“RockoDev” over at XDA extracted the hallowed Motorola-themed ICS launcher set to debut in the upcoming RAZR ICS update. As you can see from the screenshots above, Motorola’s generally heavy hand appears to be showing a new level of restraint. Gone are the gaudy red hues and other quirky UI elements. What users will be left with appears to be a nearly stock looking Android homescreen. (They finally listened!) What we can’t see as of writing (as we don’t have a device capable of installing the files in question) are how heavily themed or not themed the widgets are.

All you’ll need are the two files (home.apk and launcher2.apk) from this XDA thread and a rooted phone to carefully place the new ill-gotten booty. Oh, also, you’ll need to have a phone that is already running an ICS ROM (stock or not).

Give the install a shot — backup first! — and let us know how it looks in the comments.

Source: XDA | Via: Droid-Life

Motorola’s latest VZW specific Android phones were curiously left out of their recently leaked ICS upgrade list. But these newly leaked images may signal that ICS upgrades for VZW branded devices may be closer than originally believed. We’ll be sure to let you know once a RAZR ROM with the above MOTOBLUR skin can be downloaded and installed on your very own device.

Check out the full load of screenshots over at DroidRzr.com – DroidRzr Android 4.0 ICS MOTOBLUR Leak.

The move away from the MOTOBLUR brand image is supposedly due to “consumer feedback”. In non-PR speak that means the general populous hates MOTOBLUR, has hated it since the beginning of time, and want less software interference from hardware manufacturers. (There’s a reason they make hardware you know — because they suck at software.)

With all that said, Motorola has stated that certain pieces of MOTOBLUR features and functionality will remain in use. We here at GS will gladly take added functionality as long as it doesn’t look like garbage. In Motorola’s case with MOTOBLUR, it looked like garbage. Looks like a win-win for Motorola Android users.

Via: Engadget

The only release date mentioned was a vague “this summer” meaning specific pricing and release info is still in the works. Check back soon…

But lucky for us, Motorola has a fix — MOTOBLUR. Not exactly the answer you were looking for? Us either. Jha revealed that MOTOBLUR as we know it has been collecting user statistics as to what apps are opened most/least, which apps require more CPU power (and in turn use more battery) and so on in order to create a massive crowd-sourced database that can aid users when installing 3rd party software. Jha claims that such statistics will allow Motorola to build a better MOTOBLUR interface. No mention was made as to whether or not MOTOBLUR will be put under the same scrutiny. With that said, we on the other hand think a completely skinless Android would go a much longer way.

Left out of Jha’s statements today was any mention of Motorola unlocking bootloaders and freeing their phones. Maybe next time…

Via: ThisIsMyNext

We’ve got a DROID X2 in house and we’re pretty sure you’d like to know about it. Jump inside for the full rundown…

Hardware

Whether you’re looking to upgrade from the DROID X or are new to Android altogether, the Motorola DROID X is a hulking device worth a hard look. For starters, it’s thin. But not only that, it’s a thin phone with the hardware listed above plus 8-megapixel camera and 720p video recording to boot. So no, it’s just a rebadged DROID X with a dual-core processor. It’s a full on beast!

We like the use of soft touch plastic. It makes the phone easier on the eyes and simple to hold without having to worry about drop accidents. The 540 x 960 qHD display is nice and clear, though a tad washed out while the dual-core power within powered us through everything we threw it with ease.

Camera

The 8-megapixel camera on the DROID X2 is one of the nicest Android cameras we’ve seen to date. Coupled with the higher resolution screen, both taking and reviewing pictures is a visual treat. In the same token, the resulting pictures are vibrant and crisp, if not a touch dark.

Video

Video recording was as the “720p” alluded to — stunning. While on-the-fly focusing left a bit to be desired, the overall presentation was certainly worthy of the “HD” moniker.

Display

4.3″ of 540 x 960 glory! It’s certainly more crisp than your standard Android device which rocks 480 x 800 resolution. However, we have noticed that compared to both the lower resolution Android displays as well as Samsung’s AMOLED displays, the qHD on the DROID X2 is rather dull in color — certainly not as bright as the AMOLED on Samsung DROID Charge we also have in house. But to be clear, we didn’t really notice this discrepancy until we held the devices side by side.

Software

Unfortunately, another flagship Android device has left Google’s castle without the latest and greatest 2.3 Gingerbread update (ships with Android 2.2 Froyo). However, said update is expected in the coming weeks and therefore isn’t that bad.

Moving past the main OS, Motorola and Verizon stock the DROID X2 with plenty of in-house software including various VZW-branded apps and services. While we don’t use any of the pre-loaded apps on phones — Ever — we know someone may find their presence useful.

With that said, the combination of speedy dual-core processor and still plenty capable Android OS 2.2 results in a rather lag-free user experience. Slow downs and stutters were virtually eliminated thanks to the powerful hardware and completely non-existant when we swapped out the stock launcher for our personal favorite, Launcher Pro. (On that note, we’re not sure why, to this day, the stock Android launcher is so laggy even on hardware as powerful as the DROID X2.) Apps opened quickly and switching between multiple simultaneously running apps was handled effortlessly.

