Although Motorola outed its Android Ice Cream Sandwich rollout plans back in February, we've only seen leaked glimpses of what its skinned version the OS would be like for its handsets. That's changed recently thanks to Motorola's Japanese website, where a new ICS landing page features nine demo videos showcasing the software on a Droid RAZR. Among the clips, which highlight features from updated icons to a revamped lockscreen, there's also a detailed look at the LapDock-friendly Webtop 3.0 UI. Sadly however, there isn't any new word on the rollout schedule past the update Moto detailed on the 18th. You can treat yourself to some of the eye candy by clicking past the break, and you'll find all the vids by hitting the source link below -- but do keep in mind that most of clips aren't voiced in English.

Continue reading Motorola shows off Ice Cream Sandwich on a Droid RAZR, sprinkles in Webtop 3.0

Motorola shows off Ice Cream Sandwich on a Droid RAZR, sprinkles in Webtop 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

Continue reading FCC Fridays: May 25, 2012

FCC Fridays: May 25, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 22:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Munich's regional court has ruled that Motorola is infringing one of Microsoft's patents relating to displaying multiple SMS messages. It's one of the sub-cases that's separate to the larger FRAND matters that are raging along in the background, but still has enormous ramifications. Redmond's deputy general counsel, David Howard said that he hoped Motorola would (join over 70 percent of all Android OEMs) license Microsoft's patent portfolio. If Google's latest plaything doesn't start writing cheques, then it's likely to have its handsets banned from Germany, at least in the short term.

Continue reading Microsoft beats Motorola in German SMS patent suit, litigation world cup continues

Microsoft beats Motorola in German SMS patent suit, litigation world cup continues originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It turns out that Motorola didn't want to wait until the Google deal closed -- or, for that matter, an American launch -- to undertake a significant revamp of its phone line. A quiet Chinese event last week is now known to have brought us three RAZR-derived, all-touch phones for the three carriers in the Asian country: the XT885 for China Unicom (pictured at left), XT889 for China Telecom (center) and MT887 for China Mobile (right). Other than the network types and pretty bits, you're mostly looking at the same device, where the highlight is an official dip into Android 4.0 waters that drops the physical navigation in favor of more Nexusish on-screen keys. Don't expect a revolution in performance over last fall's roster given that they still have 1.2GHz dual-core processors, eight-megapixel rear cameras and 4.3-inch, 540 x 960 displays. The trio arrives in China on June 2nd; Motorola is likely more worried about popping champagne than giving out US launch details right now, but earlier leaks give us a strong hunch that the MT887 could hit Verizon as the uncannily similar (if still very unofficial) Droid Fighter before too long.

Motorola shows three all-touch Android 4.0 phones in China, we see a possible Verizon model originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Months in the making -- the deal is finally done. Motorola Mobility is officially part of Google. After receiving blessings from Europe, the US and China, the Internet giant has put the finishing touches on its purchase of Moto's mobile division. Though the corporate marriage faced plenty of obstacles, Big G was able to put the manufacturer on its ledger for the price of $40 per share, or about $12.5 billion. As it stands, Motorola Mobility will continue to operate as a separate business entity and as a licensee of Android, but Mountain View is still claiming the purchase will allow it to "supercharge" its mobile ecosystem. The future of the new subsidiary's employees is a different matter, however. Rumors have been swirling for the last week or so that there could be significant layoffs at Moto following the merger, which would further enforce the perception that Google is more interested in the company's patents than in entering the hardware business. Of course, whether or not we'll see layoffs or perhaps a Moto-branded Nexus is still a mystery. For a bit more on Google's victory lap, check out the PR after the break.

Update: Google has also settled on a replacement for Sanjay Jha as CEO of Motorola Mobility, Dennis Woodside. Woodside is a longtime Googler who got his start in sales, building out business in Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia, before becoming President of the Americas sales operation.

