droidStory

The guys at MyDroidWorld got their hands on a leaked (read unauthorized) Android 2.2 Froyo version for the DroidX. They kindly provided the update instructions and download mirrors to the update.zip file here. Rooted and un-rooted phones can be upgraded. It is not clear if this version is a release candidate of the anticipated official release slated for sometime in August or September, but it is likely that it is not.

Many people are reporting successful installation and use of this version, but caution is strongly advised. Unlike the original Droid or the Nexus One, Motorola and Verizon have gone all out (eFuse) to protect the latest Droid from unauthorized updates. While eFuse is not going to brick your phone as some initially reported it is still preventing custom ROM’s from being installed. This update obviously coming from Motorola installs fine, but it is unclear if the official OTA Update of Froyo will, once you’ve installed this leaked version.

For that reason I’m going to sit this one out…

Update: Well, this did not take long. Numerous blogs report that Motorola has sent a cease & desist order to the sites hosting the leaked update. Why am I not surprised.

Motorola and Verizon now officially announced the Droid 2, available for pre-order tomorrow and in stores this Thursday.

DROID 2 is a feature-packed device that helps manage work and social life with an enhanced QWERTY keyboard, ultra high-speed Web browsing, 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities, full push corporate e-mail, intuitive social messaging and Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 for access to the full web – all built on Android 2.2.

In addition, they will offer a Limited Edition R2-D2 Droid 2, in September.

R2-D2 DROID 2
In honor of the iconic Astromech Droid from the Star Wars™ Saga, Verizon Wireless will offer a limited-edition R2-D2 version of the DROID 2, available only online in September. The special version of the phone will feature exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga. Visitors to the upcoming Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Fla., can see a preview of the limited edition phone and sign up to receive alerts when the phone is ready for sale.

The successor of the wildly popular Droid, aptly named Droid 2 is coming to Verizon. Many signs are hinting that the latest Droid will hit stores this week.

The Droid 2 seems almost identical to the original Droid, and this ad spotted in a Florida news paper is touting a NEW advanced keyboard as the main improvement. Overall the Droid 2 feels more evolutionary than revolutionary, without any killer features that will set it apart from Droid Incredible or Droid X, unless you want a physical keyboard of course.

Promotional materials leaked from Best Buy list the phone at $199 with a 2 year contract, and $599 without contract.

via Engadget, droiddog

The NPD Group published its latest research report yesterday, showing that Android took the lead spot in handsets sold to US consumers in Q2, counting for 33 percent of all smartphones purchased. This puts Android ahead of RIM (28 percent) and Apple (22 percent).

“For the second consecutive quarter, Android handsets have shown strong but slowing sell-through market share gains among U.S. consumers,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. “While the Google-developed OS took market share from RIM, Apple’s iOS saw a small gain this quarter on the strength of the iPhone 4 launch.”

Based on U.S. consumer purchases of mobile phones in Q2, the top 5 Android smartphones were as follows:

1. Motorola Droid
2. HTC Droid Incredible
3. HTC EVO 4G
4. HTC Hero
5. HTC Droid Eris

Wow! Both high-end Droid’s, the Motorola DroidX and the HTC Droid Incredible are sold out at Verizon. What’s up with that? It seems odd that powerhouse Motorola can’t keep up with the sales demand, manufacturing enough units for the launch.

Is this just the latest marketing fad in showing off the popularity of a product by artificially limiting initial supply, or are component shortages truly to blame? Either way it looks like both phones are sold-out online and in stores.

Although both Motorola and Verizon claimed to have plenty of stock on hand, it does not come as a big surprise that the DroidX already sold-out online. Shipments are expected to resume by July 7/23, which is still ahead of the next shipments of the Droid Incredible . If you want to get your hands on the DroidX now, your best bet is to call your local Verizon store or Best Buy to pick one up.

FYI: The $100 mail-in rebate is waived and instantly credited for qualifying “new-every-two” customers and some other customer loyalty criteria. It’s always good to ask. I managed to skip the tedious mail-in rebate.