camera shutter button.

On top, you’ll find a standard earphone jack and the power button. I’m not a fan of the power button. I think it’s too flush with the case, doesn’t have very good tactile feedback and is hard to locate with your finger tip.

The microphone is located in the center bottom edge of the phone.

Keyboard

Other than the curved case edges, the other main visible upgrade between the original Droid and the Droid 2 is with the slide out QWERTY keyboard. The new keyboard is quite a bit roomier because the D-pad has been removed. The keys now have a slightly domed shape, but they still don’t have much travel. One of my friends who has the original Droid tried my loaner and really liked the new keyboard layout, but I still prefer the keyboard on the LG Ally a lot better because its keys are more defined and it has a dedicated number row.

The slider mechanism feels sturdy and is easy to use. The whole phone feels comfortable in hand. It has a perfect not too big, not too small size. I’m also happy to report that it passes the ever popular gadgeteer squeeze test with no creaking or cracking protests.

Display

Here we see the Droid 2 next to the Droid X for a display comparison. I have no complaints with the display. It’s bright, vivid, crisp and very easy to read. It also has good sensitivity for scrolling and tapping with your fingers.

I should also mention that the touch buttons below the display are easy to use too. I remember when I reviewed the Nexus One, I would often need to press the soft buttons multiple times to get the desired effect. This is not an issue with the Droid 2.

Camera

I was a bit disappointed to see that the Droid 2 only has a 5MP camera instead of 8MP, which it seems most of the latest high end phones have. That said, using the built in camera is easy due to the dedicated shutter button. There’s also an onscreen shutter button that is nice. I’m wondering if it is a new Froyo feature though since my Droid X doesn’t have it.

One weird thing I did notice is that when I launch the camera application, or focus on a subject, I will hear a very odd noise. I guess it’s the lens focusing. It sounds like little gears or something turning inside the phone.

Here are some sample images:

Click the images for a full size view. I think the camera does a good job. I wouldn’t want to use it as my only camera, but you’ll never be without a way to snap pix as long as you have this phone.

Call Quality

This is the one feature of this phone that I’m most disappointed in. Although call volume is great, the audio quality for calls is lacking a bit. Audio sounds a little muffled on both the caller and receiver sides of a conversation. I called the same person multiple times with the Droid 2 and Droid X back to back and each time, I was told that the Droid 2 didn’t sound nearly as clear and crisp as the Droid X. Yes, you can hear the other person and what they are saying just fine, but just doesn’t sound as crisp as it could be.

Battery Life

I’ve been really happy with the battery life on this phone in the short time that I’ve had to test it. It seems like I’m able to wait longer between charges with the Droid 2 than I am with my Droid X. So no complaints there.

System Performance

The Droid 2 feel snappy all around. Scrolling through lists, launching applications, playing video over the web via a 3G connection, etc are all enjoyable experiences.

I don’t notice any speed differences between it and my Droid X which also has a 1GHz processor.

Software – Android 2.2 AKA Froyo

The Droid 2 is one of the first (maybe THE first) Android phone to ship with Android 2.2. I’m going to defer to The Gadgeteer’s resident Android expert – Bryan Sherman to fill us in on the details with regards to the updates between 2.1 and 2.2. My own Droid X is still running Android 2.1 and I am not seeing any glaringly obvious differences between the two devices other than some small graphical changes / interface changes, which include a slightly modified lock screen, modified google voice search widget and a contact operation popup window when you click on a person’s icon in the address book. I’m sure that I’m missing lots of changes, so stay tuned for Bryan’s article soon.

Summary

I have enjoyed testing the Motorola Droid 2 from Verizon and except for the call audio issue, the fact that it only has a 5mp camera instead of 8mp and doesn’t come with a 16GB SD card, I still give it a thumbs up. Not an enthusiastic thumbs up, but it’s still a very nice device.

I continue to be glad that I chose the Droid X as my first Verizon Android phone, but the more I use the Droid 2, the more I like it. I didn’t think I would ever want another phone with a build in keyboard once I got used to using onscreen touch keyboards. But it’s good to know that there’s at least one high end Android smartphone with a keyboard option from Verizon.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, Droid 2, Motorola

Motorola Droid 2 Android Smartphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 7, 2010 at 1:30 pm.

