Android and Me » droid eris

Verizon confirms DROID Eris will be stuck on Android 2.1, no Froyo update in the works

Nick Gray — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:35:28 +0000

DROID Eris owners holding their breath for a taste of Froyo are sure to be disappointed with Verizon’s recent announcement that the latest Android treat will not be making its way to their devices. Though it’s always sad to see another Android phones be kicked to the curb by carriers, it’s not completely unexpected since Verizon stopped selling the HTC made DROID Eris back in June. We’re pretty sure that most enthusiasts who own the Eris will most likely get their Android 2.2 update through XDA-Developers or other online modding communities.

HTC defends the DROID Eris from Apple’s reception attacks

Nick Gray — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:36:33 +0000

By now, I’m sure most of you have probably heard or read about Apple’s press conference on Friday, where they discussed the iPhone 4’s reception issues and offered the “bumper” solution to fix it. Since none of us are huge iPhone fans around these parts, I’d like keep this a little more focused on Android, particularly the DROID Eris.

During his presentation, Steve Jobs pointed out that all smartphones have issues with reception when held in certain ways. To make sure we got the point, Apple put together a few videos of some competing smartphones, among which was the HTC made DROID Eris. The video of the Eris clearly showed that the phone lost reception when held in the left hand with the palm covering the bottom corner of the phone.

While the video does show the reception bars fading in and out based on the users grip of the phone, HTC has spoken up in the hope to clear a the air a little and maybe even restore a little confidence to their customers. Since Apple shared hard numbers about their customers who complained about reception issues on the new iPhone 4, HTC decided to do the same. According to Apple, nearly 0.55% of iPhone 4 customers have been in contact with them regarding reception or antenna issues on the new phone. That number may not be super high, but it is over 34 times higher than the 0.016% of DROID Eris customers who complained about the same issue.

We don’t like playing the blame game, but we would like companies to take responsibility for their mistakes and not try dragging others into their mess.

Motorola WX445 spotted with Verizon branding

Nick Gray — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:29:05 +0000

With only a few days to go before the launch of the DROID X on Verizon, you would think that Motorola and Verizon would be focusing all their attention on a flawless launch. But as usual, the two companies are already looking down the road, working on the next big thing.

OK, “big thing” may be a huge over statement here since the leaked Motorola WX445 will most likely be Motorola’s smallest Android handset to date. The Motorola WX445 will most likely feature a capacitive screen measuring in between 2.5 and 3 inches, a 1170 mAh battery, 3.5mm headphone jack, MotoBLUR, and Android 2.1.

Those who have had the opportunity to play around with the phone describe it as having the look and feel of the Palm Pre, minus the keyboard and build quality. There’s no doubt that Verizon is looking to fill the lower end gap in their Android lineup that was left when they discontinued the HTC made DROID Eris. We are hoping that the Motorola WX445 could finally be the first Android phone to be offered for free on a U.S. carrier, just don’t come knocking on our door when Verizon decides to price it at $99 after a $100 Mail-in rebate.

Verizon drops HTC DROID Eris from online store

Nick Gray — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:20:14 +0000

While the life cycle of most feature phones is probably a little over a year, we’re typically used to seeing smartphones stick around in a carrier’s lineup a little longer than that. Unfortunately for the DROID Eris, it looks like Verizon is looking to clean out their Android selection before the launch of the DROID X and DROID 2 next month.

Late yesterday, Verizon removed the HTC made DROID Eris from their online store. Retail locations across the country still have the DROID Eris in stock, but there’s no indication that they will receive more units once their inventories are depleted.

It’s not unusual for a carrier stop selling a phone when something better is coming along in the same category, but it’s a little odd that the DROID Eris is the first Android handset in the U.S. to hit retirement considering that it’s only been on the market for about eight months. The T-Mobile G1 was the very first Android phone to hit the market and it just celebrated its 20^th month of availability.

So which phone is next? If the DROID Eris with its recent Android 2.1 update has met the chopping block already, we’re bound to see other carriers start hacking away at their Android lineup to make room for the Galaxy S and other new Android phones that are expected to arrive over the summer months.

The Eris’s big brother, the Droid Incredible, also remains in short supply but our online store received another shipment and we have them on sale right now.

How to manually install Android 2.1 for Droid Eris

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:17:50 +0000

Verizon started rolling out the Android 2.1 upgrade to Droid Eris owners earlier this week, but many have still not received it. This is because over the air (OTA) updates normally roll out in stages and it can take 1-2 weeks before everyone sees them.

If you are tired of waiting on the OTA upgrade and have a half-hour to burn, you can manually install Android 2.1 on your Droid Eris right now. Virtually every Android phone has a manual method of flashing new firmwares and all you need is the latest upgrade file.

There is no need to worry because this is the official upgrade file that is being sent out over the air (Just check the download path. It’s from Google’s servers). You can wait a week to get it from Verizon or you can download it from Google now and install it today. This update is only intended for Verizon Droid Eris owners still on Android 1.5. This update is not to be used by those who previously installed one of the unofficial leaks.