Call Quality & Battery Life

For a phone with two cores and massive high resolution display, we’re quite impressed by the battery life we’ve seen so far. A days worth of (~10 hours) of moderate to heavy use left us with roughly 15-20% battery remaining at the end of the day. Try as we might, we couldn’t stretch two days out of the DX2.

Meanwhile, call quality is unchanged from recent VZW Android devices. Earpiece volume is loud and clear with speaker phone is itself clear, but also much louder. +1 Moto and Verizon.

Conclusion

Should DROID X owners upgrade? We’d say yes every time just because that’s who we are. But if you stop and roll though the features added to the DX2 you’ll see it’s actually a toss up. The dual-core processor definitely adds more power and speed to general navigation and games alike. Likewise, the 540 x 960 qHD display pumps out clear visuals that we could stare at all day. But in the end, it’s a rather minor upgrade, especially if you’re tired of the original look of the DROID X.

But most importantly, the lack of LTE is a buzz kill. We here at GS feel every smartphone on VZW (unless it’s an entry level tweener phone) should have LTE from here on out. Manufactures and carriers obviously feel differently. Nonetheless, we see the lack of LTE as a con.

As you work through a potential purchase of Motorola’s latest DROID X2, remember that a price of $199 on contract makes a rather compelling story. We just with it had LTE.

Gallery

And just in case you needed a helpful nudge — The Atrix 4G features a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 4-inch qHD display with 960 x 540 resolution, and Android 2.2 (Froyo) w/ Moto BLUR.

Orange UK

If you’re overall happy with your Moto CLIQ but wishing it was tightened up just a bit, a fresh OS update from Motorola is surely something to turn your frown upside down. The biggest updates touched upon include battery, touch, and bluetooth performance with many other areas getting the much needed attention. What are you waiting for?! Get the update now via your device under “System Updates” in the Settings app.

Press release inside…

Software Update for the Motorola CLIQ™ 11.30.09

Introduction

From time-to-time, Motorola releases updates to enhance the overall performance of its phones. The 1.1.31 software update for Motorola CLIQ provides improvements to its battery, touch, and Bluetooth functionality.

For optimal performance, we encourage you to download and install this latest software update.

For more information on Motorola updates and repairs, visit us at Motorola Support.
Who Can Use This Release

All Motorola CLIQ users.
Highlights

After downloading and installing the 1.1.31 software release, you will notice:

Longer Battery Life: Improved battery life while phone is idle or running applications.

New Battery Management Feature: A new “Battery Management” feature lets you customize battery settings, such as turning data off when phone is idle for 30 minutes. And with the 1.1.31 release installed on your phone, you now have the option to select battery consumption modes that optimize data performance while minimizing battery consumption. To enable Battery Manager, go to Settings, Battery Manager, Battery Profile.

Better Bluetooth: Improved pairings, audio and call connections with Bluetooth headsets, including: rewind/fast forward feature with S9 and HT820 headsets. For more information on available Bluetooth devices for your phone, visit us at Mobile Phone Accessories.

Touch Screen Accuracy: Improved touch screen accuracy and protection against inadvertent key presses and unintended phone calls.

TTY Option: Text Telephone option for the hearing/speech-impaired lets you converse with callers via “real time” text messaging instead of relying on the caller’s audio.

Better Business Connections: Improved connections to corporate email accounts.

Improved Caller Connectivity: 1.1.31 repairs issues with lingering connections after hang-up.

Quick Office 2: Quick Office 2 supports additional file types and enhanced capabilities.

Accelerometer Enhancements: Improves overall accelerometer responsiveness and accuracy.
Additional Information

• For a successful installation, we recommend installing these updates while the battery in your phone is fully charged.

• Make sure you have a SIM card installed in your phone.

• If you have difficulty with this update, visit us at T-Mobile Support.

© 2009 Motorola

Phandroid > Motorola

• Quad-band: GSM/GPRS/EDGE — Tri-band: 7.2Mbps HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100MHz)

• 3.1? capacitive 480×320 display

• Qualcomm MSM 7201A CPU

• 256MB RAM

• Wi-Fi/aGPS/Bluetooth 2.0

• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash

• MOTOBLUR

• 1400mAh battery

So whataya think? It’s not a Droid replacement at all as the specs point to another mid-range Android device. But hey, more Android is a good thing. Would you buy it?

BGR

Well sweet Jebus. Android how I love thee. If HTC’s Sense UI has lost the luster of your eye or simply isn’t your cup ‘o tea, perhaps you’d care to try your luck with Motorola’s new Android skin, “MOTOBLUR”, on your trusty G1? I sure would! That is…if I had a G1. Moving on, the dirty deeds are detailed in the vid above in case you’re feeling gutsy.

After the whole Google/Cyanogen drama, I’m sure Google, and more importantly Moto won’t be too thrilled with this harmless port. Hey, if you come to the open source game you better learn that open source individuals share…not restrict the free flow of information and goods. Hack away guys (and gals)!

CrunchGear > Android and Me