Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve already heard how Verizon expects to hit the ground running on LTE, starting this November with a launch in 30 markets — New York, LA, Philadelphia, and so forth. Now it looks like you can add San Francisco to that aggressive list, if Boy Genius Report’s leak proves true. Will it beat WiMAX to the region? Your move, Sprint.

San Francisco in Verizon’s initial 30-market LTE rollout? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even by mid-2010 standards, Verizon’s original Droid still looks and feels thoroughly modern — after all, it set a pretty high benchmark for the upper end of Android’s product portfolio when it launched late last year, and Motorola has managed to keep it updated through two major revisions of the platform along the way (in fact, it’s still just one of a very few devices running Froyo commercially at this point). That said, it’s got a handful of minor design flaws, none of which are really showstoppers in and of themselves but add up to make the phone a little less enjoyable to use than it could’ve been.

That’s where the Droid 2 comes in: a phone that’s less of an all-new, blockbuster product like the Droid X or EVO 4G and more of a genuine “version 2.0” type of effort — hence the name, we suppose — targeting some specific pain points we all experienced with the first-generation device. And just because it doesn’t have the beastly, in-your-face appeal of the Droid X doesn’t mean Verizon isn’t considering it an important device; quite the contrary, actually, rolling out a big new ad campaign and making it the first Droid model to be offered in an official R2-D2 version (and let’s be real: you can never downplay the significance of a gadget with a good Star Wars angle).

To put it plainly: on the heels of the Droid, the Droid 2’s got some big shoes to fill. Let’s find out whether they’ve pulled it off.

Continue reading Droid 2 review

Droid 2 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you compare this shot of the bespoke R2-D2 Droid 2 to the background of Verizon’s teaser site (inset), you can see this is almost certainly the genuine article — and we knew that Verizon intended to intro this thing at the Star Wars-themed Celebration V conference kicking off today, so this is all making a lot of sense. We admit, we were kind of hoping for a graphic that was a little more… you know, R2-D2-shaped, but when it comes to astromech-themed gear, we’ll take what we can get.

[Thanks, Brian D.]

Droid 2 R2-D2 edition spied in the wild, ready to repair your X-wing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you shed a tear when Verizon put the Droid Eris out to pasture, it’s time to dry your eyes; it seems the handset’s found greener fields in Florida, at Epcot Center to be precise. That’s right, Walt Disney World is reportedly testing out Verizon’s HTC Hero as a GPS navigator and tour guide for the entire park, complete with shopping discounts, special bonuses and up-to-the-minute wait times for rides. How or when you’ll get your hands on one is presently up in the air, though the man who snapped these shots told Mickey Updates the phones may be an inexpensive addition to your vacation — perhaps like the $10 BREW-based Mobile Magic application Verizon and Disney introduced last year. Here’s hoping that chunky case includes an extended battery — there’s no way a stock Eris could last as long as Nintendo’s guide.

Update: A video walkthrough of the whole shebang is posted after the break. Thanks, Matt!

[Thanks, Durango Jim]

Continue reading Disney converting Droid Eris into GPS tour guide (update: video!)

Disney converting Droid Eris into GPS tour guide (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All together now: “Finally!” At long last, the leaks are being plugged by none other than Verizon itself, who today confirmed that the Droid 2 is more than just a figment of everyone’s imagination. Shortly after hamstringing the Froyo update for the original Droid, Big Red is tossing a tempting upgrade all up in your grille, as the Droid 2 ships with Android 2.2, mobile hotspot (a $20 / month add-on), Flash Player 10.1 and a revised QWERTY keyboard. It also ships with Swype pre-installed, though we’d prefer Swiftkey thrown in for good measure. You already know the specs by now — a 3.7-inch multitouch display, 5 megapixel camera, DLNA streaming, 8GB of onboard memory and a 8GB microSD card — but what you haven’t known is the on sale date. VZW is putting this gem up for pre-sale tomorrow at $199.99 on a 2-year contract, with in-store availability locked for Thursday.

In other news, that R2-D2 edition Droid 2 we told you about last month is legit, and we’re having a hard time containing our excitement just dreaming about the design. Said phone will be available online only in September, and it’ll ship with “exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga.” We’re guessing these will sell out in no time flat, but there’s no price being divulged just yet. Oh, and if you’re wondering how on Earth you’re going to swing this upgrade, Verizon’s allowing any customer with a contract ending by December 31, 2010 to upgrade now (to any other smartphone, including the Droid 2) sans penalty. Sheesh guys, you shouldn’t have!

Update: The R2-D2 edition portal has gone live. And yes, if you click this link, you will hear R2-D2 say “Droid!” Too bad there aren’t any images of the handset, though. Thanks, Eric!

Continue reading Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract

Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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