Hasta La Gadget!

The third installment of a trilogy is typically the most satisfying. The Empire Falls, Frodo destroys the ring, Cinderella goes back in time. (Okay, that’s a stretch.) Our protagonist in this tale is the Droid 3, which bears an uncanny resemblance to its dad and granddad— but Verizon’s added a few new components and made some minor design tweaks in attempt to improve the overall experience.

Are these adjustments enough to save the series? The original Droid launched with much fanfare, a device that steered Motorola back onto the path of success from its post-RAZR Hades. It had a refreshing gold-laden design that oozed elegance, top-of-the-line specs for its time, and was the pioneer that helped usher Google’s mobile OS into a new era. Each new iteration has received less attention than the one before, however, and the Droid 3 experienced such a quiet launch that we blinked and almost missed it. No matter, though — as long as the phone can speak for itself, it doesn’t need the confetti to accompany it. But is the third time another charm for the Droid? Or will it be buried by other heavyweights like the Droid Bionic or Samsung Galaxy S II Function? Join us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Motorola Droid 3 review

Motorola Droid 3 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like someone took the Droid 3, slapped a new name on it, and shipped it north to our friends in Canada, but added one neat twist — it’s now rocking an extra “G.” Officially known as the XT860 4G, Bell’s version of Motorola’s QWERTY slider comes packed with a HSPA+ radio that can handle the 850MHz, 1900MHz, and 2100MHz bands. That means not only can our ice-sweeping neighbors enjoy blazing fast mobile data, but they can roam the globe without sacrificing their deliciously speedy connection. Otherwise, you’re looking at the same 4-inch, dual-core Gingerbread device that just launched here in the states. For the moment though, price and availability are still up in the syrup-scented air.

Continue reading Motorola XT860 4G is the Droid 3’s curling loving cousin for Bell

Motorola XT860 4G is the Droid 3’s curling loving cousin for Bell originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Messin’ with hacked ROMs? Fuhgetaboutit. HTC’s Droid Incredible 2 is finally getting the Android 2.3 it has long deserved, with the luckiest of Verizon Wireless subscribers seeing the update pushed to their phones this evening. The update (coined 2.18.605.4) brings along performance improvements with mobile IM, solved Hotmail sync issues, better device connectivity, a built-in browser bookmark for the New York Times, the addition of the Wireless Charging UI and a new desktop dock app. Don’t be shocked if it takes a week to get to your particular phone, but be sure to let us know how things go in comments once your turn arrives.

[Thanks, Jimmy]

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) starts rolling out to Verizon’s Droid Incredible 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola has sure been taking its sweet time with the Droid Bionic. But hey — better late than busted, right? We got some hands-on time with the LTE handset way back in January, only to get word in April that the device was going back into hiding while the company made “several enhancements.” Rumors about said improvements have popped up in the meantime, and the device has made an appearance on the FCC, but Motorola hasn’t done all that much talking about the upcoming smartphone. Looks like the handset may finally be getting its day in the sun — a newly-leaked Best Buy ad offers up some familiar specs and tough-talking advertising copy, as well as the enticing and vaguely threatening promise that the Bionic is “coming soon.” It’s worth noting that a Droid Bionic accessory page has been live at Best Buy since February, but sadly, not even this ad gets us closer to a cemented release date.

Redesigned Droid Bionic wants to fight you, shows up in leaked Best Buy ad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, you’ve read the rumors, scoped out the leaks, and circled multiple dates on your calendar — just to cover all of your Droid 3 bases. You can now add a catalog of accessories to the stack of intel for this Motorola slider, including an inductive battery door (most likely harnessing the power of Qi), and a smattering of cases and screen protectors. Also thrown in the mix is a 1930mAh extended battery so you can fuel a marathon of South Park reruns and take full advantage of the last week of unlimited data from Verizon. Although knowing about the accessories is nice, we’d prefer to find out the important stuff… ya know, like how much Big Red’s new Droid will cost.

Droid 3 accessories leaked, Moto’s new slider gets wireless charging back plate and more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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