Motorola Droid

Update: Interesting. Motorola took the page down. But the bullet points likely still stand. Stay tuned, folks.

OK, let's put an end to the speculation and confusion as to what Motorola Droid owners can expect when they update this week to Android 2.1. This is straight from Motorola:

  • Voice recognition for virtual keyboard. Anywhere you can type, you can dictate. Swipe your finger across the keyboard (or press the microphone button) to activate. Same as on the Nexus One.
  • Virtual (on-screen) keyboard enhancements.
  • 3D Gallery: Should be the same as the new gallery that's on the Nexus One, and that's been ported to the Droid.
  • Pinch to zoom: Already on board for Google Maps, now you'll have it in the browser and gallery.
  • News and weather widget/app. That's the widget from the Nexus One that we get questions about in our videos.
  • Previously published Google Maps 4.0 improvements.
  • Enhanced Music application. New tabs at the top for easier access an navigation to artists, songs, albums and playlists.
  • Google Goggles: Now built into Android 2.1. No separate downloads.
  • Fixes the security lock bypass.
  • Yahoo e-mail now has setup optimization.
  • Battery life improved.

So that's it. Folks. While you're waiting for the update to be pushed out, be sure to join the discussion in our forums. [Motorola] Thanks, Alex!


Reader comments

(Update) Motorola details exactly what you're getting in the Droid 2.1 update


I dunno, there's always the Home Screen Apps for more screens. I've dxTop. Live wallpapers would have been nice ~ but for the most part sounds great! Bring it.

Just like the N1 users, we are all waiting for Flash to hit the market. Only Adobe can give that to us. It will run on the Droid too once it's out.

The Droid is already Flash-ready. We are waiting for Adobe to finish it and release it. Motorola/Verizon, etc have nothing to do with it.

Mark my words, Android is in for a rocky road if Google doesn’t rein in the update process. I bought my Droid because it was a “Google Experience” device. I took that to mean that I would get updated versions of Android that were unscrewed with by the phone manufacturer or the carrier. I see now that I was wrong. What Android is quickly becoming is an OS of haves and have nots where only phones sold through Google are likely to have all the features of the OS. There’s no reason that the Droid can’t run 2.1 as it’s implemented on the N1. This is 1 area in which the Apple way is definitely better.

I agree. Got the Droid, because I figured VZW and Motorola would be throwing their weight behind it. Instead the half a$$ it. Although with Nexus 1 coming to VZW and I am sure other Google Branded phones to follow, this will be the last purchase of anything not sold direct from Google it sucks for the year I got to hold onto the phone, but in the end Motorola did this to themselves. Nice Job guys keep up the below market average work!

The only problem is, it's not google's fault really. it's more up to the service providers to decide what does and what does not get released. For example, it was Verizon's decision not to include wifi on their blackberries until recently.

Apple isn't necessarily "way better" in regards to updates. They have proprietary software running on proprietary hardware on a proprietary network. apple products overall are pretty solid, but they BETTER be. they only have to code software for their own hardware. Google has to put out updates for mutliple hardware configurations from different companies (moto, htc, samsung) while making it compatible with different service providers. android is in a different development position than Apple is. Even though the Droid won't have everything the N1 does with the 2.1 update, there will be new released roms, etc. that bring the droid up to par. i agree that the Droid SHOULD have all the N1 features, but we will just have to deal with it.

Yes, the N1 has the music player with tabs at the top for viewing your music by Artists, Albums, Songs, or Playlists.

this makes me sad; well i guess i'm getting the ported launcher app..

is the update still supposed to roll out starting today?

I think they mean, that once the update has downloaded to your phone, the next time that you restart it, the update will start automatically.

Well depending on if you start you week on Sunday or Monday, there are still 4 days left in the week ;)

My question is whether the update will allow a home screen shortcut to a person's Quick Contact ribbon? This is a feature on the N1.

Would have been nice to have the extra homescreens.....but as someone said, There's Apps for that. Would have liked the phone to work with .gifs like every other plain ordinary (Non-smartphone) phone can do.....unfortunately, there is no App for that:( (Not that I'm aware of anyway). Other than that I am happy with any improvement made with the updates. Hopefully they will continue to roll them out and not stop with this one.

An update for a great phone, but no flash and no launcher update is very very disappointing. Come on Motorola - you do want to compete with the Nexus, right?

I'll get the update, but might root it to one of the existing roms that provides it all.

And I should be grateful I don't walk or ride a horse when I go to work either huh? I bought this for the GOOGLE experience not sense, not blur Google. I don't want a 98% complete OS when I should be getting 100%.

They never said Flash was coming with 2.1 It'll be ready when its ready. Thats on Adobe.

Nexus One is web order only on the smallest of the big national carriers. Droid is available everywhere on the biggest national carrier. The Droid is competing just fine. The only stuff missing from this update is the extra home screens, and live wallpapers. Its pretty close in software.