We originally reported the Droid Eris 2.1 upgrade would require a wipe, but users who have flashed the upgrade said it did not. Checking Verizon’s support page it looks like they have removed the warning about erasing user data.

Update: HTC has informed us that users updating this way will factory reset the phone. All your contacts are backed up with Google, while your music and pictures should be stored on your SD card. Users will need to reinstall applications that were download from the Android Market. All paid apps are synced with your Google account, so no worries about losing your purchases.

For the list of changes and benefits check out Verizon’s release notes on their official support page.

To manually install Android 2.1 on the Verizon Droid Eris, perform the following steps:

Download the official Android 2.1 firmware for the Eris from: Android 2.1 (2.36.605.1)
Copy the file to your microSD card and name it update.zip (newb warning: not update.zip.zip)
Power off your phone. Hold down the VOLUME DOWN button and power it back on.
The phone will now search for files like PB00IMG.zip, etc. This is normal. Scroll down to recovery and press the POWER button.
When you see the “/!\” symbol, press the POWER button and the HOME button at the same time. You should be presented with a menu and one of the options should be “Apply sdcard:update.zip”.
Use the trackball to navigate to “apply sdcard:update.zip” and select it.
When you see “Install from sdcard complete”, select “reboot system now”.

Users who have flashed the upgrade reported it takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.

Droid Eris owners are on the clock for Android 2.1

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:31:08 +0000

Verizon hinted that a major Droid Eris update was coming when they updated the release notes on their official support page. Now it looks like Eris owners might be the first in the U.S. to see their first-generation Android handset get an upgrade to firmware version 2.1.

An over the air upgrade is scheduled to begin May 11th, according to a leaked slide posted over at MobileCrunch. The document has today’s date, so chances are this information is still good. We already learned the Android 2.1 upgrade will require a wipe, so users should be sure to backup their important information to their SD card.

If you happen to receive the upgrade tonight, please chime in and let us know how the overall process went.

"Customers should back up all data."

Verizon confirms Android 2.1 upgrade requires a wipe

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 07 May 2010 22:38:08 +0000

The race is on. Which first-generation Android phone will receive an upgrade to Android 2.1 first?

Many thought Sprint would lead off (with all the noise they made), but they have yet to produce. T-Mobile remains fairly quiet, but they could jump ahead to Android 2.2 since Google is in charge of the software for some of their phones.

Today we learn that Verizon has posted the details for the upcoming Android 2.1 upgrade of the Droid Eris. Customers will receive the update over the air (OTA), which is good so customers don’t have to take their phone in to Verizon. Other carriers like Sprint will be release their upgrades over the wire.

Like we predicted, it appears the Android 2.1 upgrade will wipe the internal memory of the phone. Verizon warns customers that they will need to reinstall applications download from the Market (yes, all your paid apps are saved to your account), their contacts will be erased (don’t worry, they are all synced in the clouds), and some phone settings will return to defaults.

The update is mandatory, so customers should start looking at apps to backup their apps (or just redownload them from the Market).

No information was proved on when the OTA update would be available, so it could drop at any time. When Verizon released the information for the Droid 2.1 upgrade, it still took several weeks before they finally pushed it out (but they did have delays).

How do you feel about a software upgrade wiping your phone? I don’t think it is that big a deal and it will benefit most customers by greatly speeding up their phone. However, I can also understand how many unknowing customers might accidentally delete some piece of data.

"You will need to reinstall applications."

Details of Droid Eris 2.1 upgrade are listed below.

Enhancements:

Pinch-to-zoom is now available when using the Gallery and Google Maps.
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.
New Leap thumbnail view lets you pinch to jump between the seven panels on your home screen.
Additional calendar views and easier access to contacts make navigating even quicker.
Google Maps with Navigation provides free, traffic-enhanced, turn-by-turn navigation.
With the Enhanced Android Market, you’ll enjoy a better browsing experience as well as even more applications, including Verizon Wireless content featuring self-service applications.
Ability to log onto and access multiple Google accounts at once.
Support for 19 Microsoft Exchange Server policies makes your phone more secure and business friendly.
Desk Clock intelligently dims your screen and displays the current time while charging.
Location-based cinematic full screen weather keeps you on top of changing conditions.

Improvements:

Free Yahoo! Mail is now supported—simply sign in with your Yahoo! email address and password.
Longer battery life due to power savings.
Improved YouTube video playback.
Better Bluetooth support, including contact transfer.
Automatic settings for POP3 verizon.net email accounts.
Added support for stand-alone Wi-Fi when device is in airplane mode.
Improved handset audio when disconnecting a wired headset.
Faster power-up time.
Improved swipe-unlock functionality.
Added support for Microsoft Office 2007 documents

Android 2.1 leaks out for Verizon Droid Eris

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:58:46 +0000

Someone claiming to work for HTC in China has leaked the Android 2.1 firmware for the Verizon Droid Eris on the XDA-developers forum. There were some issues with the initial dump that was posted, but the devs were able to repair it and successfully flash it to their phone.