I spent a lot of time experimenting with new ways to enter information in the Droid X. The voice recognition integrated into Android continues to improve, and the Droid X comes with Swype installed. I had not tried it before, but was encouraged by Craig to give it a shot when we were comparing the EVO to the Droid X. I am really glad I did.

Voice Recognition

I really enjoyed working with the voice recognition feature on the Droid X (an Android OS feature). It is not perfect, but is surprisingly good. I found that the few errors I had to correct did not impact how well this worked. I first started playing with it while watching TV. It did an incredible job of blocking out the noise of the TV to capture what I was saying. I also used it a lot outside with Tweetcaster one afternoon. I doubt it had anymore “typos” then my own (though that is not a hard thing to beat). Of course talking your tweets into a phone in public may not help you socially, but it was fun to play with.

To use it, you tap the microphone on the keyboard. When it prompts you to speak, talk into the phone, and then it processes what you say:

Editing

The advanced cursor control for the Droid X works very nicely. When editing text, it can be difficult to tap on just the right spot. Thankfully on the Droid X I can double-tap and hold, then slowly move my finger to put the cursor exactly where I want in the text. A magnified area appears on screen to help guide you:

Swype

Swype was a real pleasant surprise. If you have not tried it, give it a shot. At the minimum it is a really nice keyboard. You don’t have to swype each time. As you swype you see the trace of your finger. Here I am swyping “droid”:

If it is unsure what you meant, a pop-up menu appears with options. If it guessed wrong, you can tap the Swype button in the lower-left corner to bring up the same menu:

Be sure to check out the Swype tips. They have some on punctuation and how to do double-letters. I found that tid-bit after I finished the video. If I had the Droid X this would be my default Keyboard.

Browsing

This is the first phone I have used that I really enjoyed browsing on. Part of it is the size of the screen, but in addition I like how the browser in the Android has continued to improve. You can quickly double-tap to zoom, and you can use pinch and spread to resize. It is easier to show this in video, it is towards the end of the video at the end.

What’s Next

It’s about time to ship this phone back, so the next post will be the wrap up review. If you have been following along, there will be no surprises. This is a powerful phone with few compromises.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, droidx, Motorola, verizon

Droid X: Entering Text and Browsing originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 16, 2010 at 5:29 pm.

We ask a lot more out of our smartphones anymore. It’s not enough to make phone calls, access the web, and receive text messages. We want them to be our communications hub. Android has become very adept at this, and will get even better with Froyo (2.2), but how does the Droid X stack up on this?

Supported Accounts

Out of the box, the Droid X supports a number of accounts:

Social Networks like:

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

E-mail like:

• Corporate Sync (Exchange)
• Email (POP3)
• Google (multiple Gmail accounts)
• Yahoo! Mail

Picture sites like:

• Photobucket
• Picasa

Additional options like:

• Backup assistant(Verizon feature)
• Skype Mobile
• Visual Voice Mail (Verizon feature)

Exchange Support

I found the Exchange support works very well for me. I have heard of some folks having issues because of security settings on their company’s exchange server, but I have not had those issues. Also, it only supports syncing mail, calendar and contacts. No notes or to-do lists, but I have not use notes or tasks lists for a long time.

This can be taken care of with an add-on application, but I have not tested them much, and not for a while. There was quite a discussion of this on my Droid post last October. You may want to look at Touchdown or Moonrug.

Google has promised more robust Exchange support in Froyo (2.2). I hate to say “wait for the next release” but it is expected this year. You can check out the information on Androids Developer site.

As it stands, the exchange support handles all my needs. I also like that the exchange calendar is shown in a unified calendar view:

The exchange events are highlighted in blue, Gmail events in green. Each calendar you add is displayed in a different color. I did not see a way to change the color assignments, though.