Continue reading Google officially closes deal for Motorola Mobility

Google officially closes deal for Motorola Mobility originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motorola is demonstrating how it expects TVs of the future will work with its DreamGallery concept. Powered by the company's Medios cloud-service, the display is designed to let you browse content as if it was the internet -- with bookmarks, personalized recommendations and interactive search tools. Its designed to work across your TV, computer, tablet and smartphone, aggregating Cable, Internet TV and VOD under a single interface that sits behind pull-tabs around the picture. If you're curious to see if this is easier to use than TiVo, head on past the break to catch your first glimpse.

Continue reading Motorola reinvents the TV interface with DreamGallery concept (video)

Motorola reinvents the TV interface with DreamGallery concept (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's one major drawback that jet-setters and globetrotters utilizing one of Verizon's current LTE handsets must deal with: the lack of a GSM radio frequency. It's true, while CDMA and LTE have carved out a place for themselves here in the States, when the rubber literally meets the road (or tarmac), it's a GSM world we're living in. With that in mind, it appears as though Verizon is planning to make several of its current smartphones a bit more cosmopolitan by enabling the "global" capabilities already embedded within. Blog Droid-Life is reporting that new in-store collateral for the DROID 4, RAZR and Rezound contains the tagline, "Coming Soon: Use in an additional 185 countries." The new proficiency should be made available via a software update pushed out by Big Red, although some of you may have already taken matters into your own hands. No word on what the precise definition of "soon" is, but we've reached out to Verizon for comment and will update this post with any relevant information provided.

Update: Verizon officials reached out to us and confirmed that the rumors are indeed true: the HTC Rezound, Motorola Droid RAZR / RAZR Maxx and Droid 4 will all be updated "this summer." The carrier told us:

Customers will see a notification on their device when the software update is available for their device. After the software update, customers will be able to take their smartphone overseas and use voice service in more than 220 countries and receive data in more than 205 countries.

Verizon purportedly giving DROID 4, RAZR and Rezound 'global' designation via software update (update: confirmed) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Despite Motorola's Android 4.0 rollout schedule, not every one of the manufacturer's devices are ready for dessert -- some, the outfit says, will be put on a diet. "Obviously we want the new release to improve our devices," the company said in a recent blog post, "If we determine that can't be done, well, then we're not able to upgrade that particular device." Handsets that are bogged down by Ice Cream Sandwich simply won't get an update. Even so, Motorola affirms that it's working closely with Google to keep its hardware up to date.

Motorola skipping Ice Cream Sandwich for some devices, worries it'll make them fat originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of May 14th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of May 14th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The final significant roadblock to Google's buyout of Motorola has been cleared, as Chinese regulators have just given their rubber stamp. Their approval follows a few months after the simultaneous American and European clearances, and virtually all that's left now is to formally close the deal and start integrating the two mobile giants. It might still come too late for the combined entity to present a united front at Google I/O, but at least they won't have any awkward glances at each other across the room. We're just trying to decide on whether or not Googorola is the best pet name for the loving, $12.5 billion-dollar Android union.

Update: Google has since told the AP that the deal will likely wrap up early next week, so Motorola should be part of the family well in advance of Google I/O. Also, Google has to keep Android freely usable by anyone for at least five years, although no one was expecting that to change anytime soon.

China clears Google acquisition of Motorola, eliminates last barrier to Googorola bliss (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

Continue reading FCC Fridays: May 18, 2012

FCC Fridays: May 18, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 23:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At the end of last year, an Administrative Law Judge issued an initial ruling that Motorola's mobile devices infringe a bit of Microsoft's IP. Now, the Commission has affirmed that decision and issued an exclusion order to ban Moto's offending devices from importation into the US. In case you weren't aware, the four patent claims at issue generally cover technology for scheduling meetings over email using a mobile device. So, unless Motorola removes the feature, pays for a license or whips up a workaround Microsoft's patent in short order, its inbound RAZRs, Droid 4s, Bionics and other offending handsets will be stuck in customs alongside HTC's One X and EVO 4G LTE -- that is, unless Obama steps in to save the day during the prescribed presidential review period. Microsoft, naturally, is quite pleased with this development and has issued a statement:

Microsoft sued Motorola in the ITC only after Motorola chose to refuse Microsoft's efforts to renew a patent license for well over a year. We're pleased the full Commission agreed that Motorola has infringed Microsoft's intellectual property, and we hope that now Motorola will be willing to join the vast majority of Android device makers selling phones in the US by taking a license to our patents.

