Still hanging onto that old DROID2 or R2D2 while waiting for a phone that catches your eye? We’ve got some good news. Since it was updated to Gingerbread, rooting the D2 was a bit of a chore, but now a developer using ideas that gained the D3 root, has an easy way to root Android 2.3.4 on the DROID2. It also works on the R2D2 edition of the device as well, since they run similar builds.

On Windows, all you need to do is have the Motorola drivers and RSD Lite installed along with the file that developer phifc created. There is support for Linux as well for a bit of diversity. If you’re looking to root your phone to get a bit more use out of it, hit the source link below and happy flashing!

Via: RootzWiki

Cheers Derek!

New Root Method Found for DROID2 and R2D2, Developers Still Show Love for the Older Devices is a post from: Droid Life

Still humming along on Tatooine, the DROID 2 R2-D2 edition has not been forgotten. Verizon and Motorola have both approved an update that will introduce a handful of security patches (likely breaking root), bug fixes, better data connectivity, and update VZ-branded apps. While this device will likely never see Ice Cream Sandwich, at least improvements to its current state are still being issued. After the update, your R2-D2 device will run Android 2.3.4. When support docs like this show up, an update is usually pushed within a week.

More info. The update is 12MB in size.

DROID 2 R2-D2 Update to 4.5.622 is Ready – Security Patches, Bug Fixes and Android 2.3.4 on Board is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

The LG Spectrum officially launched yesterday on Verizon for $199. The first commercial for it officially launched this morning, although we can’t stop scratching our heads over it. While the spot itself is actually worth a laugh, the fact that R2-D2 makes a cameo is simply odd (at first). After all, the Spectrum is not “DROID” branded and R2 comes straight out of Star Wars and and the mind of George Lucas where the word “DROID” is currently being licensed from.

In the end though, it’s obvious that Phantom Menace in 3D needed another plug and what better way to do that than through the wireless carrier Lucas is in bed friends with.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cheers Jay!

LG Spectrum Gets First Ad Featuring R2-D2 is a post from: Droid Life

And just as we reported last Thursday, the DROID2 R2-D2 Gingerbread update is ready and appears to be rolling out to users right now.  A handful of readers reached out to us this morning to let us know that they received notification on their device to jump to 2.3 (blur version 4.5.602).  Doesn’t appear to be any new Star Wars goodies included, but truthfully, we are just surprised and excited to see it even receive this 137MB update.  

(Click image to see full version)

Cheers @bousquetball, @AUChief, @nickronkin, Kevin and Mickey!

DROID2 R2-D2 Receiving Gingerbread Now is a post from: Droid Life

What, you thought the R2-D2 version of the DROID2 would be left out of the Gingerbread fun?  OK, I’ll admit that I did too, but apparently we were wrong.  The 2.3 update appears to be ready (a support page usually indicates that) and could start rolling out within the next couple of weeks.  Not sure if there will be a soak test or not.  Too our R2 owners, be sure to let us know if you see anything after going to:

Settings>About phone>System updates

Cheers ___!

DROID2 R2-D2 Gingerbread Update is Ready, Yeah It Still Exists is a post from: Droid Life

Poor special edition R2-D2 DROID 2.  It’s now available for $99 after instant discount and having started it’s short life at $249.  The device was supposed to sell out in minutes and even had parties thrown in its honor, but that apparently wasn’t enough to move the “limited” numbers available.  Anyone interested?

Via:  BGR, Verizon

R2-D2 DROID 2 Now Available for $99, the Force is Not Strong with this One is a post from: Droid Life

We broke the news yesterday that the R2-D2 Droid 2 had seen a price drop to $199 and this morning, Verizon started telling the rest of world about it.  Anyone on the VZW DROID email list should have received this email some time today to try to get them to buy this limited edition Droid.  They even made it sound like the device would be sold as a “gift set” that includes a desk charger, ear buds and more, when we all know that stuff came with it from the beginning.  Drop that bad boy to $99 and I may think about it.

Cheers  Aaron and all others!

Verizon Really Wants You to Buy an R2-D2 DROID 2 is a post from: Droid Life

The R2-D2 Droid 2 looks like it may not have been such a hot item after all.  With limited amounts of inventory apparently available at launch, the device was supposed to sell out within minutes, only that never happened.  With devices sitting on store shelves for almost 3 months now and Verizon unable to sell them, the price has been dropped just in time for a last X-mas push to $199.

Cheers 0mie!

R2-D2 DROID 2 Price Dropped to $199 is a post from: Droid Life

Update:  The contest is up!  If you want to win 1 of 5 R2-D2 Droid 2′s, all you have to do is retweet this @MotoMobile tweet.  Winners will be announced on 10/20.

Motorola’s official Twitter account (@MotoMobile) is gearing up to launch a new contest which will give a lucky follower the chance to win a special edition R2-D2 Droid 2.  Contest details have not been released, so you’ll want to follow them if this is something that interests you.  What we’re wondering though, is why are there any left to give away?  

