Motorola Mobility scored big when they teamed up with Google. If it wasn’t evident enough in the Moto X, then certainly Motorola’s newly optimized experience is ready to shine in the DROID Ultra, the first of three devices coming from Verizon in their newest exclusive brand lineup. If the DROID RAZR HD took the original […]
If you picked up an HTC One, a Samsung Galaxy S 4, an LG Optimus G, or a Motorola DROID RAZR HD device over the past few months, you’re now working with Qualcomm hardware. That’s exactly as this company intended for this year’s smart device push – and exactly what Qualcomm’s earnings report this week shows. Qualcomm’s fiscal Q3 2013 starts with a cool $6.24 billion in revenues, up 35% compared to the same quarter last year.
Up there at the top end of the smartphone spectrum, Qualcomm made a killing in sales this quarter. They also sat in the entire range of Windows Phone 8 devices released this year (and throughout the OS’s history, for that matter), and have been part of quite a few of each of the top manufacturer’s midrange phones as well.
It was more common over the past several months to hear of a smartphone being released with a Qualcomm processor than it was to hear of a smartphone being released with a processor made by any other company. Qualcomm let it be known that for the three months in this third quarter of their fiscal 2013, they had MSM chip shipments at 172 million units. That represents a 22% growth over this same quarter one year ago.
Qualcomm currently has $30.4 billion of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities (as of June 30, 2013), and has announced a return of capital to stockholders in the form of $1.64 billion – that’s including $604 million, or $0.35 per share, of cash dividends paid as well as $1.04 billion through repurchases of 16.7 million shares of common stock.
That’s not half bad for what’s easily on of the most visible mobile chipmakers on the planet – Qualcomm also notes that they’ve now got an operating cash flow at $2.08 billion, up 125% year-over-year. The Snapdragon-toting group of processor makers reports operating income at $1.68 billion as well – that’s up 21% compared to this same quarter one year ago.
Qualcomm earnings show record quarter as Snapdragon keys in on smartphone heroes is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Have no worries about the upcoming collection of DROID devices from Verizon being just as hardcore as the previous set. With yet another set of images appearing today of the devices – or at least the largest of the three – we’re to understand that kevlar patterning continues to be in order. What’s more, it would appear that the area around back-facing camera’s lens brings more ruggedness than ever before, texture and all.
The image you’re seeing above is a combination of a photo and a render. While all sources point toward this device being amongst the reboot of the DROID series, it’s the red stripe down the middle that’s the most questionable. It’s far more likely that the leakster who posted said image added this stripe on their own – not too difficult a photoshop job in the end.
Meanwhile this device has been spotted with black, white, and even full-on red backs over the past few weeks. The color exists across the major part of the back of the device and spills over under the rim of the machine in the front. You can barely see this bit in the black edition due to the blackness of it, but it’s there!
The press event that’s basically a lock for revealing this and the DROID ULTRA as well as the Mini is set for July 23rd. These devices will effectively act as reboots of the DROID RAZR HD, DROID RAZR HD MAXX, and DROID RAZR M. Meanwhile we’ll be waiting for Motorola’s big release in the Moto X, a device that’ll be revealed on its own in a Google-centric event, likely sometime inside August.
VIA: SRLeaks
DROID MAXX keeps the kevlar, Motorola stays rugged is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
It’s time again for Verizon to bring the re-up – an event has been scheduled for the 23rd of July, 2013 likely set for a set of new DROID devices. What we’ve seen in leaks thus far suggests updates to the Motorola DROID RAZR HD, RAZR HD MAXX, and RAZR M devices, each of them coming in with a bit less “RAZR” to their name and a bit more on the DROID side – brand-wise.
The invite suggests that Verizon will indeed “unveil the next generation of one of their most popular family of devices” – how much more obvious could it be? We’re in a place at the moment where keeping this secret isn’t paramount to the success of the line, as it were, while the Moto X hides in the wings.
We’re expecting the Motorola hero smartphone to make its debut not long after this line of DROID devices, coming to Verizon right along with the three-device lineup. This is odd for Verizon, a company that will go so far as to delay the launch of a smartphone for months just to make sure its predecessor gets enough airtime. See: the HTC One.
The Moto X will be coming with a lovely collection of next-generation abilities straight from Google, while the DROID lineup we’ll see sooner will have a much more Verizon-tuned software experience. Stay tuned for the full run-down!
Verizon event July 23rd: DROID reboot on tap is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The time has come. Motorola owners can rejoice because developers have finally unlocked the bootloaders to a good number of Motorola’s devices. So far, it’s been confirmed that the DROID RAZR HD, DROID RAZR MAXX HD, DROID RAZR M, and Atrix HD are all able to have their bootloaders unlocked. It was Dan Rosenberg who accomplished the impossible, and the method was tested out by two other developers to confirm its validity.
Unfortunately, older Motorola devices, specifically the OMAP-based Motorola devices will be unable to take advantage of this new discovery. This means that those of you with the DROID BIONIC or the DROID RAZR XT912 are out of luck. Also, DROID RAZR HD owners, steer clear from the Android 4.1.2 OTA update that began rolling out a couple of weeks ago. Updating to 4.1.2 may ruin your chances of unlocking your bootloader via this method.
Unlocking your device’s bootloader will most likely void your warranty, but most of us understand the risks, and most of us are willing to take those risks if it means finally being able to customize our devices with no inhibitions. Motorola is the most strict about locking down their devices, and many Motorola users have been agonizingly waiting for this day to come.
While the method has been tested and proven to work, we will still have to wait until the unlocking method becomes available to the public, so stick around. With this new method, Motorola phones have just gotten a whole lot more attractive. The devices have great hardware, but unfortunately, it was the software that was holding them back. Be sure to check out our reviews for both the DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD to see what these devices can do.
