Real or render? That’s the question on everyone’s mind this morning when referencing the picture above. The photo and spec list was apparently posted to Concept Phones at some point and then possibly spread across the globe quicker than Kate Upton on the Cover of SI’s swimsuit issue. The post from that site clearly calls this a render, but since it looks like an actual photo, people are running with it today as being legit. Can’t say that I’m ready to buy into it being real, but let’s still walk about what we are seeing.

Called the “Atrix 3,” this device (in theory) would have an HD screen, 10MP shooter, 3300mAh battery, quad-core Tegra 3 processor and 2GB of RAM. As long as the bootloader is unlockable, this would be a dream phone, right? Except for a couple of things. Moto is using 13MP cameras in its high end devices now (that would be their HD phones in China), plus we are still not sure if they would be willing to jump back in with NVIDIA. As you all know, their experience with Tegra 2 last year had all sorts of drama. But, with NVIDIA producing the only working quad-core chip at this point, you have to at least consider that they could partner up one more time.

So you guys decide if this thing is legit or just a dream. We first reported back in April of last year that Moto had two Tegra 3 concepts going, maybe this is one of them?

Via:  HDBlog, Tianjin Daily

Is This Motorola’s First Tegra 3 Quad-Core Phone with 2GB of RAM or Just a Render? is a post from: Droid Life

10 years ago this month, Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto III to the world. An open world game where you were a lowly thug on the streets of Liberty City and things happened, bad things. No one knew that this game would change how almost every other game after it would play. So to celebrate this benchmark in video games, Rockstar is planning on releasing a mobile version of GTA 3 “later this fall” to a “select new generation of Android devices.” Those devices include the Motorola Droid X2, Atrix, Samsung Galaxy S II and even support for the Motorola XOOM, ASUS Transformer and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Rockstar says to “stay tuned for more devices to be announced” on top of that list. Noticeably missing though is the Xperia Play, a ‘Playstation phone’ made specifically for games. Seeing as how GTA 3 made a name for itself on the Playstation 2 this is an odd omission.

It will be interesting to see how well the mobile devices will run this game, but it is 10 years old after all and it did not have the same graphics or size that games these days have. As long as this is reasonably priced I will definitely be looking into this as a game for my XOOM.

Via: Rockstar

Grand Theft Auto III Coming To An Android Near You, Get Your Bulletproof Vests Ready is a post from: Droid Life

One of the most interesting yet useless accessories to the Droid Bionic is the lapdock. When I first saw it at CES I thought it had some potential even though I was astounded that it came with Firefox instead of Chrome. As the reviews came out and I finally spent some time with it, it became obvious that it was hardly useful between the half-baked OS and the horrible mouse and keyboard. That said, I do think that Motorola had a great idea with a bad implementation.

As phones become more powerful and limitations are breached, we’ll still have the issue of trying to do something on a small screen that works better on a larger screen. Motorola’s lapdock and desktop adapter are both trying to give users other form factors to interact with their content on their phones. The problem is, I don’t think Motorola really understands what problem they’re trying to solve (if any). 

I’ve never had the desire to use my phone on a larger screen, except for something like a game. I think that is why many people avoided the original Galaxy Tab and waited for Honeycomb – they want a different experience on different form factors. Google’s UI makes sense on a phone, but it doesn’t translate in a mouse and keyboard implementation. Motorola’s attempt to remedy that issue with an application dock and Firefox (seriously, how did Andy Rubin not demand they make the browser Chrome?) gave the illusion of a desktop experience without really delivering.

I think the problem that a laptop or desktop implementation needs to address is twofold: notifications and applications. When I’m working on my computer I usually have my Gmail and TweetDeck running in Chrome to notify me about new emails and replies on Twitter. The problem is, I usually have my phone right next to me as well for phone calls and text messages. For phone things that’s fine, but I end up having a notification on my phone and on my desktop for new tweets or emails. The Gmail notification will disappear on my phone once I check my email on my desktop, which is fantastic, but the Twitter notification will stay there until I dismiss it regardless of what application or website I use to read my tweets. This notification problem is only multiplied when you add a tablet to the mix. Instead of finding my multiple devices giving me increased productivity, I find that I’m dismissing notifications left and right instead of getting things done.

The other problem that needs to be solved is the problem with applications on lapdock and deskdock form factors. The ASUS Transformer represents one possible solution: use a mouse and keyboard on Honeycomb. This solution may fit some users’ needs, but I don’t think it’s the best solution. A second solution would be for Google to develop their own desktop OS like Windows, OS X, or Linux for lapdocks to boot into. At this stage in the game, however, I don’t think Google sees any value in creating their own desktop OS. Because everything is slowly becoming more mobile, I think Google will continue to push Android and the third option: Chrome OS.