You bought a 2009 car. The 2010 car has a new feature like auto-parallel parking. Do you complain because the 2010 car has a better feature than yours? Be thankful phones are at least being updated. A few years ago this wasn't even possible. We've got a sick phone that keeps getting better.

@entwined82 - you're comparison of software vs. cars is a horrible one. I honestly believe you didn't even think before or after posting your dumb witted post.

Based on many custom roms available for the DROID including the many 2.1 features/apps, the extra home screens and live wallpapers are very possible to be made available by Motorola/Verizon. This limitation has not been set my Google but only by Motorola/Verizon.

A software upgrade on a phone is far easier than adding auto-parallel parking to a car since the auto-parallel requires additional hardware (sensors, type of paint, body material and an upgraded cpu) to be added in order to achieve a safe auto-parallel parking feature.

Now go back to school and learn a little bit more before you go around bashing yourself with idiotic posts.

Wow. That flaming was totally unnecessary.

I never said the Droid isn't capable of it, and I do know by rooting damn near anything can be done on this phone, processor and memory willing.

You dissected my point entirely without even getting what I meant, I did choose kind of a poor example so thats my fault but what I meant was just because something newer/better comes along doesn't mean we're all entitled to it. ESPECIALLY in cars and in cell phones, two of the fastest moving fields out there. You buy one, the better one is coming right around the corner.

You need to relax and not flame for no reason. You know you can disagree and tell somebody they are wrong without being condescending right?

Hey entwined82, are you going to be okay? Do you want me to call the waaambulance? Seriously, you're trying to kick up a dust storm over the missing 3D app drawer? You do realize there are plenty of apps that give you more home screens, right?

I hope you realize we're getting regular updates as opposed to none at all with most other phones or having to wait an entire year like with the iPhone. This is update #2 so far in the 3 months this phone has been on the market. Don't be surprised if there are more regular updates with added functionality. I guess what I'm trying to say is, stop whining like a baby because you annoy me and you probably annoy everyone else. Don't be surprised if your beloved 3D drawer arrives with a future update. Papa Moto is going to take good care of you.

Excuse me? Where did I whine about the update? I'm not kicking up a dust storm over anything! Read the forums, I've been one of the few people saying I'm fine with this update. All I want is multi-touch browsing, I have the maps already. Flash down the road would be cool but I'm happy with my Droid right now as is.

Learn to read and comprehend before you attack somebody for no good reason. I have not complained about the missing features at all. I'm fine with them. I don't give a crap about a new app drawer or even the 3D Gallery or live wallpapers.

2 updates in 3 months is awesome, I came from HTC phones before this where I'd be waiting close to a year for maintenance release updates to fix serious fundamental flaws with phones and operating systems. The Droid and Motorola's support has been a breath of fresh air.

Haha, my response was meant to be in your defense. I got confused by the screen orientation and thought you were phoneGenius.

Yeah, the reply and name of the poster is at the bottom when I'm used to seeing it at the top...comment was meant for phoneGenius. I would call it an amateur mistake...definitely doesn't make me a moron.

would have liked to have seen something done about the endless app drawer, something toclean it up a I seen video of someone who rooted n hacked 2.1 to theirr phone n their comment was "amazed at how fast it was". Wonder if this 2.1 will spark up the droid any?

When can we expect the same type of update for the Droid Eris? I'm guessing HTC is still working things out.

2.1 is not crippled. 5 homescreens and 3D app launcher is a 2.2 standard that was implemented early on the N1 so it would be tested by the T-Mobile guinea pigs. Just like the N1. Its true release is for verizon after its been fine tuned. I'm sticking with the droid. Now that I have the launcher2.apk updated on 2/8/2010. I'm absolutley content with my droid again.

Got to for the latest update.

Bring it! I don't really care that they didn't include the 5 home screens. I've been using Home++ for a long time now, it's free, and it has features that I prolly wouldn't give up, even if and when I get an update with 5 home screens.

I know I can root my Droid and get more features anytime. I had a G1 for over a year and had rooted it, but after that experience, I'm not really keen on doing it again. It's basically a pain in the butt. There is always updated roms every few days or so, and now and then they can be buggy. And I felt I should flash a new one once in awhile to stay up to date, and then I had to reconstruct my home screens and changed icons with BetterCut -- I didn't find any restore option that would do all that for me, so flashing new roms was a pain in the butt.

I tether my phone (for emergency use only -- I don't abuse it) using PDANet, and it works perfectly. The only reason I think about rooting my Droid is so I could overclock and juice the speed a little bit, but it's so much faster than the G1, that I'm pretty content.

I am fairly geeky, but don't want to hassle with my phone all the time, and I found when my G1 was rooted, it seemed to require fairly large and regular quantities of TLC. The fun of that wore off after awhile.