-- David Howard, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel Microsoft

We've reached out to Motorola for comment on the matter as well, so stay tuned to see what it has to say.

Update: Motorola has issued an understandably somber statement on the ruling:

Microsoft started its ITC investigation asserting 9 patents against Motorola Mobility. Although we are disappointed by the Commission's ruling that certain Motorola Mobility products violated one patent, we look forward to reading the full opinion to understand its reasoning. Motorola Mobility will not experience any impact in the near term, as the Commission's ruling is subject to a $0.33/per unit bond during the 60 day Presidential review period. We will explore all options including appeal.

ITC bans Motorola mobile devices for infringing Microsoft patent (updated: MMI responds) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been a battle of epic proportions over a microscopic piece of plastic, but the warring sides appear to be working together to find a compromise. We're referring to the fight between Apple and a coalition formed by RIM, Motorola and Nokia as each group attempts to make their own nano-SIM design the ETSI standard. Neither entity has seemed willing to extend an olive branch and come up with any compromise -- until recently. RIM and Motorola have updated their design proposal in an effort to reach middle ground with Cupertino, and it appears that they were more than accommodating in the chip's refreshed look (seen above).

So how different can two nano-SIM designs be? Worlds apart, it turns out. For instance, RIM and Motorola have insisted from the beginning that a notch is necessary to allow for "push-push" mechanisms (push to lock the chip in place, push to pop it back out again); Apple, on the other hand, has been entirely anti-notch -- not a surprise, given the fact that the company uses SIM trays on the iPhone, therefore making the concept of a notch completely irrelevant. In its redesign, however, RIM and Motorola took elements from both sides of the fight and combined them. The new look retains Apple's simple rectangular style, but still makes room for a low-key notch on one side. It's difficult to say whether this move will be enough to gain the affection of Tim Cook's company and sway the vote -- Apple is still hard at work modding its own design, after all -- but it's nice to see both factions playing nice with each other prior to the next ETSI meeting on May 31st. Head to the source to see the difference between the original designs and the latest version.

RIM and Motorola modify nano-SIM proposal, hope to meet Apple halfway originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 00:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's mid-May -- do you know where your Ice Cream Sandwich update is? Six months after Android 4.0 made its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, millions of owners of legacy Android devices are still anxiously awaiting the day the new firmware gets downloaded on their own electronic real estate. At least the scene today is much more pleasant than it was just a few months ago, as ICS is finally rolling out to several popular devices. But if you're shopping for a phone or tablet, how can you possibly keep track of which device has what version?

Amidst the confusion, we've put together a handy list of the legacy devices (read: didn't ship with Ice Cream Sandwich natively) that have already been updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, as well as the ones that are promised an upgrade at a future date. Of course, many phones and tablets have ICS ROMs, leaked builds and other unofficial versions of the new firmware available, but we'll only discuss official downloads here. We plan to amend the list as the update rolls out to more devices, so be sure to check back from time to time. Head past the break to see how much of a reach Ice Cream Sandwich has.

Note: If your device is listed as "available" but you're still waiting for that update to come through, keep in mind that many firmware upgrades are rolled out slowly, over a period of several weeks.

Continue reading Which devices have been updated to Ice Cream Sandwich?

Which devices have been updated to Ice Cream Sandwich? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've known for quite some time that Motorola intended to push Ice Cream Sandwich to the Droid 4, but until now the waiting game continued, with no end in sight. It now appears that the smartphone maker is making serious progress on its own Motoblur-infused flavor of ICS, with a stock version of the upgrade making the rounds since last night. According to early adopters, the build seems to enable complete functionality, but upgrading early will leave your device locked to 4.0.4, with no option for future updates. So, for now, it makes sense to hang tight, but it'd be reasonable to assume that Moto-sanctioned ICS is indeed on its way to the Droid 4. Impatient owners will find everything they need at the source link after the break.