As you’ll see at Verizon’s website, the phone is still readily available…

Remember this was the phone that Motorola had only made anywhere from 50,000-80,000 of and was supposed to sell out in minutes.  While we were huge fans of the device, I can at admit that our coverage of it did nothing for our site.  It became evident pretty quickly there was such a small group of people interested in it, that I’m almost not surprised that you can still buy one.  By the time it had been announced, everyone had already purchased a Droid X or regular Droid 2 for $50 cheaper.

As far as promotion goes, before the phone launched, we had an online scavenger hunt and a press release to give it some publicity, but that was it.  We also saw a tiny internet ad campaign and launch parties spread around the country, but there were no commercials and not a lot of ways for people to find about it.

We had even planned on hanging out at the Portland party, but after a quick chat with the host store during our hands-on and a drive by the day of, we knew this wasn’t going to be anything major.  And from what I’ve seen of parties at much larger locations, they weren’t all that much busier.

Maybe it’s time to put away the special edition Droid phones?  Thoughts?

Motorola Giving Away an R2-D2 DROID2, Still Not Sold Out? is a post from: Droid Life

Verizon informed us that the Star Wars Empire Strikes Back app was scheduled to be released on 10/4, but it looks like they had a slight push back to 10/5 as the app is now available in the Android Market.  Well, for “select” Verizon Android phones that is.

The release of this app comes just 7 days after the R2-D2 Droid 2 launched and also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars saga.  We haven’t heard numbers yet, but you can still order the special edition D2 online, so we’re only going to assume that the device didn’t quite sell as expected.  Maybe the release of this app will get the Star Wars fanboys excited?

You can find the app for free under the Verizon section in the market, but will cost you $2.99 after download to unlock certain featured content such as the live wallpapers, widgets and sound boards..  I should also mention that the $2.99 will be charged to your bill and not through the normal Google Checkout procedure.

Here are some of the features:

• There are 4 sections based off of scenes from the movie Empire Strikes Back which include a live wallpaper, movie clip, photo gallery, soundboard, and widgets.
• There is a Bounty Hunter scavenger hunt built in.
• A Star Wars news feed.
• A trivia challenge.

Download Link

Cheers bubbasixx!

Star Wars Empire Strikes Back App Available to Verizon Android Phones Now is a post from: Droid Life

To celebrate 30 years of Star Wars, the R2-D2 Droid 2 hit stores yesterday, but during its announcement earlier in the week, we were told to expect a special Empire Strikes Back app to be landing on the market “soon.”  The app will launch for $2.99  and feature a ton of Star Wars content like sound and photo galleries, live wallpapers, trivia challenges and even some widgets.  We had no official date on the release, but today we were told from sources that Monday, 10/4 is current scheduled date assuming there are no setbacks.

This app is exclusive to Verizon customers.

Any Star Wars gurus getting excited?

Star Wars Empire Strikes Back App Set to Launch 10/4 is a post from: Droid Life

The R2-D2Droid 2 lock screen has been pulled from the phone’s system dump and is flashable to both the Droid X and Droid 2 as a MetaMorph theme.  The process is pretty simple, but at this time is only available to rooted users.  I’ve included this in the instructions, but PLEASE MAKE A BACKUP.  Any time you are tweaking framework on a phone, you need to have a backup ready to rock in case something goes wrong.

Download:  lockr2d2.zip (alt link)

*Warning* – There is risk involved when flashing custom ROMs, themes or rooting your device.  You accept all responsibility should something happen to your phone during this process.  You’ve been warned.

Instructions:

1.  You have to be rooted.  (Instructions)
2.  You need to bootstrap the recovery using Koush’s Droid 2 or Droid X Bootstrap.
3.  Boot into recovery using the Bootstrap and MAKE A BACKUP.

(backup and restore>backup)

4.  Download and install MetaMorph from the market.
5.  On your SD card, create a folder called AndroidThemes.
6.  Download the lockr2d2.zip from above and unzip into your AndroidThemes folder.
7.  Open MetaMorph, allow it to perform checks and give it superuser access when prompted.
8.  Choose “Pick existing theme” and then tap the “lockr2d2.xml” file.
9.  Tap on “SubTheme:  framework-res.apk” and apply it.
10.  Your phone will load the new framework and will more than likely reboot.
11.  When it reboots, you should have your new Star Wars lock screen!

Via:  Droid Pirate

Cheers Elliott!

R2-D2 Lock Screen Ported to DROID2 and DROIDX is a post from: Droid Life

If you were interested in picking up the special edition R2-D2 Droid 2, then head over to verizonwireless.com now.  The phone, which we gave you a walkthrough of earlier, is available as expected for $249 after instant $100 online discount or $599 full retail.  With your purchase, you also receive the special edition multimedia dock, a set of Motorola headphones and pre-installed 8GB SD card.

Many have speculated that this device won’t stay in stock long, so you may want to jump on this immediately.

Anyone pick one up yet?  Anyone at one of the parties?  Send us your pics!

R2-D2 DROID 2 Site is Live, Buy One Now! is a post from: Droid Life

We had a few minutes of hands-on time with the special edition R2-D2 Droid 2 today and dug into one of the main rumors that was floating around about the phone’s processor.  Is it clocked at 1.2GHz like the Droid 2 Global?  The answer is no.  The R2-D2 is at the same 1.0GHz that the original Droid 2 is at, but we have a feeling this will change in a later update.  After all, these phones all have the same exact processor, the D2 Global is just clocked higher.  Oh well right?

