Earlier this month, Spring notified all its customers that it is still working on bringing the Android 2.1 upgrade to its Android devices, which are the HTC Hero and the Samsung Moment. Although it isn’t as if they have overshot their projected time frame already, the notification hinted at delays in the roll out. It talks of issues that apparently were expected to be resolved sooner than this but still persist.

So it says that upgrade is not coming anytime before the end of this Spring. However, lets not be that hopeful because the end of Spring is dangerously close the start of Summer and they might just say that they are ultimately looking at a Summer release for the upgrade. The actual reasons behind these delays where however, not conveyed in the notice. May be it is something they do not want to talk about? Like the Evo 4G? Who knows. [read]

Verizon in the mean time has confirmed that they will in fact be upgrading the Droid Eris to Android 2.1. They use the term Android 2.1 but the slew of features that they mention like pinch-to-zoom, voice-to-text, new 3D galler app, seven panels with a Leap view feature to see them altogether, etc. does seem like Android 2.1.

There was a recent rumor that Verizon might not upgrade the Droid Eris at all, passing it up to force the buyers to buy into the newer phones. Verizoo promises the 7 home screens and the whole feature set to users of Droid Eris but some of the features will definitely be cut out because the Eris is not exactly Nexus One or HTC Desire material to begin with.

Verizon spoke of no specific dates or time windows for this release and said that it hopefully be “soon”. Now whenever these companies say ‘soon‘ I usually give up all hopes of seeing it in the current quarter to nip the frustration of delays at the bud. And Verizon doesn’t have the best of track records for maintaining timeframes either.

The OS update for Verizon Customers is coming in the software revision ROM: 2.36.605.1/Radio: 2.42.00.04.12. So it looks like Verizon is not going to drop Eris from its roster after all. [read]

Delays and confusions like these are some of the major problems that plague the Android business model. Google gives everyone a free hand at what they want to do with Android, barring very little. Hence, when it comes to Google pushing out updates, not everyone in the Android user base gets to taste them at the same time. And Android is so very highlighted right now thanks to the media and the internet, there’s no way that users can remain ignorant about what is being churned out of Mountain View.

This frustration and uncertainty is quite detrimental to the user experience, just as the openness and the customizability are plus points. Still, Google should find ways to solve these problems or else they will find themselves pushing out Android 2.2 at a time when some users have barely started using 2.1. Not a pretty picture.

This has already happened once before but back then the build was hardly final and it wasn’t available for a full download. This time, a near complete build of the Android 2.1 OS for the Droid Eris seems to be up for grabs courtesy of the fine folks at XDA developers. I say near complete because if it were complete, we would get it officially. However, My guess is that they will push it within this month.

This build has been reported to be working pretty well. The new Sense UI is apparently pretty good and different from the existing versions. We have of course seen some of it already on the HTC Legend and all. But this build will of course be slightly different from that experience.

And while everyone was busy digesting the risks of installing an unofficial release like this, folks just went ahead and ported the whole thing to the Sprint Hero. Is that cool or what? I don’t how pleased Google or HTC or the others are with this but they already know that this is how things happen. They knew well before they opened this Pandora’s box.

Android as of now is still lagging behind in total innovation and design when compared to the iPhone OS. I would also add WinPho7 to that list but we haven’t seen all that much of it yet. However, despite all that Android is an extremely capable OS that is multiplying and eating up market share pretty fast. If they can maintain this growth (and it looks they will), they will soon overtake Symbian as the world’s leading OS.

You know what Google’s hears when they hear all this? Ka Ching!

[read]

It seems that Verizon wireless will not keep any stone unturned to outshine Apple’s formidable iPhone and emerge the winner in the high end smart phone battle. After unleashing an unprecedented iPhone bashing campaign with its whacky ‘Droid Does’ ad, Verizon is readying another device to augment android invasion in the cell phone market. While the Motorola Droid is being touted as the potential iPhone killer, Verizon is keen to offer the buyers with a tight budget another choice. That explains why it is going to launch the HTC Droid Eris almost simultaneously with the Motorola Droid.

The upcoming Droid Eris is, in fact, a revamped version of the popular HTC Hero. While Motorola Droid is grabbing the media attention presently, the Droid Eris has also started making the waves in the market. To popularize the Android OS, Verizon is using the name Droid in its upcoming handsets; it is all about building a brand image. The Droid Eris may not be loaded to the hilt with features like the Motorola Droid but it offers the buyers a good bang for their bucks. The phone will be sold at a price of $99 initially and the buyers will also get a 2 year contract.

The Droid Eris has decent specifications. Beneath its hood sits a Qualcomm CPU running at 528 MHz. The 320 x 240 touch-screen display is a joy to use. To cater to the need of the audiophiles, it has a 3.5 mm earphone jack. Most likely it will be shipped with a 8GB Memory storage. In the early stage the Droid Eris will be offered with Android OS version 1.5 but later the upgrade to version 2 will become inevitable.

Mobile phones are sleek, they are in and they are coming at you in huge numbers every other day. To cut through all the confusion, I take you on this journey through the latest phones every Thursday.

This week, we have the big Droid being launched, previewed and generally liked and talked about. Plus, Google has this killer navigation app that completely owns every other such app and device.

