Remember the Star Wars DROID R2-D2? The device brought to market for the “ultra-fans” has just seen a price drop as Verizon navigates away from offering up online rebates. The Motorola DROID R2-D2 has now been cut to $99.99 with a 2-year agreement.

Source: Android Community

Related articles

• Verizon slashes pricing on Motorola Droid R2-D2 edition (zdnet.com)

Android · Droid · Motorola · Verizon · Verizon Communications

Verizon Wireless will begin upgrading its first Motorola Droid to the new OS by July 13, said the Brighthand blog, which noted “unofficial but stable versions of this ROM have already appeared on the Web.” Droidforums.net said the Motorola Droid X will receive Android 2.2 over the air in August. Android 2.2 features significant speed improvements over Android 2.1, as well as new enterprise capabilities for Microsoft Exchange and Gmail, WiFi hotspot enablement and tethering, and a cloud-to-device messaging API.

Brighthand cited an unconfirmed report from Verizon Wireless that the company will begin upgrading its first Motorola Droid to the new OS by July 13. The blog said “unofficial but stable versions of this ROM have already appeared on the Web.”

Meanwhile, Droidforums.net said the Motorola Droid X, slated for a July 15 launch for $199 with a $100 rebate, will receive Android 2.2 over the air in August.

Source: eweek

Android · Droid · Handhelds · Motorola Droid · Smartphone · VerizonWireless

Conceivably Tech cites anonymous MOTOEXEC who was a little more chatty, talking up a device intended to “incorporate everything that is technologically possible in a smartphone today.” Whoa.

Manufacturers usually seem to avoid this “smartphone utopia” scenario like the plague, if for no other reason than to avoid destroying sales of current smartphones.

However, if this 2GHz chip-packing Android-based device with Nvidia Tegra graphics, Flash 10.1, gyroscope, HD video recording and output, HD screen and a greater-than-5-megapixel camera comes to life — especially by the end of this year — we could be looking at just that.

Source: Know your cell

Android · Droid · Motorola · Smartphone

A snapshot of a mysterious Motorola handset has been spotted in the wild with the Verizon logo on it. It is most probably Motorola Droid 2 a.k.a ‘Shadow’ Android phone supposed to launch on Verizon in July with Froyo.
It is supposed to rock with an 8MP camera capable of capturing 720p HD video. Motorola Shadow – as far as we know- will be launched with Android Froyo on it. On Hardware front, a 512MB RAM, a 4.3inch 800×484 capacitive multitouch screen, and an HDMI port are most likely to appear. If Shadow is really droid’s successor then I would predict a slide-out QWERTY keyboard as well.

Motorola Shadow is supposed to be nearly 9mm thick and might hit the markets in July.

Source: The Gadgets

Android · Droid · Handhelds · Motorola · QWERTY · Smartphone · Verizon

Great new coming from PC World:

I got an advance look at Google’s latest treat for Android phones, Android 2.2 (more deliciously known as Froyo) on the Nexus One. Announced this morning at Google I/O in San Francisco, the update will initially be available to Motorola Droid and Nexus One owners in June. Android users will definitely be happy with this update, which delivers faster performance, tethering/mobile hotspot and of course, Flash support.

Android · Google · Motorola Droid

The regular price for the very popular Motorola Droid is $200 with a two-year service contract, but new Verizon Wireless customers can get this high-end Android OS smartphone for 90% off.
The Droid has been on the market for six months now, so it’s not surprising that bargains are becoming available.

For example, Amazon.com is offering this model for $130 with a renewed 2-year contract, $70 below the regular price.

Source: Brighthand

Android · Droid · Handhelds · Motorola · Motorola Droid · Smartphone · VerizonWireless

A small company might make a big noise in the Android market: the Saygus Vphone will be a high-end smartphone with a large touchscreen, sliding keyboard, and a video-conferencing camera.
In many ways, this upcoming smartphone will resemble both the Motorola Droid and the Nokia N900. It have a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with a WVGA (800 x 480) resolution. This will slide aside to reveal a 4-row QWERTY keyboard.
The Saygus Vphone is scheduled for release early next year. It will be an option for Verizon users, but not one offered by this carrier. This phone will be part of a program that lets third-party phone makers sell models directly to the public that have been certified for use on Verizon’s network. Customers will then be responsible for getting service separately.

Pricing has not yet been announced.

Read the full review on Bright Hand

Android · Motorola Droid · Nokia N900 · QWERTY · Saygus VPhone · Smartphone · Verizon · Videoconferencing

Among the many devices announced at MWC 2010, there was also the Saygus VPhone Android handset, that is supposed to reach Verizon this May. The device is pictured below and we learn that it comes with a 3.5 inch WVGA screen and an 800MHz CPU.

Source: GSM Dome

Android · Central processing unit · Engadget · Handhelds · Hardware · Mobile World Congress · Smartphone · Verizon Communications

Phone Arena played with the third Android phone for Verizon Wireless, the Saygus Vphone, at the MWC. The device is still more on the unofficial side, so whether or not it will launch at some point remains a mystery.

The Saygus Vphone is an Android 1.6-running side-slider with a four-row QWERTY keyboard, 5MP camera and powerful hardware, including an 800MHz Marvell processor and 256MB RAM. The screen is a capacitive one, measuring at 3.5” with WVGA resolution.

It’s also significantly thicker than its Android opponents, but sports a very nice sliding mechanism. It might launch in May, if it launches at all.

Android · Handhelds · Mobile World Congress · QWERTY · Random-access memory · Saygus VPhone · VerizonWireless · Wireless

Until now, the images we’ve seen of Saygus’ EDGE video calling wonder indicated that the phone would run a stock Android UI. Turns out that the company, has not been sitting on its collective laurels.
This is a leaked photo depicting Saygus’ new custom UI for their EV-DO Rev. A, 800 x 480-packin’ champ, the V1.

Source: Droid Ninja

Android · Business · Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution · Evolution-Data Optimized · Handhelds · Saygus · Verizon · Videophone