Video and Pictures

YouTube is not listed in the Accounts section, but you can set up the gallery to upload to YouTube directly (large files will automatically wait for a Wi-Fi connection) and share anywhere you can e-mail. You can also upload pictures to your Picasa or Photobucket accounts, but unfortunately there is no direct Flickr support. To send to Flickr you need to e-mail it to your Flickr e-mail address (look this up on your Flickr account). I found this very disappointing. You can set a quick upload to an e-mail address (which I did to my Flickr photo address) but inexplicably this can not be set to send by your Gmail account. It is sent to your default e-mail account in the Email application.

Getting Social

After you setup your Facebook, Twitter, and (I assume) MySpace accounts, they are viewable through the social widget. I am not a big fan of this. I follow WAY too many people on Twitter, so it gets a little overwhelming. If you follow fewer people, this may not be an issue. I set the widget to only show Facebook status’ and I use Tweetcaster to follow twitter.

Conclusion

I think the Droid X handles accounts very well. For me, Flickr is a huge disappointment. HTC phones with the Sense UI work with Flickr (Droid Incredible, EVO). The work-around is OK, but not as seamless as I would prefer. The exchange support should satisfy a lot of people, but will not satisfy everyone. There are 3rd-party solutions out there thanks to the vibrant Android Market, but it will disappoint some to have to add software for what they hope is a basic function.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, droid x, Motorola, verizon

Motorola Droid X: Accounts originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 13, 2010 at 9:00 am.

My birthday came a little early this year as I received the Droid X for review. I only get to keep it for a week, but I may be getting my own soon. This is essentially Verizon’s answer to the EVO. It has similar specs but doesn’t have the front-facing camera.

As we have done in the past, I will do a multi-part review of the phone over the next week, but I wanted to give my first impressions in this post.

Wow. This is a big phone. Just like the EVO, though, it doesn’t seem too big to me. I pulled out my old Clie TH-55 which is a little wider and thicker than this phone, but the phone is a tad taller. The size of the screen is breath-taking (assuming you are a gadget geek who likes those kind of things).

It does not have a physical keyboard like the original Droid, but does have physical buttons along the bottom for Menu, Home, Back and Search.

What’s in the Box?

The phone comes with a number of manuals, the phone, a USB cable and an AC adapter. It arrives with the back off and the battery in its own bag. It is very easy to install the battery in the phone.

Slim

The phone is very slim, with a bump at the top to accommodate the camera:

The red button is the camera shutter button. I am a big fan of a camera button, it just makes the camera application easier to launch and more convenient to use. The pair of buttons to the right are the volume controls.

HDMI

Just like the EVO, this phone comes with an HDMI out. It is a micro-HDMI connector which are pretty rare right now. I am hoping to get a cable to test it out. There is also a micro-USB port.

Power and Headphones

I’m encouraged that most manufacturers have figured out that we want a standard headphone jack on our phones now. It is located at the top with the power button:

I am not a fan of the location of the power button. I find it inconvenient. However, that may be because it is not in the location I am used to.

8 MP and Dual LED Flash

The camera is 8 MP, with a dual LED flash. I’ll await judging it until a later post. I would rather have fewer pixels to get more low-light sensitivity, but again, I will wait to test the camera.

I did a quick, basic unboxing of the phone. I will get better. Unedited, a little over 8 minutes.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, droid, Motorola, verizon

Motorola Droid X for Verizon First Looks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2010 at 6:01 pm.

I was able to talk the Verizon PR representative into letting me review two of the accessories for the Droid as a ploy to keep the it a little longer, I mean, as a nice companion to the series of reviews on the Droid. In this post I will look at the Car Mount, and later I will look at the Dock.

What’s Included:

• Mounting arm with suction cup.
• Disk to attach to dashboard for non-windshield mounting.
• Cradle for phone.
• Instructions.

What’s Not:

• Car Charger. This isn’t a “Car Kit” it’s a Car Mount.

I did not use the disk. I attached the holder to the windshield. One of the nice features of this accessory (and the dock) is that there is a small magnet in both that tells the Droid that it is attached. This means as soon as you turn on your phone it displays the Car Home when when it is in the cradle.

