OK, all you folks on iDEN (go ahead, raise your hands) who have patiently been waiting for an Android phone to come your way. Meet the (codename) Motorola Opus One. Certainly reminiscent of the Sprint Hero and MyTouch 3G in terms of design, though the quaint trackball his given way to mother of a home button. (Any takers whether that's some sort of optical trackball or click wheel?) No real specs to go on, so start the speculation. [via Boy Genius Report]

So we've seen the HTC Espresso codename leak. We've had an HTC exec say a follow-up to the Hero will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress. And now a leaked profile from the Espresso has emerged, showing a QWERTY keyboard device with 320x480 screen and the same processor found in the Hero and Magic.

Place your bets, folks. Something's coming down the pike. [Tweakers.net via BGR]

Some Valentines love is coming in February -- in the form of the follow-up to the wildly popular HTC Hero. HTC Sweden exec Patrik Andersson dropped the news:

A sequel to The flagship Hero unveiled at mobile trade show in Barcelona on 15 February and will appear in Swedish stores shortly thereafter.

Let's hope we see it show up in U.S. stores shortly after that. Stay tuned. [idg.se via Engadget]

 OK, OK. We'll get one, Google. Simmer down. [College Humor]

Google just announced that they've updated the Android SDK to 2.0.1 and will update all Android 2.0 devices (just the DROID for now) to Android 2.0.1 by the end of the year. It's a minor update in both name and form and has been expected for quite some time now. The 2.0.1 update will supposedly fix bugs and other glorious things, which is always a good thing. Supposedly, the OTA update that will hit the DROID will also include DROID-specific issues such as improving the camera's autofocus (much needed) and voice reception (was it even an issue?). We'll definitely let you guys know when the update is rolling out.

Now, uh, when can we officially get Android 2.0 (or 2.0.1 or 2.1) on other Android devices?

[android developers blog]

thanks gbhil for the tip!

The Motorola Sholes Tablet that popped up a few days ago has reared its (rather ugly) head again. The Sholes Tablet is actually looking less like a tablet and more like just a smartphone but any way you spin it, that odd bump on the lower right corner is unshapely and just plain weird. Considering the hard angles and clean lines of the DROID, it's rather odd that Motorola would build such an awkwardly designed phone. And why is the order of the Android Buttons on the Sholes Tablet not consistent with the DROID? For reference, the DROID buttons go Back, Menu, Home, Search.

In any case, the Sholes Tablet might just hit China as the XT701 with Android 2.1, a 3.7-inch screen, FM Radio, HDMI port, and 5 megapixel camera. Unless the design gets cleaned up, we're thinking it's best to not release in the States to protect the good DROID name.

What do you guys think? Do you prefer the kinder, gentler DROID to this Sholes Tablet? Or is it just regular old DROID all the way?

More pictures after the break!

[gizmodo]

Snuggled deep in the leaked Android 2.1 ROM are codenames of future HTC Android devices. Since HTC has been such a huge proponent for Android (since the G1 days!), it's not really surprising to see so many devices listed. If this report is true, we're probably in for some stellar Android devices in the near future (the DROID can't stay on top forever). Some of the names have been brought into the real world already such as the Dream, Hero, Sapphire, and Desire, while others have been spotted before like the Dragon/Passion & Memphis.

Here's the rest:

• Bahamas
• Bravo
• Espresso
• Halo
• Huangshan
• Incredible
• Legend
• Liberty
• Paradise
• Supersonic

Just by codenames alone (foolish, we know) we're going to say 'Incredible' and 'Legend' better be amazing devices. Or maybe it can be the 'Huangshan' which is actually a beautiful mountainside in China. Who knows. What do you guys think of the codenames? Any bets on which one will be the best?

[bgr]

Though it isn't quite as beautiful as a complete 'buy one, get one free' deal, it's pretty darn close. Verizon has confirmed that from Friday, December 4th to Monday, December 7th, users who buy a Motorola DROID or HTC DROID Eris will be eligible to receive a free DROID Eris (with rate plan, of course). The DROID Eris, which has plenty of fans, is a wonderful phone that packs the HTC Sense UI that extends Android and makes it oh so droolworthy.

There's also word floating around that if you have bought a DROID or DROID Eris in the past 30 days (from Verizon, presumably), you'll be able to cash in on the deal as well. Check your local store and tell us how it goes!

Who's buying one?

[via engadget]

One of the more common complaints about the Motorola Droid is that its design may be a little too industrial. Chad from The iPhone Blog likens it to an HP calculator. To each his own. But for those of you pining for a softer Droid may one day wrap your hands around this little beauty.

From a Chinese site [by way of BGR] we see what appears to be (at least at face value) a Droid-type front bezel with rounded corners and 3.8-inch screen. Also on hand are an 8-megapixel camera with flash and an 800MHz processor.

Other than that, we know very little. Not even if it would follow in the Droid line. But needless to say, we're gonna be thinking about this one for a good long while now. There's a shot of the back after the jump.

Verizon is continuing its DROID ad onslaught with this latest spot that claims that the DROID is not a princess but a robot, "a phone that trades hairdo's for can do". It seems to us that Verizon is embracing the hard angles and industrial design and strategically positioning the DROID for the male market. The Princess Phones of the world (which looks strikingly like the iPhone) need not apply because they're clueless devices.

We love all the DROID commercials but don't they seem a little propaganda-ish with the quick cuts, ominous voice, and heavy graphics? Or is that the point? What do you guys think of the new spot?