Timeline (the condensed version): Google launches Android 2.1 on January 5th, Motorola promises to eventually offer 2.1 for all its Android handsets (including the heavily skinned CLIQ) on January 6th, Google’s Nexus One gets 2.1 on January 11th. We wait. Motorola CLIQ gets 2.1 today, a mere 11 months later. Sure, maybe we were young and naive, but who could’ve known then that this update would be so long coming? Nobody really knows the solution to this problem in a general sense, especially since vanilla Android seems to be off the table for the majority of phones. What could compel a handset manufacturer and a carrier to work up timely software updates on heftily-skinned handsets past their shelf life, potentially competing with their own newer handsets in the process? Maybe paying for updates? Real Genuine Tears of Desperation? You tell us. Anyway, congrats to the saintly CLIQ owners out there who have waited patiently for 2.1, and a grumble grumble thanks to Motorola for keeping its promise.
It’s been a long road, but users of AT&T’s rather bizarre Motorola Backflip will finally be seeing upgrades to Android 2.1 — upgrades that were originally promised in the first half of the year, then delayed to the third quarter, then delayed once again. Enough with the bellyaching, though, eh? A thousand customers who volunteered to get the update early via Motorola’s support forums should’ve started getting access to it today, while “all markets” will receive it on November 9th — and interestingly, it’ll only be available as an offline update (in other words, no over-the-air option here). The update process will take up to a whopping 40 minutes, so be sure to make yourself a quick bite to eat before you sit down to undertake this operation.
It’s been a long road, but users of AT&T’s rather bizarre Motorola Backflip will finally be seeing upgrades to Android 2.1 — upgrades that were originally promised in the first half of the year, then delayed to the third quarter, then delayed once again. Enough with the bellyaching, though, eh? A thousand customers who volunteered to get the update early via Motorola’s support forums should’ve started getting access to it today, while “all markets” will receive it on November 9th — and interestingly, it’ll only be available as an offline update (in other words, no over-the-air option here). The update process will take up to a whopping 40 minutes, so be sure to make yourself a quick bite to eat before you sit down to undertake this operation.
How does the as-yet-unannounced Samsung Continuum stack up against Verizon’s pack of Droids, not to mention its Galaxy S brethren? That’s what we’re finding out for the very first time in a set of allegedly leaked charts. Performance-wise we’re looking at a fairly familiar beast with a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 384MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, plus 2GB of on-board flash storage and a preloaded 8GB microSD card. Where it gets interesting is that secondary display, which measures 1.8 inches with a 96 x 480 resolution, which will indeed act as a status update, RSS feed and weather report stock ticker that you activate (even when the handset is asleep!) by gripping the bottom of the phone. You’re also getting a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video recording, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and 3G mobile hotspot for up to five devices, but it’s not all peaches and cream — the whole shebang uses Bing for search, and runs on Android 2.1. Here’s hoping Samsung intends to provide us a Froyo rollout date when it finally announces this phone. Find the full spec sheets at our source links.
Sony Ericsson’s midrange X8 shipped this month with a hilariously out-of-date version of Android installed — Donut, to be specific — but it looks like the company is going to be moving a little quicker to rectify the situation than it has with the similarly-afflicted X10. A “company spokesman” has told IDG’s news service that Android 2.1 will be coming before the end of the year, with details on exactly how that’s going to happen coming “in the near future.” We’re in November now, so there’s really no time for games if they’re serious about making this happen before 2010′s out — then again, how many X8 owners are out there at this point?
Sony Ericsson’s midrange X8 shipped this month with a hilariously out-of-date version of Android installed — Donut, to be specific — but it looks like the company is going to be moving a little quicker to rectify the situation than it has with the similarly-afflicted X10. A “company spokesman” has told IDG’s news service that Android 2.1 will be coming before the end of the year, with details on exactly how that’s going to happen coming “in the near future.” We’re in November now, so there’s really no time for games if they’re serious about making this happen before 2010′s out — then again, how many X8 owners are out there at this point?
We didn’t really see this coming, but HTC has teamed up with “multiple regional North American carriers” to deliver its Wildfire stateside, a low-end Android device that might appeal to folks who aren’t looking for Desire HD-class performance but still appreciate HTC’s design sensibility (of course, the Desire HD isn’t an option in America period, but we digress). The company hasn’t named partners, but it’ll launch with Android 2.1 beginning this quarter — hopefully with a Froyo update in the pipeline, though there’s no commitment in the press release, which you can find after the break. Our respect and admiration if you can correctly guess all the carriers that’ll be getting it, by the way.
We didn’t really see this coming, but HTC has teamed up with “multiple regional North American carriers” to deliver its Wildfire stateside, a low-end Android device that might appeal to folks who aren’t looking for Desire HD-class performance but still appreciate HTC’s design sensibility (of course, the Desire HD isn’t an option in America period, but we digress). The company hasn’t named partners, but it’ll launch with Android 2.1 beginning this quarter — hopefully with a Froyo update in the pipeline, though there’s no commitment in the press release, which you can find after the break. Our respect and admiration if you can correctly guess all the carriers that’ll be getting it, by the way.
Doesn’t get much more “late October” than this, does it? Sony Ericsson has announced that it’ll begin delivering Android 2.1 upgrades to its X10 line of phones at long last this coming Sunday, October 31st — but odds are pretty good you won’t be in the first batch. In fact, only unbranded X10s, X10 Minis, and X10 Mini Pros in Nordic countries will be getting boosted at first, followed by “more kits” on Monday and throughout November. As a refresher, these updates will bring 720p video capture on the X10 proper (complete with continuous autofocus), a new backup / restore app, and a bunch of other tweaks that should make your little pal feel a bit less 2009 and bit more 2010. Froyo would be nice, of course… but we’ll take what we can get.
Just as promised, Denmark-based Lumigon has finally lifted the curtains over its much hyped T1 Android handset. Specs include an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 chipset with an optional Qualcomm HSDPA modem, along with a 3.5-inch 480 x 800 capacitive touchscreen LCD, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, A-GPS, Bluetooth and FM radio. What the Scandinavian company’s really selling here, though, is the phone’s multimedia features: not only does it have a FM transmitter, a HDMI dock and Bang & Olufsen’s renowned ICEpower audio amplifiers, but it also doubles up as an “innovative” universal remote control for your various AV devices — pretty unique for an Android device, we’ll give you that. Interestingly, the press release omits any mention of Froyo, so here’s a glimmer of hope that Lumigon will manage to skin whatever the latest version of Android will be in time for the launch — a few lucky outlets will receive the phones “by the very end of this year,” just in time for your Christmas refunds.
Oh, and remember the sister handset S1? We’re now told that this T9 slider won’t be out until Q3 2011. Sometimes it’s better to take one step at a time, eh?
