Verizon is currently hosting a “Red Hot Deal Days” event from today through May 12 (this Sunday), so if you were in the market for a new Big Red smartphone, now wouldn’t be a bad time to look. Well, assuming you aren’t interested in the Galaxy S4, since that won’t be out until May 30. But if the GS4 isn’t on your radar, you’ll find deals on the RAZR MAXX HD and regular RAZR HD, RAZR M, Incredible 4G LTE, Blackberry Z10 (hah!), and more.

The DROID line is headlining this show, with the RAZR MAXX HD at $149 on contract, RAZR HD at $49, and RAZR M and Incredible 4G LTE for free. The Samsung Galaxy S3 (16GB model) is also there for $99 on new 2-year contract.

Keep in mind that Amazon will beat almost all of these prices, starting with the RAZR MAXX HD at $99 on contract.

Via:  Verizon

Cheers Adam!

Verizon Hosting “Red Hot Deal Days” – RAZR MAXX HD for $150, RAZR M for Free, Galaxy S3 for $99 and More is a post from: Droid Life

I will admit, it is nice to start talking about custom ROMs for Motorola devices again. After a breakthrough on the unlocking of Moto bootloaders, developers have been hard at work to bring their ROMs to a new line of devices. Today, we are featuring RageHD for the DROID RAZR HD on Verizon, developed by BigDaddyHicks and his team. 

This ROM looks to bring a smoother experience to users, with a de-bloated (thank goodness) and zipaligned system, you will be flying though apps. PIE controls have been added for an extra-classy way to control your device, Goo Manager has been installed for easy updates, plus battery tweaks were performed to increase your device’s daily lifespan.

To top it off, there is already a theme available for the ROM called Metallic Blue which is shown above. Pretty snazzy looking.

Features:

• Deodexed
• Debloated
• Zipaligned
• Pre-Rooted
• Adb Insecured
• Adrenaline V3 Boost (Thanks to ImbaWind)
• Loopy Smoothness (Scrolling Smoothness Tweak)
• Full Init.d Support
• PIE Controls (LMT Launcher)
• DSP Manager
• Goo Manager Updates
• Amazing Battery Saving Tweaks
• Tons Of Awesome build.prop Tweaks

To download and install, you will need your bootloader unlocked and a custom recovery installed. If you need to do that still, look here on this post. If you are already unlocked and ready to rock, follow the via link below.

Via: DROIDRZR

Cheers MichaelFranz!

Custom ROM Friday: RageHD for the Motorola DROID RAZR HD is a post from: Droid Life

Yesterday, Dan Rosenberg published the first Motorola bootloader unlock method in history. It was an epic moment for the rooting and development community on Android, as no one had been able to accomplish anything close to this for what seems like an eternity on a Motorola device since they started locking them down back in 2010. There was one problem though, the bootloader unlock worked on devices like the DROID RAZR HD, RAZR M, and Atrix HD as long as you were rooted before you updated to Android 4.1.2. For many of you, especially those with a RAZR HD or RAZR MAXX HD who received the most recent 4.1.2 update, you were out of luck. 

Well, Dan has returned again with another present – root for Android 4.1.2 and more. This method not only works on the RAZR HD, RAZR M and Atrix HD, but it should work on a variety of Motorola devices (until Moto patches it). So for those of you who were unable to unlock bootloaders yesterday, you now have the option to.

Keep in mind there is all sorts of risk involved, namely in relation to warranties. If you unlock the bootloader of your phone, your warranty is gone.

The instructions were posted up at DroidRzr.com, but we have included them below for you as well.

Instructions:

1. Download this file to your PC.
2. Extract the entire contents of the zip file.
3. If you are using Windows, ensure you have installed the latest Motorola USB drivers available for your phone.
4. Ensure USB Debugging mode is enabled on your device.
5. If you are using Windows, navigate to the extracted directory and execute “run.bat”. If you are using Linux or OS X, navigate to the extracted directory in a terminal and execute “./run.sh”.

On a related note, Dan has announced that he is done trying to find exploits in Motorola devices as they have become increasingly difficult and time consuming. He urges you to consider your future purchasing decisions based upon the dev-friendliness of phones rather than waiting or expecting methods like his to be released by the community.

