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Verizon posts Android 2.1 details for Motorola Droid

In a sign that an Android 2.1 update might be near for Motorola Droid users, Verizon posts a list to its support site of enhancements and improvements that will come with the upgrade.

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Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
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This post was last updated on March 18 at 3:44 p.m. PT with a statement from Verizon Wireless.

Hang tight, Motorola Droid owners; it looks like you're one step closer to getting that Android 2.1 update.

On Wednesday, Verizon Wireless posted details (PDF) about the software upgrade and its lists of enhancements and improvements, which include:

  • Pinch-to-zoom support in the browser, gallery, and Google Maps.

  • New weather and news apps and widgets.
  • Support for voice-to-text entry.

  • Live wallpapers (a la Nexus One)

  • Support for free Yahoo mail accounts, and e-mail accounts will no longer need to be re-entered after over-the-air (OTA) updates.

  • Improved pattern lock functionality.

On Wednesday afternoon, Motorola Mobile tweeted that the 2.1 update would be tested with a group of Verizon users starting Thursday afternoon and would be released to other Droid owners shortly after testing is completed. However, according to Engadget Mobile, the OTA update is now delayed and a new date will be "communicated as soon as possible."

When we asked for comment, Tom Pica, Verizon's executive director for corporate communications, wrote in an e-mail, "As per the earlier e-mail, the Android 2.1 upgrade for the Droid by Motorola was deployed to a small number of Verizon Wireless test users as scheduled. It is expected the broader phased rollout to all Droid by Motorola users will take place but not just yet. No date scheduled yet, we will keep you posted."