If you’re one of those Motorola DROID RAZR owners who felt cheated by Verizon after the DROID RAZR MAXX hit the streets, you’re not alone. However, it looks like there’s a solution for you – in the form of a 3rrd-party modification kit from the folks over at Cellphone Repair Shop. They are offering a DROID RAZR MAXX conversion kit that includes the 3,300mAh battery, adhesive tape, back battery cover, and SIM/SD card door. And if you’re wondering how much it’s going to cost – it’ll be $109.95, but that’s assuming you have the tools to pull off the job (if not it’ll cost you a bit more than that).Just in case you didn’t know, the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX are pretty much identical devices except for the phone’s batteries and thickness – so a conversion shouldn’t cost any problems between the devices. The only drawback to this is that you’ll probably be voiding your phone’s warranty. However, it is cheaper than shelling out $649 for brand new DROID RAZR MAXX. Head here if you’re interested in pre-ordering up a kit for yourself.
A new software update is rolling out starting today for the Motorola RAZR. This is not the DROID RAZR here on Verizon, and instead is the international and European model just named the Motorola RAZR. The European model is responsible for those leaked 4.0 builds too but today it is only getting Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread.
RAZR users in the UK, Italy, France and Spain can all enjoy the latest and greatest from Motorola starting today. Over on the Moto Facebook page they detailed some of the new features. Most of them we’ve already seen such as smart actions, better battery life, improved camera support and a few different Google security patches. We are also hearing this will update the recent Google Play apps to the latest versions.
You can also see the full change log direct from Motorola by clicking here. Again, the update is rolling out today and should arrive for most users by Friday. As usual if you’d like to get it now and not wait for the OTA push head to settings > about phone > system updates > download and enjoy that BLUR infused Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread.
With the Android 4.0 ICS getting leaked last month we were hoping this would be Android 4.0 but sadly that isn’t quite ready for prime time just yet. Let us know how the update procedure goes for those with the international Motorola RAZR. DROID RAZR by Motorola: Switchers:
HP’s latest CEO, Meg Whitman, has the unenviable task of trying to talk up WebOS after HP dumped it last year, tried and failed to sell it, then undumped it enough to open source the code. WebOS itself had some very nice things going for it, although some have questioned whether fundamental problems in the code base will always hold it back from Android and iOS style performance.
But the main problem is the spectacular string of failures it suffered in HPs hands. The delayed hardware, the under-performing phone sales, and the tablet that was yanked off the market just weeks after it launched.
Speaking at HP’s Global Partners Conference, how do you imagine Ms. Whitman solved this problem? Via an expert appeal to the intrinsic technical superiority of the code base? By some deft marketing of the platform to developers and OEMs? No…instead Whitman chose door number three: scaremongering about Android.
Her pitch is that once Google closes the deal on Motorola, it’s going to decide to close off the operating system to other manufacturers, choosing to pursue the Apple route of controlling everything. We’ve heard this claim before, of course; we heard it from Microsoft and Nokia last year when the Motorola deal was announced. The funny thing is the people you haven’t heard it from: Google or any of the Android vendors.
We don’t want to go too far with this – there’s no doubt that some Android vendors may be concerned about what the purchase of Motorola could mean long-term. But Google’s entire M.O. is to get Android in as many hands as possible. And it’s not just Android – their search business, ad revenue, and various services (like Docs and Gmail) are all predicated on the idea of broad horizontal distribution, not tight vertical integration.
So it seems unlikely that Google will try to cut out its partners. But that’s not the real issue here; the real issue is that WebOS desperately needs someone to talk up its good points – someone to evangelize for the platform and convince people that it’s still worth investing in, despite the string of unfortunate events that have befallen it. If the best thing that HP can say about it is that “the industry really needs another operating system” because Android might someday be closed…it seems unlikely that WebOS has much of a future. Touchpad vs Xoom - Android and WebOS Tablets Compared:
With the pre-Mobile World Congress rumor season in full swing, today sees the emergence of yet another purported device, spec list and image. This time it's the "Motorola Atrix 3", which is being reported on Chinese site Tianjin Daily, after being pulled from Concept-Phones.com. The photo shows a relatively plain, buttonless front sporting a Motorola logo and roughly 16:9 aspect ratio screen. However, it's unclear whether this is a concept, a prototype or simply an imagined device. The original picture is a far cry from your usual concept render, and appears to be an actual photograph. Maybe it's real, maybe someone was just really bored and made a model of their dream smartphone.
For what they're worth, the alleged specs include a Tegra 3 processor, a surprising 2GB of RAM, a 720p display, 10MP camera with dual LED flash and a Droid RAZR MAXX-level 3300mAh battery. All plausible (though 2GB of RAM would be a smartphone first), but at the same time unconfirmable. So we're taking this with a pinch of salt for now.