Via:  DroidRzr

Root Method Released for DROID RAZR HD Running Android 4.1.2, Other Devices Too is a post from: Droid Life

Our coverage of the HTC One continues on with a comparison of the device to many of the popular phones on the market today. Unfortunately, since the Samsung Galaxy S4 is not yet available, we had to go with the Galaxy S3, Note 2, Nexus 4, RAZR MAXX HD, and ol’ reliable, Galaxy Nexus. In this clip, you’ll see size comparisons, my thoughts on the different build materials, overall feel, and having to deal with carrying around a metal phone after years of plastic in my pocket. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: HTC One vs. Galaxy S3 vs. Nexus 4 vs. RAZR HD vs. Galaxy Note 2 is a post from: Droid Life

Yesterday, news broke that Dan Rosenberg (@djrbliss) had unlocked bootloaders for a handful of Motorola devices including the DROID RAZR HD, RAZR MAXX HD, RAZR M, and Atrix HD, all of which are powered by Qualcomm chipsets. Today, he has released that same unlock tool so that you can free your phone from Motorola and Verizon’s clutches.

We should point out that you cannot re-lock the phone after using this tool (at this point), and it does indeed void your warranty. Also, Motorola can more than likely patch this in a software update, so you may want to weigh your options here before long. It’s risky from a warranty and replacement standpoint to say the least. As always, proceed with caution.

You definitely need to be rooted ahead of time, prior to using this tool. For those with a RAZR HD running Android 4.1.2 (the newest update), root has not been gained yet so you are out of luck for now. I can’t imagine that this won’t ever be rooted, but again as of today, there is no root method.

Update:  Dan released a root method for Android 4.1.2 that can be found here.

As we mentioned yesterday, this method does not work on OMAP powered phones, including the original RAZR, Bionic, and DROID 4. Do not attempt to use this on any of those phones.

Below, we have the basic instructions and notes from Dan. 

A couple of warnings:

1. You understand that using this tool will permanently, irreversibly void your device’s warranty.
2. You understand that it may not be possible to “relock” your device’s bootloader after unlocking using this tool. A side effect of this is that if you lose your device and you are not using disk encryption, a malicious party who acquires your phone may be able to extract all personal data from the device regardless of any lock screen.
3. You agree that I am in no way responsible for any damage to your device as a result of using this tool.

Instructions:

*It requires that your device has been rooted and that the “su” binary has been properly installed.

1. Download this file to your computer.
2. Extract the entire contents of the zip file.
3. If you are using Windows, ensure you have installed the latest Motorola USB drivers available for your phone.
4. Ensure your device has been rooted and you have a working installation of “su”.
5. Ensure USB Debugging mode is enabled on your device.
6. If you are using Windows, navigate to the extracted directory and execute “run.bat”. If you are using Linux or OS X, navigate to the extracted directory in a terminal and execute “./run.sh”.

Note – If you are interested in reading exactly how Dan managed to find this exploit (all of the technical madness), he has written up an entire post about it over at Azimuth Security.

Via:  Vulnfactory

Motorola RAZR HD, RAZR M, and Atrix HD Bootloader Unlock Released (Updated) is a post from: Droid Life

This is not a joke, nor is it April Fools’ Day 2.0. Dan Rosenberg, aka @djrbliss (the man that roots all things Moto), has apparently unlocked the bootloaders of many of Motorola’s recent releases, including the RAZR HD (MAXX HD too), Atrix HD, and RAZR M. We heard this was coming down the pipeline, but he’s asked a couple of testers over at DroidRzr.com to give his method a shot. Sure enough, at least two confirmed unlocked bootloaders have happened (pictured above and below).

The method has not yet been released, but likely will before long, maybe even before the day is up. This method will not work on OMAP phones like the Bionic or original RAZR.

After years of failed attempts at cracking Motorola’s encryption, the time may have arrived. Stick with us, we’ll be following this closely. 

Update:  Our buddy Matt Groff sent over this video to show proof that his Atrix HD is indeed unlocked now. Also, we’ve been told that the public release likely won’t happen until tomorrow.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Update 2:  I’ll just leave this here.

Update 3:  The bootloader unlock tool has been released.

Via:  DroidRzr

Cheers M!

Bootloader Reportedly Unlocked on the DROID RAZR HD, RAZR M, and More (Updated) is a post from: Droid Life

I’ll admit that I’m one of Verizon’s biggest critics when it comes to the rate at which they update their Android smartphones to new software. They are unbelievably  slow for the most part. In fact, I’ve pointed it out a handful times, particularly with the Galaxy Nexus and the amount of time it has taken to update a device that should be the easiest of all. But we also know that Verizon stands firm on their update practices, which have a reputation for being the slowest in the business. Their network is reliable, maybe even the most reliable after all, and they attribute parts of their success to their testing practices. But something seems to have changed in 2013. I ran through a list of updates released by them this year, and the number is impressive. 

