11/20, 4:15pm
Motorola says update will fix Droid camera issues
Motorola today confirmed it will soon fix the problems with its Droid phone's camera by releasing an automatic over-the-air update to the handset. The Android handset's 5-megapixel camera has been said to have trouble focusing and producing red corners in images when photos are being taken. The intermittent problem has been blamed on an unusual timing bug where particular states of the clock create problems with the autofocusing system. Users can simply change the date on the phone to resolve the issue, although a permanent fix is apparently due soon.
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11/20, 3:15pm
Touchscreen Motorola Crush now at US Cellular
US Cellular has added the Motorola Crush to its lineup on Friday. The handset is unique in its placement of the lock and call buttons above its 2.8-inch, 240x400 resolution touchscreen instead of below it, as is usual. There is also a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth support and a microSDHC memory card slot.
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11/20, 12:20pm
Moto making companion to Cliq
Motorola's Motus has been spotted in a leak that also suggests it won't be exclusive to T-Mobile. The device appears to be a smaller version of the Cliq with its directional pad "hidden" in the QWERTY keyboard section. A lone photo from AndroidAndMe also suggests it will be a "reverse" flip where the phone opens like a clamshell, although it's not yet confirmed at this stage.
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11/20, 8:30am
Gameloft cutting back Android game work
Gameloft today revealed that it has scaled back development of games for Android phones. The French software house made the move as just a fraction of its sales come from the Google platform: it sells 400 times more iPhone games than Android titles, the company's financial head Alexandre de Rochefort said.
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11/17, 2:30pm
Analysts see Palm at Verizon next year
Palm may prove to be Verizon's best hope if the Droid line doesn't bear fruit, Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu said in a note today. He points to contacts within the cell industry and supply chain that suggest Verizon will carry one or more of Palm's webOS phones, such as the Pre or Pixi, sometime in 2010. Sales of both the Motorola Droid and HTC's Droid Eris have purportedly been "somewhat disappointing" and may lead to Verizon using Palm to bolster its smartphone catalog.
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11/17, 9:00am
Droid autofocus suddenly cured for users
(Update with possible explanation) A problem autofocusing the Droid's 5-megapixel camera has been suddenly fixed according to reports from multiple users. Although it had previously had problems properly locking on to subjects at all since the Droid launch, owners at HowardForums and elsewhere now say it has suddenly started focusing properly in almost every case, suggesting a silent over-the-air fix. Some have noticed it after rebooting the phone or changing settings, but others say they did nothing that might have triggered a check for an update.
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11/16, 5:35pm
Simple Mobile launches in US
A new MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) launched today in the US in the form of Simple Mobile. The cell provider has its own pick of phones but emphasizes attaching the SIM card over its own devices; customers are encouraged to bring their own unlocked phones, including smartphones. About 180 phones have already been pre-screened, though it should work with other devices.
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11/16, 3:50pm
VZ won't give Droid tally but is happy
Verizon today responded to predictions for Motorola Droid sales with only a brief statement on their actual results (subscription required). A spokeswoman for the carrier declined to say whether or not a rough estimate of 250,000 Droids sold is accurate but did say the company is "very pleased" with sales in just over a week since the Android phone reached stores. Verizon doesn't normally provide sales breakdowns for phones and doesn't intend one for the Droid, she says.
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11/13, 5:35pm
Moto Droid sales may have accelerated
A new set of extrapolated data from location network developer uLocate suggests that active users of the Droid may have more than doubled in the first week of sales. Third-party estimates indicated that Verizon may have only sold 100,000 launch units, but uLocate says it will have detected about 25,000 new Droids on its network by Saturday. As uLocate's information usually represents about 10 percent of the actual user base of a phone when it's new, the figure would translate to about 250,000 total Droid users.
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11/13, 1:05pm
Best Buy Thanksgiving sale flyer leaked
The flyer for Best Buy's Black Friday/Thanksgiving sale has been leaked on the Internet ahead of its official release thanks to a copy posted today. Among the 'doorbusters' are a $300 PS3 bundle that includes two games, while an Xbox 360 bundle with six games will carry the same sticker price. Another front-page deal involves a 46-inch, 120Hz LED-backlit Samsung HDTV with free home delivery, hook-up and recycling for $1,600, or $1,000 off.