Does anyone know if there are any improvements on the email side. Driod email vs BB sucks. ?

That is strange, as I have absolutely no problem with Droid e-mail, and I am running G-Mail, Live Mail, and 2 POP3 accounts. They all get to the Droid just as fast as they get to my Tour.

I agree, Pappy. The Gmail works instantaneous and the other e-mail accounts basically do as well if you set the refresh to 1min or so. I have zero problems with my email. I see no crippling difference between BB and Droid. Now, I will give credit to this. On a BB you do get individual alerts for each email as they come through (comparing business not Gmail). The Droid does the same long as it's only refreshing one e-mail at a time. If it refreshes and you had 4 new e-mails you only get that one alert. Doesn't bother me though. I don't get 100 e-mails a minute.

This is a bad move on Google's part. Holding back the Droid so that it doesn't offer features of the N1 is bad for business. This is why Apple will stay dominant, they only have themselves to compete with.

OMG how hard is this for people to understand. If this was a "google" move don't you think the details of the update was being published by GOOGLE not MOTOROLA. Motorola and Verizon control what goes on the device not Google.

Want this so much. I'm hoping that the gallery does pinch to zoom as well, double tap to zoom works well in the browser, but I hate those plus minus buttons for zooming on images.

Droid users finally get there up date and still crying. If you want everything the Nexus One has, then get a N1(dah!). Sell you "Zune of the phone world" brick while it still has some kind of value and get a better phone. And for you older android users with outdated phones, it's like bitching at Microsoft to make windows 7 for you computer you bought in 1995. YOU HAVE AN OUTDATED HANDSET!!!!!! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING CHEAP.

1) Your grammar is horrid (their not there and update not up date)
2) Zune of the phone world? N1 & Droid = both Google OS. Same team dumbass
3) N1 didn't even publicly exist when most of us bought our Droids
4) Droid is Verizon, N1 isn't until 'Spring' - ever thought that someone bought a phone because of the network?
5) N1 w/ plan & Droid are pretty close in price, how does cheap have anything to do with it?

1)two little typing mistakes doesn't make anyone dumb.
2)Moto and Red didn't give much info about the Droid, all I seen/read is the "idon't, droid dose bull". You all didn't research or know anything about what you all bought. You bought a google experience phone, not a Google phone at all, but has the same experience meaning Google made an os for who ever wants to use it, so since Moto and Red used it,it's "their" responsibility to give updates, not google cause you didn't buy it from them.
3)Before you buy anything, you research it and know as much as you can understand about it. I just bought a BlackBerry Bold 9700 and it's February, it came out last November, so that's three months. You wait and see if the device you want is stable and bug free and whatever els. Most of you didn't, all you heard is "iPhone Killer" and "Android".A phone that you "want" to be better then the iphone, witch is why I said "Zune of the phone world"(it want the same share as Apple, it's brick like and ugly as hell) if you don't get that buy now, then you never will.
4)I know you're on Big Red(duh), but I go on phone blog sites and the only people I see bitching are Storm/Tour/Droid users, not iPhone,Bold,Pre users, now why is that? why are only users on Red are the only one who are bitching and not others? It's because Red don't care about you or your crying(as long as you pay them), so why are y'all with them? yea y'all have the best coverage, but y'all phones are shit. So why not go somewhere els? and since y'all want everything the N1 has, then why not switch from the carrier that don'r give a rat's ass about you, to a carrier that gives out updates or can use the N1.
(sorry for the book, I had to own you to the max.)

I would like to point out how your over-generalization and your childish arguments diminish your credibility, but I would rather not waste time in this case. You are hopeless.

I love the voice integration. That was the big thing I was looking for. Home++ keeps me happy with 5-7 home screens. Great update and I love the support I have seen for the phone so far! If you don't like the update, root your phone. Isn't it nice that we have phones that we can easily do that on? Some of these droid owners are reminding me of the influx of Blackberry Storm users on Crackberry. My goodness was that invasion awful.

People just want to be able to get the full capabilty for the phone they paid for which is what motorola is holding back from allowing!

My God, people are so f*cking quick to jump ship. They lose one or two things in an update, that wasn't even promised from the beginning, and all of a sudden the greatest phone on earth is now the devil in their hands.

JUST IN. 2.1 is not coming this week. Motorola pulled details on the subject. There just saying coming soon now

After reading the article I'm super excited about the update. Having pinch to zoom is going to awesome, music update will be super,3D gallery is going to be wicked cool, being able to use voice on any type screen is sick, and of course battery life is always good. I seriously cant wait for this update to hit my phone. And no matter what I have a keyboard and the nexus one doesn't, in my mind there is still no better phone than my Droid!

Okay folks, Im currently a Palm Pre owner but ive been debating for weeks now if I should switch to the DROID with Verizon....I was wondering if anyone out there had a Pre and switched to DROID...what do u think? should i make the switch....?