I count 17 different devices receiving updates since the beginning of the year. The original Incredible, Thunderbolt, Lucid, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 7.7, RAZR HD, Charge, RAZR, DROID 4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Stellar, Intuition, Rhyme, Incredible 2, Rezound, DROID DNA, and Galaxy Nexus have all seen some sort of an update over the last three months, many of which were major.

Now, it’s not all positive just because it’s an update. Devices like the Thunderbolt were promised updates back in the summer of 2012 only to finally receive them a short few weeks ago. Hell, the original XOOM 4G LTE still hasn’t received Jelly Bean and it’s technically a “Nexus” type of device.

But if we overlook those few, even I have to give props to Big Red for getting the job done as of late. We can’t seem to go more than a couple of days without seeing another approval on an update for a different device. In the last 10 days alone we have seen updates for the Charge, RAZR HD, DROID 4, Galaxy Nexus, and original RAZR. Three of those updates were major (two to Jelly Bean and another to 4.2.2).

We aren’t sure if Verizon’s update process has been streamlined recently to be more efficient, if manufacturers are finally getting the hang of this update thing which in turn means submitting better builds to Big Red’s testing team, or if there was a stockpile of updates that are just now seeing mass approval. As surprising as this may sound, I’d lean towards one of those first two options.

If you look at the Galaxy Nexus and its recent move to 4.2.2, Verizon took just over one month to get that update ready and push it out. Sure, they managed to skip three other updates along the way, but if you look strictly at 4.2.2, which was released by Google around February 11, Big Red managed to fit it into their update schedule, which included another dozen or so devices, and still push it out five weeks later. Not bad, if you ask me.

So from one of the most annoying and at times harshest critics in the wireless industry, all I can say is, great job, Verizon. Keep it up.

Giving Credit Where It’s Due, Verizon Turns Into an Android Update Machine is a post from: Droid Life

An update for the Motorola DROID RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD is now available to users as build 9.16.6. The update was approved by Verizon earlier at the end of last week, and after becoming available to a select group of testers for a couple of days, is ready for the rest of you to download and install.

Once updated, you should notice improved audio quality, connectivity all around, and through the camera.

To check to see if the update is ready to be pulled, head into Settings>About phone>System updates.

If you do not feel like waiting, you can manually update using our instructions here.

Cheers BOGY and Angel!

DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD Update to Build 9.16.6 is Rolling Out Now is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

We haven’t posted a DROID commercial in a while, but a new clip for the RAZR MAXX HD surfaced this morning looking more like the original DROID campaign than anything we have seen in some time, and thought we’d share. Plus, anything is better than the desert bedroom explosion spot, right? Not sure this fully redeems the DROID brand after that ridiculousness, but it can’t hurt.

In this spot, instead of selling the new powerful Google Voice Search, Verizon has decided to brand it with their own term called, “DROID recognition.” Yes, that’s a silly word play on the phrase “voice recognition.” Come on, we should be able to do better than this.

New DROID RAZR MAXX HD Commercial Touts “DROID Recognition” is a post from: Droid Life

At the end of last week, Verizon approved a new update of build 9.16.6 for the DROID RAZR HD. That update is slowly trickling out to users now, but if you’d like to manually upgrade this minute, you can do so with the update file below. In order to update with these instructions, you’ll need to be 100% stock. I’d bet that you can keep root by using Voodoo Rootkeeper, however, I was not able to test it.

The update improves connectivity, camera, video streaming, and more. The file is roughly 96MB in size, jumps your phone to Android 4.1.2 and works on the RAZR MAXX HD as well. 

Instructions:

*You have to be running the official Jelly Bean (Android 4.1.1) update of build 9.1.41. You also have to be completely stock.

*Hearing from Matt Groff that you cannot downgrade once you update to this new build.

1.  Download the update file here:  Download Link [mirror]
2.  Drop that file on your SD card, not internal storage.
3.  Turn phone off, and reboot into recovery.

*Hold both Volume Up and Down along with Power until you see the boot menu. Use Volume Down to hover over “Recovery.” Press Volume Up to select it.

*Once you see the Android and Exclamation point, press both Volume Up and Down at the same time.

4.  Select “apply update from external storage.”

*Use Volume keys to highlight, Power button to select.

5.  Then select the file you downloaded from above. It should already be on your SD card.
6.  Watch as the update applies.
7.  Once finished, choose the “reboot” option and enjoy!