The ROM appears to be fully functional and includes the new version of Sense UI. Like we predicted, some Android 2.1 features were not included (no live wallpapers).

Instructions for flashing the ROM are available on XDA, but only expert users should attempt it at this point. Several other devs are also working to port some of the code over to the CDMA HTC Hero.

Even though we now have proof an Android 2.1 firmware is available, it could still be several months before Verizon actually rolls this out. All we know at this point is to look for it in Q2 2010. Part of me thinks Google is working with the carriers to have a coordinated release of Android 2.1 across multiple handsets at the same time.

Now the waiting game begins.

Android 2.1 running on the Droid Eris.

Verizon confirms HTC Droid Eris to get Android 2.x update

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:34:25 +0000

We have been bugging Verizon Wireless and HTC to see if the Droid Eris would be getting Android 2.0 and they have been reluctant to confirm any details, until today. InformationWeek has just received a new statement from Verizon that finally confirms what we have been waiting for.

“The Droid Eris currently using Android 1.5, can and will be upgraded to newer a Android operating system software in first quarter 2010. The enhancement will allow customers to continue to enjoy the powerful HTC Sense experience while also gaining the additional benefits of Google Maps Navigation.”

Verizon did not specify whether the update would be Android 2.0 or 2.1, but based on the recent leak of the HTC Sense UI (already running 2.1) we think it will be the latter. The significant system update is expected sometime during the first quarter of 2010.

For anyone who missed it, last time we asked HTC about the Android 2.0 release date for the Droid Eris, we got the following response.

“I understand that it is important you receive all the information about a device before purchasing it. Currently, our developers have to work with the carriers to determine when and if a ROM upgrade will be available for any of their branded models. Unfortunately, I do not have any information on if the DROID ERIS by HTC will receive the Éclair update, as it is dependant upon Verizon requesting it. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.”

I guess we can speculate that Verizon went ahead and requested the update after listening to feedback from customers. It is nice to see a carrier finally comment on this issue and we hope Sprint and T-Mobile will do the same. Both carriers said they would update me on their plans when things change, but I have yet to hear anything new from them.

It should also be noted that if the HTC Droid Eris and Hero phones are receiving Android 2.x, it should be possible for other first generation devices from HTC to also receive the update. Most of the phones share similar hardware and the device drivers should be able to be back ported. I still have my doubts the T-Mobile G1 will officially receive the 2.x update because of its fatally limited internal storage, but I’m sure someone will be able to make it work.

Verizon Droid Eris offers nothing new but it’s cheap (after rebate)

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:24:18 +0000

Verizon customers face a tough choice tomorrow. They can get the latest and greatest that Android has to offer (Moto Droid) or they opt for the HTC Eris. Verizon will be selling the Eris for $199 in store with a $100 mail in rebate. That is cheaper than the Droid ($299 with $100 rebate), but you can pick up the Droid from Best Buy ($199) or Walmart ($188) and skip the rebate inconvenience.

Those of you who are willing to wait for the rebate can have the Droid Eris for $99. But if you are going to pay $199 in store, why not just grab the first (and only) Android 2.0 phone from Best Buy?

The full specs of the Eris have been posted on HTC’s site and we can see they match what had been rumored. Eris features another Qualcomm 528 MHz processor and is based of Android 1.5.

Operating System: Google Android (Cupcake)
Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7600™, 528MHz
Internal Memory: 512MB ROM / 288MB RAM
Display: 3.2-inch 320 x 480 HVGA Resolution Capacitive Touch Screen
Technology CDMA: Dual-band 800/1900MHz, CDMA2000 1xRTT/1xEVDO rev. A
Email: Support for Office Outlook Mobile® and Microsoft Exchange® with Direct Push
Dimensions: 4.45” (L) x 2.19” (W) x .51” (T)
Weight: 4.23 ounces
Battery: 1300 mAh Li-on
Talk time: 300 min
Standby: 420 hrs
Speakerphone
Mono (15*11*3.5 mm)
Built-in Camera
5.0 MP w/ Auto Focus
Audio: MIDI, M4A, QCP, AMR, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WAV, WMA, MP3, EVRC-B
Video: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV
I/O Interface: Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for stereo wireless headsets, WiFi®: IEEE 802.11b/g
Expansion: microSD™ memory card slot
Device Navigation: Ultra slim bar type phone with capacitive touch display, end/power button, send, home, menu, back/clear button, search, volume keys, TrackBall
Internal antenna
In-Box Content: Phone, 8GB SD Card, Standard Battery (1300mAh), A/C Charger, USB Cable, Quick Start Guide (link to UM), Safety Brochure, Warranty Card

Head on over to Engadget for some unboxing photos.