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11/10, 5:15pm
iPhone pushes Nokia down to No. 2
Apple is now the single most profitable phone maker in the US, Strategy Analytics said today. Although it has just 2.5 percent share and makes just two similar iPhone models, Apple is estimated to have generated about $1.6 billion in operating profit from its cellphones in the summer where market leader Nokia said it had only generated $1.1 billion. Nokia's second-place finish comes despite it being one of the most experienced phone builders and Apple having only entered the category in 2007.
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11/10, 4:10pm
Law forces VZ, others to keep ETF in check
Minnesota Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Monday that she will introduce a measure to prevent US cellular carriers from raising their early termination fees (ETFs) quickly. The move is a direct reaction to Verizon's decision to double ETF rates for "advanced devices" like the Droid to deter customers from exiting their service early. Klobuchar claims the rate hike has "little to no relation" to the cost of the phone and that it punishes those who depend on cellphones and have to quit for honest reasons, such as moving into regions that don't have coverage.
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11/10, 3:15pm
Verizon to address Droid issues in December
The recently launched Motorola Droid at Verizon is already due for an over-the-air update to fix a large number of issues, according to a lengthy document leaked from Verizon. The five pages that are said to have been sent to Verizon Tech Support representatives and reveal an update is due for December 11th. It will address a large number of issues, including adding nesting folders in Exchange Active Sync e-mail, adding a notification icon when sending an e-mail and fixing a lock-up when editing large invite lists.
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11/10, 10:25am
Droid passes 100K units on first weekend
The Motorola Droid's quiet launch achieved just a tenth the sales of the iPhone 3GS, according to estimates by Broadpoint AmTech analyst Mark McKechnie. He determines in a note released yesterday that Verizon sold 100,000 of the Android phones on launch weekend, or just a fraction of the 1 million iPhone 3GS units that were sold when AT&T launched that device in June. The researcher also estimates that Verizon still had 100,000 Droids in stock by the end of Sunday where Apple's phone encountered weeks-long shortages, particularly outside of the US.
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11/10, 9:25am
Moto Milestone due for Telus in 2010
Telus this morning gave Canadians their own version of the Droid with an adaptation of the Motorola Milestone. Its version will be fundamentally identical to the European Android 2.0 phone with the exception of North America-native HSPA 3G. Most details aren't available, but Telus is announcing its deal early and says it will have an exclusive when the phone arrives at the start of 2010.
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11/06, 5:20pm
Droid tethering to cost $30, have 5GB cap
Verizon late Thursday confirmed that it would add tethering to the Motorola Droid but clarified its plans. Contradicting a prior statement, it now says tethering when ready will cost $30 in addition to the phone's existing voice and data plans. It will also have a 5GB bandwidth cap before overage fees begin, though the tethering rate will be separate from the Droid's regular data.
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11/06, 3:00pm
Verizon wants stready Droid sales instead
The absence of long lines at most Verizon stores for the Motorola Droid is a positive sign, company spokesman David Samberg claimed today. According to the representative, Verizon believes early queues as "not really the goal" and that they are "flashy" more than a sign of actual built-up demand. The carrier would prefer to see a regular flow over coming weeks rather than an initial rush.
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11/06, 9:10am
Most VZ stores see small Droid queues
(Updated with additional lineup details) Early reports have suggested relatively small lineups for the Droid at Verizon stores. Visitors to most stores have seen lines of several people or less, with others seeing no lineups even with later early opening 8AM openings. The midnight opening at Verizon's 34th Street Manhattan store has also been described as modest, with one report so far suggesting that only 20 were in queue roughly an hour before it opened and no reports of the line growing much larger by 12AM.
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11/06, 12:00am
Droid launches at 34th St store
As promised, Verizon tonight launched the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris at its primary retail store on 34th Street in New York City. The midnight opening is the first official launch in the country but follows numerous reports from those who have visited Best Buy and Walmart stores and successfully obtained the phone ahead of its official street date. Walmart Super Center stores are also typically opening sales at midnight, though the next earliest opportunity will involve the 7AM and 8AM openings at some non-mall Verizon stores.
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11/05, 2:30pm
Verizon 34th St store has Droid at 12AM
Verizon in a last-minute update today moved up the launch of the Motorola Droid for just one of its stores. Its flagship store on 34th Street in New York City will open at 12AM tonight for two hours to sell the Droid, the HTC Droid Eris, and accessories like the Droid's horizontal dock. This and other stores in the city will still open early afterwards, with most ready between 7AM and 8AM.
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11/04, 12:45pm
Verizon to double ETFs for smartphones
Wireless provider Verizon is poised to double its Early Termination Fee (ETF) for contracts associated with smartphone devices. Leaked documents show that it will now cost $350 instead of $175 starting on November 15th if subscribers end their contracts immediately, although each month of the contract served will decrease that fee by $10. While it is not known which devices this new higher fee will apply to, it is likely to be all smartphones offered by Verizon, including BlackBerries and the upcoming Android-powered Droid from Motorola.
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11/03, 6:05pm
Verizon promises cheap Droid tethering
Verizon today noted that it plans to add a data tethering option for the Motorola Droid. A representative tells Gearlog that, regardless of the open nature of Android, the new smartphone will eventually support the same $15 Broadband Connect add-on plan as other devices and can share its 3G connection with others. The support should go live in early 2010 and will carry the same 5GB transfer cap as Verizon's regular tethering and 3G modem plans.
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11/03, 2:15pm
Verizon confirms Droid launch events
Verizon today confirmed and clarified rumors of a high profile launch for the Motorola Droid. Some of its retail stores will open at 8AM or as early as 7AM on November 6th to accommodate an anticipated rush of early customers. Only mall stores will open as usual.
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11/02, 5:20pm
Motorola Cliq now shipping at T-Mobile
As promised, T-Mobile on Monday announced the Motorola Cliq is now available at T-Mobile. The Cliq is the first Android-powered handset to use MOTOBLUR, a feature that brings e-mails, messages, status updates and other information from social networks to the home screen through streams. The Cliq also gets Wi-Fi and has a hardware slide-out QWERTY keyboard along with a 3.1-inch, 480x320 touchscreen.
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11/02, 5:15pm
Verizon adding 15 smartphones in 2 mths
A slip of new data today suggests Verizon may be planning a full assault on AT&T's command of the US smartphone market. One historically accurate contact for BGR says Verizon is watching its launch of the Motorola Droid very closely and, if successful, will accelerate smartphone launches it would have put off until early 2010. These would include particularly advanced devices like the Android-based HTC Dragon and Motorola Calgary, the former of which could launch on November 27th in place of the BlackBerry Curve2.
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11/02, 12:15pm
Citi urges selling Palm, RIM stock
Citigroup analyst Jim Suva today signaled a major rethink of its approach to cellphone shares by downgrading both Palm and Research in Motion stock to a "sell" recommendation. The about-face comes as a direct result of the Motorola Droid and a belief that the Android phone is a dark horse which will upset phones like the BlackBerry range or the Pre by upstaging them both at work and through sheer publicity.
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11/02, 9:15am
Moto Milestone due for Europe Nov. 9
Motorola today confirmed an international version of the Droid that should also be the first Android phone with multi-touch. The Milestone uses a virtually identical design with an 854x480 touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, GPS and Wi-Fi but switches to GSM, EDGE and HSPA for basic calls, 2G and 3G respectively. It currently doesn't support US 3G bands but should be available through at least O2 Germany (PDF) for the equivalent of $596 without a contract but with a discount.
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10/31, 12:45am
Google insists Android 3rd-party only
Google tonight moved to quash rumors that it would make its own smartphone. The company's Android project president, Andy Rubin, says it would be unfair for Google to "compete with its customers" and that it remains dedicated to Android only as an operating system for outside hardware manufacturers. He adds that Google isn't particularly experienced at hardware design and that its influence on the T-Mobile G1's hardware design is more a negative than a positive.
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10/30, 11:55am
Verizon early openings to mimic iPhone hype
Verizon's launch of the Droid next week may involve a carefully orchestrated store opening, a source said late yesterday. Carrier stores will reportedly open at 6AM, or four hours early, to accommodate an expected rush of early buyers on November 6th. The Motorola Android phone is said by BGR be accompanied by the budget-minded Droid Eris at the same time.
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10/30, 9:45am
Phone sales to bounce back in fall
Apple in two years has pushed the iPhone up to 2.5 percent of the entire cellphone market, Strategy Analytics estimates. The company has roughly doubled its share from a year ago and now has half the share of established firms Motorola and Sony Ericsson, which have remained flat at five percent. Some of the gain is likely to have come at Nokia's expense, as it shrank to 37 percent share, its lowest since the start of 2007.