To see more information on how navigation works with the Droid, look at the Navigating with Verizon’s Droid post. You can rotate your phone vertical, or horizontal, but I think the horizontal position works best for navigation.

I was surprised how well the suction cup holds the phone and holder. There is a lever you press down to engage the suction cup:

The clear tab underneath the lever is used to break the suction after you release the lever. Even after releasing the lever, it would be difficult to remove it without this handy tab. I did not get to take that long of a trip with it, but it seemed very secure.

The cradle works very nicely. The phone fits very securely in it. The design utilized the little step down on the bottom part of the phone (where the Verizon logo is), and the angled edges of the phone very effectively to hold the phone.

I was very impressed by the thought that seemed to go into this accessory. It is a safe and convenient way to mount your phone. My only disappointment is that it does not come with a car charger.

Filed in categories: Android related, GPS, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, Motorola, verizon

Car Mount Phone Holder for Droid Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 13, 2009 at 2:16 pm.

First off, Multimedia Station seems a bit off for this device. This is a dock for your Droid phone. It has some nice adds, but does not include any speakers, or even audio out, it is a dock.

What’s in the Box:

• Manual
• AC Adaptor
• USB Cable
• Cradle

The dock is very attractive, and since it comes with an additional charger, is a very good value. The phone slides into the dock and connects via the micro-USB port. I found that it slide in very smoothly.

When inserted in the dock, the Droid recognizes that it is attached to the doc and launches the dock application:

This application displays the current time and date, your location and weather and also provides quick access to your music, photos, alarms and a dimming feature.

The Music and Photo buttons take you to the music and photo applications of the Droid.

If you tap the lightbulb to dim the display you get this:

You can tap on the weather icon to get a nice forecast:

If you tap on the Alarm icon you can set up to three different alarms:

I like the dock application. You cannot launch it from a stock Droid without the dock. Of course the beauty of the Android market means a work around is only a matter of time, and it has already been worked around. There is an application called DockRunner you can use on a Droid to launch the Dock application. This works only on the Droid, since it is the phone with that application.

I still think the dock is worth the $30. If nothing else, it is an easy place to drop your android for charging when you get home. Also, it comes with an additional charger, which I always need.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, Motorola, verizon

Multimedia Station for Droid Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 8, 2009 at 12:04 pm.

I had no issues with my Droid battery cover for the two weeks I used it, but I have heard some complaints that the cover can fall off. I know another reviewer that had no problem with her review unit, but after purchasing she had issues with the new one. So it probably is dependent on the unit you get.

I did come across a nice little video that describes a potential DIY solution if you don’t mind slightly customizing your Droid. Actually in the world of DIY this is really minor. Of course I am not going to take responsibility for any over-zealous mods on your part. If you want to follow these instructions, take care.

Update:

Matt from Motorola (he manages the Motorola Support Forum) added a nice comment below about a non-DIY solution. It’s great to hear a company stand so solidly behind their product. He provides this link to get support if your cover is coming consistently off: https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/utils/chat

Filed in categories: Android related, Do-It-Yourself

Tagged: DIY, droid, Motorola

DIY Droid Battery Cover Fix originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2009 at 9:56 am.

Finally, the review. I have spent just over a week with this app phone, and I have really enjoyed it. I am a current G1 user, so I came to the phone already familiar with the Android OS. It was interesting to talk with a number of folks who are new to Android to get their impressions.

This is going to be a little obsessive and detailed, so settle in. If somehow it is not enough, you can always review the previous posts in this series.

The Hardware

The design of the Droid is very industrial. The lines are very, very straight, the surfaces are hard. The phone is thinner than my G1 and barely thicker than an iPhone. The slider moves smoothly open to display the keyboard.

The Keyboard

News flash: keyboards on phones are a mass of trade-offs, and the Droid is no different. I still don’t like it as well as the keyboard on my G1 after a week, but I have grown accustomed to it.