I’ll be among the first to say that there are some serious limitations to Chrome, but I’ve also found that the majority of the time I don’t have anything open on my MacBook, netbook, or desktop save Chrome. When I need to sit down and write a paper for class I still open up Microsoft Word, but if Google Docs offered more functionality then I would have no reason to use Word. I know for a lot of people they need larger apps like QuickBooks, Photoshop, and Final Cut Pro to really be productive, but I don’t see any reason why Chrome couldn’t fit the needs to most users. As our computing experiences continue to move to the web and storage issues continue to be solved by the cloud with various services I think many people will be able to move to a Chrome only experience.

I know I would feel more inclined to try a lapdock form factor if it booted into Chrome and my phone’s notifications were tied into the system. It is not a one size fits all solution, but that kind of thing won’t exist until Windows Phone 7 devices are powerful enough to boot Windows on a connected device. Even then, by the time cell phones are powerful enough to handle running a full separate OS like Windows I imagine more and more companies will be making versions of their applications that are web-only. I think there will come a time where Internet speeds will stop barring innovation and where people will be able to have full desktop applications like QuickBooks or Photoshop run in their browser.

Many of these things are still far off, but a good first step to resolving these problems with notifications and making lapdock and deskdock form factors useful would be to use Chrome OS. I think there will always be a place for a mouse and keyboard form factor because touch doesn’t always make sense. As computing continues to become more mobile and as technology improves, we may eventually be able to have one device that connects to different form factors.

What do you think? Would you be more inclined to buy a lapdock or desktop dock if it ran Chrome OS? Do you think things will continue to move to the web, or will there always be a place for operating systems like Windows, OS X, and Linux?

Making the Lapdock Useful [Opinion] is a post from: Droid Life

• If you want to pick up the same Galaxy SII that I have been rocking for months, it’s now just $499.
• The Atrix 2 aka the Motorola Edison made another appearance today. No LTE just like we said.
• On September 24, all T-Mobile smartphones and tablets are $99 or less.
• If the AT&T/T-Mobile merger goes through, AT&T will let you keep your T-Mo contract.
• Jealous of the Sensation EX?  Turn your current Sensation into one with these hacks.

To stay up-to-date on the latest non-Verizon Android news, be sure to subscribe to Android Life.

New Atrix 2 Pictures, Massive T-Mobile Device Sale, Unlocked Galaxy SII for Cheap [from AL] is a post from: Droid Life

The Motorola Edison first popped up when one of our readers noticed earlier this week that the name was listed in the DROID Bionic webtop app.  We were pretty clueless at that point as to what the device was, but now know it is the Atrix 2 or revamped Atrix look-a-like that made its way onto a forum back in July.  The device was once rumored to have an HD screen, however, we are only expecting this to be similar to the Bionic, just on AT&T’s network.  And speaking of networks, the FCC filing for this device does not mention the word LTE anywhere.

Continued coverage over at Android Life.

Motorola Edison Makes Its Way Into the FCC, is the Bigger Atrix Look-a-Like Only Without LTE [from AL] is a post from: Droid Life

Back in July, the DROIDX2 received 2nd-init support - like original DX users had been enjoying – bringing with it the ability to flash custom ROMs.  The only problem has been that there aren’t a ton of developers working on it, so ROMs have been scarce for the most part.  Thankfully, one dev in particular (navenedrob) has decided to start pulling from the massive list of Atrix ROMs and port them over to the DX2.  With both devices running pretty similar specs and chipsets, it shouldn’t be long now before you all have more than a couple of choices.  First up is a stock Android 2.3.4 ROM to get you feeling unBlurred again.

To keep up with the latest ports, follow this XDA thread.

Cheers MistaWolfe!

Developer Begins Porting Atrix 4G ROMs to the DROIDX2 is a post from: Droid Life

(Click image for full version)

If you were wondering how the DROID Bionic will stack up against some of its beefier competition, then you’ll want to click on the chart above that breaks it all down (excluding the Sensation and EVO 3D for some reason).  Also, if you wanted official specs on the device (like we haven’t seen them enough already), this would be a good place to look.

We get confirmation on everything:  4.3″ qHD screen, LTE, 8MP rear camera (shoots 1080p video), VGA front camera for video chatting, HDMI out, 16GB SD card pre-installed, 14GB (?) internal storage, Swype, “Motorola UI” (aka new Blur), LapDock capabilities, dual-core processor, and mobile hotspot for up to 8 devices.  It has all of the specs needed to be considered a top tier device in 2011.  Whether we think some of those specs actually are top tier is another story for another day.