If it is real, though, the "Atrix 3" could go up against rumored Tegra 3 phones like the HTC One X and LG X3, both of which are expected to be unveiled in Barcelona in just over a week's time. We'll be there covering the whole week's events live. Motorola Atrix 3 Leaked:
Many of you have been waiting for Motorola to dish out information about its plans for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Today, the company updated its software upgrade news page, and well, the news is probably not going to be the news that many of you wanted to hear as the manufacturer has revealed extremely long wait times for some devices while not providing any sort of window at all for others.
The news comes just a few days after we wrote two scathing posts aimed at HTC and Motorola in regards to the lack of information in regards to the Android 4.0 update for the HTC ThunderBolt and Motorola Droid Bionic. As of right now, there is only one Motorola device on the list that has seen the Android 4.0 update and that’s the Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi edition which saw the update arrive a few weeks ago. The rest of the devices have vague release windows.
Going down the list of U.S. devices we see that the MOTOROLA XOOM Family Edition will see the update in Q2 while the Motorola Photon 4G, ATRIX 4G MB860, XYBOARD 8.2 and XYBOARD 10.1 will see the update arrive sometime in Q3 of this year. This means that the soonest those of you with those devices will see the update will be April.
As for the rest of Motorola’s devices like the Droid 4, Droid RAZR MAXX, Droid RAZR, and Droid Bionic, the company says that details will be following in the future. No elaboration, no information. The first option is to get frustrated and lash out at Motorola. (Remember, I’m only angry about the lack of information for the Droid Bionic. Motorola has explained why the update process is so slow and vague and it’s understandable.) Motorola Droid RAZR Overview:
The newly launched Motorola Gleam+ appears to be a combination of technology and style. This glamorous looking feature phone sports a clamshell design and will come dressed in two colors namely, silver and winter white.
The Gleam+ is a successor to the Motorola Gleam feature phone which had been fashioned with a similar clamshell design and was also announced exactly a year ago in February. It boasts of a compact and convenient form factor weighing 105g and a slim profile measuring 13.5mm. Snap-happy users can employ the integrated 2MP fixed focus main camera featuring digital zoom.
“The Motorola Gleam+ is as a stylish and easy to use as ever for the consumer who enjoys the simple things in life, without compromising on design and functionality. We designed this handset with a clear focus on delivering a great experience in a simple, sleek and stylish design,” commented Claudia Laepke, marketing director, Motorola Mobility Germany GmbH.
This fresh Motorola handset offers 50MB of internal storage space which can be expanded up to 16GB through the microSD card slot. Measuring 107mm x 52.5mm x 13.5mm, it comes equipped with a 2.8-inch WQVGA 400 x 240p 260K TFT display and is capable of lending support to various connectivity options such as Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and USB 2.0. Additionally, the feature phone is powered by a 750mAh battery which offers talk time and standby time of up to 4 hours 49 minutes and 417 hours 26 minutes, respectively. The Motorola Gleam+ price is tagged at €99 without a contract and inclusive of VAT. It is scheduled to be available in March via Telekom and other authorized retail stores. Motorola Gleam Review:
With an eye toward expanding the size of the tablet “pie”, Motorola Mobility is considering new tablets targeted at specific vertical markets, according to Christy Wyatt, Vice President and General Manager of Motorola Mobility’s Enterprise Business. While being quick to emphasize that their current tablet lineup – including the recently launched Xyboard tablets and their original Xoom tablet – are well suited for a range of enterprise uses, Wyatt said MMI was considering whether different sizes, aspect ratios, or durability needs could better serve those markets.
One example provided was education, where a smaller tablet than the 10.1 and 8.1 inch models they currently offer might fit better in some uses. Durability could be a key factor for educational professionals as well, although it was in reference to medical needs that it was pointed out that water-proofing, or at least water-resistance, was needed for sanitation reasons.
In the short term Wyatt said MMI is focusing on making their Android tablets more enterprise friendly in general, by increasing the security of their devices, making them easier to manage and provision for IT departments, and generally bringing down the cost of ownership for businesses that choose to deploy Motorola’s products. Unless Google leads the company in a different direction after the acquisition closes – something they’ve indicated they won’t do – we can expect to see Motorola branch out into some specialty markets with their Android devices in the coming years. Targeting the Education Market with Motorola Solutions:
As expected, Verizon is launching the Motorola DROID 4 on Friday for $199.99 with a signed two-year pact. What was not expected are the promotions that Big Red is debuting on Friday. For example, if you like the Motorola DROID RAZR or its big batteried (did we just invent a new word?) brother the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX, you can buy one of either model and get a second unit for free
But wait, there's more" as they say in those annoying television commercials. Big Red is offering up double the data with 4GB of 4G LTE service going for $30 per month with any smartphone purchase. And if you finally are ready to trade in that LG Voyager or LG Dare that you have been sporting since the Bush administration was in power, Verizon is giving away $30 gift cards in its stores for those willing to part with their old featurephone and move on up to a smart one. Finally, you can take $100 off the price of a 4G tablet with the purchase of a smartphone and a signed 2-year pact.
It sounds like Big Red customers have plenty to think about in the next few days, especially those with an upgrade burning a hole in their pocket. NEW Verizon Launches Motorola's Droid Phone:
