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Editorial: What happened to the US-spec Motorola MOTOROI?
Motorola, in case you haven't noticed, hasn't done much in the way of high-spec gear since the announcement of the original Droid way back in October of last year -- and, well, that's a problem for a company that's in the midst of trying to kick-start a recovery to get its corporate split off on the right foot. The so-called Sholes Tablet -- alternatively known as the XT720 or the MOTOROI -- had seemed destined to become Moto's next volley thanks to comments by SK Telecom and Motorola execs at the phone's Korean launch, even going so far as to call out a March launch window, but March has come and gone and the phone is nowhere to be found. Heck, we even found FCC evidence that the phone would be hitching up with T-Mobile, but that was way back in January and we're on the cusp of Summer now. We understand that delays happen in this business -- in fact, delays always happen -- but these protracted, phased roll-outs around the globe are never good for a product's image since the last markets to get the product have been exposed to it (thanks in part to yours truly) for months. This would be a killer high-end device for T-Mobile USA, but it's got to launch immediately; the Nexus One's been out there since January, and we can pretty much guarantee that Google doesn't intend to back down with the superphone assault. We suppose it's possible that the Sholes Tablet will actually reemerge as the "Nexus Two" -- Sanjay Jha wants to offer a Nexus-branded phone, after all -- but however it comes out, it's got to happen right now. Trust us, Motorola -- you've got a golden opportunity to learn from Sony Ericsson's mistakes on this one.
Motorola Milestone firmware coaxed into Droid, multitouch ensues (video!)
If you thought it'd be easy to move code back and forth between two nearly-identical Motorolas running Android... well, you'd apparently be right. Unfortunately, taking clear video of the completed task proves, as ever, to be an insurmountable task. Of course, the Android hacking community has overcome pretty much every other roadblock it's encountered so far, so it shouldn't come as any surprise to learn that the Milestone's firmware has been successfully ported today over to its big, loud American cousin, the Droid, thanks to the work of AllDroid's Eugene and Barakinflorida who risked their own device for your gain. Our understanding is that the ROM's cooked in some regard -- it's not bone stock, which makes sense if for no other reason than the fact that the Droid's got a completely different radio -- but fortunately, that all-important multitouch support carries over from the Euro side. We're hearing direct from AllDroid's founder, Brent Fishman, that the ROM should drop in a couple of days. Until then, follow the break for a video of the build in action. P.S. Don't worry Droid owners, Google Navigation is still functional with this build. Update: Better video added after the break! Man, these guys learn fast.
Android 2.1-equipped Motorola Sholes tablet spied in China as XT701?
No sooner do we get brief corner glimpses of the supposed Motorola Sholes tablet do we get tipped off to this writeup from Androidin.net which has a number of pictures of an eerily similar keyboard-less handset with a 3.7-inch screen, Android 2.1, FM radio, and interestingly enough, only a 5 megapixel camera -- last we heard it was going to be 8. Also debatable is a HDMI port, since the image that would show it is a tad too blurry. Otherwise, it seems to be about in line with what we expected, and it also seems destined for China Unicom as the XT701 (analogous to China Mobile's Motorola Android device). Now how about a few dashes of hope we'll see this stateside, eh Moto? Two more shots after the break. [Thanks, yee]
DROID headed to Germany as Motorola MILESTONE (update: Italy too, no Google Maps Navigation)
O2 Germany has confirmed a GSM version of the DROID for Europe going by the name of the Motorola MILESTONE. The news comes courtesy of a sliver of O2's online store page that left itself exposed to the wiles of Google, complete with the above picture and the new moniker, and follows close on the heels of a leaked business guide which says the MILESTONE will retail for €404.20 to corporate customers, and will be available as of November 9th. Update: It's now official on the Motorola Germany (and english language Western Europe) website where it lists Vodafone and O2 as local carriers. Italy now too, on an unspecified carrier. Oh, and it also lists "pinch and zoom" as a feature not found on the Droid. See for yourself after the break. It's carrying a public price tag of €481. Update 2: As noted by a few readers, Milestone will ship with MOTONAV turn-by-turn directions, not Google's Maps Navigation. [Thanks Vincenzo, Peter B.]
Motorola Sholes / Droid comes in US HSPA flavor, probably not US-bound
We've been led to believe in the past that there'd be a GSM version of Motorola's mighty Sholes for markets outside the US, but this particular version that passed the FCC this week -- ID IHDP56KC5, if you must know -- has us particularly interested. Why? Well, it's packing WCDMA on the 850 and 1900MHz bands, which means it'd work on AT&T, Rogers, and HSPA newcomers Bell and Telus. We've been led to believe, though, that this particular device is destined for Latin America where 850 / 1900 is also used in favor of the 2100MHz spectrum more prevalent in Europe. That doesn't rule out Canada, but our instincts tell us that Verizon has every intention of locking up the Sholes as a US exclusive, which means AT&T is a likely no-go -- the carrier's been strangely silent on Android, anyhow, and we haven't heard a peep of recent intel suggesting they're prepping Google-powered gear in time for the holidays. Of course, enterprising individuals will probably figure out how to unlock and import this bad boy, so if you're an American and the thought of switching to Big Red for a Droid makes you physically ill, take heart that there might yet be hope. [Via MobileCrunch]
Motorola Droid stands in for glamorous photo shoot
What a difference two months make. It's was late July when we first saw a render and spy shot of Motorola's "other" Android devices, the Verizon-bound Droid, a.k.a. the Artist Formerly Known as Sholes. Boy Genius Report has been teasing the handset for the better part of the week, and now it's giving us the full monty of the hardware, including its 5 megapixel autofocus camera on the back, and various Eclair-powered screens. Boy Genius himself notes that it's the fastest Android device he's used -- thank goodness for an authentic OMAP3 -- is "slightly" thicker than an iPhone 3GS, runs that Android 2.0 we've been hearing so much about, and includes a desktop cradle that turns the Droid into a glanceable display with weather and the like (sounds like a miniature Hub in a way, doesn't it?). Anyhow, you want all to see the whole show? You know just where to click.
Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does' (update)
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/tech_news/Verizon_s_anti_iPhone_gets_its_first_commercial_Droid_Does'; We knew Verizon Wireless would soon be throwing caution to the wind in an effort to sway uncommitted smartphone buyers towards Big Red, and it looks like the November-bound Motorola Droid will be VZW's anti-iPhone. The spot, which launched tonight and can be view in its entirety after the break, is a 30 second clip that begins by mocking Apple's cutesy music and iconic font typically seen in iPhone plugs. It reels off a number of things that the iPhone can't do, and then abruptly goes into full-on tease mode by flashing glimpses of a robot-controlled future and a tagline that simply states: "Droid Does." No shots of the actual Motorola Droid (or Sholes, as it was known in the past) are shown, but a dedicated teaser portal has already been erected; through that, we're told that the phone will boast Android 2.0 and a 5 megapixel camera. At this point, we'd say the gloves are definitely off -- AT&T, have anything to say for yourself, or is the iPhone doing just fine on its own? Update: See that alien counter that's just sitting on the lower end of the teaser page? As reader Craig N. and a number of others have pointed out, a quick perusal through the page's XML file reveals the end of that timer to be October 30th -- not that we expect to be waiting that long for more Droid news, but it's something to keep in mind. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] %Gallery-75792%
Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does'
We knew Verizon Wireless would soon be throwing caution to the wind in an effort to sway uncommitted smartphone buyers towards Big Red, and it looks like the November-bound Motorola Droid will be VZW's anti-iPhone. The spot, which launched tonight and can be view in its entirety after the break, is a 30 second clip that begins by mocking Apple's cutesy music and iconic font typically seen in iPhone plugs. It reels off a number of things that the iPhone can't do, and then abruptly goes into full-on tease mode by flashing glimpses of a robot-controlled future and a tagline that simply states: "Droid Does." No shots of the actual Motorola Droid (or Sholes, as it was known in the past) are shown, but a dedicated teaser portal has already been erected; through that, we're told that the phone will boast Android 2.0 and a 5 megapixel camera. At this point, we'd say the gloves are definitely off -- AT&T, have anything to say for yourself, or is the iPhone doing just fine on its own?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Motorola Sholes makes underwhelming FCC appearance
Well, it unfortunately doesn't include any elaborate test setups or a thorough dissection of the device, but it looks like the Motorola Sholes (a.k.a. Droid) has indeed finally made at showing at the FCC, although it's unfortunately (for some of us, anyway) the non-CDMA, European version of the phone. Interestingly, it appears that this may have been a small slip-up on Motorola's part, as all references to the phone other than the one above seem to have been omitted from the documents. Then again, the Sholes seems to be making a habit of showing up plenty of places Motorola may not want it to.[Via Androphones.com, thanks Silver]
Motorola Droid startup teased, obnoxious robot voice and all (video)
None too long after its first headshot was posted did Motorola Droid (a.k.a. Sholes) make a covert encore appearance, only showing off this time the startup process. It provides a bit more evidence -- as if we really needed any -- that the phone's bound for Verizon's network, and any Android customizations, at least from the initial glance, are nothing to write home about. It might be running Eclair, but we really can't say from this. One thing's for certain: we'll be looking for a way to turn off that "Droid" voice from speaking every time we power up the phone. Video after the break.
Motorola Droid (alias Sholes) finally gets a decent headshot
At last eluding the omnipresent Mr. Blurrycam, Motorola's Android-powered Sholes handset has finally gotten the sort of photography it deserves, apparently with an official go-to-market name of Droid -- or at least one decent photo of it. This pic, which doesn't really confirm or deny any of our suspicions about the device (Verizon was already in the bag), made a berth on the locked Twitter profile of Boy Genius, and hopefully there's more where this came from: we're getting tired of the tease. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Purported Motorola roadmap uncovers Sholes Tablet, Motus and other mythical mysteries
Okay folks, this is the moment where hauling a spoonful of NaCl down the chute would be highly recommended. DialAPhone seems to have unearthed what looks like a Q4 2009 - Q1 2010 Motorola roadmap, and while the finds are certainly intriguing, we're still hesitant to believe this thing is legit. For starters, this is obviously a European plan, so what we're viewing here may never make the tedious journey across the pond anyway. Secondly, how many of you honestly believe Moto's cooking up a Sholes Tablet? Exactly. That said, we'd be the first to drool should that device (or the Motus and / or Zeppelin) launch early next year, and you can bet your bottom dollar that we'll be scraping the floor for details when CES kicks off in just a few months. [Thanks, dejan]
Motorola Sholes and Torch battery covers unearthed (hey, it's something)
We really don't need any more convincing that the Sholes is real, but what about the Torch? Oh, you don't remember that one? Yeah, we had to look it up to refresh our memory -- turns out this was the rumored market name for the Inferno, a touchscreen featurephone Moto apparently had in the works to replace the Krave on Verizon. The company has just published press shots of the battery covers of both the Sholes and the Torch -- those are the names Motorola is using, though it's not uncommon for them to refer to press shots by codename, so we wouldn't make much of it -- so if we had to guess, the Torch is still alive. Also notable is the fact that they're showing two versions of the Sholes' cover, one with a Verizon logo and one without, so this is a strong indicator that there'll be a second model -- most likely for overseas GSM markets. Or, you know, an unlocked US 3G version. Dare to dream, right?
Verizon Motorola Sholes not running MOTOBLUR?
We'd been hearing rumors that the Motorola Sholes on Verizon wouldn't be running MOTOBLUR because it's to be a "Google Experience" device, and while that seemed silly at first, it certainly looks like the device Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam was waving around this morning was running stock Android. How can we tell? For starters, Blur has a different 3G icon in the menu bar, and different icons for several apps -- Calendar leaps out to us here. What's more, that certainly appears to be the default Android search box lurking back there, something that's not part of the Blur homescreen. That's definitely odd, considering how big a bet Motorola seemed to be placing on Blur as its handset differentiator -- and doubly odd since the HTC Hero Eric Schmidt was holding at the same photo op was running Sense on top of Android. We'll have to see how this one shakes out when the Sholes is actually launched, but for now we'd say those rumors are looking awfully true. [Image credit: Associated Press, under license; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Second Verizon Android phone to be an HTC, Motorola Sholes makes an appearance
digg_url ='http://digg.com/hardware/Second_Verizon_Android_phone_to_be_the_HTC_Hero_Motorola_Sh'; Google and Verizon were awfully coy this morning regarding the upcoming Android devices that'll be launching on Big Red over the next few weeks, but you know, that certainly looks like a Verizon-branded HTC Hero in Eric's hand there, doesn't it? And over on the right, well, that's exactly what the Motorola Sholes looks like, isn't it? Cat's out of the bag, fellas -- might as well push up those launch dates. P.S.- This also jibes perfectly with that HTC Desire rumor from last month, but we'd bet almost anything the internals are the same as the Hero. [Thanks, Berry]
Google and Verizon announce partnership, love and new Android handsets to result
We've seen blurry pics and reports from inventory systems, and now the official confirmation. This morning's joint press conference between Verizon and Google has resulted in a holy matrimony of sorts; a melding of the minds; a promise of new hardware to come. Yes, it's just a promise for now as neither company took the chance to confirm the Sholes or any of the other devices that have been popping up. But, Verizon did at least say that the agreement "will come to fruition within the next few weeks as Verizon Wireless introduces Android-based handsets." So, it won't be long now.
Motorola Sholes to launch by holidays, along with the BlackBerry Storm 2 and Nokia Booklet 3G
Well well, it looks like the Android-powered Motorola Sholes will be out on Verizon by the holidays. That's at least the impression we're getting from a bunch of leaked Verizon retailer documents posted up by Boy Genius Report, which also indicate the BlackBerry Storm 2, Curve 2 and LG Chocolate Touch will hit Big Red in time for eggnog, along with an unspecified netbook -- we're guessing this Gateway number. Speaking of netbooks, a similar document from Best Buy Mobile also leaked over the weekend, and it looks like the Nokia Booklet 3G will be exclusive to Best Buy and compatible with AT&T 3G. Oh, and the Pixi is coming, but you already knew that. Here's the real mystery, though: "There are multiple Android launches across multiple carriers, along with some new technology that doesn't exist today." That's certainly open for interpretation, so we leave it to you -- is Best Buy Mobile about to start selling teleporters, or what? Read - Sam's Club and Target Verizon docs Read - Best Buy Mobile docs
Motorola Tao's photographer zooms out a little, better shot ensues
Now that the Sholes has seemingly been gifted with a less bizarre, less reminds-us-of-a-shoe-insert name, pictures and specs of the so-called Tao are starting to flow en masse -- just in time for a possible introduction at next week's CTIA show out in San Diego (we can only hope, anyway). The first round of in-the-wild shots really didn't reveal much of anything, but the cameraman has elected to apply just enough wide-angle this time around to give us a full-on view of the high-end Android beast in its closed position -- and if this is what we're going to be getting on Verizon shelves, HTC (and heck, even Moto's own CLIQ) should be on high alert. So, who'd switch to Verizon for this? [Via Boy Genius Report]
Motorola Tao (Sholes) purportedly seen running Android, traversing America
All we've got to go on here are a few screen images, but at a cursory glance, they sure match what we expect the Motorola Sholes (or Tao, as it were) to look like. The biggest news is that Android is alive and well, and while we're still waiting for an official release date, things are looking up for this to be the outfit's second-ever Google-powered device. Have a peek in the read link for a few more Google Maps shots as well as a glimpse at the 1,390mAh battery, and yes, it's completely fine if you bookmark the last page of the thread and refresh it continuously until actual hardware shots slip out. Not saying that's "normal," but hey...[Via phoneArena]
Live from Motorola's Android announcement at Mobilize 09
We're at GigaOM's Mobilize conference today, where Motorola and CEO Sanjay Jha has come to reveal (or so we hope, anyway) its first volley of Android hardware -- hardware that could very well make or break the company. Follow the break for all the action live and in full color!
