It looks like Verizon and Motorola have decided it’s time to give users what they really want: the ability to use Android OS 2.1. According to reports around the tech Internets, the update is now being pushed out to users of the Moto DROID smartphone. However, don’t get worried if you haven’t gotten the update yet as it will be a “gradual” rollout” which should hit most of you DROID loving folks by week’s end.
Here’s what the update does for you:
Enhancements
• Pinch-to-zoom now available when using the browser, Gallery, and Google Maps.
• New Weather and News application plus widget.
• The Weather and News app pulls the information you want from the Web and brings it to your fingertips.
• New support for voice-to-text entry.
• Whenever a text-entry box appears, simply tap the microphone icon on the virtual keyboard and speak.
• New Gallery application with 3D layout. View and share photos taken with your phone and images from your online Picasa Web albums.
• Live Wallpapers offer richer animated, interactive backgrounds on the home screen. Access them with a long press anywhere on the home screen.
Improvements
• Free Yahoo! Mail is now supported—simply sign in with your Yahoo! email address and password.
• Google Maps update.
• Personalized suggestions and synchronized starring with desktop maps.google.com.
• Starred items are stored and synced automatically between Google Maps on your device and maps.google.com on your computer, making it easy to search for places you’ve searched for before.
• New night mode in Google Maps Navigation automatically changes the screen at night for easier viewing.
• Improved pattern-lock functionality.
• Improved handset audio when disconnecting a wired headset.
Sounds pretty good. If you do update, let us know how it goes (good or bad) in the comments.
Max Headroom
April 2, 2010 at 2:26 amI manually updated first, and I didn’t get pinch zoom in the browser, but it worked fine in the gallery. I didn’t test the live wallpapers, though. Got the update notification immediately afterward and went ahead and installed that. Pinch zoom works fine now, even while typing out this entry. 🙂
Michael
April 1, 2010 at 6:41 amNice upgrades. Techcrunch has a “Do it yourself” upgrade if you don’t want to wait for Verizon. The weather application should add multiple locations like the weather channel application does. The news reader should include RSS|Atom syndication reader but it doesn’t. Voice to text works like a champ. The gallery application is spooky cool.
jp
March 31, 2010 at 11:26 pmhow did you up date the Manuel way.. the easy way i am still in 2.0 world and its lonely my phone moto droid.
JMike
March 31, 2010 at 6:59 pmI just did it the manual way. I have all of the published features. Live Wallpaper works fine.
ADG
March 31, 2010 at 6:11 pmI got live wallpapers with it, solid upload
Getaphixx
March 31, 2010 at 4:23 pm~OR~
You can manually force the update yourself DIRECT from Google’s Servers..
Here’s how..
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-general-discussions/33766-how-force-motorola-droid-2-1-ota-update-ese81.html
billy from the west
March 31, 2010 at 5:38 pmIs it legal to force update or is it encouraged. By the way someone said if you force update you don’t get certain things like the live wallpapers is that true or was this guy lying.