[via Android Community]
Developers finally unlocked bootloaders for many Motorola phones is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Keeping up with their promise from Friday, Motorola and Verizon have begun rolling out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR MAXX HD. Over-the-air update notifications are slowly hitting users’ devices, and new RAZR owners will finally be able to experience Project Butter, Google Now, and ISIS enhancements.
While Verizon simply said that update would hit sometime this week, we’re glad it’s happening first thing rather than later in the week on a Thursday or Friday. Either way, Verizon is pushing out the update “in phases,” so be patient if you haven’t yet seen the update hit your notification tray — it will come!
The Jelly Bean update comes with Google Now, which offers a Siri-like voice search experience that we really like, as well as Project Butter, which adds a layer of virtual butter to the user interface to make it snappier and smoother to navigate, as well as make it quicker to open up apps and switch between them effortlessly.
The DROID RAZR HD comes with a 4.7-inch 720p Super AMOLED display and runs on a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 1GB of RAM. While the 2530mAh battery may be plenty for most users, Motorola launched the RAZR MAXX HD, which is practically identical to the RAZR HD, except for the larger 3300mAh battery for those who really want to last all day long.
Motorola DROID RAZR HD, MAXX HD Jelly Bean update rolling out now is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about a Jelly Bean update for the DROID RAZR HD series, but Verizon has announced today that Motorola‘s newest RAZR devices will receive Android 4.1 Jelly Bean starting next week. The rollout will happen in phases, so if you don’t see your update the same time as someone else, be patient.
The Jelly Bean update is coming to Motorola’s DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR MAXX HD. Verizon promised that the update would come to the new handsets back in September when they were originally announced, so it’s nice to see that they’re keeping up on their promises. On top of what users will get with Android 4.1, Verizon says that the update will also offer improved voice and data connectivity, better native calendar settings, and updated versions of all of Verizon’s preloaded apps.
The new DROID RAZR M received the update a couple weeks ago already. That device has a 4.3-inch qHD display with a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and 1GB of RAM. The DROID RAZR HD has a little more oomph to it, thanks to a larger 4.7-inch screen with a 1280×720 resolution. It also has the 1.5GHz S4 chip with 1GB of RAM, and the RAZR MAXX HD comes with a larger 3300mAh battery for those who yearn for better battery life.
Owners of the RAZR HD and MAXX HD should get a notification on their devices when the update is ready to be downloaded and installed. Those who are lucky enough may even see the update as soon as Monday, but don’t be surprised if you don’t end up with it until later in the week.
Motorola DROID RAZR HD, MAXX HD to get Jelly Bean next week is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Gadgets are an unfortunate mix of expensive and fragile, with the wrong jostle, bump, or drop potentially sending your smartphone or tablet into an early grave. OtterBox creates a variety of cases designed to prevent these unfortunate incidents including the Defender Series. As of today, you can now pick up DS case for your Galaxy Tab 2 and Droid RAZR HD.
The OtterBox Defender Series cases feature triple-layer defenses against the many perils that can threaten your gadgets. Each case has a built-in display protector, as well as a mid-layer made from polycarbonate and an outer layer made from silicone. These layers are designed to protect smartphones and tablets from shocks and drops, and to keep dirt and debris out of the devices’ various ports.
Also released is the Commuter Series case for the RAZR HD and the RAZR MAXX HD. The Communter Series case is similar to the Defender Series, offering a screen protector, mid-layer composed of silicone, and an outer-layer made of “strong polycarbonate.” Neither the Defender Series, nor the Commuter Series are waterproof, however.
The Droid RAZR HD features a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, and has 12GB of internal storage space. You can check out our review of the handset here. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 features a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600, as well as a dual-core 1GHz processor. Check out our review of the tablet here.
OtterBox announces Defender Series cases for RAZR HD and Galaxy Tab 2 is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of October 22nd, 2012
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Samsung, HTC, Google, LG
Refresh Roundup: week of October 22nd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Back when Motorola announced the DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR M, it made a commitment to upgrading the majority of its phones to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. When it made this commitment, the company said that it would give users who didn’t get updated $100. Naturally, no one was expecting Motorola to upgrade all of its handsets to Jelly Bean, and today, the company revealed a list of phones that will qualify for the $100 rebate.
However, there’s a bit of a catch. Motorola isn’t just going to give you $100 because your phone isn’t receiving Jelly Bean, after all. In order to get that money, you’ll need to trade up to one of six recently-release Motorola phones. The handsets you’ll need to trade up to include the Atrix HD, DROID RAZR MAXX HD, DROID RAZR M, DROID RAZR HD, Electrify 2, or PHOTON Q. As you can see from the list posted below, quite a few Motorola phones qualify for the promotion.
Those devices that qualify include the original Electrify, the Atrix and the Atrix 4G, the DROID 3, and the DROID X2. If you don’t see your device on the left side of the list, it seems that you can expect an update to Jelly Bean at some point in the future. Motorola has set up a page on its site for interested users looking to take advantage of its trade up program.
Of course, it’s important to remember that if you’re currently on contract, early termination fees will still apply if you decide to get a new phone through Motorola’s trade up promotion. Essentially, you can look at this as a $100 rebate on an upgrade to a phone that will have or will be getting Jelly Bean, rather than getting $100 in cash as an apology for not getting an upgrade to Android 4.1. Will you be taking Motorola up on its $100 rebate offer, or will you be sticking with your current phone now that we know all of the details?
[via Android Community]
Motorola lists phones that won’t get updates to Jelly Bean is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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