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10/29, 5:30pm
HTC Droid Eris images leak, specs confirmed
Press images of the upcoming HTC Droid Eris handset have been leaked on Thursday, revealing the final look of the device as well as confirming some of its specs. Also confirmed is the date of when it should hit store shelves, scheduled for November 6th, or around the same time as Motorola's Droid.
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10/29, 11:35am
Best Buy undercuts Verizon Droid pricing
Best Buy this morning scored a minor win by revealing that it will sell the Motorola Droid for $200 on contract, but without the $100 mail-in rebate that Verizon demands at its own stores. The retail chain adds that it will start taking pre-orders later today, just over a week before Verizon opens sales itself.
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10/29, 9:10am
Motorola set to recover following Q3
Motorola landed a crucial victory today with word of a profit for its summer quarter. The company bounced back from its year-ago $397 million loss to a $12 million profit for the same season this year. Its actual cellphones shipped fell sharply from 25.4 million phones to just 13.6 million but were offset by help from cost cuts as well as boosts in sales for its networking equipment and enterprise-class hardware.
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10/29, 8:30am
Sprint loses $478m cash, 135K customers
Sprint today reportedsignificant losses for its summer quarter. The carrier's net losses widened from $326 million a year ago to $478 million but were softened by losing a relatively modest 135,000 cellphone customers; the number is Sprint's smallest loss in customers in the past two years. It now has a total of 48.3 million subscribers and remains the third-largest provider, above T-Mobile but well below AT&T's 81.6 million.
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10/28, 4:15pm
Moto Droid ads to show in NYC heart
A leak today has revealed that Verizon plans to drive home its ad campaign for the Motorola Droid with a major promo in Times Square. Likely timed with the Android phone's launch next week, Verizon is said to be taking over the NASDAQ and Reuters billboards with promos that let visitors temporarily take control of the signs by giving them voice commands, mimicking Android 2.0's feature. A mockup for BGR suggests visitors will call a phone number and enter a queue until the ads are ready.
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10/28, 12:20pm
Google Maps Navigation official with 3D
Google today provided added details of the turn-by-turn mapping service found on the Motorola Droid. Google Maps Navigation adds many of the features that would normally exist in a dedicated GPS unit, such as a bird's-eye view and spoken directions, but takes advantage of Google's existing Maps features. Traffic is free in those areas where Google provides service, and Street View can show directions overlaid on top of in-location photos.
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10/28, 10:35am
Moto Droid carries Android 2, ships soon
Motorola today officially took the wraps from the Droid, its flagship Android phone and Verizon's primary challenger to the iPhone. The touchscreen slider is the first Android phone anywhere to use Android 2.0 and carries its new web browser, Exchange mail and other boosts. Notably, it also introduces a beta version of Google Maps Navigation, Google's first turn-by-turn app: the service uses voice commands to provide constant, spoken driving directions.
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10/27, 6:00pm
Verizon's Droid Eris to use old CPU
When it's unveiled, the HTC Droid Eris will be significantly less powerful than the Motorola Droid when it ships November 6th, a brief Tuesday leak says. Although cosmetically different, it should use the same 528MHz Qualcomm chip and Android 1.5 build as many of HTC's earlier Android phones, such as the Hero or T-Mobile myTouch 3G. A second HTC phone due later should address the speed gap, BGR adds.
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10/27, 1:55pm
Android 2 has new browser, multiple accounts
Google today at last provided full details for Android 2.0, its first major update to its mobile OS. The platform brings a much improved approach to mail that allows both for multiple accounts and native Microsoft Exchange support. The web browser has similarly been upgraded and is only the second HTML5-capable mobile browser outside of Safari; it further brings some of the earliest multi-touch support and recognizes double-tap zooms.
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10/26, 3:25pm
Verizon adds just 1.2m new users
Verizon today reported mixed results for its summer quarter and reiterated its invitation to Apple. The carrier said its operating revenue grew year-over-year by more than 10 percent to $27.3 billion but that its actual earnings per shared dropped a sharp 30.5 percent from 59 cents per share a year ago to 41 cents today, or $2.88 billion. Most of the growth came about from added cellphone and FiOS customers.
