Motorola Droid Getting Android Froyo Update Next Week

Until now, only users of Google's tragically short lived Nexus One had access to Android 2.2 (codenamed Froyo), but according to a communiqué from Verizon, the original Droid will be getting the update next week. This is big news for a large segment of the Android user base as the Droid was a very popular phone.

Android 2.2 brings some useful new features to the platform. For instance, Google's new Jun-in-time compiler speeds up applications dramatically, and the browsers new JavaScript V8 engine makes web pages render much faster. We're going to be very interested to see how Motorola handles the mobile Wi-Fi hotspot functionality that Google added to Froyo. Carriers usually like to charge for the service, but there is no mechanism for that in Froyo. Many believe it will be removed altogether.

No word on updates for the Droid Incredible or Droid X as of yet. Though, with their skinned versions of Android updates are likely to take a little longer. Any Droid users out there jumping with joy?

Definitely wanted a Nexus one, but decided to go with a new Iphone. I like you get the updates right away and don’t have to screw around.

How’s the battery life? Heard mixed things

Few things there. First, while I really, really like my Nexus for a lot of reasons, I don't know that I would recommend it to someone in that cost a lot of loot. $529 for the unlocked version that I needed to run on AT&T. And now that Google stopped selling it online (due to the failure of the buy-before-touching model) the only way to get it (currently, may change) is pay $25 or so to register as an Android developer, which makes it even more expensive. For that amount of money (or less if you're willing to enter a contract) you can get another Android phone that has even more features.

OTOH, the Nexus One has a great form factor for its feature set, more pocketable than any other comperable phone that I know of. And as you said it gets the new updates right away (probably only a guarantee for the next version, 3.0) and it has good battery life for its competition. So the buyer needs to consider what his priorities are.

Speaking of your second question, I get about a full sunrise to sunset day of use from my Nexus before it starts getting really empty. That's with moderate data (including wi-fi) and screen use, and light phone use. Pandora radio to and from work can not be discounted as a factor here. I've gotten used to plugging it into my car charger and work computer to keep it topped off, just because, but short answer, you'll get about a day, no more. I understand that the Evo is not as good, probably due to more hardware to run (keyboard) and its bigger screen.

For most Android phones, including the Nexus and Evo, you can buy a higher capacity battery that can be swapped out for the standard one. They run around $40-$45.

How rootable is it?

Very, although it isn't the most un-technical process in the world. Previously the method required that you first unlocked the bootloader, which would void HTC's warranty. Plus once unlocked, the boatloader couldn't be re-locked if you wanted to send it in for service. Notably, there are reports (grain of salt) that HTC still honored the warranties on hardware defects as long as the defect wasn't caused by a root related activity (overclocking the CPU too much, burning out the flash with flashlight app)

More recently there is supposed to be a method out that allows rooting without unlocking the Nexus' bootloader. I haven't looked it over in any detail yet.

Google's raison d'etre is data mining. It's not at all surprising that personal information is regarded as fair game.

Correct. And that's not just limited to Google.

Is it Droid or that ever-looming, never materializing Microsoft phone, that uses voice recognition to identify keywords in order to target ads to the user of the phone?

It's not just Google or Microsoft; Apple does it as well. And all are looking to profit on ad deliveries, inside AND outside of the apps themselves.

As far as never materializing, I spent an hour or so using a Win Phone 7 device on Wednesday, a rather nice, refreshing take on a UI. The phone is coming, they'll be out around September/October of this year.

Does this not strike you as excessive? It certainly strikes me as excessive.

Yes it does. Which is why I still have a WinMo 6.5 phone. No ads, it does exactly what I want, it has a slick UI (courtesy of SPB's Mobile Shell), and is fully programmable/extensible via 3rd party tools or tools I decide to write myself. No restrictions on what is "allowed".

Ads will be with us; Google will probably do their normal thing which is make them as unobtrusive as possible. Present, but not "in your face". And of course, because it's legal to root the phone, you can do so and edit your HOSTS file to completely block AdMob altogether. Meaning ads are at the control of the user, not the provider.

Microsoft has already stated that Win Phone 7 will have ads, but that the user can turn them off (meaning you can shut off all ad content). Much like Android, but it sounds like it's a simple configuration switch easily available for the user.

Apple is pushing rich media (popovers/popunders/audio) ads that are solely at the control of the app developer. User has no ability to control the presence or absence of the ads.

The first two are annoyances, but at least they can be stopped. The third? Well, it's illegal to root your phone so if you even want to try to stop ads, you are already breaking the law. And that's if there IS a way to stop them...

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