The large 5-way controller to the right of the keyboard limits how wide it can be. It feels narrower than my G1, but in reality they are about the same width. The keys have almost no travel (distance they travel when pressed) and have no separation between them. The G1, with its space between the keys, and more travel, feels bigger, and more responsive. Of course the trade-off to more travel is more width in the device. The biggest detractor of the design for me was the lack of a dedicated number row. This is a big deal for me, especially when typing in passwords with letters and numbers.

Buttons

The phone has four physical buttons, and four dedicated touchscreen buttons. The physical buttons include:

• Power button on top right. A little awkward to press at first.
• Volume rocker (2 buttons) on upper right.
• Camera Shutter on lower right, which becomes upper right in camera position.

The touchscreen buttons are reminiscent of the old Palms before the virtual graffiti areas. Essentially the touch screen extends beyond the regular screen to the four buttons at the bottom.

The buttons from left to right are:

• Back
• Menu
• Home
• Search

I did not like the back button on the left side. I thought it was just my personal preference, but I had another experienced reviewer make the same comment. She observed that is was different from most phones she has looked at (and she has looked at a lot lately). However, let’s face it, not something I would not get used to.

A bigger issue for me was the nature of the buttons. No tactile feedback to find them in the dark (although haptic feedback when you touch them and activate the button). Also, they are not always back-lit, so hard to find at night. That is probably a good reason for their unconventional layout, as back is used more than home.

Connections

The Droid comes with a standard headphone jack (here is hoping that becomes a totally non-noteworthy feature in phones) and a micro-USB port for charging and connecting to your PC. It also ships with a USB cable, and a wall plug.

I wish they had designed the wall plug with fold-able prongs, would have made it more portable, but I appreciate the trend towards USB charging. I have WAY to many AC adapters.

Specs

I could replicate a list of specs, but it wouldn’t look as nice as the specs page on Motorola’s site, so go to their Droid Spec page.

I will highlight the notables:

• 3.7″ WVGA (480 x 854 pixels) display
• 550 Mhz processor (2nd fastest Android device out there right now, fastest is 600)
• 5 MP camera with dual LED flash
• First Android 2.0 (Eclair)
• 16 GB of memory
• Memory is expandable by replacing the SD card (supports 32 GB)

That last one is a big deal to me. I love the fact that the Droid (and really all the Android phones I have seen) are easily upgraded by replacing an SD card.

Google Navigation

A lot has been made about this feature. In fact Garmin and Tom Tom took a hit in the stock market the day this was announced. You know how features can be over-hyped and not meet expectation? Well this is definitely not one of those cases. I won’t repeat all the information in the navigation post I have already provided, but I want to add some information from further testing.

In the comments I was asked how things worked when you were navigating and received a call. I finally had an opportunity to be a passenger on a reasonably long car ride to test it. After receiving a call you can put it on speaker phone and return to the navigation screen. In fact, during the call you will continue to get turn-by-turn directions visually and audibly. You can mute the audio directions. It worked fine.

Exchange Support

Out of the box, this phone will sync to an Exchange server to get you mail, calendar and contacts. Your mail appears in the e-mail application (which is separate from the Gmail application). In addition your calendar appears in a separate app called Corporate Calendar. You contacts, however, are synced with the contacts on your phone.

I really wish my exchange calendar events appeared in my regular calendar application. I really want an integrated calendar view. This is one of the pleasant surprises on the Eris which is not on Eclair, but uses the Sense UI Exchange features to show them together. I can see why some may want to maintain separate calendars, but I think they need the option.

An integrated email view would be nice, but less of an issue for me. If I want to integrate POP3/IMAP in Gmail I can do that by adding the account in Gmail rather than the phone, and I like separating the Exchange mail. Of course others may prefer something different.

Android 2.0 does not sync your Exchange notes or tasks. There was quite a discussion about this on the Day 1: Verizon’s Droid and Account Maintenance post. I was surprised that notes was such an important feature to folks. The bad news is that this is not supported out of the box. The good news is that there is a vibrant Android development market. Here are a couple options (supplied by a Verizon resource):

• Touchdown by Nitrodesk. It provides task and global address lookup. I did not get an opportunity to try it out.
• Moonrug Mobile provides notes access. I made the time to try this out on the Droid, since there were a few folks who thought this was very important, and it worked fine I will try to make the time to post a review.

