eclair

Motorola won't update Charm or Flipout beyond Android 2.1

Motorola has decided to pull back on plans to update its Charm (T-Mobile) and Flipout (AT&T) handsets with Android 2.2 Froyo.

Of course, that means that the smartphones, which were released with Android 2.1 back in the fall, will remain on Eclair indefinitely. The handsets join a growing list of Motorola phones being left behind on older versions of Android. Most recently, the company decided that the Cliq XT would stay on Android 1.5 and never see features such as Google Maps Navigation or live wallpapers.

Looking at the list of devices represented on Motorola'… Read more

Motorola kills off Android 2.1 update for Cliq XT

Motorola Cliq XT owners got the bad news today that their smartphones will be left to limp off into the sunset with Android 1.5 Cupcake.

According to the Motorola Support Forums, Moto recently scrapped the Android 2.1 Eclair plans after it determined that the Cliq XT would not deliver an "optimal customer experience."

Forums manager "Moto Matt" delivered the news in a post today, while acknowledging that the news will likely frustrate a number of users who anxiously awaited the update. "Our product team members worked for months to attempt to create a … Read more

Froyo's share is on the rise

Six months after its release, Froyo has begun to eclipse Eclair as the most prevalent Android OS version. According to figures Google released yesterday, Android 2.2 runs on 51.8 percent of handsets that accessed the Andorid Market in a 14-day period ending January 4. Eclair (2.1) handsets had a 35.2 percent share, whereas Cupcake (1.4) and Donut (1.6) have dwindled down to a combined 12.6 percent share.

We realize that Google is using a very specific measure that doesn't reflect the total number of devices on the market, but the news is … Read more

CES: Audiovox puts Android in your car's headrests

LAS VEGAS--Audiovox knows that rear-seat DVD player sales are slumping, and its previous endeavors with the FLO TV digital video service ended in failure, so the electronics manufacturer is looking to reinvent headrest-based mobile entertainment in a very interesting way. It's debuting a prototype Android-powered rear-seat entertainment system.

The system combines a rear-seat DVD player and an Android tablet into one mobile hub. Users can connect the system to the Internet to stream YouTube videos, update their Facebook pages, and access other online content from the backseat. The prototype features a full Android 2.1 Eclair experience--there's even … Read more

Motorola Flipside: Capable but boring (review)

The Motorola Flipside is a new messaging phone for AT&T. The $99 price tag isn't bad at all for this midrange Android 2.1 handset, which sports a 3.1-inch HVGA touch screen, a 3-megapixel camera, and a 32GB-capable expandable memory card slot.

It has the full range of rock-solid Android apps, but also some only arguably useful preloaded programs and the standard shortcuts and installations for AT&T services.

Still, there's one more significant bonus and drawback each for the Flipside. Consult our full review for more details.

The hardware guts of your Android phone

When Microsoft prepped cell phone manufacturers about Windows Phone 7, they were crystal clear in defining the minimum hardware specifications each phone would have to support the mobile software--a touch screen, 1GHz processor, and 5-megapixel camera, for instance. Android's rapid development, on the other hand, makes minimum hardware specs murkier. They're documented but less understood than the distinctions between the software versions themselves.

As a result, we've combed through page upon thrilling page of compatibility documents to bring you the minimum hardware requirements of your Android phone and breaking down what that means.

Before we begin, note that Google has not posted documentation for Android 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.0.1; the company cites technical reasons. Also note that we omit comparing Apple's iPhone, BlackBerry smartphones, and Palm phones because they're closed manufacturing systems.

Android 1.6, 2.1, 2.2 (* not required for v. 1.6) Windows Phone 7 QVGA (240x320 pixels) touch screen Capacitive WVGA resolution (800x480 pixels) touch-screen display (eventually opening up to HVGA) (480x320 pixels)) Virtual keyboard support Virtual keyboard support n/a 1GHz processor Must have a USB connection that connects to a standard USB-A port No manufacturer skins like HTC Sense or Samsung TouchWhiz 92MB RAM; 150MB user storage 256MB RAM; 8GB flash storage 2-megapixel camera 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, hardware shutter button Home, Menu, and Back functions available at all times Start, Search, Back hardware buttons Wireless high-speed data standard capable of supporting 200Kbps; like EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, 802.11g (Android 1.6 requires Wi-Fi) DirectX GPU support Accelerometer* Accelerometer Compass* Compass GPS receiver* GPS receiver Bluetooth transceiver* Bluetooth transceiver n/a Ambient light sensor n/a Proximity sensor n/a FM radio

'Must' versus 'should' While this list reflects the minimum requirements that Google imposes on manufacturers, it isn't the full story. The Android team makes many hearty recommendations in legalese that "may" or "should" be used when building Android-compatible phones. For instance, a Micro-USB port isn't mandatory, but it is encouraged, as are hardware buttons and a dedicated search key. The base storage requirements also appear low, but Google recommends 128MB RAM and at least 1GB of on-device user storage for things like the address book and photos.… Read more

Eclair holds slim margin over Froyo in latest Android report

Android phones running OS 2.1 or 2.2 now represent more than three quarters of all handsets on the market, says Google's latest platform version report. Though handsets with OS 1.5 or 1.6 haven't disappeared yet, yesterday's report has led some to suggest that fragmentation is winding down.

Released monthly, the report breaks down the various versions of Android to help developers decide how they want to code their applications. And, of course, it's a great way to gauge platform fragmentation.

Android 2.1 "Eclair" still leads the pack at 40.… Read more

Android 2.1 finally comes to Moto T-Mobile Cliq

After an agonizingly long four-month delay, T-Mobile Cliq owners at long last are able to grab Android 2.1 Eclair for their year-old phones.

Motorola and T-Mobile yesterday started actively seeking up to 2,000 users to test out the first, and likely last, update for the smartphone. Today, the handset maker followed up by launching a support page to help guide customers through the process.

Many Android users have taken for granted some of the things that Cliq owners will see. For example, they're just now getting speech-to-text, turn-by-turn navigation, voice search, resizable widgets, seven home screens, and … Read more

Sony Ericsson delays Android 2.1 for Xperia line of handsets

Sony Ericsson used its official product blog to let fans know that it is delaying the release of Android OS 2.1 for their Xperia line of handsets. Originally listed for a September rollout, the company is now looking at late October and beyond.

Sadly, the Xperia X10 will still be nearly a year behind the competition when it finally does see Eclair. While other phones like the Motorola Droid have gone from 2.0 to 2.2 in the same span of time, Sony Ericsson has been behind the curve since day one.

I was a huge fan of … Read more