Motorola Droid 4 gets leaked ICS build, official Android 4.0.4 may soon follow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HTC may be over the idea of including premium earbuds with its smartphones, but Motorola is stepping up to give it the ol' college try with its Motosmart Mix XT550. The phone will sell in China for ¥1,699 and is targeted at "people who really care about music." Along with the bundled set of headphones, you'll also discover a dedicated button to open the Sina Micro Music application. Beyond these selling points, however, the handset is a bit behind the curve. The XT550 features Android 2.3.6, a Qualcomm MSM7255A SoC with an 800MHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 3-megapixel camera and a 4-inch, HVGA display. On a positive note, the 1,735mAh battery is said to provide up to 30 hours of music playback. All things considered, however, we're inclined to agree: you'd have to "really care about music" to spring for this one. Undeterred? You'll find the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Motosmart Mix XT550 masks its middling specs with a set of nice headphones

Motorola Motosmart Mix XT550 masks its middling specs with a set of nice headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gartner's latest dispatch reveals a wobbly global trade in mobile phones. Although our love of smartphones continued to blossom, with sales of that subcategory up nearly 45 percent, it wasn't enough to stave off a two percent overall decline compared to the same quarter in 2011. A total of 419.1 million handsets were sold, representing the first hiccup after nearly three years of growth and leading analysts to point fingers at a slow down in the Asia / Pacific region as well as a lack of product launches at the start of the year. Meanwhile, these figures also confirm what was already gleaned from IDC's shipments data: Samsung has knocked Nokia off its 14-year-old perch to become the padrone of the mobile phone market, with a cut of over 20 percent. It also replaced Apple as the number one smartphone vendor, claiming ownership of almost half of that segment. Damn, it feels good to be a pebble.

Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 05:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hand firmly grasping hat? Good. The Wall Street Journal is reporting on quite the bombshell today, noting that Google is about to cause its carrier partners in the States all sorts of grief -- indirectly, of course. Just weeks after placing its heralded Galaxy Nexus on sale for $399 unlocked, the report states that said move is only the beginning of a new initiative. Likely to be formally revealed at Google I/O, the mega-corp is planning to partner with a variety of OEMs (rather than just one at a time) in order to have up to five Pure Google (read: Nexus) devices available at once. Better still, the whole stable will ship with Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) and will be sold directly from Google in unlocked form to consumers in America, Europe and Asia.

The move is significant in a myriad ways. For one, more unlocked Nexus devices means more choice when it comes to carrier selection. Furthermore, the move is likely to quell fears that certain partners may have about Google making Motorola Mobility its favorite after a $12 billion acquisition. Not surprisingly, Google's not commenting on the matter, but sources "close" to the situation say that the company's hoping to have the 5.0 cadre on sale by Thanksgiving -- you know, just in time for Black Friday and the looming holiday shopping season. We're all guessing that this will address the growing "app situation" head-on; by making a push to eliminate carrier-infused bloatware (while also providing early Android OS access to more partners), we're hoping that the whole "skinning" dilemma is addressed, too.

Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell 'em direct originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Competition among US cellular carriers is about to get a bit fiercer with a fresh national network that will actively encourage using your phone rather than setting hard limits. Newcomer (and MVNO on Sprint's network) Voyager Mobile is teasing a "frequent talker program" that will give all kinds of perks for the more talkative among us: call your Aunt Ruth a lot and you'll get phone upgrades, free months of service and smaller nice-to-haves like air mileage and gift cards. That's helped by Voyager starting off at $19 a month for unlimited voice, although picking a smartphone in the early catalog will hike that to a still rather thrifty $39 for all-unlimited voice, text and WiMAX data. If you're tempted by the price and don't mind an early phone roster that focuses on mostly Android-based carryovers like the LG Optimus S, Motorola XPRT or Samsung's Conquer 4G and Epic 4G Touch, Voyager will swing the virtual doors open for some states (with more to follow) when its countdown expires on May 15th.