Oh, and since when does the Photon run HTC Sense 1.6?  Is it from 2009?

Cheers ___!

Comparison: DROID Bionic vs. Atrix 4G vs. Galaxy S 4G vs. Photon 4G is a post from: Droid Life

When we received a tip earlier in the week that Best Buy was planning something major for August 17 and 22, we were hoping for the world, but were pretty sure they were going to be running free phone promos instead.  Free phones were confirmed today through a small press release.  So for one day only (tomorrow), you can cruise into a Best Buy and pick up an Atrix 4G, Nexus S 4G or Samsung Fascinate for free with a new 2-year contract.  And yes, I said Fascinate – the same phone that Verizon no longer carries.

Hopefully they pick a better Verizon option on the 22nd.

Cheers ___!

Best Buy’s “Free Phone Wednesday” Kicks Off Tomorrow: Atrix, Nexus S 4G and Fascinate Available at No Cost is a post from: Droid Life

Over the weekend, we were tipped to instructions that had been released for rooting the Motorola Atrix running stock, locked Android 2.3.4 – something that had previously not been accomplished on any non-Nexus device.  And once we found out, we started doing our best to spread the word, but thought we should also let all of you know, here on the site.  You see, the more we get people talking about it, the more likely  we are to find someone who can make it happen for our friend the DROID3 which could also lead to the rooting of the DROID Bionic.  We’re expecting both devices to be running almost identical software on very, very similar hardware.

There is talk that we may need an SBF in order to accomplish root, but our friend @P3Droid thinks he may be close without one.  You’ll want to keep it close, as we’ll be all over this story.

Atrix owners, you’ll want to head over to this RootzWiki thread for instructions.

Cheers jigga_z!

Atrix Running Stock Android 2.3.4 has been Rooted, DROID3 Up Next? is a post from: Droid Life

Remember just a few weeks ago when a photo was found on Flickr to have been taken with a Motorola DROID HD?  That phone may have just surfaced overseas in a massive gallery as ME865, but sporting an AT&T logo and looking a heck of a lot like the Atrix.  The blog that posted these or at least is analyzing them, claims that this device is the DROID HD (except that we know DROID is exclusive to Verizon) and will sport a 720p HD screen (720×1280 resolution).  Yowzaz.  The screen certainly looks massive and almost has a bubble look to it, but there really is no way to tell if it’s 720p or not.

So what else do we have?  For one, no more fingerprint scanner.  (Was anyone actually using that thing anyway?)  The device will also have a pumped up 8MP camera that shoots 1080p (just like the Bionic and DROID3), HDMI-out, and the newest version of Blur (just don’t call it that).

The big news here though, is clearly that screen.  Could this really be one of the first HD screens on a smartphone?  We saw a benchmark earlier suggesting that HTC has one in the works called Vigor, so maybe this is about to become the norm?  And what about Verizon customers who are about to buy the Bionic?  Should we expect another variant to head to Big Red in 2011?  Lot’s of questions.  You guys give me the answers.

Update:  We see that a number of you noticed that there is a weird watermark of some sort that says “Sony Ericsson” and are assuming that they are fake.  While we won’t ever 100% know, we’re pretty sure it is a watermark for the original forum that they came from.  The watermark moves in each photo.  The images more than likely originated at this forum which is a Sony Ericsson forum, hence the reason for that logo on there.

Full gallery below.  

Original set of pics found by Unwired View.  We kept digging though and found this DROID HD stuff here.

AT&T and Motorola Prepping a Sequel to the Atrix with a 720p HD Screen? is a post from: Droid Life

Whacky reports starting flying around last night when a leaked and unlockable engineer build of Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) found its way onto a consumer Atrix.  Some were quick to think that this would happen in mass to everyone’s Atrix going forward through an update, but we’re standing by our thoughts that this unlockable build was never meant to see the light of day.  To our knowledge, Moto had no plans to unlock this phone yet.  

No matter what though, the damage has been done and the fantastic developers in this great Android community of ours have found a way to unlock everyone’s Atrix using files from this new build.  That’s right, everyone running 2.2 can enjoy the freedoms that come with an open phone.

All I can say to this, is that I hope Motorola sees the amount of positive press this has given a device that for the most part underachieved in sales numbers.  I hope they realize that if they want to sell millions and millions of devices like they did with the original DROID, that they should watch the next few weeks of this device’s life very closely and see just how popular it can become.  CM7 for the Atrix anyone?