Download: Motorola DROID RAZR HD Update 9.16.6, Android 4.1.2 is a post from: Droid Life

A new update has been approved by Verizon for the Motorola DROID RAZR HD. Once updated, the phone will be running build 9.16.6. The update introduces a security fix (be careful rooted users), but improves WiFi connectivity, camera, in-call audio, video streaming, and media sync. 

It’s not Android 4.2.2 or anything, but it should make your overall experience that much better.

The update is 96MB in size and also applies to the RAZR MAXX HD.

Typically when we see approvals from Verizon, the update will roll out within a week or two. We’ll be sure to let you know as soon as that happens.

More info.

DROID RAZR HD Receiving New Update to Build 9.16.6 – Improves Camera, Connectivity, and More is a post from: Droid Life

The Motorola DROID RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD are no longer new by smartphone standards, having been released back in October of last year. So typically when a phone has been on the market for five or six months, we start to see the price drop across the web. 

In what appears to be a recent discount, Verizon has slashed their prices of the RAZR HD line. You’ll find the regular RAZR HD for $99 followed by the RAZR MAXX HD for $199 on new 2-year contract. As many of you know, the only different between the two in terms of specs are the amount of internal storage and the battery size. The MAXX HD has 32GB of internal (16GB in the regular HD) and a 3300mAh battery (2530mAh in the regular HD).

But if $199 and $99 are cheap enough, you may want to look into Amazon, which is listing the RAZR MAXX HD at $99 and the RAZR HD for a penny.

And no, I don’t necessarily believe this is a sign that the X Phone is just around the corner.

Via:  Verizon

Verizon Drops DROID RAZR MAXX HD to $199, RAZR HD to $99 on Contract is a post from: Droid Life

Back in January, Google CFO Patrick Pichette mentioned that Motorola had inherited 18 months of product pipeline that they would need to drain through before the company could focus on creating something completely new. We assumed at the time that he was referring to that period coming to an end with the RAZR HD and RAZR M, and that Moto would be working towards releasing their first set of products under new management some time by mid-2013. In what can only be considered sad news to Motorola fans, his remarks at today’s Morgan Stanley Technology Conference paint somewhat of a different picture. 

Pichette mentioned once again that Motorola’s new CEO Dennis Woodside and crew had 18 months of product pipeline to go through, however, this time he used the word “upcoming” in the same sentence. That can only mean that the next phone(s) or tablet we see from Motorola will still be leftovers from previous management that the new Motorola will need to release.

To make matters even more depressing, he called them “not really like wow by Google standards.” Yes, he apparently held nothing back.

“The case with Motorola is that we’ve inherited a pipeline,” Pichette said, “Motorola has a great set of products, but they’re not really like “wow” by Google standards. Dennis Woodside and his team have inherited 18 months of pipeline that we have to drain right now.”

So what does that mean for the X Phone? Well, the X Phone could still be very real. At the same time, the reality of the situation suggests that if we do see this mysterious new “game changing” device from Motorola, it may not be until the end of 2013 or whenever this 18 month period is over with. For the foreseeable future, we could see another couple of leftovers from the Sanjay Jha era.

Feel free to express yourselves in the comments.

Via:  The Verge

Google CFO: None of Motorola’s Upcoming Products are “Wow” by Google Standards is a post from: Droid Life

Earlier today, we talked about Verizon slashing the price of the RAZR MAXX HD to $249, also noting that Amazon had it at $149 for upgrades. But how does $99 on-contract sound from Costco? Better deal, right? Oh, they are also tossing in a car mount and case as some sort of “Accessory Kit” mail-in offer.

You would technically need to be a Costco member in order to grab this deal. Either that, or you can con a friend into letting you use their card or taking you with them on their next trip.

We’re told the deal may only last until the 12th, which is tomorrow.

Cheers L!

Costco has the RAZR MAXX HD Plus Car Dock and Case for $99 is a post from: Droid Life

Over the weekend, Verizon dropped the price of the Motorola DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD by $50. Rather than having to fork out the standard $299 for the MAXX HD, you can now step into one for $249. If ultimate battery performance isn’t your cup of tea, then think about the regular RAZR HD which is now listed at $149.

But don’t forget that Amazon is selling the RAZR MAXX HD for $149 with an upgrade or $99 on a new contract. Options are good, my friends.

Our review of the RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD can be found here.

Via:  Verizon | Amazon

DROID RAZR MAXX HD Drops to $249 at Verizon is a post from: Droid Life