Continue reading New carrier Voyager Mobile starts May 15th, promises rewards for chatting it up

New carrier Voyager Mobile starts May 15th, promises rewards for chatting it up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of May 7th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of May 7th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 20:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

Continue reading FCC Fridays: May 11, 2012

FCC Fridays: May 11, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motorola's applied to patent a new display layer that aims to prevent all those smudges that inevitably accrue on our finger-friendly devices. A modern-day touchscreen problem for prim-and-proper types, the application solves it with several minute, raised layers across the surface of the device, with little reflective caveats to capture oils and other unwanted impurities, optically disguising them from your eyes. The layers wouldn't degrade compared to chemical coatings that could also get scratched off. In typical patent application style, the wording's pretty hazy -- Motorola could either be describing an add-on layer applied to the phone afterward or something already fused to the display. In the application's words:

"A viewable surface of a device, and more particularly a viewable surface of an electronic device, and even more particularly a viewable surface of a transparent cover for a display in an electronic device, includes transparent pedestals projecting from the surface of the viewable surface, the pedestals having reflective sides that conceal, or suppress the appearance of, smudges on the viewable surface."

For some more specifics on Motorola's smudge-disguising solution, you can peruse the official filing down at your local patents and trademark office -- or just hit up the source below.

Motorola files patent application for anti-smear display tech originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 19:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Blue your favorite color? Have a thing for 7.1mm thin slabs? Then today's your lucky day. Verizon just announced an azure flavor of its exquisite Droid RAZR is set to hit its physical and virtual shelves next week -- though, it could show up at brick and mortar shops a wee bit earlier than that. Aside from the most recent paint job, this Droid RAZR isn't changing much, meaning you'll still get that admirable 4.3-inch, qHD display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and Android 2.3 onboard (worry not, ICS should be coming soon). For now, gather up your cash and pay your nearest Big Red store a visit -- who knows, you might just get lucky.

Blue Droid RAZR heading to Verizon on May 17th, Ice Cream Sandwich nowhere to be found originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 12:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Has there been a gaping R2-D2-shaped hole in your gadget life ever since the Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 Edition bowed out? The good crew at Instructables knows your plight and has designed the R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition to give your astromech desires an almost literal jolt of energy. The team's do-it-yourself project modifies a BUNN industrial coffee maker -- no slow-drip home unit here -- with a float valve and a generous mix of aluminum, brass, copper and steel welded on top. If you're particularly ambitious, you can even make R2 bleep his delight when you've got a fresh pot lined up. Constructing a Dark Roast Edition requires a good amount of electrical and metalworking savvy, but it might be worth your time while you wait for C-3PO to reach stores.

Continue reading R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition makes your coffee astromech-style, puts brew into 'homebrew' (video)

R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition makes your coffee astromech-style, puts brew into 'homebrew' (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 May 2012 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we saw the first rollout of Verizon LTE from one of its rural partners, and both the Optimus L7 and Xperia U were spotted for Fido. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 30th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of April 30th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 30th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motorola is pushing out an update for the MOTOACTV that'll improve the dinky machine's calibration with heart rate monitors and improved media selection. Golfers who plumped for the tailored edition of the unit will find links-friendly features like better score tallies and longer-distance club suggestions. The concomitant mobile app also gets a bump to make the unit compatible with Ice Cream Sandwich handsets -- although we'd suggest avoiding too many sugary snacks if you're off for a run.

Motorola MOTOACTV now likes Ice Cream Sandwich, to its nutritionists dismay originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Update: Microsoft's just got in touch to comment on the recent ruling -- it doesn't look like it's over just yet:

"This is one step in a long process, and we are confident that Motorola will eventually be held to its promise to make its standard essential patents available on fair and reasonable terms for the benefit of consumers who enjoy video on the web. Motorola is prohibited from acting on today's decision, and our business in Germany will continue as usual while we appeal this decision and pursue the fundamental issue of Motorola's broken promise. "

German court grants Motorola injunction against Windows 7 and Xbox 360 (updated: Microsoft comments) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 03:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, the first quarter of 2012 is officially over Motorola Mobility, and the financial news is rather sobering for the company. While revenues were up, the climb was modest, to just $3.1 billion. And that small bump in incoming cash was not enough to stave off another quarter of loses. In fact, after losing $80 million in Q4 of 2011, Moto lost $86 million in Q1 of 2012. The company continued to bleed cash in large part because shipments of mobile devices dropped off dramatically. Only 8.9 million devices were shipped in the quarter, down from 10.5 million in the last part of 2011. With 5.1 million of those being smartphones however, the phone division did manage to increase revenues by three percent. The one bright spot was the home segment which, thanks to its home gateways and broadcast goods, managed to make (that's right, not lose) $68 million, up from $53 million a year ago. For more numbers and charts check out the source link.