And how about that DROID Bionic?  This sure would be a great way to make a big splash, especially after so many delays.  Let’s do something big Moto!  /fired up.

For instructions on how to unlock your Atrix, head over to RootzWiki.

Credit for the files goes to XDA.

Motorola Atrix Bootloader Can Now Be Unlocked is a post from: Droid Life

According to tech site Brief Mobile, who is apparently the only site and person on the planet with a leaked version of Gingerbread for the Motorola Atrix, there might be a chance that it will see the first retroactively unlocked bootloader.  That’s right, the version of Android 2.3.3 that they have had for a few weeks now (but are unwilling to share) can apparently be unlocked using fastboot oem unlock just like you would with a Nexus device or the Motorola XOOM.

We’ve known for a couple of months now that Moto was taking steps towards a more developer-friendly bootloader policy, so this could be possible.  In fact, less than two weeks ago they attempted to clarify this new policy and even hinted at unlocking some older devices.  So, could the Motorola Atrix be the first to receive such glory?  We’re not ready to jump down that road just yet and we’ll tell you why.

First off, since this build of Gingerbread has not been seen by anyone but this tech site, it’s pretty clear that they got it from a developer.  And what I mean by that is, this could easily be a build that was left wide open and that was never supposed to see the hand of an end-user.  Second, the Motorola Photon 4G which was just announced, will have a locked bootloader according to Motorola, so why would they all of a sudden retroactively unlock the Atrix instead of their newest device?  Third, if Moto was going to finally take a stand and start unlocking phones, they had a really good opportunity with the DROIDX when it received GB a few weeks back, but passed.  And fourth, this is an AT&T device we’re talking about here.

So I apologize if I’m sounding a little skeptical at this point, but will hope for the best.  And who knows, maybe AT&T decided to flip a complete 180 and become the ultimate dev-friendly carrier with an “OK”?  Maybe it’s Verizon that held the DX back?  Or maybe this is all nothing and the official GB for the Atrix will be locked down as ever.

Update:  For more info, you may want to check out this Atrix thread at XDA.  It looks like this build is in the hands of a few select people and is also pretty clear that it’s just an “engineering” build which we would assume are all unlocked.  Not looking so good, folks.  Still hoping that a miracle is about to happen though!

Will be keeping an eye on it…

Via:  Brief Mobile

Cheers to everyone who sent this in!

Motorola Will Unlock the Atrix 4G Bootloader When it Receives Gingerbread? We’ll See. is a post from: Droid Life

In the March edition of Details, they recommended a bunch of phones that don’t begin with an “I” and we couldn’t help but smile at all of the Android options.  Of course, we loved seeing the Thunderbolt, but also took notice that they left out Skype and 8-device hotspot features which we know have been fueling the delay controversy lately.  Oh, and another 2-page ad showed up directly after.  Just wanted to share…

Details Mag Recommends HTC Thunderbolt, Atrix 4G and Nexus S is a post from: Droid Life

Since many of the readers of our little site here are Motorola product owners, I thought I’d point out that the Atrix 4G system dump has found a home on the internet.  It’s essentially the same version of Blur we all have running on the DROID X, so there isn’t a lot of new stuff, but a couple of the wallpapers look different and you can trick everyone into thinking your phone has a dual-core processor by using its new boot animation.  Ringtones are included as well.

Now, if only that title said BIONIC, right?   And not to hate on our cousin from AT&T, but in terms of looks, the BIONIC kills it.

Links and boot animation video after the break.  

Download:  Wallpapers | Ringtones| Boot Animation | Full System Dump

Couple of new wallpapers. I think.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  Phandroid

Wallpapers, Ringtones and Boot Animation Pulled from Motorola Atrix 4G System Dump is a post from: Droid Life

After the Atrix/BIONIC power issues story spread like the ridiculous wildfire that it was this morning, Motorola has reached out to us to confirm that neither device suffers from “overheating issues.”  Both products will “ship as scheduled.”   And of course, we asked to hear what that schedule may be and heard what we already knew:  Q1 for Atrix and no date yet for the BIONIC.

While they are in crisis-control mode right now, we shouldn’t even care if the devices actually do have power issues at this point.  As we wrote earlier, these are the next major devices from Motorola that will take them through most of the year, and we’d all be foolish to think they would release them with any “unfixable” issues.  The devices will launch in the next couple of months, will be beastly, and we’ll all look back and laugh at the silly forum fodder.

More on the DROID BIONIC.

Motorola: “There are no overheating issues” with the BIONIC or Atrix 4G is a post from: Droid Life