droidStory

You can almost hear a collective sigh of relief – the long-awaited release of Android 2.2. for the Verizon DroidX is finally here. I received the OTA Update notification this morning, after manually checking for system updates on my DX.

I’m now installing the update, which seems to take unusually long and looks as if its hanging half-way through… hmmm.

Update: The update process is definitely hung. You can get detailed progress when you hit the search key. It’s sitting at “patching system files”. OK. now what – the power button doesn’t work, so remove the battery and hope for the best.

So, I forced a reboot by removing the battery. The phone went right back into the update process and is now moving past the step where it stopped before. Now, finishing up and sitting at reboot.

Update1: Now the reboot is taking forever. All I see is the Motorola logo, and the led is lighting up green every now and then. I updated a number of Android phones, including my Nexus One and Droid Incredible, but the process has never been this painful. WTF – Verizon?

Froyo was originally expected to be released in August for the DroidX. Now half-way through September, a hidden page on Verizon’s DroidDoes website is hinting its imminent arrival.

The link to the DX support page still lists the previous software update without any mention of Android 2.2. Stay tuned…!

Update: It looks like the support page has now been updated: http://support.vzw.com/pdf/system_update/droid_x.pdf

I’m not really surprised about this, other than that it took that long.

Nathan Nabors, a Florida resident, has filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Google was in breach of contract by not resolving the Nexus One 3G connectivity problems that some users were experiencing, in addition to the inadequate support Google was providing during the time the company was selling the phone.

I’ve experienced first-hand the 3G problems and posted numerous blog posts and YouTube videos that illustrate the issue. I’ve also felt strongly that the problem was caused by the phone’s hardware, specifically a flaw in the antenna design, combined with T-Mobile’s sub-optimal 3G coverage and signal strength.

Still, Google sold the phone directly to consumers and was not prepared to deal with the support burden. Perhaps that is the reason why Google is the only defendant named in the lawsuit.

I’m now happily using a DroidX on Verizon and the Nexus One / T-Mobile 3G frustration is only distant memory.

Long awaited, often rumored, now reality – the Incredible is getting the Android 2.2 OTA update starting today. The first announcement showed up on twitter this morning from the official VZW account.

Then Verizon posted update instructions on its support website.

All OTA (Over the Air) Updates are staggered to avoid system overload. So it may still take a few days before Froyo actually shows up on your phone. Still no luck on my Droid Incredible, when I checked a few minutes ago.

If you still wonder what all the hubbub is about: This release will bring Adobe Flash, application auto update and improved battery performance, amongst some other general improvements to the Incredible. It will make this cool Droid even better.

Big Red is not known to be the cheapest carrier around, but their excellent (data) coverage at least shows that the company heavily invests into their network infrastructure.

I don’t mind paying a little premium for the trusty Verizon network.  What bums me out though is that Verizon always seems to find new ways to pile on extra fees. There used to be the $12.95 VZ-Navigator tax for the privilege to use your phone’s GPS with Google Maps. The BES data tax to connect to your company’s Blackberry Enterprise Server. And now the $20 surcharge for WiFi tethering, an Android 2.2 (Froyo) feature that Verizon conveniently removed from the default build.

But here is yet another strange twist in the Verizon fee structure. There are two data plans currently offered for Android handsets and other smartphones. Which one do you need?The distinction between Corporate and Personal Email seems to be an oxymoron. Are corporate users  getting more emails than private accounts? What if my company uses Google Apps for corporate email? Do I still need the corporate plan? The details for the corporate plan offer the following explanation:Is Verizon restricting access to ActiveSync or other corporate messaging protocols, unless you pay up? I’m using ActiveSync for both MS-Exchange and Lotus Traveler, so my first impression was that I needed the more expensive corporate plan. Yet, I’m syncing with my corporate mail servers just fine on the personal plan. My calls into Verizon yielded conflicting responses. One person suggested that I only need the corporate plan for BES connectivity and that the higher cost is simply a result of Verizon having to pay RIM some sort of access fee. Still, why list this option for Android phones?

Whatever you do, try the cheaper plan first. It works just fine for me. I’m still peeved about the extra $20/month for WiFi tethering…

Motorola published their Android upgrade schedule on their support forum.

Nothing new here. Obviously, Motorola acknowledged that the Devour was a total flop, so they don’t even bother with any future upgrades.