Continue reading Motorola Mobility loses $86 million in Q1, device shipments way down

Motorola Mobility loses $86 million in Q1, device shipments way down originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The March smartphone market share tally for the US is in from ComScore, and it paints a familiar picture that's rosy for Apple, Google and Samsung, but not so flush-cheeked for everyone else. Android is still tops and jumped almost four points to 51 percent of new American buyers. Apple's still riding high after shipping 35.1 million iPhones, however, and moved up to 30.7 percent. As is often becoming the case, it was Microsoft and RIM that took the biggest hit, with the BlackBerry dropping as much as Android gained and tumbling down to 12.3 percent.

A total of 106 million Americans had a smartphone, nine percent higher than in December, and that was mirrored in the hurt dealt out among total cellphone market share. Outside of Samsung's gangbuster run in smartphones keeping it on top at 26 percent, the only other company to move up as an individual cellphone brand was Apple, which staked out 14 percent of the US cellphone space for itself. HTC, Motorola and LG are all shedding market share, with HTC no doubt hoping that the One X and One S will turn its fortunes around pretty soon.

ComScore: Android tips the 51% mark in US share, iPhone nips its heels with 31% originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While there are already vague Android update plans for Verizon-connected Samsung devices, a leaked screen from somewhere within the Big Red bunker has offered up some more details. It looks like the Rezound, Droid RAZR and RAZR Maxx are closest to the upgrade finish-line with testing likely to finish by May 7th for the HTC model and May 17th for the Motorola duo. According to Droid Life, Verizon's Motorola Xoom (you know, the Android tablet) is getting its update direct from Google, but it hasn't been deigned worthy of a concrete release date. A handful of software updates are also pegged for the likes of the Bionic, Thunderbolt, Revolution, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Xperia Play, but they look likely to be more incremental than outright OS upgrades. For those interested in some new firmware numbers, we've included those update details after the break.

Continue reading Verizon ICS update schedule leaks: Rezound, RAZR and Xoom being tested now

Verizon ICS update schedule leaks: Rezound, RAZR and Xoom being tested now originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We were aware of Motorola's plan to send the husky member of the RAZR lineup on an overseas quest next month, but aside from telling us it was heading to Europe, we hadn't heard any specifics -- at least until now. Earlier today, Moto announced the RAZR Maxx will bring its long-lasting powers to the UK, with expected availability around mid-May and pre-orders commencing today. Currently, this 4.3-inch, Gingerbread handset is up for grabs from Clove and Expansys for £430.80 and £429.99, respectively, while Amazon is also planning to offer the device. If that kind of cash isn't an objection, you can hit up either of the source links below to snag one for yourself.

Continue reading Motorola Droid Maxx hitting the UK in mid-May, available for pre-order now

Motorola Droid Maxx hitting the UK in mid-May, available for pre-order now originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motorola Solutions (MSI) -- the less familiar Motorola that makes radios, barcode scanners and such for government and enterprise sectors -- just posted sales of $2 billion for the first quarter of 2012. This is a seven percent boost over Moto's results from the same period last year, and that growth reflects an 11 percent jump in government sales. It wasn't all rosy for Motorola this quarter, though: Profit was down two-thirds to $157 million, and sales to large businesses slipped two percent. MSI (not that MSI) expects second-quarter sales to grow six percent compared to last year's earnings, so it doesn't look like government clients will be dropping those wearable displays any time soon.