Get to the other side to know more.

Big This Week: The Droid Is Out Baby (On Pre-Order Now), Android 2.0/Éclair FTW!

We have been talking about and posting Droid leaks for quite some time now and finally Motorola and Verizon decide that it is about time they go to making the thing official.

So Droid is now official. Yay! What are the first impressions like? Well, everyone is pretty impressed with the phone. The touchscreen response it great, the keypad is great to type on and the build quality I reported to be quite good. [read]

Another good thing about the Droid is the pristine Android 2.0 OS that is being loved by everyone. The Droid comes with an unadulterated, stock build of the 2.0 OS and hence there is nothing to spoil the Android experience. Verizon apps will be available through a special channel on the Marketplace but that will come later. [read]

The Android is on preorder now at Best-Buy and the current lot will arrive on the Nov 6. [read]

HTC: No Android HD2, Touch Diamond2 Gets WinMo 6.5, Droid Eris Coming

HTC is a company who phones are becoming really likeable with every new launch. They are the ones who really put Windows Mobile on the touchscreen map. Their phones have been getting better and better lately, which is more than what can be said for certain other companies.

But their CEO has just saddened our Android-loving hearts. He said that while technically they could make an Android version of the HD2, they are going to continue with Windows Mobile for now.

Well, he never says HTC will not make a Snapdragon powered Android phone. So basically, it won’t be called HD2. I will be called HTC Dragon [read]

In other news, HTC’s rumored cheap Android Phone – Droid Eris AKA HTC Desire is said to be coming on Verizon. The carrier plans to have a lot of Android phones and this would be joining up right next to the newly unveiled Motorola Droid. [read]

If you own a Touch Diamond2, we have good news for you. The originally Windows Mobile 6.1 device has now been promoted to Windows Mobile 6.5. Whether that makes it part of the Windows Mobile device ranks, we are not too sure about.

The ROM upgrade is now live on HTC’s website and is said to take about 30 minutes to happen. [read]

Google: Killer Navigation App Kills PND’s (Eventually), gPhone Rumored Again And More

Watch out TomTom and Garmin, here comes Google. The Google juggernaut has done it again. They have released an app that completely renders obsolete all other navigation apps and devices.

Combining multiple Google services with real-time crowd-sourced data, this is one navigation app that will completely rule on Android phones. And it will kill Personal Navigation Devices (PND’s) because of several reasons.

The Google Navigation app has something behind it that no one else can offer – Google’s search engine. When you combine those data mining capabilities with route planning, you get possibilities that are quite limitless. Plus, the comprehensive nature of Google Maps and the powerful database behind that is unmatched by anything else on the planet.

But the ultimate thing that ensures the death of all stand-alone devices is something even better. While standalone devices and even iPhone Apps cost a pretty penny, Google offers this feature for free. Beat that! [read]

And after so many Android phones, we come to Google’s own little gPhone project. More speculation ensues as a Northeast Securities Analyst leaks word about Google working with a smartphone manufacturer to make a Google branded phone. This phone will be sold directly to customers and not through carriers. [read]

In its response to FCC’s enquiry, Google has stated that it only blocks certain high-cost numbers. They have also mentioned that the Google Voice service only blocks about 100 numbers now. [read]

LG GW620 Eve Android Phone Get Its Own Mini-Site, Full Of Information, Videos

LG’s GW620, the company’s first ever Android phone, has its own minisite now where you can find full specs and manuals for the device. You can also watch videos and generally ogle. [visit]

MID Phone Coming (Needs A New Device Category Name)

In Technology Groups is bringing out an MID with phone capabilities, further blurring the already hard-to-see line between phones and MIDs. This MID-phone will have a swappable wireless communications module that can be upgraded individually as newer technology comes in. A demo of the new Windows XP based xPhone UI is now available on the group’s website. There’s no date on this project, so don’t get too excited. [read]

iPhone Chomping Down To Overtake Blackberry’s Market Share

According to market data posted by analysts, iPhone is closing in on Blackberry’s market share after leaving Palm far behind. The Pre wasn’t that big a hit after all. And Blackberry has been hemorrhaging users to the iPhone for a long time now. Their latest phones (Storm, Storm2, etc.) have completely failed to make an impression and the market is currently divided between Android phones and the iPhone.

Blackberry Storm 2 Arrives, Underwhelming, Expected

Just so that you know, the Blackbery Storm 2 is here and few are silly enough to buy it. It’s UI and features are not nearly attractive enough to justify choosing it over Android phones or the iPhone. Although, if you really feel like causing yourself or someone else some amount of pain – go for it by all means. You have been warned.

Analysts predict the iPhone will come to Verizon in 2010

Verizon’s CEO almost openly decalred that they are getting the iPhone. And now we have the iPhone hating Droid ads and a slew of Androids heading for Verizon. What gives? Has Verizon fallen out that badly with Apple? Whatever the case may be, some analysts are still putting their neck out to declare that VZW will get the iPhone in 2010. And may be they will because all this may be an elaborate façade to get us to look the other way. [read]

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That’s it for this week. If you want to add to this list or have a new phone you simply can’t get enough of, do drop us a comment below.