And back to the phone!  It’s exactly as you have already heard (and seen), a Droid 2 that has been themed to look like an R2-D2 unit.  I will say, that they’ve done a great job with the outside of the device and all of the special features tucked into the OS.  For the first special edition Droid, Moto and Verizon have come up with a winner.  This is definitely a collector’s item for all of the Star Wars gurus out there.

The phone launches tonight at midnight online and in select stores for $249 on contract after $100 mail-in-rebate.  Full retail price is rumored to be $599.

If you purchase one, you’ll find a couple of extra goodies in the box including the special edition multimedia dock and a set of Motorola headphones.  There is your extra $50 people.  Stop complaining about the price!

Video action:

Video: R2-D2 DROID2 Hands-on, Only Clocked at 1.0GHz is a post from: Droid Life

Here you go Star Wars fans, the ultimate guide to finding the R2-D2 Droid 2 launch party near you.  We’ve covered as many of the big places as we can, but we’ll be updating throughout the day as we get more info.  And let us know in the comments if you find anything else out!  

East Coast:

New York, NY:

• 34th Street, NYC store — 134 W. 34th St, NY, NY  10001
• Big Apple Comic-Con Convention (10/1) — Penn Pavilion, 401 7th Ave, NY, NY 10001

Rochester, NY

• Jefferson Rd, Rochester — 951 Jefferson Rd, Rochester, NY 14623

Chicago, IL:

• 36 S State St, Chicago, IL – (312) 726-8277
• 3 R2-D2 DROID 2s to give away
• 6-8PM, 9/29.

Boston, MA:

• Washington St, Boston store — 340 Washington St, Boston MA 02108

Miami, FL:

• Hialeah store – 1599 West 49th Street, Hialeah, 33012
• Costume contest starts at 9:30PM, 9/29.
• 2 R2-D2 DROID 2s to give away.

New Orleans, LA:

• 1818 Manhattan Blvd, Harvey, LA 70058 – (504) 367-0897
• 10 R2-D2 DROID 2s to give away.
• Open at midnight, 9/29.

St. Petersburg, FL:

• 4870 Part Street N., St. Petersburg, FL 33709

Orlando, FL:

• 3742 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

Orange Park, FL:

• 1911-1 Wells Road, Orange Park, FL 32073

Atlanta, GA:

• Buckhead Store – 3535 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30326
• Store opens at Midnight, 9/29.

Bloomsburg, PA:

• Bloomsburg Fair (Millennium Park section) — 620 West Third Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815

Mt. Laurel, NJ:

• Mt. Laurel, NJ store — 1211 Rte 73, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

Philadelphia, PA:

• Market Street, Philadelphia (will sell from Store on Wheels outside City Hall) — Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19103

Columbia, MD:

• Columbia, MD store — 9021 Snowden Square Dr, Columbia, MD 21046

Fairfax, VA:

• Verizon Experience Store — 11750U Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA 22033

Cordova (Memphis ), TN:

• 2323 N. Germantown Parkway, Cordova, TN 38016 – (901)377-4990
• Party starts at 9PM, 9/29.
• 1 R2-D2 DROID 2 to give away.

West Coast:

Portland, OR:

• 635 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR 97205 – (503)827-4287
• Party starts at 10AM, will include Storm Troopers.
• 1 R2-D2 DROID 2 to give away.
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 6AM, 9/30.

Seattle, WA:

• 1633 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 – (206)254-0415
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 6AM, 9/30.

Houston, TX:

• Verizon Wireless Copperfield store – 15749 FM 529 Rd., Houston, TX 77095 – (281) 463-0475
• Costume contest starts at 7PM, 9/29.
• 2 R2-D2 DROID 2s to give away.
• Computers on hand for midnight online orders.

Salt Lake City, UT:

• Sugarhouse - 2274 S 1300 E, Salt Lake city, UT 84106 – (801)461-0288
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 9AM, 9/30.

Lone Tree, CO:

• Park Meadows – 8461 S Yosemite St, Lone Tree, CO 80124 – (303)708-1353
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

Corte Madera, CA:

• 417 Corte Madera Town Ctr, Corte Madera, CA 94925 – (415)924-9084
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

Mountain View, CA:

• 1020 N Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 – (650)966-1441
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

San Diego, CA:

• Sports Arena – 3505 Sports Arena Blvd, Ste A, San Diego, CA 92110 – (619)523-4500
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 9AM, 9/30.

Santa Monica, CA:

• 2530 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403 – (310)828-1279
• Buy any Droid, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 9AM, 9/30.

Tempe, AZ:

• Marketplace – 2040 E Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85281 – (480)557-9017
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

Las Vegas, NV:

• Boca Park – 8780 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89117 – (702)952-8525
• Buy any Droid phone, get a free R2-D2 t-shirt and poster.
• Store opens at 10AM, 9/30.

More info on the way!

Ultimate R2-D2 DROID 2 Party Guide by City is a post from: Droid Life