Continue reading Motorola Solutions reports Q1 2012 sales of $2 billion, expects jump in Q2

Motorola Solutions reports Q1 2012 sales of $2 billion, expects jump in Q2 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week, a Motorola engineer's Picasa album all but confirmed the existence of the Motorola Droid RAZR HD. And while we can't say his job has a future, it looks like this handset does. The latest leak includes some newly discovered blurry cam photos from China showing Motorola model MT887 running ICS. This matches the EXIF data posted by that errant engineer, which listed the RAZR HD's build as 4.0.3. According to the latest images, the RAZR HD sports a 4.3-inch display -- with an upgraded resolution of 720p -- though the other specs appear to match the current batch of RAZRs. As Android Community points out, that relatively bulky body could mean there's a 3,300mAH battery inside. That's all well and good -- unless Motorola also has a Droid HD RAZR Maxx set to launch a month after this guy. Then again, who would be so cruel as to pit your hopes for a higher-res RAZR against your dreams of an even longer-lasting smartphone?

Motorola RAZR HD running ICS spotted in the wild, 720p display in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motorola scored a win with the US International Trade Commission this week in its on-going patent battle with Apple. The commission's Judge Thomas Pender ruled that Cupertino is in violation of a Motorola WiFi patent -- one of four patents included in a complaint filed by the RAZR maker back in October 2010. Before the ITC actually goes so far as blocking the import of Apple products, however, the ruling is subject to review by the commission. The decision follows another patent win for Motorola, handed down by the ITC yesterday in a dispute with Microsoft.

Update: Motorola sent along the following, not surprisingly chipper statement on the matter:

We are pleased that the ALJ's initial determination finds Apple to be in violation of Motorola Mobility's intellectual property, and look forward to the full commission's ruling in August. Our commitment to innovation is a primary reason why we are an industry-leader in intellectual property, and our focus continues to be on building on this strong foundation to enhance the user experience.

ITC judge finds Apple in violation of Motorola WiFi patent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Potential bad news to start out the week for Microsofties: a judge from the US International Trade Commission has issued a preliminary ruling that finds Microsoft's Xbox 360 infringes on five four of Motorola's patents (and in Microsoft's favor on one). While the decision is by no means final -- which means that the Redmond outfit could ultimately prevail -- a final ruling would force Microsoft's hand to seek proper licenses for the technologies, most of which relate to H.264 video encoding, or have its gaming console banned from US shelves. For now, the lawyers will go back to the lab to refine their arguments and get ready to present them to a full panel of ITC judges later this year. Who wants to set odds on the outcome?

ITC issues preliminary ruling, finds Microsoft's Xbox 360 infringes on Motorola patents originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft's Gavin Kim was a high-profile capture for Redmond, as it poached the former Samsung and Motorola exec to bolster its Windows Phone marketing team. Now, just five months into the job, he's departing after marshaling the "Smoked by Windows Phone" campaign into the world. The company wouldn't go into specifics beyond saying that it was a personal decision to leave and Microsoft bears him no ill will -- but then that's what they always say. He'll be replaced by Eugene Ho, who now has the job of continuing the burgeoning platform's upward trajectory and winning around those European carriers who've greeted it with little more than apathy.

Windows Phone exec exits five months after being poached from Samsung originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You slave away on your company's Next Big Thing, of course you want to see how it performs. And we're glad that you do decided to dabble, hypothetical engineer, because we can pore over those numbers for a glimpse at what's coming next. According to benchmarks discovered by Blog of Mobile, Motorola might be looking to move on from the Texas Instrument chipsets it's used in the past. In the purported system details included with the benchmark results, the Ice Cream Sandwich-decked phone houses a 1.5GHz MSM8960 chip -- that's Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4. Could these be more details on a possible RAZR HD -- even an Atrix 3? Unfortunately, more concrete information remains scant. The repeated mention of Qinara, however, tallies with Motorola's XT928, China Telecom's version of the Motorola RAZR released last year, codenamed Dinara. (So, would that be Q for Qualcomm?) If, according to the leak, the device does use a 720p display alongside the aforementioned dual-core processor, it would find itself up against HTC's One X, which packs the same Snapdragon S4 hardware in its AT&T guise. Hopefully, Motorola is making some similarly lofty efforts with its hardware design to ensure we've got yet another phone to get excited about.

Leaked benchmarks suggest Motorola is working on a Snapdragon S4 phone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.