These are not out-of-the-box solutions, nor are they free ($9.99 for Touchdown and $23 for Moonrug Mobile) but does show you that the market for Android is healthy.

Outlook ≠ Exchange

Another issue that popped up was syncing with outlook. Android does not sync with your PC to get to the Exchange data, it syncs wireless with the Exchange server. My post Android: Living on a Cloud goes into some of the philosophy around this, but again, the third-party market comes to the rescue. There are a couple solutions that are available now, or shortly:

• CompanionLink is a $39.95 tool that uses the Google cloud to sync from your desktop Outlook to your Android phone.
• The Missing Sync for Android is currently in pre-release beta. Mark/Space has been providing supplemental sync tools for a while, and though I have never used one, I have always heard great things, and even recommended them to others that were very happy with the results.

If anyone knows of any other recommendations, add it in the comments and I will add it to this list.

I do want to add that the Droid Eris actually comes with the software to sync your Contacts and Calendar in Outlook on your PC to the phone. This is an advantage for the Eris if you have Outlook, but are not using Exchange. I hope to have an Eris review next week. You can see my preliminary comparison in the post Droid Eris vs. Droid.

Facebook Integration

This feature came as a really pleasant surprise. You log into your Facebook account, and it provides the option to sync your contacts with the Facebook information. You actually have two great options. You can pull in ALL your Facebook contacts, or just have it sync the Facebook contact that match contacts on your phone. It also updates the thumbnails of your contacts with their Facebook avatars.

Multi-Touch

Multi-touch is a topic much talked about. If you are unfamiliar, the best example is the 2-finger spread to zoom in and pinch to zoom out. The hardware of the Droid supports this, and there are apps you can download that use it, but Android 2.0 in the US does not have it enabled. The Motorola Milestone (Europe version of droid) lists multi-touch as a feature.  Speculation is this is due to legal threats by Apple. Remember when the bad guys in the 1984 Apple commercial represented the other guys, rather than Apple? Interesting note, the Sense UI DOES support mutli-touch, so it will work with the Eris.

Conclusion

This is a very strong phone. With the dazzling display and incorporation of Android 2.0 it has to be considered the flagship Android device. It is sorely tempting me (a long-term happy T-Mobile customer) to pay the early termination fees and jump ship.

However, you will definitely want to look at the Droid Eris as well. I don’t think I could declare a clear winner, it depends on your needs and preferences.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, droid, Motorola

The Motorola Droid on Verizon Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2009 at 10:36 am.

Motorola recently announced its first Google Android OS-based smartphone, the Motorola CLIQ.  A 3G smartphone with full touchscreen and side-slide QWERTY keyboard, it is also the first device to feature MOTOBLUR, which syncs social networking and other media.  The Motorola CLIQ will be available in Titanium and Winter White colors and is due to be available exclusively in the U.S. on T-Mobile starting later this fall.  Pricing to be announced later.  For more information, see the full press release after the jump.

T-Mobile USA Unveils the Motorola CLIQ With MOTOBLUR

* MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The MOTOBLUR logo is a trademark of Motorola.

* Android, Gmail, Android Market, Google, Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube Picasa, and Google Talk are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

Note to Editors in the United States
For photos of the Motorola CLIQ with MOTOBLUR and other T-Mobile services and products, please log onto http://www.thenewsmarket.com/t-mobile to preview and request photos. Registration is free of charge to the media.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the current views of Deutsche Telekom management with respect to future events. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project” and “should” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place too much reliance on them. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond Deutsche Telekom’s control, including, without limitation, those factors set forth in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” contained in Deutsche Telekom’s annual report. If these or other risks and uncertainties materialize, or if the assumptions underlying any of these statements prove incorrect, Deutsche Telekom’s actual results may be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Deutsche Telekom does not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, Motorola, Spotlight Gadgets

Motorola CLIQ with Android, MOTOBLUR coming to T-Mobile originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 18, 2009 at 4:32 pm.