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10/26, 7:50am
BBerry Storm 2 and BB OS 5.0 for Verizon
After waiting nearly two weeks past the original launch, Verizon today unveiled its own version of the BlackBerry Storm2. Its version adds CDMA and EVDO Revision A for its own phone and 3G networks; quad-band GSM/EDGE and single-band 2,100MHz HSPA 3G give it roaming in most other areas. The US carrier also includes a 16GB microSDHC card in the box to put it more on par with the 16GB iPhone 3GS.
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10/25, 12:05pm
Even More Plus plans beat AT&T by $30
T-Mobile on Sunday quietly launched its Even More Plus plans in a bid to undermine rival US carriers. The plans provide a simpler and potentially less costly approach to phone service and scale linearly in voice minutes and data features: users pick from 500, 1,000 or unlimited US voice minutes and can add either unlimited messaging alone or messaging plus data. Prices as a result range from as little as $30 for voice only to $80 for an all-unlimited plan.
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10/24, 11:05am
2nd Moto Droid works with N. Amer. HSPA
An FCC filing discovered late Friday has confirmed that the Motorola Droid won't be limited only to a CDMA version. The US agency's tests show it running WCDMA, the foundation for HSPA-based 3G access, on the 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands that are used both by AT&T in the US as well as Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada. Many Latin American carriers also use the standards.
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10/24, 12:30am
HTC Desire may show Nov. 6 as Droid Eris
The upcoming HTC Desire may become part of what Verizon considers an entire series of devices, multiple leaks tonight appear to confirm. Following a source speaking to Phone Scoop that says all Android-based phones at Verizon will carry the "Droid" name as a brand, gdgt has posted a page for the phone that suggests it will be called the Droid Eris based on the Greek goddess of discord and get an all-black color scheme not unlike the Motorola Droid. The phone is already known to be a touch-only model with a trackball as a backup control and should bring a 5-megapixel camera.
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10/23, 5:50pm
Moto Droid previewed well
Although not due to be unveiled until next week, Motorola's Droid stands to be Verizon's best phone to date, a preview finds. The first look at BGR characterizes it as one of the best Android devices to date, with high build quality, a fast processor with PowerVR graphics, good call quality and a long-lasting battery that can run for an entire day. Android 2.0 is also significantly more polished and brings a much improved browser and e-mail.
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10/23, 4:45pm
UN approves UCS universal cellphone charger
A new Universal Charging Solution (UCS) has been approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a division in the United Nations, according to a Thursday report. The energy efficient charger will be compatible with all cellphones regardless of make and model, with certain unnamed manufacturers already incorporating the standard into their products, the ITU says. Other than the energy savings, the new charger will also help eliminate waste as the charger can be retained as new phones are upgraded and older ones are thrown out.
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10/23, 3:40pm
Moto Zeppelin would be touch-only
Motorola's third known Android phone may be its first touchscreen-only and first regionalized Android device. A leak Friday points to a device known as the Zeppelin that, unlike the Cliq or Droid, would depend only on its 3.1-inch, 480x320 touchscreen for input but would have advantages primarily for Chinese users; it would have two SIM slots both for regular GSM as well as for China-native CDMA services that can use the removable cards. A look at the side also reveals that it may be the first Android phone with HDMI video out and likely a powerful graphics chipset as a result.
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10/22, 11:30pm
Moto Droid to use HTML5 web, 550MHz CPU
Motorola tonight inadvertently spoiled its own plans for the Droid by briefly posting a product page (since pulled) for the phone. While most of the features of the phone are already known, they confirm that its Android 2.0 build will include a full HTML5-capable web browser -- the first outside of Safari -- and will get Flash 10.1 support in early 2010. The specs also confirm a slightly faster than usual 550MHz processor and that a 16GB microSDHC card will be pre-installed.
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10/22, 4:15pm
Motorola Droid coming to Best Buy on Saturday?
The Motorola Droid smartphone, believed to be released on November 9th after an official unveiling on October 28th, may just get released on October 24th, according to leaked documents. The images of digital inventory screens from electronics retailer Best Buy clearly show an October 24th ship date, though they stop short of actually naming the handset.
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10/21, 5:45pm
Verizon pins down Moto Droid release
(Updated with unveiling date) Verizon today virtually confirmed its release date for the Motorola Droid by shipping a press pack with a date. A box, obtained by Gearlog and likely others, includes just a Star Wars R2D2 toy and a sheet that mentions November while pointing to Verizon's teaser page for the Android phone. The carrier has already alluded to a November release and in a separate invitation has promised a reveal on October 28th.
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